本文英语部分选自唐纳德·巴塞尔姆作品
A City of Churches
唐纳德·巴塞尔姆
'Yes,' said Mr Phillips, 'we're a church town to the core.'
Cecilia nodded and followed his fingers wherever they went. On either side of the street, rows of churches stand side by side in different architectural styles. Seafarer Baptist Church is next to St. Saviour's Free Baptist Church, and St. Paul's Episcopal Church is next to Evangelical Church. Beyond that were the First Church of Christian Science, the Church of the Almighty, the Church of All Souls, the Church of Our Lady, the Church of the Brotherhood, the Church of God, and the Church of the Holy Apostles, with the spires and towers of classical architecture intermingled among the whimsical 'contemporary' skyscrapers.
“是呀，”菲利普斯先生说，“我们这儿就是地地道道的教堂之城。”
塞西莉亚点点头，跟着他的手指到哪儿便看到哪儿。大街的两边，鳞次栉比的教堂行列以不同的建筑风格肩并肩地矗立着。海员浸礼会教堂挨着圣救世主自由浸礼会教堂，圣公会圣保罗教堂在福音会教堂的旁边。再前边，就是基督教科学第一教堂、万能之主教堂、万灵会教堂、圣母会教堂、兄弟会教堂、上帝会教堂和圣使徒会教堂，古典建筑的尖顶和塔顶夹杂在异想天开的“当代”式样的摩天楼中间。
'Everyone here has a strong interest in the church,' Mr. Phillips said.
Can I do this? Cecilia can't hold it. She had come to Prestown to open a branch for a taxi company.
'I'm not particularly religious,' she told Mr. Phillips, who deals in real estate.
'Not now,' he replied. 'Not for long. But we have a lot of elegant young people here, and you'll soon get along with them. The question at hand is where do you live? Most people, 'he said,' live in the church they follow. All our churches have lots of rooms for rent. There are some belfry apartments I can show you. How much are you going to pay?'
“这儿每一个人对教会事业都有很浓厚的兴趣，”菲利普斯先生说。
我能行吗，塞西莉亚拿不稳。她到普雷斯特城是来给一家出租汽车公司开一个分公司的。
“我对宗教不特别热心”，她对做房产生意的菲利普斯先生说。
“现在不感兴趣，”他答道，“可用不了多久。但我们这儿有许多优雅的年轻人，你很快就会跟他们合得来的。当前的问题是你住哪儿好?大多数人，”他说，“都住在他们信奉的教堂里。我们这儿的教堂都有许多出租的房间。有几处钟楼公寓，我可以带你去看看。你打算出多少钱?”
As they turned the corner, more churches appeared before them. They walked through St. Luke's Church, Apparition Church, Ukrainian Orthodox Church, St. Clement's Church, Holy Spring Baptist Church, Congregational Guild Church, St. Anna's and Mary's Church, Emmanuel Temple Church, and First Reformed Christian Church. The doors of all the churches were wide open, and inside, a dim light could be seen.
'I won't give more than a hundred,' Cecilia said. 'Do you have any houses here that aren't churches?'
'No,' said Mr. Phillips. 'Of course, many of our fine church buildings here serve other purposes.' He pointed to a stately Georgian facade. 'There,' he said, 'is the Methodist church and the city Department of Education. Next to it is Antioco Church of the Holy Spirit, which has a barber shop.'
他们拐过街角，眼前就出现了更多的教堂。他们走过圣路加教堂、显灵会教堂、乌克兰正教众圣堂、圣克莱门特教堂、圣泉浸礼会教堂、公理公会教堂、圣安那及里教堂、伊曼纽尔圣殿会教堂、第一基督教革新会教堂。所有教堂的门都大开着，里面，可以看到幽暗的灯光。
“我最多出到一百十块，”塞西莉亚说。“你们这儿不是教堂的房子有没有?”
