德式英文用藍(lán)色標(biāo)出

I knew him from the days of my extreme youth, because he made my father's boots; inhabiting with his elder brother two little shops let into one, in a small by-street -- now no more, but then most fashionably placed in the West End.

我很年輕時(shí)就認(rèn)識(shí)他了，因?yàn)樗凶鑫腋赣H的靴子。他和他哥哥合開一家店，店房有兩間打通的鋪面，開設(shè)在一條橫街上——這條街現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)不存在了，但是在那時(shí)，它卻是坐落在倫敦西區(qū)的一條新式街道。

That tenement had a certain quiet distinction; there was no sign upon its face that he made for any of the Royal Family -- merely his own German name of Gessler Brother’s; and in the window a few pairs of boots. I remember that it always troubled me to account for those unvarying boots in the window; for he made only what was ordered, reaching nothing down, and it seemed so inconceivable that what he made could ever have failed to fit.? Had he bought them to put there?? That, too, seemed inconceivable. He would never have tolerated in his house leather on which he had not worked himself.? Besides, they were too beautiful -- the pair of pumps, so inexpressibly slim, the patent leathers with cloth tops, making water come into one's mouth, the tall brown riding-boots with marvelous sooty glow, as if, though new, they had been worn a hundred years.? Those pairs could only have been made by one who saw before him the Soul of Boot -- so truly were they prototypes incarnating the very spirit of all foot-gear.? These thoughts, of course, came to me later, though even when I was promoted to him, at the age of perhaps fourteen, some inkling haunted me of the dignity of himself and brother.? For to make boots -- such boots are he made -- seemed to me then, and still seemed to me, mysterious and wonderful.

那座店房有某種樸素安靜的特色，門面上沒有注明任何為王室服務(wù)的標(biāo)記，只有包含他自己日耳曼姓氏的“格斯拉兄弟”的招牌;櫥窗里陳列著幾雙靴子。我還記得，要想說明櫥窗里那些靴子為什么老不更換，我總覺得很為難，因?yàn)樗怀凶龆ㄘ?，并不出售現(xiàn)成靴子;要說那些都是他做得不合腳而被退出來的靴子，那似乎是不可想像的。是不是他買了那些靴子來做擺設(shè)的呢?這好像也不可思議。把那些不是親手做的皮靴陳列在自己的店里，他是決不能容忍的。而且，那幾雙靴子太美觀了——有一雙輕跳舞靴，細(xì)長到非言語所能形容的地步;那雙帶布口的漆皮靴，叫人看了舍不得離開;還有那雙褐色長筒馬靴，閃著怪異的黑而亮的光輝，雖然是簇新的，看來好像已經(jīng)穿過一百年了。只有親眼看過靴子靈魂的人才能做出那樣的靴子——這些靴子體現(xiàn)了各種靴子的本質(zhì)，確實(shí)是模范品。我當(dāng)然在后來才有這種想法，不過，在我大約十四那年，我夠格跟他定做成年人靴子的時(shí)候，對(duì)他們兩兄弟的品格就有了模糊的印象。因?yàn)閺哪菚r(shí)起一直到現(xiàn)在，我總覺得，做靴子，特別是做像他所做的靴子，簡(jiǎn)直是神妙的工藝。

I remember well my shy remark, one day, while stretching out to him my youthful foot:

"Isn’t it awfully hard to do, Mr. Gessler?"

And his answer, given with a sudden smile from out of the sardonic redness of his beard: "Id is an Ardt !"

我清楚地記得：有一天，我把幼小的腳伸到他跟前時(shí)，羞怯地問道：“格斯拉先生，做靴子是不是很難的事呢?”

他回答說：“這是一種手藝?！睆乃暮S帶刺的紅胡根上，突然露出了一絲的微笑。

Himself, he was a little as if made from leather, with his yellow crinkly face, and crinkly reddish hair and beard, and neat folds slanting down his cheeks to the corners of his mouth, and his?guttural?and one-toned voice; for leather is a sardonic substance, and?stiff and slow of purpose.?And that was the character of his face, save that his eyes, which were grey-blue, had in them the simple?gravity?of one secretly possessed by the?Ideal.??His elder brother was so very like him -- though?watery, paler in every way, with a great?industry?-- that sometimes in early days I was not quite sure of him until the interview was over.??Then I knew that it was he, if the words, "I will ask my brudder," had not been spoken; and that, if they had, it was his elder brother.

