1. Mr. Beresford stepped out of the candy shop with a great box under his arm and started briskly for the corner. Mr. Beresford was going to take his wife out to dinner for her birthday, he decided, and was going to see if he could get last-minute tickets to a show, taking his wife candy. It had been an exceptionally good day and Mr. Beresford walked along swiftly, humming to himself.
贝雷斯福德先生走出糖果店，一只臂下夹着一个大盒子，快速地向角落走去。他决定要带他的妻子出去吃晚餐，庆祝她的生日，然后再看看能否在最后一刻上演一出“好戏”——把糖果送给他的妻子。这是一个特别美好的日子，贝雷斯福德先生快速地向前走着，嘴里哼着小曲。
2. He stopped on the corner, and waved for a taxi. A man in a light hat stopped next to Mr. Beresford on the sidewalk and for a minute, in the middle of the crowd, he stared at Mr. Beresford and Mr. Beresford stared at him as people sometimes do without caring particularly what they see. What Mr. Beresford saw was a thin face under the light hat, and a small moustache. Funny-looking guy, Mr. Beresford thought. Perhaps the man thought Mr. Beresford’s staring was offensive; he frowned and turned away. His candy box under his arm, Mr. Beresford decided to swallow his annoyance about the guy and, because there was no taxi in sight, take a bus home.
他停在拐角处，挥手叫出租车。与此同时，一个戴着一顶浅色帽子的男子也停在了他身边的人行道上。在人群中，那个男子和贝雷斯福德先生彼此凝视了一会儿，就是人们有时做的那种并不关心具体看到了什么的下意识的凝视。贝雷斯福德先生看到的是一顶浅色帽子下的一张瘦瘦的脸，脸上留着小胡子。贝雷斯福德先生觉得他是个长相滑稽的家伙。也许这个人认为贝雷斯福德先生盯着他看冒犯到他了，于是他皱起眉头转过身去。手臂下夹着糖果盒的贝雷斯福德先生，决定把关于那个家伙的烦恼全部抛到脑后，然后坐公交车回家，因为在他的视线里一辆出租车也没出现。
3. He watched the people as he walked to the bus stop. In the crowds, he suddenly saw the funny-looking guy in the light hat coming towards him quickly, as though he hated someone . . . Mr. Beresford shrugged and walked on but halfway, Mr. Beresford realized with a sort of sick shock that the man in the light hat was at his elbow, walking steadily along next to him. Mr. Beresford turned his head the other way and slowed his step. Best, Mr. Beresford decided, to avoid this man. Thinking this, Mr. Beresford turned around and walked steadily to the bus stop to catch his bus home.
他一边走向公交车站，一边看着周围的人来人往。突然间，他在人群中看到了那个戴着浅色帽子的长相滑稽的男子快速地朝他走来，而且他的脸上似乎带着憎恶的表情……贝雷斯福德先生耸了耸肩，继续向前走。不过，他中途停下了脚步，他非常震惊地意识到，那个戴着浅色帽子的男子正跟他肩并肩稳稳地向前走着。贝雷斯福德先生把头转向了另一侧，放慢了脚步。他决定自己最好离这个人远一点儿。想到这，他转过身来，迈着稳定的步伐向公交车站的方向走去，以便赶上回家的公交车。
4. The man in the light hat was on the corner ahead, waiting. Mr. Beresford hesitated, but then walked boldly down the street; the man in the light hat was not even watching him, but was leaning calmly against a building lighting a cigarette. Anxious, Mr. Beresford yelled “Taxi!” and a taxi stopped. Mr. Beresford moved gratefully toward it. His hand was on the door handle when another hand closed over his and Mr. Beresford was aware of the light hat brushing his cheek. “Come on if you’re coming,” the taxi driver said; the door was open and Mr. Beresford, resisting the push that urged him into the taxi, slipped his hand out from under the other hand and ran back to the sidewalk.
