Five weeks drifted tediously along. The SAGAMORE arrived regularly on the Saturdays， but never once contained a mention of Tilbury Foster. Sallys patience broke down at this point， and he said， resentfully：“Damn his livers， hes immortal！”
五个冗长乏味的星期过去了。《萨加摩尔周报》准时在每个周六送到，却从来只字不提提尔伯里·福斯特。这时，萨利再也没有耐心了，他恼怒地说：“这条他妈的老命，他还真的不死啦！”
Aleck give him a very severesevere adj.严厉的， 严格的， 剧烈的， 严重的， 严峻的 rebukerebuke n.指责， 谴责， 非难 vt.斥责， 指责， 非难，成为对……的指摘， and added with icy solemnity：“How would you feel if you were suddenly cut out just after such an awful remark had escaped out of you？”
艾莱柯非常严厉地批评了丈夫，她义正词严地说：“你也不想一想，要是这句混账话刚出口，你也一蹬腿就死了呢？”
Without sufficient reflection Sally responded：“Id feel I was lucky I hadnt got caught with it IN me.”
萨利还没来得及仔细想想，就说：“那算我走运，没把这句话憋在心里。”
Pride had forced him to say something， and as he could not think of any rational thing to say he flung that out. Then he stole a base—as he called it—that is， slipped from the presence， to keep from being brayed in his wifes discussionmortar.
自尊心逼着萨利说点儿什么，可他又没想好合情合理的话，就顺嘴说了这一句。接着，他输了一垒——这是他的说法——就是溜之大吉，好免遭妻子连珠炮般的责问。
Six months came and went. The SAGAMORE was still silent about Tilbury. Meantime， Sally had several times thrown out a feeler—that is， a hint that he would like to know. Aleck had ignoredignore vt.不理睬， 忽视， [律］（因证据不足而）驳回诉讼 the hints. Sally now resolved to brace up and risk a frontal attackfrontal attack n.正面攻击。 So he squarely proposed to disguisedisguise v.假装， 伪装， 掩饰 n.伪装 himself and go to Tilburys village and surreptitiously find out as to the prospects. Aleck put her foot on the dangerous project with energy and decision. She said：“What can you be thinking of？ You do keep my hands full！ You have to be watched all the time， like a little child， to keep you from walking into the fire. Youll stay right where you are！”
六个月一晃就过去了。《萨加摩尔周报》仍然只字不提提尔伯里的事。这期间，萨利已经三番两次进行试探——暗示他想搞清楚。可是艾莱柯对这种暗示视而不见。于是萨利决定鼓足勇气，冒险正面进攻。他直截了当地提议自己乔装改扮，打入提尔伯里的村子，偷偷地摸清情况。艾莱柯斩钉截铁地制止了这个危险的计划。她说：“你想什么来着？净给我添乱！你就像个小孩子，得时时看着你，要不然就闯祸。该干什么就干什么去吧！”
“Why， Aleck， I could do it and not be found out—Im certain of it.”
“嗨，艾莱柯，我能做得神不知鬼不觉——我保证。”
“Sally Foster， dont you know you would have to inquire around？”
“萨利·福斯特，你难道不知道你得四处打探吗？”
“Of course， but what of it？ Nobody would suspect who I was.”
“是啊，那又怎么啦？谁都猜不出我是谁呀。”
“Oh， listen to the man！ Some day youve got to prove to the executorsexecutor n.被指定遗嘱执行者， 执行者 that you never inquired. What then？”
“呵，瞧你说的！有朝一日你得向遗嘱执行人证明你从来都没有打听过。那时你怎么说？”
He had forgotten that detail. He didnt reply， there wasnt anything to say. Aleck added：“Now then， drop that notion out of your mind， and dont ever meddlemeddle v.管闲事 with it again. Tilbury set that trap for you. Dont you know its a trap？ He is on the watch， and fully expecting you to blunder into it. Well， he is going to be disappointed—at least while I am on deck. Sally！”
他把这个茬忘了。他答不上来，没什么好说的了。艾莱柯接着说：“别瞎出主意了，也别再添乱了。提尔伯里给你设好了陷阱。你明白那是个陷阱吗？他在旁边看着，就盼着你往里面跳呢。好吧，只要有我在，他就得竹篮子打水——一场空。萨利！”
“Well？”
“嗯？”
“As long as you live， if its a hundred years， dont you ever make an inquiry. Promise！”
“只要你活着，哪怕等一百年，你也别问一句那件事。你答应我！”
“All right.” with a sigh and reluctantly.
“好吧。”萨利不甘心地叹了一口气。
Then Aleck softened and said：“Dont be impatient. We are prosperingprosper v.成功， 兴隆， 昌盛， （指上帝）使成功， 使昌隆， 繁荣， we can wait， there is no hurry. Our small deadcertain income increases all the time， and as to futures， I have not made a mistake yet—they are piling up by the thousands and tens of thousands. There is not another family in the state with such prospects as ours. Already we are beginning to roll in eventual wealth. You know that， dont you？”
艾莱柯的口气缓和了下来，她说：“别沉不住气，咱们快成功了。咱们可以等着，不用着急。咱们那两笔固定收入一直在增加，至于期货，我从来没有看走过眼——这些钱财正万儿八千地往上翻呢。本州里再没有另外一家像咱们这样走运了。咱们已经开始往富人队里混了。这你都知道，是吧？”
“Yes， Aleck， its certainly so.”
“是，艾莱柯，没错。”
“Then be grateful for what God is doing for us and stop worrying. You do not believe we could have achieved these prodigiousprodigious adj.巨大的 results without His special help and guidanceguidance n.指导， 领导， do you？”
“那就得感谢上帝的恩赐，别再自寻烦恼了。没有上帝的帮助和指引，你敢想咱们有这样多的收获吗？”
Hesitatingly， “N—no， I suppose not.” Then， with feeling and admiration， “And yet， when it comes to judiciousness in watering a stock or putting up a hand to skin Wall Street I dont give in that YOU need any outside amateuramateur n.业余爱好者， 业余艺术家 help， if I do wish I—”
答话的人吞吞吐吐：“不——不，我不敢想。”萨利又满怀深情，用赞赏的口气说：“不过，说到炒股票的智慧和耍弄华尔街的小手腕儿，我倒觉得你用不着外行帮忙，要是真想，我——”
“Oh， DO shut up！ I know you do not mean any harm or any irreverence， poor boy， but you cant seem to open your mouth without letting out things to make a person shuddershudder n.vi.战栗， 发抖。 You keep me in constant dread. For you and for all of us. Once I had no fear of the thunder， but now when I hear it I—”
“别说了！可怜的孩子，我知道你没有害人之心，也没有大不敬的意思，可是，你一张嘴，就总是漏出几句吓人的话来。你老是让我提心吊胆的，为你、也为咱们家捏着一把汗。以前打雷我没害怕过，可如今我一听见打雷，就——”
Her voice broke， and she began to cry， and could not finish. The sight of this smote Sally to the heart and he took her in his arms and petted her and comforted her and promised better conduct， and upbraided himself and remorsefully pleaded for forgiveness. And he was in earnest， and sorry for what he had done and ready for any sacrificesacrifice n.牺牲， 献身， 祭品， 供奉 v.牺牲， 献出， 献祭， 供奉 that could make up for it.
她停住嘴，哭了起来，再也说不下去了。此情此景深深打动了萨利，他攥住妻子的手千般抚慰，发誓要痛改前非，他自责了一番，后悔不迭地请求宽恕。他诚心诚意地为自己的言行道歉，说只要能够弥补过失，他甘愿做出任何牺牲。