“没有，”菲利普斯先生说，“当然，我们这儿许多精致的教会建筑物，都兼营别的事业。”他指指一处堂皇的乔治亚式门面。“那儿，”他说，“既是卫理公会教堂，又是市教育局。挨着它的是安蒂奥克圣灵会教堂，里面还有理发店。”
Seriously. In front of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Antioco, a sign for a barbershop with red and white stripes looms large.
'Do many people rent cars here?' Cecilia asked. 'If there was a taxi stand nearby, would anyone rent a car?'
'Oh, I don't know,' said Mr Phillips. 'Renting a car means someone is going somewhere else. But most people are content to live here. We have many social activities. If I were running a business in Preston Town, I don't think I would have chosen the taxi business. But you'll do a great job.' He showed her a small, particularly modern building with a stately facade of brick, steel, and glass. 'That's St. Barnabar's Church. It's full of decent people. It's also a delicious spaghetti restaurant.'
Cecilia could see people peeking out of Windows to look at her. But as soon as she glared at them, the heads drew back.
真格的。在安蒂奥克圣灵会教堂的前面，影影绰绰地有一根红白条子相间的理发店招牌。
“这儿租汽车的人多吗?”塞西莉亚问，“要是近便有一处出租汽车站，会有人来租车吗?”
“啊，我不知道，”菲利普斯先生说。“要租车，就是说有人要到别处去。可是大多数人都住在这儿心满意足。我们有许多社交活动。要是我在普雷斯特城经营企业，我想我不会挑中出租汽车这个行当。但是你会干得很出色的。”他带她去看一座小巧的、特别现代化的建筑，有一个用砖头、钢骨和玻璃装饰的庄严的门面。“那是圣巴那巴教堂。里面全是一伙正派人。还是家美味可口的细条面餐馆。”
塞西莉亚可以看到许多人从窗户里探出头来看她。但是一见她用眼睛瞪着他们，这些人头马上缩回去了。
'Do you think it will do any good to have so many churches crowded together?' 'She asked the guide. 'It doesn't seem... Balance, if you know what I mean.'
'We're famous for having a lot of churches,' Mr. Phillips replied. 'They didn't hurt, and now we're here.'
He opened a door and climbed a few flights of dusty stairs. At the top they entered a large, square room with Windows on all sides. There was a bed, a table, two chairs, a lamp, and a rug. Four huge brass bells hung from the middle of the roof.
'What a beautiful view! 'Exclaimed Mr Phillips. 'Come here and see.'
'Can they really ring these clocks?'
“你们以为把那么多教堂都挤在一起，有什么好处吗?”她问向导。“看起来不……平衡，要是你懂我这话的意思。”
“我们是以教堂众多出名的，”菲利普斯先生答道。“他们没有坏处，现在我们到了。”
他打开一扇门，沿着满是尘土的楼梯爬了几层。爬到顶上，他们进了间相当大的屋子，方方正正，四面都是窗户，屋里有一张床、一张桌子、两把椅子、台灯和地毯。屋顶正中悬挂着四口巨大的铜钟。
“多美的风景!”菲利普斯先生赞叹道。“到这儿来瞧瞧。”
“他们真会打这些钟吗?”
'Three times a day,' Mr. Phillips said, smiling broadly. 'Morning, noon, night, and, of course, when the clock strikes, you must get out of the way as fast as you can. Otherwise, these babes will hit you on the head, and this place will be famous for it.'
'God Almighty,' Cecilia burst out. Then she said, 'No one will live in a bell tower apartment. So these houses are still empty.'
'Do you think so? 'Said Mr. Phillips.
'You can only rent these rooms to new arrivals,' she scolded.
'I won't do that,' Mr. Phillips said. 'It is against the spirit of Christian love.'
'It's a bit of a bore, you know?
