宇宙的城堡

It is wonderful the way a little town keeps track of itself and of all its units.

一個小鎮掌握自己、掌握它每一個單位的方式，真是奇妙。

If every single man and woman, child and baby, acts and conducts itself in a known pattern and breaks no walls and differs with no one and experiments in no way and is not sick and does not endanger the ease and peace of mind or steady unbroken flow of the town, then that unit can disappear and never be heard of.

如果每一個男人、女人、孩子和嬰兒，都照著已知的模式行事，不打破任何牆、不跟任何人不同、不做任何嘗試、不生病，也不危及小鎮的安逸、心安，以及它平穩不斷的流動，那麼那個單位就可以消失，永遠不被人聽說。

But let one man step out of the regular thought or the known and trusted pattern, and the nerves of the townspeople ring with nervousness and communication travels over the nerve lines of the town.

可是只要有一個人跨出常規的想法，或那個已知而可信的模式，鎮民的神經就會因為緊張而響起，訊息就會沿著小鎮的神經線傳開。

Then every unit communicates to the whole.

於是每一個單位都會向整體傳遞訊息。

Thus, in La Paz, it was known in the early morning through the whole town that Kino was going to sell his pearl that day.

於是，在拉巴斯，一大早全鎮就知道奇諾今天要去賣他的珍珠。

It was known among the neighbours in the brush huts, among the pearl fishermen; it was known among the Chinese grocery-store owners; it was known in the church, for the altar boys whispered about it.

樹枝屋裡的鄰居知道，採珠的漁民知道；中國雜貨店的老闆知道；教堂裡也知道，因為輔祭男孩們在交頭接耳。

Word of it crept in among the nuns; the beggars in front of the church spoke of it, for they would be there to take the tithe of the first fruits of the luck.

消息悄悄傳進了修女之間；教堂前的乞丐也在談論，因為他們會在那裡，收取這份好運初熟之果的什一。

The little boys knew about it with excitement, but most of all the pearl buyers knew about it, and when the day had come, in the offices of the pearl buyers, each man sat alone with his little black velvet tray, and each man rolled the pearls about with his finger-tips and considered his part in the picture.

小男孩們興奮地知道了，可是知道得最清楚的是珠商；那一天來到時，在珠商的辦公室裡，每個人都獨自坐著，面前放著他的黑絲絨小托盤，用指尖撥弄著珍珠，思考自己在這幅圖裡扮演什麼角色。

It was supposed that the pearl buyers were individuals acting alone, bidding against one another for the pearls the fishermen brought in.

大家以為珠商是各自獨立行事的個人，彼此競價收購漁民送來的珍珠。

And once it had been so.

以前也確實是這樣。

But this was a wasteful method, for often, in the excitement of bidding for a fine pearl, too great a price had been paid to the fishermen.

可是這是一種浪費的方法，因為為了一顆好珍珠熱烈競價時，常常付給漁民太高的價錢。

This was extravagant and not to be countenanced.

這太奢侈了，不能容許。

Now there was only one pearl buyer with many hands, and the men who sat in their offices and waited for Kino knew what price they would offer, how high they would bid, and what method each one would use.

現在只有一個珠商，他有很多隻手；那些坐在辦公室裡等奇諾的人，都知道自己要出什麼價、最高喊到多少、每個人要用什麼手法。

And although these men would not profit beyond their salaries, there was excitement among the pearl buyers, for there was excitement in the hunt, and if it be a man’s function to break down a price, then he must take joy and satisfaction in breaking it as far down as possible.

雖然這些人除了薪水之外得不到任何好處，珠商之間還是瀰漫著興奮，因為狩獵本身就令人興奮；如果一個人的職責是把價格壓下去，那麼他一定會在把價格壓到最低的過程中，得到喜悅和滿足。

For every man in the world functions to the best of his ability, and no one does less than his best, no matter what he may think about it.