此时，戴着浅色帽子的男子正在前方的角落里等着。贝雷斯福德先生犹豫了一下，但还是壮着胆子继续沿着街道向前走去。戴着浅色帽子的男子甚至都没有看他，只是平静地倚在一栋建筑物的外墙上，吸着烟。贝雷斯福德先生焦急地大喊道：“出租车！”。一辆出租车停了下来。贝雷斯福德先生向着这辆出租车停靠的位置跑去，内心充满感激。当他的一只手放到车门把手上时，另一个人的一只手盖在了他的那只手上——贝雷斯福德先生意识到那顶浅色帽子正擦过自己的脸颊。“上车的话，就快点儿，”出租车司机说。车门打开了，但贝雷斯福德先生却抑制住了上车的冲动，从另一只手下滑出了自己的那只手，然后跑回人行道上。
5. A bus had stopped on the corner and Mr. Beresford, no longer thinking, hurried into it. The man in the light hat sat a little ahead, between Mr. Beresford and the door. He looked around. In the bus he was riding on now there were only five people. One was the driver, one Mr. Beresford, one the man in the light hat, sitting slightly ahead of Mr. Beresford. The two others were an old lady with a shopping bag and a man who looked as though he might be a foreigner. The man in the light hat was sitting comfortably. “Getting off,” Mr. Beresford said to the driver when they approached the next stop.
一辆公交车在拐角处停了下来，贝雷斯福德先生不假思索地匆匆走了进去。戴着浅色帽子的男子坐的位置比较靠前，正好在贝雷斯福德先生与车门之间。他看了看四周。车上此时只有五个人——一个是司机，一个是贝雷斯福德先生自己，一个是坐在贝雷斯福德先生前面很近位置的戴着浅色帽子的男子，另外两个人是一位拿着购物袋的老妇人和一个看起来像是外国人的男子。戴着浅色帽子的男子舒服地坐在那里。“我要下车，”当公交车正接近下一站时，贝雷斯福德先生对司机说道。

6. “Can’t stop in the middle of the block,” the driver said, not turning his head. “The next stop, then,” Mr. Beresford said. The bus moved rapidly on. Mr. Beresford saw a sign saying “Bus Stop.” “Here,” he said. “What?” the driver said, going past. “Listen,” Mr. Beresford said. “I want to get off.” “It’s O.K. with me,” the driver said. “Next stop.” “You just passed one,” Mr. Beresford said.
“不能停在街区中间，”司机头也没回地说。“那就下一站，”贝雷斯福德先生说。公交车继续快速行驶。贝雷斯福德先生看到一个牌子上写着“公交车站”。“就这站下，”他说。“什么？”司机说，公交车驶过了车站。“听着，”贝雷斯福德先生说，“我要下车。”“没问题，“司机说，“下一站下吧。”“可你刚刚驶过了一站，”贝雷斯福德先生说。
7. “No one waiting there,” the driver said. “Anyway, you didn’t tell me in time.” “If you don’t stop at the next stop,” Mr. Beresford said, “I shall smash the glass in the door and shout for help.” “What with?” the driver said. “The box of candy?” “How do you know it’s—” Mr. Beresford said before he realized that if he got into a conversation he would miss the next bus stop.
“刚刚那站没人等候，”司机说，“总之，你没及时告诉我你要下车。”“如果你下一站还不停车，”贝雷斯福德先生说，“我就打碎车门玻璃，然后大声呼救。”“用什么打碎玻璃？“司机问，“那盒糖果？”“你怎么知道…… ”贝雷斯福德先生说，然后突然意识到如果自己继续跟他聊下去，下一站也会错过。
8. The bus pulled to a stop in front of a bus sign; there was a group of stores. “O.K.,” the bus driver said to Mr. Beresford, “you were so anxious to get off.” The man in the light hat got off at the rear door. Mr. Beresford, standing by the open front door, hesitated and said, “I guess I’ll stay on for a while.” “Last stop,” the bus driver said. “Everybody off.” Mr. Beresford got off and went directly up to the man in the light hat, standing on the sidewalk. “This is perfectly ridiculous,” he said emphatically. “I don’t understand any of it and I want you to know that the first policeman I see—”
公交车在一个公交站牌前停了下来，附近有很多商店。“好了，到站了，”公交车司机对贝雷斯福德先生说，“你急着要下车的。”戴着浅色帽子的男子从后门下了车。站在敞开的前门边上的贝雷斯福德先生犹豫了一下，说：“我想我还是在车上再呆一会儿吧。”“已经是终点站了，”公交车司机说，“每个人都得下车。”贝雷斯福德先生下了车，径直走到站在人行道上的那个戴着浅色帽子的男子身边。“这非常荒谬，”他用力说道，“我不明白你做这些事是什么意思，但我想让你知道我看到的第一名警察……”
9. He stopped when he realized that the man in the light hat was looking not at him but, bored and fixedly, over his shoulder. Mr. Beresford turned and saw a policeman standing on the corner. “Just you wait,” he said to the man in the light hat, and started for the policeman. Halfway to the policeman he began to wonder again: what did he have to report? A bus that would not stop when directed to, a mysterious man in a light hat—and why? Mr. Beresford realized suddenly that there was nothing he could tell the policeman: he looked over his shoulder and saw the man in the light hat watching him, and then Mr. Beresford bolted down the street.
