A Friend in Need (Excerpt)《患難識人》（節選）

【導讀】毛姆的短篇小說文筆質樸，脈絡清晰，對生活的觀察細致入微，對人性的復雜有深刻的揭露。許多短篇，如《雨》（Rain）、《大班》（The Taipan）等都以英國海外殖民地為背景，往往表現遠在海外的官員、商人、牧師人性的異化。這篇《患難識人》發表于1926年，后收錄在短篇小說集《世界主義者》（Cosmopolitans）中。小說講述了英國商人伯頓在同胞牌友走投無路時落井下石的故事，展現了人性的虛偽和殘忍。

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.

伯頓的辦事處設在神戶，但他經常來橫濱。有一次，我碰巧去橫濱等船，需要在那里待幾天，我在英國俱樂部經人介紹結識了他。我們一起打橋牌。他牌技很好，牌品也不錯。無論在牌桌上還是后來在酒桌上，他話不多，但說出的話都那么合情合理。他會不動聲色地講冷笑話。他在俱樂部好像很受歡迎，后來他離開后，大家說起他還都贊不絕口。碰巧我們都住在格蘭德酒店，第二天他請我一起用餐。我于是認識了他太太和兩個女兒，太太體態偏胖，上了年紀，笑容可掬。顯然是和睦幸福的一家子。伯頓給我印象最深的就是他的友善。那雙溫柔的藍眼睛里有某種東西讓人非常愉悅。他說話語氣溫和，估計即便生氣也不會提高嗓門，笑容和藹可親。這人真有吸引力，你始終會感受到他對同胞真誠的友愛。他迷人而不矯情：喜歡打牌、喝雞尾酒，還能繪聲繪色地講個耐人尋味的重口味段子，年輕時應該是個運動健將。他很有錢，但每一分錢都來路正當。我估計還有一點也會讓你喜歡他：他個子瘦小、羸弱，會激起你的保護欲。你會覺得他連只蒼蠅都不忍心傷害。

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，我坐在格蘭德酒店的大堂吧。那是在大地震前，酒吧里還擺著皮質扶手椅。向窗外望去，擁堵的港口一覽無余。有不少大客輪，有的開往溫哥華和舊金山，有的途經上海、香港和新加坡，開往歐洲；也有來自世界各地的貨輪，船身斑駁，飽受海浪侵蝕；還有些帆船，船尾高高翹起，船帆五顏六色；另外還有不計其數的舢板。到處是一派繁忙熱鬧的景象。我內心卻不由得感覺平靜怡然。浪漫傳奇就在眼前，似乎觸手可及。

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

不一會兒，伯頓也來了大堂吧，一眼看到我，于是坐進我旁邊的椅子里。

“What do you say to a little drink？”

“喝點兒怎樣？”

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.

他拍手招來服務生，點了兩份杜松子汽水酒。服務生送酒來時，外面街上有熟人碰巧路過，看見我，朝我揮了揮手。

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

“你認識特納？”我朝外面的人點頭打招呼時，伯頓問我。

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

“我在俱樂部遇見過他。據說他靠國內家人匯款過日子。”

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

“沒錯，我相信。這里不少人都這樣。”

“He plays bridge well.”

“他橋牌打得不錯。”

“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.”

“這些人通常都會打牌。去年有個家伙，碰巧和我同姓，是我見過的頂級橋牌高手。估計你在倫敦沒見過他。他自稱蘭尼·伯頓，應該是幾家高檔俱樂部的會員。”

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

“我確實不記得這個名字。”

“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.”

“他打牌水平絕對一流，似乎對橋牌有種天生的直覺，挺奇妙。我們經常一起玩。他在神戶待過一段時間。”

Burton sipped his gin fizz.

伯頓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.”

“說來有趣。”他說，“那家伙人不壞，我挺喜歡他。他衣著得體，儀表堂堂。卷頭發、白里透紅的臉蛋，還算帥氣。女人對他非常著迷。他人不壞，只是有點放蕩不羈。當然，他喝酒還是太放縱了，那些人差不多都這樣。每個季度會收到家里匯來的一小筆錢，他靠打牌再贏一點。光從我這兒他就贏了不少，這點我清楚。”

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.

