Unit 7 The Chaser课文翻译综合教程三

Unit 7

The Chaser

John Henry Collier

1

Alan Austen, as nervous as a kitten, went up certain dark and creaky stairs in the

neighborhood of Pell Street, and peered about for a long time on the dim hallway before

he found the name he wanted written obscurely on one of the doors.

2

He pushed open this door, as he had been told to do, and found himself in a tiny

room,

which

contained

no

furniture

but

a

plain

kitchen

table,

a

rocking- chair,

and

an

ordinary

chair.

On

one

of

the

dirty

buff- coloured

walls

were

a

couple

of

shelves,

containing in all perhaps a dozen bottles and jars.

3

An

old

man

sat

in

the

rocking-chair,

reading

a

newspaper.

Alan,

without

a

word,

handed him the card he had been given. “Sit down, Mr. Austen,” said the old man very

politely.

“I am glad to make your acquaintance.”

4

“Is

it

true,”

asked

Alan,

“that

you

have

a

certain

mixture

that

has

…

er

…

quite

extraordinary effects?”

5

“My dear

sir,”

replied

the

old man,

“my stock

in

trade

is

not

very

large

—

I don’t

deal in laxatives and teething mixtures

—

but such as it is, it is varied. I think nothing I

sell has effects which could be precisely described as ordinary.”

6

“Well, the fact is …” began Alan.

7

“Here,

for example,” interrupted

the

old man, reaching for

a

bottle

from

the

shelf.

“Here

is

a

liquid

as

colourless

as

water,

almost

tasteless,

quite

imperceptible

in

coffee,

wine,

or

any

other

beverage.

It

is

also

quite

imperceptible

to

any

known

method

of

autopsy.”

8

“Do you mean it is a poison?” cried Alan, very muc

h horrified.

9

“Call

it

a

glove

-

cleaner

if

you

like,”

said

the

old

man

indifferently.

“Maybe

it

will

clean

gloves.

I

have

never

tried.

One

might

call

it

a

life- cleaner.

Lives

need

cleaning

sometimes.”

10

“I want nothing of that sort,” said Alan.

11

“Probably it is just as well,” said the old man. “Do you know the price of this? For

one teaspoonful, which is sufficient, I ask five thousand dollars. Never less. Not a penny

less.”

12

“I hope all your mixtures are not as expensive,” said Alan appre

hensively.

13

“Oh dear, no,” said the old man. “It would be no good charging that sort of price for

a love potion, for example. Young people who need a love potion very seldom have five

thousand dollars. Otherwise they would not need a love potion.”

14

“I am glad to hear that,” said Alan.

15

“I look at it like this,” said the old man. “Please a customer with one article, and he

will come back when he needs another. Even if it is more costly. He will save up for it, if

necessary.”

16

“So,” said Alan, “you really do sell love potions?”

17

“If

I

did

not

sell

love

potions,”

said

the

old

man,

reaching

for

another

bottle,

“I

should not have mentioned the other matter to you. It is only when one is in a position to

oblige that one can afford to be so

confidential. “

18

“And these potions,” said Alan. “They are not just … just … er …”

19

“Oh, no,” said the old man. “Their effects are permanent, and extend far beyond the

mere casual impulse. But they include it. Oh, yes they include it. Bountifully, insistently.

Everlastingly.”

20

“Dear

me!”

said

Alan,

attempting

a

look

of

scientific

detachment.

“How

very

interesting!”

21

“But consider the spiritual side,” said the old man.

22

“I do, indeed,” said Alan.

23

“For indifference,” said the old man, “they substitute devotion. For scorn, adoration.

Give one tiny measure of this to the young lady

—

its flavour is imperceptible in orange

juice, soup, or cocktails

—

and however gay and giddy she is, she will change altogether.

She will want nothin

g but solitude and you.”

24

“I can hardly believe it,” said Alan. “She is so fond of parties.”

25

“She

will

not

like

them

anymore,”

said

the

old

man.

“She

will

be

afraid

of

the

pretty girls you may meet.”

26

“She will actually be jealous?” cried Alan in a rapture. “Of me?”

27

“Yes, she will want to be everything to you.”

28

“She is, already. Only she doesn’t care about it.”

29

“She

will,

when

she

has

taken

this.

She

will

care

intensely.

You

will

be

her

sole

interest in life.”

30

“Wonderful!” cried Alan.

31

“She will want to know all you do,” said the old man. “All that has happened to you

during the day. Every word of it. She will want to know what you are thinking about, why

you smile suddenly, why you are looking sad.”