他本人有點(diǎn)兒像皮革制成的人：臉龐黃皺皺的，頭發(fā)和胡子是微紅和鬈曲的，雙頰和嘴角間斜掛著一些整齊的皺紋，話音很單調(diào)，喉音很重;因?yàn)槠じ锸且环N死板板的物品，本來就有點(diǎn)僵硬和遲鈍。這正是他的面孔的特征，只有他的藍(lán)灰眼睛含蓄著樸實(shí)嚴(yán)肅的風(fēng)度，好像在迷戀著理想。他哥哥雖然由于勤苦在各方面都顯得更瘦弱、更蒼白，但是他們兩兄弟卻很相像，所以我在早年有時(shí)候要等到跟他們定好靴子的時(shí)候，才能確定他們到底誰是誰。后來我搞清楚了：如果沒有說“我要問問我的兄弟”，那就是他本人;如果說了這句話，那就是他哥哥了。

When one grew old and wild and?ran up bills,?one somehow never ran them up with Gessler Brothers.??It would not have seemed becoming to go in there and stretch out one's foot to that blue iron-spectacled glance, owing him for more than -- say -- two pairs, just the comfortable reassurance that one was still his client.

一個(gè)人年紀(jì)大了而又荒唐起來以至于賒賬的時(shí)候，不知怎么的，他決不賒格斯拉兄弟倆的賬。如果有人拖欠他幾雙——比如說——兩雙以上靴子的價(jià)款，竟心安理得地確信自己還是他的主顧，所以走進(jìn)他的店鋪，把自己的腳伸到那藍(lán)色鐵架眼鏡底下，那就未免有點(diǎn)兒太不應(yīng)該了。

For it was not possible to go to him very often -- his boots lasted terribly, having something beyond the temporary -- some, as it were, essence of boot stitched into them.

人們不可能時(shí)常到他那里去，因?yàn)樗龅难プ臃浅＝?jīng)穿，一時(shí)穿不壞的——他好像把靴子的本質(zhì)縫到靴子里去了。

One went in, not as into most shops, in the mood of: "Please serve me, and let me go!" but restfully, as one enters a church; and sitting on the single wooden chair, waited -- for there was never anybody there.??Soon, over the top edge of that sort of well -- rather dark, and smelling soothingly of leather -- which formed the shop, there would be seen his face, or that elder brother, peering down.??A guttural sound. and the tip-tap of?bast?slippers beating the narrow wooden stairs: and he would stand before one without coat, a little bent, in leather apron, with sleeves turned back, blinking -- as if awakened from some dream of boots, or like an owl surprised in daylight and annoyed at this interruption.

人們走進(jìn)他的店堂，不會(huì)像走進(jìn)一般店鋪那樣懷著“請(qǐng)把我要買的東西拿來，讓我走吧”的心情，而是心平氣和地像走進(jìn)教堂那樣。來客坐在那張僅有的木椅上等候，因?yàn)樗牡晏美飶膩頉]有人的。過了一會(huì)兒，可以看到他的或他哥哥的面孔從店堂里二樓樓梯口往下邊張望——樓梯口是黑洞洞的，同時(shí)透出沁人脾胃的皮革氣味。隨后就可以聽到一陣喉音，以及趿拉著木皮拖鞋踏在窄狹木樓梯的踢踏聲;他終于站在來客的面前，上身沒有穿外衣，背有點(diǎn)兒彎，腰間圍著皮圍裙，袖子往上卷起，眼睛眨動(dòng)著——像剛從靴子夢(mèng)中驚醒過來，或者說，像一只在日光中受了驚動(dòng)因而感到不安的貓頭鷹。

And I would say: “How do you do, Mr. Gessler???Could you make me a pair of Russia leather boots?"

于是我就說：“你好嗎，格斯拉先生?你可以給我做一雙俄國皮靴嗎?”