伯頓友善地笑笑。憑我的觀察，他打橋牌即使輸了錢，也會很灑脫。他用瘦弱的手摸摸剃得干干凈凈的下巴，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.

“我估計，他后來潦倒時來找我，一來是從我這里贏過不少錢，二來是因為他跟我碰巧同姓。一天，他來到我辦公室，說希望能找份工作。我吃了一驚。他說家里不會再給他寄錢了，他想要工作。我問他多大年紀了。

‘“Thirty-five，” he said.

“‘三十五。’他說。

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

“‘你干過什么工作？’我問。

‘“Well， nothing very much，” he said.

“‘哦，沒干過啥。’他說。

‘I couldn’t help laughing.

“我忍不住笑出聲來。

‘“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.”

“‘那恐怕我幫不上你什么了。’我說，‘再過三十五年你來找我吧，或許我能幫你找點事情做做。’

‘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.

“他一動也沒動，臉色慘白。遲疑了一會兒，他告訴我說自己最近一段時間手氣很差。他不想老打橋牌，于是改打撲克，結果輸得精光。所有的東西都典當了，可還是付不起酒店的賬單，他們也不再賒賬給他。他已走投無路。如果不能找點事情做，恐怕只能自殺了。

‘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.

“我望著他好一陣子。他整個人都廢掉了。嚴重酗酒，看上去像個五十歲的老頭兒。看到他那副樣子，肯定不會有什么女人再會戀上他。

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

“‘那除了打牌，你還會什么？’我問他。

‘“I can swim，” he said.

“‘我會游泳。’他說。

‘“Swim！”

“‘游泳！’

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

“我簡直不敢相信自己的耳朵，聽起來真是荒唐透頂。

‘“I swam for my university.”

“‘我在大學里曾經代表學校參加過比賽。’

‘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.

“我知道他想說什么了。我認識好些人，上大學時都風光一時，自以為是，因此我不為所動。

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

“‘我年輕的時候游得也很不錯。’我說。

‘Suddenly I had an idea.’

“我突然有個了主意。”

Pausing in his story， Burton turned to me.

伯頓停了一下，轉身面向我。

‘Do you know Kobe？’ he asked.

“你了解神戶吧？”他問。

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

“不怎么了解。”我說，“有一次經過那里，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.

“這么說你不知道鹽谷俱樂部了。我年輕的時候，曾經從鹽谷俱樂部的燈塔附近游到垂水小溪。全長三英里多，燈塔附近水流很急，一般人對付不了。我跟那年輕人說了這事，而且說，如果他能做到，我就給他一份工作。”

‘I could see he was rather taken aback.

“看得出來，他非常吃驚。

‘“You say you’re a swimmer，” I said.

“‘你自己說會游泳的。’我說。

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

“‘我現在身體不大好。’他回答說。

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

“我一言不發，聳了聳肩。他看看我，然后點點頭。

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

“‘好吧。’他說。‘你想要我什么時候游？’

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

“我看了下表，剛過十點。

‘“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.”

“‘估計你游過這段一小時一刻鐘就夠，超也不會超太多。我開車十二點半到小溪那里接你，然后帶你去俱樂部換衣服，一起吃午飯。’

‘“Done，” he said.

“‘一言為定！’他說。

‘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.’

“我們握手告別。我祝他好運，然后他就走了。那天上午我非常忙，趕到垂水小溪時剛好十二點半。其實我根本不需要那么趕，他再沒露面。”

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

“他最后一刻打退堂鼓了？”我問。

‘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.’

“那倒沒有。他當時就動身了。但是他常年飲酒作樂，身體早垮了，根本應付不了燈塔附近的水流。我們打撈三天，也沒找到尸體。”

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

我一時無言以對，有些震驚。隨后我問伯頓：

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

“你說可以給他一份工作的時候，知道他會淹死嗎？”

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.

他輕輕笑了笑，那雙友善真誠的藍眼睛看著我，手摸了摸下巴。

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

“其實當時我的辦事處根本沒有空缺。”

1毛姆.毛姆短篇小說選Ⅱ.辛紅娟、鄢宏福譯.北京：人民文學出版社，2016.

2指1923年9月1日發生在日本橫濱和東京一帶的“關東大地震”。