“一天三次，”菲利普斯先生说，笑容满面。“早晨、中午、夜晚，当然，打钟时，你得尽快躲开，不要碍手碍脚。不然，这些宝贝儿会打到你的头上，这儿就以此出名。”
“万能的上帝呀，”塞西莉亚冲口叫了起来。随后她说：“没有人会住这种钟塔公寓的。所以这些屋子至今还空着。”
“你这样想吗?”菲利普斯先生说。
“你只能把这些屋子出租给新到这儿的人，”她责备说。
“我不会那样做的，”菲利普斯先生说。“这样做违反了基督友爱精神。”
“这个城市有点使人讨厌，你明白吗?”
'Perhaps a little, but you can't say that, can you? I thought you were new here, you had to be careful, at least for a while. If you don't want to live upstairs, I've got a ground-floor flat at Central Presbyterian Church, but you'll have to share it. There are two women there already. '
'I don't want to share,' Cecilia said. 'I want a single room.'
'Why not? 'Asked the real estate dealer curiously. 'For what purpose?
'Purpose?' 'Asked Cecilia. 'There is no particular purpose. I just want --'
“也许有那么一点儿，但是这话你可不能说，对吗?我以为你新来乍到，做什么都得小心谨慎，至少要过一些时候吧。要是你不愿意住在楼上，我在中央长老会教堂那儿还有间底层的公寓房子，不过你得跟人合住，现在已经有两位妇女住在那儿了。”
“我不愿跟人合住，”塞西莉亚说，“我要个单人房间。”
“为什么?”这个房产商人好奇地问。“什么目的?”
“目的?”塞西莉亚问。“没有什么特别目的。我不过要——”
“在这儿很少见的。人们都同别人住在一起。丈夫们和妻子们，儿子们跟着他们的母亲。人们都有同住的伙伴。这儿的风俗习惯就是这样的。”
'It's very rare here. People live with each other. Husbands and wives, sons followed their mothers. People have roommates. Such is the custom here.'
'I'm still going to have a room to myself.'
'That's very rare.'
'Do you have such a room? Apart from these bell towers, I mean? '
'I'm afraid they're rare,' Mr. Phillips said, with a clear sense of disapproval. 'I suppose I could show you one or two places.'
He hesitated for a moment.
“我还是要一个人住一间。”
“这真很少见。”
“你有这样的房间吗?我的意思是除了这些钟楼之外?”
“我怕这样的房间很少，”菲利普斯先生说，带着明显的不满之感。“我揣摩可以带你到一两处看看。”
他踌躇了一会儿。
'Maybe we have some different social norms than nearby cities,' he explained. 'Our reputation was so great that at one time we had a four-minute programme on the Central Radio Evening News. Three or four years ago, they called us the City of churches.'
'Yes, I must have my own lodging,' said Cecilia, 'if I am to live here.'
'It's a funny attitude to take,' said Mr. Phillips. 'What church are you?'
Cecilia was silent, in fact because she was not of any religious denomination.
'I say, what religion are you?' 'Repeated Mr. Phillips.
'I can dream what I want,' Cecilia said. 'Whatever I want, I can dream. If I wish to dream of going to Paris or any other place to have a good time, I shall dream of it as soon as I go to bed. You can dream about anything you want.'
“也许，我们和附近的城市有一些不同的社会准则，”他解释着。“我们的名声很大，有个时期，我们在中央广播电台晚间新闻广播里有四分钟的节目。三、四年之前吧，广播里称我们是'教堂之城’。”
“是啊，我要有自己住宿的地方，这是不可缺少的，”塞西莉亚说，“如果我要在这儿生活。”
“采取那样的态度不免有点儿可笑，”菲利普斯先生说，“你是什么教派的?”
塞西莉亚默然不语，事实上因为她什么教派都不是。
“我说，你是什么教派的?”菲利普斯先生又重复了一遍。
“我是想做什么梦就做什么梦派，”塞西莉亚说。“不论我要什么，我都可以梦见。如果我愿意做梦到巴黎或是其他地方去痛痛快快玩儿一番，我只要一上床睡觉，就会梦见的。不论要什么都可以梦见。”
'Well, what do you often dream about?' 'Said Mr. Phillips. He looked at her carefully.