Without a word he would leave me, retiring whence he came, or into the other portion of the shop, and I would continue to rest in the wooden chair, inhaling the incense of his trade.?Soon he would come back, hoiding in his thin, veined hand a piece of gold-brown leather.??With eyes fixed on it, he would remark: "What a beautiful biece!"??When I, too, had admired it. he would speak again.??"When do you wand dem?"??And I would answer: "Oh! As soon as you conveniently can."??And he would say: “To-morrow fordnighd?"??Or if he were his elder brother:??"I will ask my brudder ."

他會(huì)一聲不響地離開我，退回到原來的地方去，或者到店堂的另一邊去;這時(shí)，我就繼續(xù)坐在木椅上休息，欣賞皮革的香味。不久后，他回來了，細(xì)瘦多筋的手里拿著一張黃褐色皮革。他眼睛盯著皮革對(duì)我說：“多么美的一張皮啊!”等我也贊美一番以后，他就繼續(xù)說：“你什么時(shí)候要?”我回答說：“啊!你什么時(shí)候方便，我就什么時(shí)候要?！庇谑撬驼f：“半個(gè)月以后，好不好?”如果答話的是他的哥哥，他就說：“我要問問我的弟弟。

Then I would rnurmur:??"Thank you! Good-morning, Mr. Gessler," "Goot-morning!" he would reply, still looking at the leather in his hand.??And as I moved to the door, I would hear the tip-tap of his bast slippers restoring him, up the stairs, to his dream of boots.??But if it were some new kind of foot-gear that he did not yet made me, then indeed he would?observe?ceremony?--?divesting?me of my boot and holding it long in his hand looking at it with eyes at once critical and loving, as if recalling the glow with which he had created it. and?rebuking?the way in which one had disorganized this master-piece.??Then, placing my foot on a piece of paper, he would two or three times ticket the outer edges with a pencil and pass his nervous fingers over my toes,?feeling himself into the heart of my requirements.

然后，我會(huì)含糊地說：“謝謝你，再見吧，格斯拉先生?！彼贿呎f“再見”，一邊繼續(xù)注視手里的皮革。我向門口走去的時(shí)候，就又聽到他的趿拉著木皮拖鞋的踢踏聲把他送回到樓上做他的靴子的夢(mèng)了。但是假如我要定做的事他還沒有替我做過的新式樣靴子，那他一定要照手續(xù)辦事了——叫我脫下靴子，把靴子老拿在手里，以立刻變得又批評(píng)又愛撫的眼光注視著靴子，好像在回想他創(chuàng)造這雙靴子時(shí)所付出的熱情，好像在責(zé)備我竟這樣穿壞了他的杰作。以后，他就把我的腳放在一張紙上，用鉛筆在外沿上搔上兩三次，跟著用他的敏感的手指來回地摸我的腳趾，想摸出我要求的要點(diǎn)。

I cannot forget that day on which I had occasion to say to him: "Mr. Gessler, that last pair of town walking-boots creak-ed, you know."

He looked at me for a time without replying, as if expecting me lo withdraw or qualify the statement, then said:

"Id shouldn'd 'ave greaked."

"It did, I'm afraid."

"You goddem wed before dey found demselves?"

"I don't think so."

At that he lowered his eyes, as if hunting for memory of those boots. and I felt sorry I had mentioned this grave thing.

"Zend dem back!" he said, “I will look at dem."

A feeling of compassion for my creaking boots surged up in me, so well could I imagine the sorrowful long curiosity of regard which he would bend on them.

"Zome boods," he said slowly, "are bad from birdt.??If I can do noding wid dem, I dake dem off your bill."

有一天，我有機(jī)會(huì)跟他談了一件事，我忘不了那一天。我對(duì)他說：“格斯拉先生，你曉得嗎，上一雙在城里散步的靴子咯吱咯吱地響了。”

他看了我一下，沒有做聲，好像在盼望我撤回或重新考慮我的話，然后他說：

“那雙靴子不該咯吱咯吱地響呀?！?/p>

“對(duì)不起，他響了。”

“你是不是在靴子還經(jīng)穿的時(shí)候把它弄濕了呢?”