因為世上每個人都盡其所能地發揮功能，沒有人會不盡全力，不管他自己怎麼想。

Quite apart from any reward they might get, from any word of praise, from any promotion, a pearl buyer was a pearl buyer, and the best and happiest pearl buyer was he who bought for the lowest prices.

撇開他們可能得到的任何報酬、任何讚美、任何升遷不談，珠商就是珠商，最好、最快樂的珠商，就是用最低價買進的那個。

The sun was hot yellow that morning, and it drew the moisture from the estuary and from the Gulf and hung it in shimmering scarves in the air so that the air vibrated and vision was unsubstantial.

那天早上的太陽是熱辣辣的黃，它把河口和海灣的濕氣抽上來，像一條條閃爍的紗巾掛在空中，讓空氣顫動，視線虛幻不實。

A vision hung in the air to the north of the city—the vision of a mountain that was over two hundred miles away, and the high slopes of this mountain were swaddled with pines and a great stone peak arose above the timber line.

城的北方空中懸著一個幻影——一座遠在兩百多英里外的山，山的高坡裹著松林，一座巨大的石峰聳立在林木線之上。

And the morning of this day the canoes lay lined up on the beach; the fishermen did not go out to dive for pearls, for there would be too much happening, too many things to see when Kino went to sell the great pearl.

這天早上，獨木舟在沙灘上排成一列；漁民們沒有出海潛水採珠，因為奇諾去賣那顆大珍珠時，會發生太多事，有太多東西可看。

In the brush houses by the shore Kino’s neighbours sat long over their breakfasts, and they spoke of what they would do if they had found the pearl.

岸邊的樹枝屋裡，奇諾的鄰居們坐著把早餐吃了很久，談論著如果是自己找到那顆珍珠，會做什麼。

And one man said he would give it as a present to the Holy Father in Rome.

有人說他會把它當禮物獻給羅馬的教宗。

Another said that he would buy Masses for the souls of his family for a thousand years.

另一個說他會替家人的靈魂買一千年的彌撒。

Another thought he might take the money and distribute it among the poor of La Paz; and a fourth thought of all the good things one could do with the money from the pearl, of all the charities, benefits, of all the rescues one could perform if one had money.

還有一個想，他也許會把錢分給拉巴斯的窮人；第四個想著用賣珍珠的錢可以做的一切好事，一切慈善、一切善舉，有了錢可以施行的一切救助。

All of the neighbours hoped that sudden wealth would not turn Kino’s head, would not make a rich man of him, would not graft on to him the evil limbs of greed and hatred and coldness.

所有的鄰居都希望突如其來的財富不會沖昏奇諾的頭，不會讓他變成一個有錢人，不會在他身上嫁接貪婪、仇恨和冷漠的邪惡枝幹。

For Kino was a well-liked man; it would be a shame if the pearl destroyed him.

因為奇諾是個人緣很好的人；要是珍珠毀了他，那就太可惜了。

“That good wife Juana,” they said, “and the beautiful baby Coyotito, and the others to come.

「那個好妻子胡安娜，」他們說，「還有漂亮的寶寶柯尤提托，還有將來的孩子們。

What a pity it would be if the pearl should destroy them all.”

要是珍珠把他們全毀了，那該多可惜。」

For Kino and Juana this was the morning of mornings of their lives, comparable only to the day when the baby had been born.

對奇諾和胡安娜來說，這是他們一生中早晨中的早晨，只有孩子出生的那一天可以相比。

This was to be the day from which all other days would take their arrangement.

這將是一個所有其他日子都要以它來排序的日子。

Thus they would say: “It was two years before we sold the pearl,” or, “It was six weeks after we sold the pearl.”

他們會這樣說：「那是我們賣珍珠的兩年前」，或「那是我們賣珍珠的六個禮拜後」。

Juana considering the matter, threw caution to the winds, and she dressed Coyotito in the clothes she had prepared for his baptism, when there would be money for his baptism.

