英语散文:小偷

First. Find a policeman, tell what has happened, describe the young woman, damn her, he thinks, for seeming to be attentive to him, to let herself stand so close to him, to blush prettily when he spoke-and all the time she wanted only to steal from him. And her blush was not shyness but the anxiety of being caught; that was most disturbing of all. Damn deceitful creatures. He will spare the policeman the details-just tell what she has down, what is in the wallet. He grits his teeth. He will probably never see his wallet again.

　　首先找警察把事情经过以及那年轻女人的模样告诉他。这女人真可恶，好像对他很有意思，站得离他是那样近，听他说话时她的脸红得是那样妩媚动人——却要挖空心思想偷他的东西。原来她脸红不是因为害羞，而是做贼心虚。这是最恼人的。这该死的骗人的娘们。这些细节还是不给警察说好——单讲她所做的事情、他的钱夹里有什么东西就行了。他咬牙切齿。很可能他再也见不到自己的钱夹了。

　　He is trying to decide if he should save time for talking to a guard near the X-ray machines when he is appalled-and elated-to see the black-haired girl. She is seated against a front window of the terminal, taxis and private cars moving sluggishly beyond her in the gathering darkness: she seems engrossed in a book. A seat beside her is empty, and the man occupies it.

　　他正在考虑为了节省时间，就跟那个站在金属探测器旁边的保安员谈一下。突然，他眼睛一亮，喜出望外——吃惊地看到了那个黑发女人（报纸上会说：“长着一头乌黑秀发的女贼。”）靠坐在大厅的前窗。在她身后渐浓的暮色中，出租车和私车在慢慢腾腾地移动。她好像在全神贯注地看书。她旁边的座位空着。于是，他坐了下来。

　　“I’ve been looking for you,” he says.

　　“我正在找你呢，”他说。

　　She glances at him with no sort of recognition. “I don’t know you,” she says.

　　她瞟了他一眼，似乎没有认出他是谁。“找不认识你，”她说。

　　“Sure you do.”

　　“你不会不认识我的。”

　　She sighs and puts the book aside. “is this all you characters think about—picking up girls like we were stray animals? What do you think I am?”

　　她叹了口气，将书放在一边。“你们这些人怎么光想这个。好像我们女孩子是迷路的小动物，随随便便就能搞到手似的。你把我当成什么人了？”

“You lifted my wallet,” he says. He is pleased to have said “lifted”, thinking it sounds more wordly than stole or took or even ripped off.

　　“你摸走了我的钱夹，”他说。他很得意地说“摸走”，他觉得这个字眼比“偷走”、“盗走”，甚至“掏走”，听上去更加贴切。

　　“I beg your pardon?” the girl says.

　　“你在说什么呀？”那女孩说。

　　“I know you did—at the magazine counter. If you’ll just give it back, we can forget the whole thing. If you don't, then I’ll hand you over to the police.”

　　“我知道是你干的——在杂志柜台边。只要你还给我，事情就一笔勾销，否则就把你交给警察。”

　　She studies him, her face serious. “All right,” she says. She pulls the black bag onto her lap, reaches into it and draws out a wallet.

　　她仔细打量着那人，神情非常严肃。“好吧，”她说着，将她那只黑包拉到膝盖上，手伸进去，掏出了一只皮夹。