“我想沒有吧。”

他聽了這句話以后，蹙蹙眉頭，好像在搜尋對(duì)那雙靴子的回憶;我提起了這件嚴(yán)重的事情，真覺得難過。

“把靴子送回來!”他說，“我想看一看。”

由于我的咯吱咯吱響的靴子，我內(nèi)心里涌起了一陣憐憫的感情;我完全可以想像到他埋頭細(xì)看那雙靴子時(shí)的歷久不停的悲傷心情。

“有些靴子，”他慢慢地說，“做好的時(shí)候就是壞的。如果我不能把它修好，就不收你這雙靴子的工錢?！?/p>

Once (once only) I went absently-mindedly into his shop in a pair of boots bought in an emergency at some large firm's.??He took my order without showing me any leather, and I could feel his eyes penetrating the inferior?integument?of my foot.??At last he said:

“Dose are nod my boods."

有一次(也只有這一次)，我穿著那雙因?yàn)榧毙璨旁谝患掖蠊举I的靴子，漫不經(jīng)心地走進(jìn)他的店鋪。他接受了我的定貨，但沒有皮革給我看;我可以意識(shí)到他的眼睛在細(xì)看我腳上的次等皮革。他最后說：

“那不是我做的靴子?！?/p>

The cone was not one of anger, nor of sorrow, not even of contempt, but there was in it something quiet that froze the blood.??He put his hand down and pressed a finger on the place where the left boot, endeavoring to be fashionable, was not quite comfortable.

他的語調(diào)里沒有憤怒，也沒有悲哀，;連鄙視的情緒也沒有，不過那里面卻隱藏著可以冰凍血液的潛在因素。為了講究時(shí)髦，我的左腳上的靴子有一處使人很不舒服;他把手伸下去，用一個(gè)手指在那塊地方壓了一下。

"Id 'urds you dere," he said.??"Dose big virms 'ave no self-respect.??Drash!"??And then, as if something had given way within him, he spoke long and bitterly.??It was the only time I ever heard him discuss the conditions and hardships of his trade.

“這里痛吧，”他說，“這些大公司真不顧體面?？蓯u!”跟著，他心里好像有點(diǎn)兒沉不住氣了，所以說了一連串的挖苦話。我聽到他議論他的職業(yè)上的情況和艱難，這是惟一的一次。

"Dey get id all." he said. "dey get id by adverdisement, nod by work. Dey dake it away from us, who lofe our boods.??Id gomes to this -- bresently I haf no work.??Every year id gets less -- you will see."?And looking at his lined face I saw things I had never noticed before, bitter things and bitter struggle -- and what a long of grey hairs there seemed suddenly in his red beard!

“他們把一切壟斷了，”他說，“他們利用廣告而不靠工作把一切壟斷去了。我們熱愛靴子，但是他們搶去了我們的生意。事到如今——我們很快就要失業(yè)了。生意一年年地清淡下去——過后你會(huì)明白的。”我看看他滿是褶皺的面孔，看到了我以前未曾注意到的東西：慘痛的東西和慘痛的奮斗——他的紅胡子好像突然添上好多花白須毛了!

As best I could, I explained the circumstances of the purchase of those ill-omened boots. But his face and voice made so deep an impression that during the next few minutes I ordered many pairs.??Nemesis fell! They lasted more terribly than ever.??And I　was not able conscientiously to go to him for nearly two years.

我盡一切可能向他說明我買這雙倒霉靴子時(shí)的情況。但是他的面孔和聲調(diào)使我獲得很深刻的印象，結(jié)果在以后幾分鐘里，我定了許多靴子。這下可糟了!這些靴子比以前的格外經(jīng)穿。差不多穿了兩年，我也沒想起要到他那里去一趟。

When at last I went I was surprised to find that outside one of the two little windows of his shop another name was painted, also that of a boot-maker -- making, of course, for the Royal Family.??The old familiar boots, no longer in dignified isolation, were huddled in the single window.??Inside, the now contracted well of the one little shop was more?scented and darker than ever.??And it was longer than usual. too, before a face peered down, and the tip-tap of the bast slippers began.??At last he stood before me, and gazing through those rusty iron spectacles, said:"Mr. ---, isn'd it?"