胡安娜考慮了一下，把謹慎拋到風裡，替柯尤提托穿上她為受洗準備的衣服——等有錢替他受洗時要穿的那套。

And Juana combed and braided her hair and tied the ends with two little bows of red ribbon, and she put on her marriage skirt and waist.

胡安娜梳好頭髮、編好辮子，用兩個紅緞帶小蝴蝶結綁住髮尾，穿上她結婚時的裙子和上衣。

The sun was quarter high when they were ready.

等他們準備好，太陽已經升到四分之一高了。

Kino’s ragged white clothes were clean at least, and this was the last day of his raggedness.

奇諾那身破舊的白衣服至少是乾淨的，而這是他衣衫襤褸的最後一天。

For tomorrow, or even this afternoon, he would have new clothes.

因為明天，甚至今天下午，他就會有新衣服了。

The neighbours, watching Kino’s door through the crevices in their brush houses, were dressed and ready too.

鄰居們從自家樹枝屋的縫隙盯著奇諾的門，也都穿戴整齊、準備好了。

There was no self-consciousness about their joining Kino and Juana to go pearl selling.

他們跟著奇諾和胡安娜去賣珍珠，一點也不覺得難為情。

It was expected, it was an historic moment, they would be crazy if they didn’t go.

這是理所當然的，這是一個歷史性的時刻，不去才是瘋了。

It would be almost a sign of unfriendship.

不去幾乎等於表示不友善。

Juana put on her head-shawl carefully, and she draped one long end under her right elbow and gathered it with her right hand so that a hammock hung under her arm, and in this little hammock she placed Coyotito, propped up against the head shawl so that he could see everything and perhaps remember.

胡安娜仔細地披上頭巾，把長長的一端垂到右肘下，用右手收攏，在臂下兜成一個小吊床，把柯尤提托放進這個小吊床，讓他靠著頭巾坐起來，這樣他就能看見一切，也許還能記住。

Kino put on his large straw hat and felt it with his hand to see that it was properly placed, not on the back or side of his head, like a rash, unmarried, irresponsible man, and not flat as an elder would wear it, but tilted a little forward to show aggressiveness and seriousness and vigour.

奇諾戴上他的大草帽，用手摸摸看戴得對不對：不能戴在後腦或歪在一邊，像個魯莽、未婚、不負責任的男人；也不能平平地戴，像長者那樣；而是微微往前傾，表示進取、嚴肅和活力。

There is a great deal to be seen in the tilt of a hat on a man.

從一個男人帽子的傾斜角度，可以看出很多東西。

Kino slipped his feet into his sandals and pulled the thongs up over his heels.

奇諾把腳套進涼鞋，把皮帶拉到腳跟上。

The great pearl was wrapped in an old soft piece of deerskin and placed in a little leather bag, and the leather bag was in a pocket in Kino’s shirt.

那顆大珍珠用一塊柔軟的舊鹿皮包著，放進一個小皮袋，皮袋放在奇諾襯衫的口袋裡。

He folded his blanket carefully and draped it in a narrow strip over his left shoulder, and now they were ready.

他小心地把毯子摺成窄窄一條，搭在左肩上，這樣他們就準備好了。

Kino stepped with dignity out of the house, and Juana followed him, carrying Coyotito.

奇諾莊重地走出屋子，胡安娜抱著柯尤提托跟在後面。

And as they marched up the freshet-washed alley towards the town, the neighbours joined them.

他們沿著被溪水沖刷過的小巷朝鎮上走去，鄰居們加入了他們。

The houses belched people; the doorways spewed out children.

房子吐出一個個人，門口湧出一個個孩子。

But because of the seriousness of the occasion, only one man walked with Kino, and that was his brother, Juan Tomás.

可是因為場合嚴肅，只有一個男人走在奇諾身邊，那就是他的哥哥胡安．托馬斯。

Juan Tomás cautioned his brother.

胡安．托馬斯提醒弟弟。

“You must be careful to see they do not cheat you,” he said.

「你得小心，別讓他們騙了你。」他說。

And: “Very careful,” Kino agreed.