当他意识到那个戴着浅色帽子的男子并没有看他，而只是目光呆滞地回头盯着什么看时，便停了下来。贝雷斯福德先生转身看到一名警察正站在角落里。“你等着，”他对那个戴着浅色帽子的男子说，然后开始朝那名警察走去。向警察靠近的途中，一连串的疑惑再次袭来：要告诉警察什么？一辆公交车被告知停车也不停，一位神秘男子戴着浅色帽子……为什么他们会这样？贝雷斯福德先生突然意识到他没什么可告诉警察的——他回头看了看，看到那个戴着浅色帽子的男子正注视着他，然后发疯似地沿着街道向远处跑去。
10. He finally reached his apartment building without mishap. There was no light hat, no odd person watching for Mr. Beresford in the lobby. In the elevator, alone, with no one to see which floor button he pressed, Mr. Beresford took a long breath and began to wonder if he had dreamed his wild trip home.
他终于平安无事地到达了他家的公寓楼。没有浅色帽子，也没有奇怪的人在大厅里盯着贝雷斯福德先生看。电梯里只有他自己，没有人看到他按下了哪个楼层的按钮，贝雷斯福德先生长长地吸了口气，开始怀疑这次疯狂的回家经历是不是自己做的白日梦。
11. “You’re terribly late, darling,” his wife said affectionately when he entered his apartment. “But what’s the matter?” He looked at her; she was wearing her blue dress and that meant she knew it was her birthday and expected him to take her out; he handed her the box of candy limply and she took it, hardly noticing in her anxiety over him. “What on earth has happened?” she asked. “Darling, come in here and sit down. You look terrible.”
“你回来的太迟了，亲爱的，”当他走进他的公寓房间时，他妻子亲切地说道，“但这是怎么回事？”他看了看她——她穿着蓝色连衣裙，这意味着她知道今天是她的生日，并期待他带她出去。他软绵绵地把那盒糖果递给了她，一副四肢无力的样子。她接过了糖果盒。他几乎没有注意到她对他的焦虑之情。“到底发生了什么事？”她问道，“亲爱的，快进屋，坐下来吧。你看上去很糟糕。”
12. He let her lead him into the living room, into his own chair, and lay back. “Are you sick? Were you in an accident? What has happened?” He sighed deeply and said, “Nothing. Nothing wrong. Tell you in a minute.” “Wait,” she said. “I’ll get you a drink.” He put his head back against the soft chair as she went out. Unconsciously, he focused to hear his wife dial a number on the telephone in the hall. She dialled and waited. Then: “Listen,” she said, “listen, he came here after all. I’ve got him.”
她带他进到起居室，坐在他自己的椅子上，然后向后躺下。“你生病了吗？你出事了吗？发生了什么事？“他深深地叹了口气，说：“没什么，没发生什么。一分钟后告诉你怎么回事。”“等等，”她说，“我给你拿点儿喝的去。” 他把头靠在了柔软的椅子背上，与此同时她走出了房间。不知不觉中，他的注意力被她妻子在大厅里拨打电话的声音吸引了——她拨通了那个号码，等待着，然后对着听筒说道：“听着，听着，他终究还是回来了，我已经看好他了。”