后來，我再去他那里的時(shí)候，我很驚奇地發(fā)現(xiàn)：他的店鋪外邊的兩個(gè)櫥窗中的一個(gè)漆上了另外一個(gè)人的名字——也是個(gè)靴匠的名字，當(dāng)然是為王室服務(wù)的啦。那幾雙常見的舊靴子已經(jīng)失去了孤高的氣派，擠縮在單獨(dú)的櫥窗里了。在里面，現(xiàn)在已縮成了一小間，店堂的樓梯井口比以前更黑暗、更充滿著皮革氣味。我也比平時(shí)等了更長的時(shí)間，才看到一張面孔向下邊窺視，隨后才有一陣趿拉著木皮拖鞋的踢踏聲。最后，他站在我的面前;他透過那副生了銹的鐵架眼鏡注視著我說：“你是不是——先生?”

"Ah! Mr. Gessler," I?stammered, " but your boots are really too good.??you know!??See.??these are quite decent still!"?And I stretched out to him my foot.??He looked at it.

"Yes." he said, "beople do nod wand good boods, id seems."

To get away from his reproachful eyes and voice I hastily remarked:??"What have you done to your shop?"

He answered quietly: "Id was too exbensif.??Do you wand some boods?"

“啊!格斯拉先生!”我結(jié)結(jié)巴巴地說：“你要曉得，你的靴子實(shí)在太解釋了!看，這雙還很像樣的呢!”我把腳向他伸過去。他看了看這雙靴子。

“是的，”他說，“人好像不要結(jié)實(shí)靴子了?！?/p>

為了避開他的帶責(zé)備的眼光和語調(diào)，我趕緊接著說：“你的店鋪怎么啦?”

他安靜地回答說：“開銷太大了。你要做靴子嗎?”

I ordered three pairs, though I had only wanted two, and quickly left.??I had, I do not know quite what feeling of being part, in his mind, of a?conspiracy?against him; or not perhaps so much against him as against his idea of boot.??One does not, I suppose, care to feel like that; for it was again many months before my next visit to his shop, paid, I remember, with the feeling:??"Oh! well, I can't leave the old boy -- so??here??goes!??Perhaps it'll be his elder brother!"

雖然我只需兩雙，我卻向他定做了三雙;我很快就離開了那里。我有一種難以描述的感覺，以為他的心里把握看成對(duì)他存壞意的一分子;也許不一定跟他本人作對(duì)，而是跟他的靴子理想作對(duì)。我想，人們是不喜歡那樣的感覺的;因?yàn)檫^了好幾個(gè)月以后，我又到他的店鋪里去;我記得，我去看他的時(shí)候，心里有這樣的感覺：“呵!怎么啦，我撇不開這位老人——所以我就去了!也許會(huì)看到他的哥哥呢!”

For his elder brother, I knew, had not character enough to reproach me, even?dumbly.

And, to my relief, in the shop there did appear to be his elder brother, handling a piece of leather.

"Well, Mr. Gessler," I said, "how are you?”

He came close, and peered at me.

"I am breddy well," he said slowly, "but, my elder brudder is dead."

因?yàn)槲視缘?，他哥哥很老?shí)，甚至在暗地里也不至于責(zé)備我。

我的心安下了，在店堂出現(xiàn)的正是他的哥哥，他正在整理一張皮革。

“啊!格斯拉先生，”我說，“你好嗎?”

他走近我的跟前，盯著看我。

“我過得很好，”他慢慢地說，“但是我哥哥死掉了?！?/p>

And I saw that it was indeed himself -- but now aged and?wan!???And never before had I heard him mention his brother.??Much shocked, I murmured: "Oh! I am sorry!”

我這才看出來，我所遇到的原本是他本人。但是多么蒼老，多么消瘦啊!我以前從沒聽他提到他的哥哥。我吃了一驚，所以喃喃地說：“啊!我為你難過!”

" Yes," he answered, " he was a good man, he made a good bood; but he is dead."???And he touched the top of his head, where the hair had suddenly gone as thin as it had been on that of his poor brother, to indicate, I suppose, the cause of death.??“He could nod ged over losing de oder shop.??Do you wand any boods?"??And he held up the leather in his hand: “Id's a beaudiful biece."

