A Friend in Need (Excerpt)《患难识人》（节选）

【导读】毛姆的短篇小说文笔质朴，脉络清晰，对生活的观察细致入微，对人性的复杂有深刻的揭露。许多短篇，如《雨》（Rain）、《大班》（The Taipan）等都以英国海外殖民地为背景，往往表现远在海外的官员、商人、牧师人性的异化。这篇《患难识人》发表于1926年，后收录在短篇小说集《世界主义者》（Cosmopolitans）中。小说讲述了英国商人伯顿在同胞牌友走投无路时落井下石的故事，展现了人性的虚伪和残忍。

Though his offices were in Kobe， Burton often came down to Yokohama. I happened on one occasion to be spending a few days there， waiting for a ship， and I was introduced to him at the British Club. We played bridge together. He played a good game and a generous one. He did not talk very much， either then or later when we were having drinks， but what he said was sensible. He had a quiet， dry humour. He seemed to be popular at the club and afterwards， when he had gone， they described him as one of the best. It happened that we were both staying at the Grand Hotel and next day he asked me to dine with him. I met his wife， fat， elderly， and smiling， and his two daughters. It was evidently a united and affectionate family. I think the chief thing that struck me about Burton was his kindliness. There was something very pleasing in his mild blue eyes. His voice was gentle; you could not imagine that he could possibly raise it in anger; his smile was benign. Here was a man who attracted you because you felt in him a real love for his fellows. He had charm. But there was nothing mawkish in him： he liked his game of cards and his cocktail， he could tell with point a good and spicy story， and in his youth he had been something of an athlete. He was a rich man and he had made every penny himself. I suppose one thing that made you like him was that he was so small and frail; he aroused your instincts of protection. You felt that he could not bear to hurt a fly.

伯顿的办事处设在神户，但他经常来横滨。有一次，我碰巧去横滨等船，需要在那里待几天，我在英国俱乐部经人介绍结识了他。我们一起打桥牌。他牌技很好，牌品也不错。无论在牌桌上还是后来在酒桌上，他话不多，但说出的话都那么合情合理。他会不动声色地讲冷笑话。他在俱乐部好像很受欢迎，后来他离开后，大家说起他还都赞不绝口。碰巧我们都住在格兰德酒店，第二天他请我一起用餐。我于是认识了他太太和两个女儿，太太体态偏胖，上了年纪，笑容可掬。显然是和睦幸福的一家子。伯顿给我印象最深的就是他的友善。那双温柔的蓝眼睛里有某种东西让人非常愉悦。他说话语气温和，估计即便生气也不会提高嗓门，笑容和蔼可亲。这人真有吸引力，你始终会感受到他对同胞真诚的友爱。他迷人而不矫情：喜欢打牌、喝鸡尾酒，还能绘声绘色地讲个耐人寻味的重口味段子，年轻时应该是个运动健将。他很有钱，但每一分钱都来路正当。我估计还有一点也会让你喜欢他：他个子瘦小、羸弱，会激起你的保护欲。你会觉得他连只苍蝇都不忍心伤害。

One afternoon I was sitting in the lounge of the Grand Hotel. This was before the earthquake2 and they had leather arm-chairs there. From the windows you had a spacious view of the harbour with its crowded traffic. There were great liners on their way to Vancouver and San Francisco or to Europe by way of Shanghai， Hong-Kong， and Singapore; there were tramps of all nations， battered and sea-worn， junks with their high sterns and great coloured sails， and innumerable sampans. It was a busy， exhilarating scene， and yet， I know not why， restful to the spirit. Here was romance and it seemed that you had but to stretch out your hand to touch it.

有天下午，我坐在格兰德酒店的大堂吧。那是在大地震前，酒吧里还摆着皮质扶手椅。向窗外望去，拥堵的港口一览无余。有不少大客轮，有的开往温哥华和旧金山，有的途经上海、香港和新加坡，开往欧洲；也有来自世界各地的货轮，船身斑驳，饱受海浪侵蚀；还有些帆船，船尾高高翘起，船帆五颜六色；另外还有不计其数的舢板。到处是一派繁忙热闹的景象。我内心却不由得感觉平静怡然。浪漫传奇就在眼前，似乎触手可及。

Burton came into the lounge presently and caught sight of me. He seated himself in the chair next to mine.

不一会儿，伯顿也来了大堂吧，一眼看到我，于是坐进我旁边的椅子里。

“What do you say to a little drink？”

“喝点儿怎样？”

He clapped his hands for a boy and ordered two gin fizzes. As the boy brought them a man passed along the street outside and seeing me waved his hand.

