The drugstore was beginning to close for the night. Young Alfred Higgins, who worked in the store was putting on his coat, getting ready to go home. On his way out, he passed Mr. Carr, the little gray-haired man who owned the store. Mr. Carr looked up at Alfred as he passed, and said in a very soft voice, "Just one moment, Alfred. One moment before you go." Mr. Carr spoke so quietly that he worried Alfred.

　　天晚了，雜貨店即將打烊，在店里工作的年輕的艾爾弗雷德?希金斯穿上大衣準(zhǔn)備回家。出門(mén)時(shí)，他碰上了店主卡爾先生。卡爾先生是個(gè)小個(gè)子，頭發(fā)灰白。當(dāng)艾爾弗雷德經(jīng)過(guò)時(shí)卡爾先生抬頭看著他，然后低聲說(shuō)：“等一下，艾爾弗雷德。等一下再走。”卡爾先生的聲音那么低沉，使艾爾弗雷德不禁緊張起來(lái)。 "What is it, Mr. Carr?"

　　“什么事，卡爾先生？”

　　"Maybe, you' d be good enough to take a few things out of your pockets and leave them here before you go.“ said Mr. Carr.

　　“你也許在走之前會(huì)把兜里的東西拿出來(lái)，放在這兒。”卡爾先生說(shuō)。

　　"What ―― What things? What are you talking about?"

　　“什么――什么東西？你在說(shuō)些什么呀？”

　　"You've got a compact and a lipstick and at least two tubes of toothpaste in your pockets, Alfred,"

　　“你拿了一個(gè)粉盒，一支口紅還有至少兩管牙膏在你衣兜里，艾爾弗雷德。”

　　"What do you mean?" Alfred answered.

　　“你這是什么意思？”艾爾弗雷德回答：“你以為我瘋了嗎？”他的臉紅了。

　　"Do you think I' m crazy?" his face got red. Mr. Carr kept looking at Alfred coldly. Alfred did not know what to say, and tried to keep his eyes from meeting the eyes of his boss. After a few moments, he put his hand into his pockets and took out the things he had stolen.

　　卡爾先生冷冷地直盯著艾爾弗雷德。艾爾弗雷德一時(shí)語(yǔ)塞，努力避開(kāi)老板的目光、過(guò)了一會(huì)兒，他把手伸進(jìn)口袋，把偷的東西拿了出來(lái)。

　　"Petty thieving, eh, Alfred.“ said Mr. Carr. "And maybe you'd be good enough to tell me how long this has been going on."

　　“小偷小摸，是吧，艾爾弗雷德？”卡爾先生發(fā)話了。“也許你能老實(shí)告訴我這種事已持續(xù)多久了？”

　　"This is the first time I ever took anything."

　　“這是我頭一次從店里拿東西。”

　　Mr. Carr was quick to answer, "So now you think you'll tell me a lie, eh? What kind of fool I look like, huh? I don't know what goes on in my own store, eh? I tell you, you've been doing this for a long time." Mr. Carr had a strange smile on his face. "I don' t like to call the police," he said, "but maybe I should call your father, and let him know I'm going to have you put in jail."

　　卡爾先生當(dāng)即反駁道：“你想騙我，嗯？看看我究竟有多傻，嗯？我會(huì)不知道我自己店里發(fā)生的事情，嗯？我告訴你，你這種行為已經(jīng)持續(xù)很長(zhǎng)一段時(shí)間了。”卡爾先生瞼上露出了怪異的笑。“我不想叫警察，”他說(shuō)，“但我也許應(yīng)該給你父親打個(gè)電話，讓他知道我得把你送到監(jiān)獄里去。”

　　"My father is not home. He is a printer. He works nights."

　　“我父親不在家。他是個(gè)印刷工，上夜班。”

　　"Who is at home?" Carr asked.

　　“那么誰(shuí)在家？”卡爾問(wèn)道。

　　"My mother, I think."

　　“我想，我母親大概在吧。”

　　Mr. Carr started to go to the phone. Alfred's fear made him raise his voice. He wanted to show he was afraid of nobody. He acted this way every time he got into trouble. This had happened many times since he left school. At such times he always spoke in a loud voice, as he did tonight. "Just a minute," he said to Mr. Carr. "You don' t have to get anybody else into this. You don't have to tell her." Alfred tried to sound big, but deep down he was like a child. He hoped that someone at home would come quickly to save him. But Mr. Carr was already talking to his mother. He told her to come to the store in a hurry.