「我會非常小心。」奇諾同意。

“We do not know what prices are paid in other places,” said Juan Tomás.

「我們不知道別的地方付多少錢。」胡安．托馬斯說。

“How can we know what is a fair price, if we do not know what the pearl buyer gets for the pearl in another place.”

「要是我們不知道珠商在別的地方能把珍珠賣多少錢，我們怎麼知道什麼是公道的價錢。」

“That is true,” said Kino, “but how can we know?

「說得對，」奇諾說，「可是我們怎麼知道？

We are here, we are not there.”

我們在這裡，不在那裡。」

As they walked up towards the city the crowd grew behind them, and Juan Tomás, in pure nervousness, went on speaking.

他們往城裡走，身後的人群越來越多，胡安．托馬斯純粹因為緊張，一直說下去。

“Before you were born, Kino,” he said, “the old ones thought of a way to get more money for their pearls.

「在你出生以前，奇諾，」他說，「老一輩想出一個辦法，讓珍珠賣到更多錢。

They thought it would be better if they had an agent who took all the pearls to the capital and sold them there and kept only his share of the profit.”

他們覺得最好找一個代理人，把所有珍珠帶到首都去賣，他只拿他那份利潤。」

Kino nodded his head.

奇諾點點頭。

“I know,” he said.

「我知道。」他說。

“It was a good thought.”

「那是個好主意。」

“And so they got such a man,” said Juan Tomás, “and they pooled the pearls, and they started him off.

「所以他們找了這樣一個人，」胡安．托馬斯說，「把珍珠集中起來，讓他出發。

And he was never heard of again and the pearls were lost.

結果再也沒有人聽到他的消息，珍珠也沒了。

Then they got another man, and they started him off, and he was never heard of again.

然後他們又找了一個人，讓他出發，結果又再也沒有他的消息。

And so they gave the whole thing up and went back to the old way.”

所以他們整件事都放棄了，回到老辦法。」

“I know,” said Kino.

「我知道。」奇諾說。

“I have heard our father tell of it.

「我聽我們的父親講過。

It was a good idea, but it was against religion, and the Father made that very clear.

那是個好主意，可是違反宗教，神父講得很清楚。

The loss of the pearl was a punishment visited on those who tried to leave their station.

珍珠的損失，是降在那些想離開自己位置的人身上的懲罰。

And the Father made it clear that each man and woman is like a soldier sent by God to guard some part of the castle of the Universe.

神父講得很清楚，每個男人和女人都像上帝派來的士兵，守衛著宇宙城堡的某一部分。

And some are in the ramparts and some far deep in the darkness of the walls.

有些人在城垛上，有些人在城牆深處的黑暗裡。

But each one must remain faithful to his post and must not go running about, else the castle is in danger from the assaults of Hell.”

可是每個人都必須忠於自己的崗位，不能到處亂跑，否則城堡就會遭受地獄的攻擊而陷入危險。」

“I have heard him make that sermon,” said Juan Tomás.

「我聽過他講那篇道。」胡安．托馬斯說。

“He makes it every year.”

「他每年都講。」

The brothers, as they walked along, squinted their eyes a little, as they and their grandfathers and their great-grandfathers had done for four hundred years, since first the strangers came with argument and authority and gunpowder to back up both.

兄弟倆一邊走，一邊微微瞇起眼睛，就像他們、他們的祖父和曾祖父四百年來一直做的那樣——自從那些陌生人第一次帶著道理和權威、再用火藥替兩者撐腰來到這裡之後。

And in the four hundred years Kino’s people had learned only one defence—a slight slitting of the eyes and a slight tightening of the lips and a retirement.

四百年來，奇諾的族人只學會了一種防禦——眼睛微微瞇成一條縫，嘴唇微微抿緊，然後往內退縮。

Nothing could break down this wall, and they could remain whole within the wall.

沒有任何東西能攻破這道牆，他們在牆內可以保持完整。