“的確，”他回答說，“他是個(gè)好人，他會(huì)做好靴子;但是他死掉了?！彼^頂，我猜想，他好像要表明他哥哥死的原因;他的頭發(fā)突然變得像他的可憐哥哥的頭發(fā)一樣稀薄了?！八У袅肆硗庖婚g鋪面，心里老是想不開。你要做靴子嗎?”他把手里的皮革舉起來說，“這是一張美麗的皮革?！?/p>

I ordered several pairs.??It was very long before they came -- but they were better than ever.???One simply could not wear them out.??And soon after that I went abroad.

我定做了幾雙靴子。過了很久，靴子才送到——但是這幾雙靴子比以前的更結(jié)實(shí)，簡(jiǎn)直穿不壞。不久以后，我到國外去了一趟。

It was over a year before I was again in London.??And the first shop I went to was my old friend's.??I had left a man?of sixty, I came back to one of seventy-five, pinched and worn and tremulous, who genuinely, this time, did not at first know me.

過了一年多，我才又回到倫敦。我所去的第一個(gè)店鋪就是我的老朋友的店鋪。我離去時(shí)，他是個(gè)六十歲的人，我回來時(shí)，他仿佛已經(jīng)七十五歲了，顯得衰老、瘦弱，不斷地發(fā)抖，這一次，他起先真的不認(rèn)識(shí)我了。

Oh! Mr. Gessler," I said, sick at heart; "how splendid your boots are.??See, I I’ve been wearing this pair nearly all the time I’ve been abroad, and they're not half worn out, are they?"

“啊!格斯拉先生，”我說，心里有些煩悶，“你做的靴子好極啦!看，我在國外時(shí)差不多一直穿著這雙靴子的;連一半也沒有穿壞呀，是不是?”

He looked long at my boots -- a pair of Russia leather, and his face seemed to regain steadiness.?Putting his hand on my?instep, he said:?"Do dey vid you here???I'ad drouble wid dat bair, I remember.”

I assured him that they had fitted beautifully.

“Do you wand any boods?" he said. "I can make dem quickly; id is a?slack?dime."???????????????????????

I answered: "Please, please! I want boots all round -- every kind!"

“I will make a vresh model.??Your food must be bigger."??And with utter slowness, he traced round my foot, and felt my toes, only once looking up to say:???

"Did I dell you my brudder was dead?".

To watch him was painful, so feeble had he grown; I was glad to get away.

他細(xì)看我這雙俄國皮靴，看了很久，臉上似乎恢復(fù)了鎮(zhèn)靜的氣色。他把手放在我的靴面上說：

“這里還合腳嗎?我記得，費(fèi)了很大勁才把這雙靴子做好?！?/p>

我向他確切地說明：那雙靴子非常合腳。

“你要做靴子嗎?”他說，“我很快就可以做好;現(xiàn)在我的生意很清淡?！?/p>

我回答說：“勞神，勞神!我急需靴子——每種靴子都要!”

“我可以做時(shí)新的式樣。你的腳恐怕長大了吧?！彼浅＿t緩地照我的腳形畫了樣子，又摸摸我的腳趾，只有一次抬頭看著我說：

“我哥哥死掉了，我告訴過你沒有?”

他變得衰老極了，看了實(shí)在叫人難過;我真高興離開他。

I had given those boots up, when one evening they came.??Opening the parcel, I set the four pairs out in a row.??Then one by one I tried them on. There was no doubt about it.??In shape and fit, in finish and quality of leather, they were the best he had ever made me.??And in the mouth of one of the town walking-boots I found his bill.??The amount was the same as usual, but it gave me quite a shock.??He had never before sent it in till?quarter day.??I flew downstairs and wrote a cheque, and posted it at once with my own hand.

我對(duì)這幾雙靴子并不存什么指望，但有一天晚上靴子送到了。我打開包裹，把四雙靴子排成一排;然后，一雙一雙地試穿這幾雙靴子。一點(diǎn)問題也沒有。不論在式樣或尺寸上，在加工或皮革質(zhì)量上，這些靴子都是他給我做過的最好的靴子。在那雙城里散步穿的靴口里，我發(fā)現(xiàn)了他的帳單。單上所開的價(jià)錢與過去的完全一樣，但我嚇了一跳。他從來沒有在四季結(jié)賬日以前把帳單開來的。我飛快地跑下樓去，填好一張支票，而且馬上親自把支票寄了出去。

A week later, passing the little street, I thought I would go in and tell him how splendidly the new boots fitted.???But when I came to where his shop had been, his name was gone.??Still there, in the window, were the slim pumps, the patent leathers with cloth tops, the sooty riding boots.