　　卡爾先生準(zhǔn)備去打電話。因?yàn)榭謶郑瑺柛ダ椎绿岣吡艘袅俊Ｋ胍源孙@示他誰(shuí)也不怕。每當(dāng)他碰上麻煩時(shí)，他都這么做。自從他離開(kāi)學(xué)校后他經(jīng)常闖禍。每次遇到這種情況，他就拉大嗓門(mén)說(shuō)話，今晚也不例外。“稍等一下，”他對(duì)卡爾先生說(shuō)，“你沒(méi)必要把別人扯進(jìn)來(lái)。你沒(méi)必要告訴她。”艾爾弗雷德說(shuō)話時(shí)努力想使自己顯得像個(gè)大人，可內(nèi)心里他卻像個(gè)孩子。他希望家里很快有人來(lái)救他。這時(shí)卡爾先生已在和他的母親通話了。他讓她趕緊到店里來(lái)。

　　Alfred thought his mother would come, rushing in, eyes burning with anger. Maybe she would be crying and would push him away when he tried to explain to her. She would make him feel so small. Yet, he wanted her to come quickly before Mr. Carr called in a policeman. Alfred and Mr. Carr waited, but said nothing. At last they heard someone at the closed door. Mr. Carr opened it and said, “Come in, Mrs. Higgins. "His face was harsh and serious.

　　艾爾弗雷德想像著他母親來(lái)時(shí)一定是急急忙忙，滿眼怒火。她也許還會(huì)哭著一把將他推開(kāi)，不容他分辯。她會(huì)讓他覺(jué)得非常渺小。盡管如此，他還是希望她能在卡爾先生叫來(lái)警察之前盡快趕來(lái)。艾爾弗雷德和卡爾先生都等著，誰(shuí)也不吭聲。他們終于聽(tīng)到有人敲緊閉的房門(mén)。卡爾先生打開(kāi)門(mén)說(shuō)：“請(qǐng)進(jìn)，希金斯太太。”他的臉繃得緊緊的，非常嚴(yán)肅。

　　Alfred's mother came in with a friendly smile on her face and put out her hand to Mr. Carr, said politely, "I' m Mrs. Higgins, Alfred's mother."

　　艾爾弗雷德的母親臉上掛著友好的微笑走了進(jìn)來(lái)，并向卡爾先生伸出手，很有禮貌地說(shuō)：“我是希金斯夫人，艾爾弗雷德的母親。” Mr. Carr was surprised at the way she came in. She was very calm, quiet and friendly. "Is Alfred in trouble?" Mrs. Higgins asked.

　　她進(jìn)來(lái)時(shí)的舉止完全出乎卡爾先生所料。她鎮(zhèn)定自若，心平氣和且很友好。“艾爾弗雷德闖禍了嗎？”希金斯夫人問(wèn)道。

　　"He is. He has been taking things from the store ―― little things, like toothpaste and lipsticks, things he can easily sell," Mrs. Higgns looked at her son and said sadly. "Is it so, Alfred?"

　　“是的。他不斷從店里偷拿東西――一些牙膏以及口紅之類(lèi)的小東西，他可以很容易地將這些東西賣(mài)掉。” 希金斯夫人看了看兒子，哀傷地說(shuō)：“是這樣嗎，艾爾弗雷德？”

　　"Yes."

　　“是的。”

　　"Why have you been doing it?" she asked.

　　“你為什么要這么做？”她問(wèn)道。

　　"I've been spending money, I believe.“

　　“我錢(qián)花得太多，我想。”

　　"On what?"

　　“花在什么上？”

　　"On going around with the boys, I guess.“ said Alfred.

　　“我想是和朋友們一起出去，”艾爾弗雷德說(shuō)。

　　Higgins put out her hand and touched Mr. Carr's arm with great gentleness, as if she knew just how he felt. She spoke as if she did not want to cause him any more trouble. She said, "If you will just listen to me before doing anything?" Her voice was cool and she turned her head away as if she had said too much already. Then she looked again at Mr. Carr with a pleasant smile and asked, "What do you want to do, Mr. Carr?"

　　希金斯夫人伸出手極其輕柔地碰了碰卡爾先生的胳膊，似乎她知道他是怎么想的。她說(shuō)話的口吻似乎表明她不想再給他添更多的麻煩。她說(shuō)：“在您采取任何行動(dòng)之前，能否聽(tīng)我說(shuō)句話？”她的聲音很冷靜，接著她把頭扭到一邊，似乎她已說(shuō)得太多。之后她又把目光移回到卡爾先生的臉上，帶著一臉和氣的笑容問(wèn)道：“您打算怎么辦，卡爾先生？”

　　"I was going to get a cop. That is what I should do ―― call the police."

　　“我要叫警察。這也是我應(yīng)該做的――叫警察。”

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