他拍手招来服务生，点了两份杜松子汽水酒。服务生送酒来时，外面街上有熟人碰巧路过，看见我，朝我挥了挥手。

“Do you know Turner？” said Burton as I nodded a greeting.

“你认识特纳？”我朝外面的人点头打招呼时，伯顿问我。

“I’ve met him at the club. I’m told he’s a remittance man.”

“我在俱乐部遇见过他。据说他靠国内家人汇款过日子。”

“Yes， I believe he is. We have a good many here.”

“没错，我相信。这里不少人都这样。”

“He plays bridge well.”

“他桥牌打得不错。”

“They generally do. There was a fellow here last year， oddly enough a namesake of mine， who was the best bridge player I ever met. I suppose you never came across him in London. Lenny Burton he called himself. I believe he’d belonged to some very good clubs.”

“这些人通常都会打牌。去年有个家伙，碰巧和我同姓，是我见过的顶级桥牌高手。估计你在伦敦没见过他。他自称兰尼·伯顿，应该是几家高档俱乐部的会员。”

“No， I don’t believe I remember the name.”

“我确实不记得这个名字。”

“He was quite a remarkable player. He seemed to have an instinct about the cards. It was uncanny. I used to play with him a lot. He was in Kobe for some time.”

“他打牌水平绝对一流，似乎对桥牌有种天生的直觉，挺奇妙。我们经常一起玩。他在神户待过一段时间。”

Burton sipped his gin fizz.

伯顿喝了一小口杜松子汽水酒。

“It’s rather a funny story，” he said. “He wasn’t a bad chap. I liked him. He was always well-dressed and smart-looking. He was handsome in a way with curly hair and pink-and-white cheeks. Women thought a lot of him. There was no harm in him， you know， he was only wild. Of course he drank too much. Those sort of fellows always do. A bit of money used to come in for him once a quarter and he made a bit more by card-playing. He won a good deal of mine， I know that.”

“说来有趣。”他说，“那家伙人不坏，我挺喜欢他。他衣着得体，仪表堂堂。卷头发、白里透红的脸蛋，还算帅气。女人对他非常着迷。他人不坏，只是有点放荡不羁。当然，他喝酒还是太放纵了，那些人差不多都这样。每个季度会收到家里汇来的一小笔钱，他靠打牌再赢一点。光从我这儿他就赢了不少，这点我清楚。”

Burton gave a kindly chuckle. I knew from my own experience that he could lose money at bridge with a good grace. He stroked his shaven chin with his thin hand; the veins stood out on it and it was almost transparent.

伯顿友善地笑笑。凭我的观察，他打桥牌即使输了钱，也会很洒脱。他用瘦弱的手摸摸剃得干干净净的下巴，手上血管突起，看上去清清楚楚。

“I suppose that is why he came to me when he went broke， that and the fact that he was a namesake of mine. He came to see me in my office one day and asked me for a job. I was rather surprised. He told me that there was no more money coming from home and he wanted to work. I asked him how old he was.

“我估计，他后来潦倒时来找我，一来是从我这里赢过不少钱，二来是因为他跟我碰巧同姓。一天，他来到我办公室，说希望能找份工作。我吃了一惊。他说家里不会再给他寄钱了，他想要工作。我问他多大年纪了。

‘“Thirty-five，” he said.

“‘三十五。’他说。

‘“And what have you been doing hitherto？” I asked him.

“‘你干过什么工作？’我问。

‘“Well， nothing very much，” he said.

“‘哦，没干过啥。’他说。

‘I couldn’t help laughing.

“我忍不住笑出声来。

‘“I’m afraid I can’t do anything for you just yet，” I said. “Come back and see me in another thirty-five years， and I’ll see what I can do.”

“‘那恐怕我帮不上你什么了。’我说，‘再过三十五年你来找我吧，或许我能帮你找点事情做做。’

‘He didn’t move. He went rather pale. He hesitated for a moment and then he told me that he had had bad luck at cards for some time. He hadn’t been willing to stick to bridge， he’d been playing poker， and he’d got trimmed. He hadn’t a penny. He’d pawned everything he had. He couldn’t pay his hotel bill and they wouldn’t give him any more credit. He was down and out. If he couldn’t get something to do he’d have to commit suicide.

“他一动也没动，脸色惨白。迟疑了一会儿，他告诉我说自己最近一段时间手气很差。他不想老打桥牌，于是改打扑克，结果输得精光。所有的东西都典当了，可还是付不起酒店的账单，他们也不再赊账给他。他已走投无路。如果不能找点事情做，恐怕只能自杀了。

‘I looked at him for a bit. I could see now that he was all to pieces. He’d been drinking more than usual and he looked fifty. The girls wouldn’t have thought so much of him if they’d seen him then.