一個(gè)星期以后，我走過那條小街，我想該進(jìn)去向他說明：他替我做的新靴子是如何的合腳。但是當(dāng)我走近他的店鋪所在地時(shí)，我發(fā)現(xiàn)他的姓氏不見了。櫥窗里照樣陳列著細(xì)長的輕跳舞靴、帶布口的漆皮靴，以及漆亮的長筒馬靴。

I went in, very much disturbed.???In the two little shops -- again made into one -- was a young man with an English face.

"Mr, Gessler in?" I said.

He gave me a strange,?ingratiating?look.??

"No, sir," he said, “no.???But we can attend to anything with pleasure.??We've taken the shop over.??You've seen our name, no doubt, next door.??We make for some very good people."

我走了進(jìn)去，心里很不舒服。在那兩間門面的店堂里——現(xiàn)在兩間門面又合二為一了——只有一個(gè)長著英國人面貌的年輕人。

“格斯拉先生在店里嗎?” 我問道。

他詫異地同時(shí)討好地看了我一眼。

“不在，先生，”他說，“不在。但是我們可以很樂意地為你服務(wù)?！蔽覀円呀?jīng)把這個(gè)店鋪過戶過來了。毫無疑問，你已經(jīng)看到隔壁門上的名字了吧。我們替上等人做靴子?！?/p>

”Yes, yes,"??I said;??"but Mr. Gessler?'

"Oh!"??he answered; "dead."

"Dead!??But I only received these boots from him last Wednesday week."

"Ah!" he said: “ 'a shockin' go.??Poor old man starved 'imself."??????????????????????????

“Good??God !"

“是的，是的，”我說，“但是格斯拉先生呢?”

“啊!”他回答說，“死掉了!”

“死掉了?但是上星期三我才收到他給我做的靴子呀!”

“啊!”他說，“真是怪事?？蓱z的老頭兒是餓死的?！?/p>

“慈悲的上帝啊!”

"Slow starvation, the doctor called ft!??You see he went to work in such a way!??Would keep the shop on; wouldn't bave a soul touch his boots except himself.??When he got an order, it took him such a time.??People won't wait.???He lost everybody.??And there he'd sit, goin' on and on -- I will say that for him -- not a man in London made a better boot!??But look at the competition!??He never advertised!???Would 'avd the best leather, too, and do it all 'imself.??Well, there it is.??What could you expect with his ideas?"

“慢性饑餓，醫(yī)生是這樣說的!你要曉得，他是這樣去做活的!他想把店鋪撐下去;但是除了自己以外，他不讓任何人碰他的靴子。他接了一份定貨后，要費(fèi)好長時(shí)間去做它。顧客可不愿等待呀。結(jié)果，他失去了所有的顧客。他老坐在那里，只管做呀做呀——我愿意代他說句話——在倫敦，沒有一個(gè)人可以做出比他更好的皮革，而且還要親自做。好啦，這就是他的下場(chǎng)。照他的想法，你對(duì)他能有什么指望呢?”

“But starvation -- !"?????????????????????????????????

"That may be a bit?flowery, as the sayin' is -- but I know myself he was sitiin' over his boots day and night, to the very last.?You see I use to watch him.??Never gave himself time to eat; never had a penny in the house.??All went in rent and leather.??How he lived so long I don't know.??He regular let his fire go out.???He was a character.??But he made good boots."

“但是餓死——”

“這樣說，也許有點(diǎn)兒夸張——但是我自己知道，他從早到晚坐在那里做靴子，一直做到最后的時(shí)刻。你知道，我往往在旁邊看著他。他從不讓自己友吃飯的時(shí)間;店里從來不存一個(gè)便士。所有的錢都用在房租和皮革上了。他怎么能活得這么久，我也莫名其妙。他經(jīng)常斷炊。他是個(gè)怪人。但是他做了頂好的靴子。”

? "Yes," I said, "He made good boots.”

“是的，”我說，“他做了頂好的靴子。”