'I often dream about things between men and women,' she said, not at all afraid of his eyes.
'Prest is not such a city,' said Mr. Phillips, looking away from her.
The church doors opened on both sides of the street, and people came out in twos and threes and stood in front of the church in the street, staring at Cecilia and Mr. Phillips.
A young man jumped out of the crowd, Shouting. 'Everyone in town has had cars already! There is not a man in town without a car!'
'Is that true? Cecilia asked Mr. Phillips.
'Yes,' he said. 'It's true. Nobody rents a car here, and they won't for a hundred years.'
'Then I won't stay here,' she said. 'I'll go somewhere else.'
“那么，你经常梦见什么呢?”菲利普斯先生说。一面仔细地打量着她。
“我经常梦见男女间的事情，”她说，一点也不害怕他的眼光。
“普雷斯特可不是这样的一个城市，”菲利普斯先生说，眼光避开了她。
街两边，教堂的门都打开了，人们三三两两从里面出来，站在街头的教堂前面，盯着塞西莉亚和菲利普斯先生。
一个年轻人从人群里跳出来，大喊大叫。“城里的人都早已有汽车了!城里没有一个人没汽车!”
“那是真的吗?”塞西莉亚问菲利普斯先生。
“是的，”他说。“这是真的。这儿没有人租汽车，一百年也不会有人来租的。”
“那我不留在这儿了，”她说，“我要到别处去。”
'You must stay here,' he said. 'We've got a taxi ready for you. There, in the foyer of Mount Moore Baptist Church, was a counter, a telephone, and a rack full of car keys. And a wall calendar.'
'I won't stay here,' she said, 'because there's no business here, and it's no use me staying.'
'We need you,' said Mr Phillips. 'We need you at the taxi counter, during the hours. That's what makes the city perfect.'
'I don't care,' she said. 'I'm not like that.'
'You must stay. It is indispensable.'
'I dream,' she said, 'and you don't want to dream about things.' 'We're very dissatisfied,' said Mr Phillips. 'Very dissatisfied. There's something wrong with it.'
“你一定得留在这儿，”他说，“我们早给你准备好汽车出租处了。就在摩山浸礼会教堂里，在门厅那儿，有一个柜台、一架电话、一个挂满汽车钥匙的架子。还有本挂历。”
“我不留在这儿，”她说，“因为这儿没有生意可做，我留着也没用。”
“我们需要你，”菲利普斯先生说，“我们需要你在汽车出租处站柜台，在规定的营业时间里。这样才能使这个城市十全十美。”
“我管不着，”她说，“我不是这号人。”
“你一定得留下来。这是不可缺少的。”
“我会做梦，”她说，“梦见的事儿你不会乐意的。”“我们很不满足，”菲利普斯先生说，“十二万分不满足。这里面总有点儿什么不对头。”
'I'll dream about your 'secrets,'' she said. 'But you'll be sorry.'
'We're just like any other city, but we have a better reputation,' he said. 'Only a good reputation can overcome our dissatisfaction. We are short of a rental girl. Someone has to be behind that counter.'
'The life I dreamed of is what you fear most,' Cecilia threatened.
'You're one of us now,' he said. Hold her by the arm. 'Our rent-a-car girl. Stay well, you won't cause any trouble.'
'We'll see,' Cecilia said.
“我会梦见你那里头的'秘密’，”她说。“可你准会感到遗憾。”
“我们跟别的城市没有不一样，可是我们的名声好一些，”他说。“只有好名声才能消除我们的不满，我们就是缺少一个租车姑娘。一定得有个人站在那个柜台后面。”
“我梦见的那种生活，是你们最害怕的，”塞西莉亚威胁着。
“你是我们的人了，”他说。紧挽着她的膀子。“我们的租车姑娘。好好待着吧，你不会闹出什么事来的。”
“等着瞧吧，”塞西莉亚说。
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