【導讀】威廉姆·卡洛斯·威廉姆斯(1883～1963)是美國著名意象派詩人，但他創作的短篇小說同樣出色，經常與舍伍德·安德森(Sherwood Anderson)、歐內斯特·海明威(Ernest Hemingway)和D. H. 勞倫斯(D. H. Lawrence)這些作家相提并論。很多批評家認為威廉姆斯對現代短篇小說的貢獻絲毫不亞于他對現代詩歌的貢獻。他的小說語言平實曉暢，沒有絲絲入扣的情節安排，而是通過細節描寫和日常對話來展示人物性格，這些都是當代短篇小說的重要特征。

【正文】

They were new patients to me, all I had was the name, Olson. Please come down as soon as you can, my daughter is very sick.

When I arrived I was met by the mother, a big startled looking woman, very clean and apologetic who merely said, Is this the doctor? and let me in. In the back, she added. You must excuse us, doctor,we have her in the kitchen where it is warm. It is very damp here sometimes.

他們是我的新病人，我所知道的只有名字，奧爾森。請盡快趕過來，我女兒病得厲害。

我到達時前來迎接的是母親，一個大個子、臉色驚恐的女人，穿著干凈，滿臉歉意，只問我一句，是醫生嗎?就讓我進屋了。在后屋，她又說，醫生，您得原諒咱們，咱讓她待在廚房，那兒暖和些。這地方有時濕氣太重。

[2] The child was fully dressed and sitting on her father’s lap near the kitchen table. He tried to get up, but I motioned for him not to bother, took off my overcoat and started to look things over. I could see that they were all very nervous,eyeing me up and down distrustfully. As often, in such cases, they weren’t telling me more than they had to, it was up to me to tell them; that’s why they were spending three dollars on me.

[2] 那孩子穿得嚴嚴實實，坐在父親膝上，挨著餐桌。父親想站起來，但我示意他不必起身，然后脫去外套，開始檢查。看得出，他們都很緊張，不信任似地上下打量我。在這種情況下，他們通常都是能不說話就不說話，應該由我來給他們說 ，這是他們向我支付3美元的理由。

[3] The child was fairly eating me up1 with her cold, steady eyes, and no expression to her face whatever. She did not move and seemed, inwardly, quiet; an unusually attractive little thing, and as strong asa heifer in appearance. But her face was flushed, she was breathing rapidly,and I realized that she had a high fever. She had magnificent blonde hair, in profusion2. One of those picturechildren often reproduced in advertising leaflets and the photogravure3 sections of the Sundaypapers.

[3] 那孩子眼神冷淡而堅定，臉上沒有任何表情，一時讓我不知所措。她一動不動，看起來內心很安靜;小東西分外可愛，外表壯得像頭小母牛。但她臉色猩紅，呼吸急促，我知道她在發著高燒。她滿頭金發漂亮濃密，就像印在廣告傳單和星期天報紙照片欄中的孩子。

[4] She’s had a fever for three days, began the father and we don’t know what it comes from. My wife has given her things, you know, like people do, but it don’t do no good.And there’s been a lot of sickness around. So we tho’t you’d better look her over and tell us what is the matter.

[4]她發燒三天了，父親開口說道，我們不知道從哪兒得的 。我老婆給她吃了一些東西，嗯，就和別人一樣，可一丁點兒用都沒有。現在到處都是得病的人，所以我們希望您給她檢查檢查，告訴我們她到底怎么了。

[5] As doctors often do I took a trial shot at it as a point of departure. Has she had a sore throat?

Both parents answered me together, No . . .No, she says her throat don’t hurt her.

Does your throat hurt you? added the mother to the child. But the little girl’s expression didn’t change nor did she move her eyes from my face.

Have you looked?

I tried to, said the mother, but I couldn’t see.

[5] 按照醫生的慣常做法，我試探性地問了個問題作為開始。她嗓子痛嗎?

父母兩個齊聲答道，沒有……沒有，她說嗓子不痛。

你嗓子痛嗎?母親又問了孩子一次。但是小女孩的表情紋絲不動 ，眼睛也一刻不離我的臉。

你們看過沒有?

我想看，母親回答，但沒法看到。

[6] As it happens we had been having a number of cases of diphtheria 4 in the school to which this child went during that month and we were all, quite apparently, thinking of that, though no one had as yet spoken of the thing.

[6] 那個月，我們碰巧已在這個孩子的學校發現了很多例白喉。很顯然，我們三個都想到了這點，但現在為止誰也沒挑明。

[7] Well, I said,suppose we take a look at the throat first. I smiled in my best professional manner and asking for the child’s first name I said, come on, Mathilda, open your mouth and let’s take a look at your throat.

Nothing doing.

Aw, come on, I coaxed, just open your mouth wide and let me take a look. Look, I said opening both hands wide, I haven’t anything in my hands. Just open up and let me see.

[7] 好，我說，我們先來看看嗓子吧。我用最職業的方式微笑著問小孩的名字，然后說，來吧，瑪蒂爾達，張開嘴，讓我瞧瞧你的嗓子。

沒有任何反應。

哦，來吧，我連哄帶騙地說，只要把嘴張大些，我瞧瞧就可以了。你看，我攤開雙手說，我手里什么也沒有。你只要張開嘴，讓我看一下就行啦。

[8] Such a nice man, put in the mother. Look how kind he is to you. Come on, do what he tells you to. He won’t hurt you.

At that I ground my teeth 5 in disgust. If only they wouldn’t use the word “hurt”I might be able to get somewhere. But I did not allow myself to be hurried or disturbed but speaking quietly and slowly I approached the child again.

[8] 多好的人啊，母親插話道，瞧他對你多好。來吧，照他說的做，他不會弄疼你的。

這句話讓我討厭得直咬牙。他們要是不說“弄疼”這個詞，我也許能做成點事。但眼下我不可匆忙，也不能心有旁騖，我慢聲細語地再次轉向 孩子。

[9] As I moved my chair a little nearer suddenly with one catlike movement both her hands clawed instinctively for my eyes and she almost reached them too. In fact she knocked my glasses flying and they fell, though unbroken, several feet away from me on the kitchen floor.

Both the mother and father almost turned themselves inside out 6 in embarrassment and apology. You bad girl, said the mother, taking her and shaking her by one arm. Look what you’ve done. The nice man . . .

For heaven’s sake, I broke in. Don’t call me a nice man to her. I’m here to look at her throat on the chance that 7 she might have diphtheria and possibly die of it. But that’s nothing to her. Look here, I said to the child, we’re going to look at your throat. You’re old enough to understand what I’m saying. Will you open it now by yourself or shall we have to open it for you?

[9] 我把座椅搬過去靠近她一點，突然，她像貓一樣，雙手本能地抓向我的眼睛，差點被她抓到。結果，她打飛了我的眼鏡，落在廚房地板上離我幾英尺遠的地方，幸而沒有摔碎。

父母兩個頓時無比尷尬，滿臉歉意。你這壞孩子，母親一邊說，一邊抓住她的手臂使勁搖。瞧你都干了些什么，他是多好的人啦……

看在上帝份上，我打斷了她，別在她面前叫我好人。我來這兒是看她嗓子的，她有可能得了白喉，還可能因此丟了小命!但她絲毫不為所動。瞧，我對孩子說，我們必須看看你嗓子。你不小了，應該明白我的意思。現在，你是愿意自己張開嘴，還是讓我們來幫你張開?

（轉第二頁）

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