“‘I aint particular.’ says Andy. ‘I am equally good and varicose on all subjects. I can take up the matter of Russian immigrationimmigration n.外来的移民， 移居入境， or the poetry of John W. Keats， or the tariff， or Kabyle literature， or drainagedrainage n.排水， 排泄， 排水装置， 排水区域， 排出物， 消耗， and make my audience weep， cry， sob and shed tears by turns.’
“‘我没有什么偏爱。’安迪说。‘无论什么题材，我都能高谈阔论，曲尽其妙。我可以谈俄罗斯移民，约翰·济慈的诗歌，关税，卡比利亚文学，或者排涝，并且能够轮番使我的听众啜泣，号哭，呜咽，流泪。’
“‘Well， Andy，’ says I， ‘if you are bound to get rid of this accumulationaccumulation n.积聚， 堆积物 of vernacularvernacular adj.本国的 suppose you go out in town and work it on some indulgentindulgent adj.纵容的 citizen. Me and the boys will take care of the business. Everybody will be through dinner pretty soon， and salt pork and beans makes a man pretty thirsty. We ought to take in 1，500 more by midnight.’
“‘好吧，安迪，’我说，‘假如你非让郁结的话出笼不可，那你就到镇上去，找些厚道的居民发挥一通吧。我和弟兄们来照看这里的买卖。人们马上就要吃完中饭了，咸肉和豆子总会使人口渴的。午夜之前，我们至少还应该捞它一千五百块钱。’
“So Andy goes out of the Blue Snake， and I see him stopping men on the street and talking to em. By and by he has half a dozen in a bunch listening to him； and pretty soon I see him waving his arms and elocuting at a goodsized crowd on a corner. When he walks away they string out after him， talking all the time； and he leads em down the main street of Bird City with more men joining the procession as they go. It reminded me of the old legerdemainlegerdemain n.戏法， 骗术， 诡辩， 巧妙的花招 that Id read in books about the Pied Piper of Heidsieck charming the children away from the town.
“于是安迪走出了蓝蛇酒店。我看到他拦住街上的行人，同他们说话。没多久，就有五六个人围在一起听他的；再过一会儿，只见他在街角上正向一大群人指手画脚，大发议论。他走开时，人们一个个都跟着他。他嘴一直没有闲，把人们领到鸟城的大街上。路上还有许多人纷纷跟上。这情形叫我想起以前在书上看到的，海德西克的彩衣风琴手把镇上的孩子都拐跑的老骗术。
“One oclock came； and then two； and three got under the wire for place； and not a Bird citizen came in for a drink. The streets were deserted except for some ducks and ladies going to the stores. There was only a light drizzle falling then.
“一点钟到了；接着是两点，三点也跑到了终点线；可是马镇的居民没有一个进来喝酒。街上冷冷清清的，只有几只鸭子和几个去铺子买东西的妇女。那时候也只下着细雨。
“A lonesome man came along and stopped in front of the Blue Snake to scrapescrape n.刮， 擦， 擦痕， 刮擦声， 困境 vi.刮掉， 擦掉，刮出刺耳声 vt.刮， 擦， 擦伤， 挖成 the mud off his boots.
“一个孤零零的男人走来，停在蓝蛇酒店门口，把靴子上的泥刮掉。
“‘Pardner，’ says I， ‘what has happened？ This morning there was hectic gaietygaiety n.欢乐的精神， 欢乐的气氛 作乐， 乐事 afoot， and now it seems more like one of them ruined cities of Tyre and Siphon where the lone lizard crawls on the walls of the main portcullis.’
“‘朋友，’我说，‘出了什么事啦？今天上午，大家还欢欢腾腾的，现在全镇却像是蒂尔和锡丰的废墟，只有一只晰蜴在城门的吊闸上孤零零地爬着。’
“‘The whole town，’ says the muddy man， ‘is up in Sperrys wool warehouse listening to your sidekicker make a speech. He is some gravy on delivering himself of audible sounds relating to matters and conclusions.’ says the man.
“‘镇上的人，’那个身上带泥的人说，‘全到斯佩里的羊毛仓库去听你那搭档的演讲啦。在主题和结论方面，他发表的议论倒很出色。’那人说。
“‘Well， I hope hell adjourn， sine qua non， pretty soon，’ says I， ‘for trade languishes.’
“‘我希望他快点休会，’我说，‘生意疲软，不休会也不行啦。’
“Not a customer did we have that afternoon. At six oclock two Mexicans brought Andy to the saloon lying across the back of a burro. We put him in bed while he still muttered and gesticulated with his hands and feet.
“当天下午，没有一个顾客上门。六点钟，两个墨西哥人把搭在驴子背上的安迪送回酒店。我们把他抬到床上时，他仍旧手舞足蹈，喋喋不休。
“Then I locked up the cash and went out to see what had happened. I met a man who told me all about it. Andy had made the finest two hour speech that had ever been heard in Texas， he said， or anywhere else in the world.
“我把现金锁好，上街去看看究竟是怎么一回事。有个人原原本本地告诉了我。他说安迪作了两小时的演讲，精彩万分，无论在得克萨斯或是世上任何别的地方都难得听到。
“‘What was it about？’ I asked.
“‘他讲的什么呀？’我问道。
“‘Temperancetemperance n.节欲， 戒酒， 禁酒， (气候等的)温和.’ says he. ‘And when he got through， every man in Bird City signed the pledgepledge n.保证， 誓言， 抵押， 抵押品 vt.保证， 使发誓， 抵押， 典当 for a year.’”
“‘戒酒。’他说。‘演讲结束后．鸟城每一个人都具结保证，一年之内决不喝酒。’”