“我望着他好一阵子。他整个人都废掉了。严重酗酒，看上去像个五十岁的老头儿。看到他那副样子，肯定不会有什么女人再会恋上他。

‘“Well， isn’t there anything you can do except play cards？” I asked him.

“‘那除了打牌，你还会什么？’我问他。

‘“I can swim，” he said.

“‘我会游泳。’他说。

‘“Swim！”

“‘游泳！’

‘I could hardly believe my ears; it seemed such an insane answer to give.

“我简直不敢相信自己的耳朵，听起来真是荒唐透顶。

‘“I swam for my university.”

“‘我在大学里曾经代表学校参加过比赛。’

‘I got some glimmering of what he was driving at， I’ve known too many men who were little tin gods at their university to be impressed by it.

“我知道他想说什么了。我认识好些人，上大学时都风光一时，自以为是，因此我不为所动。

‘“I was a pretty good swimmer myself when I was a young man，” I said.

“‘我年轻的时候游得也很不错。’我说。

‘Suddenly I had an idea.’

“我突然有个了主意。”

Pausing in his story， Burton turned to me.

伯顿停了一下，转身面向我。

‘Do you know Kobe？’ he asked.

“你了解神户吧？”他问。

‘No，’ I said， ‘I passed through it once， but I only spent a night there.’

“不怎么了解。”我说，“有一次经过那里，但只待了一晚上。”

‘Then you don’t know the Shioya Club. When I was a young man I swam from there round the beacon and landed at the creek of Tarumi. It’s over three miles and it’s rather difficult on account of the currents round the beacon. Well， I told my young namesake about it and I said to him that if he’d do it I’d give him a job.

“这么说你不知道盐谷俱乐部了。我年轻的时候，曾经从盐谷俱乐部的灯塔附近游到垂水小溪。全长三英里多，灯塔附近水流很急，一般人对付不了。我跟那年轻人说了这事，而且说，如果他能做到，我就给他一份工作。”

‘I could see he was rather taken aback.

“看得出来，他非常吃惊。

‘“You say you’re a swimmer，” I said.

“‘你自己说会游泳的。’我说。

‘“I’m not in very good condition，” he answered.

“‘我现在身体不大好。’他回答说。

‘I didn’t say anything. I shrugged my shoulders. He looked at me for a moment and then he nodded.

“我一言不发，耸了耸肩。他看看我，然后点点头。

‘“All right，” he said. “When do you want me to do it？”

“‘好吧。’他说。‘你想要我什么时候游？’

‘I looked at my watch. It was just after ten.

“我看了下表，刚过十点。

‘“The swim shouldn’t take you much over an hour and a quarter. I’ll drive round to the creek at half past twelve and meet you. I’ll take you back to the club to dress and then we’ll have lunch together.”

“‘估计你游过这段一小时一刻钟就够，超也不会超太多。我开车十二点半到小溪那里接你，然后带你去俱乐部换衣服，一起吃午饭。’

‘“Done，” he said.

“‘一言为定！’他说。

‘We shook hands. I wished him good luck and he left me. I had a lot of work to do that morning and I only just managed to get to the creek at Tarumi at half past twelve. But I needn’t have hurried; he never turned up.’

“我们握手告别。我祝他好运，然后他就走了。那天上午我非常忙，赶到垂水小溪时刚好十二点半。其实我根本不需要那么赶，他再没露面。”

‘Did he funk it at the last moment？’ I asked.

“他最后一刻打退堂鼓了？”我问。

‘No， he didn’t funk it. He started all right. But of course he’d ruined his constitution by drink and dissipation. The currents round the beacon were more than he could manage. We didn’t get the body for about three days.’

“那倒没有。他当时就动身了。但是他常年饮酒作乐，身体早垮了，根本应付不了灯塔附近的水流。我们打捞三天，也没找到尸体。”

I didn’t say anything for a moment or two. I was a trifle shocked. Then I asked Burton a question.

我一时无言以对，有些震惊。随后我问伯顿：

‘When you made him that offer of a job， did you know he’d be drowned？’

“你说可以给他一份工作的时候，知道他会淹死吗？”

He gave a little mild chuckle and he looked at me with those kind and candid blue eyes of his. He rubbed his chin with his hand.

他轻轻笑了笑，那双友善真诚的蓝眼睛看着我，手摸了摸下巴。

‘Well， I hadn’t got a vacancy in my office at the moment.’

“其实当时我的办事处根本没有空缺。”

1毛姆.毛姆短篇小说选Ⅱ.辛红娟、鄢宏福译.北京：人民文学出版社，2016.

2指1923年9月1日发生在日本横滨和东京一带的“关东大地震”。