广外翻译专业英译汉练习7(附参考译文)：early autumn

Early Autumn Langston Hughes

When Bill was very young, they had been in love. Many nights they had spent walking, talking together. Then something not very important had come between them, and they didn't speak. Impulsively, she had married a man she thought she loved. Bill went away, bitter about women.

Yesterday, walking across Washington Square, she saw him for the first time in years.

"Bill Walker," she said.

He stopped. At first he did not recognize her, to him she looked so old.

"Mary! Where did you come from?"

Unconsciously, she lifted her face as though wanting a kiss, but he held out his hand. She took it.

"I live in New York now," she said.

"Oh" -- smiling politely, then a little frown came quickly between his eyes.

"Always wondered what happened to you, Bill."

"I'm a lawyer. Nice firm, way downtown."

"Married yet?"

"Sure. Two kids.”

"Oh,” she said.

A great many people went past them through the park. People they didn’t know. It was late afternoon. Nearly sunset. Cold.

"And your husband?” he aske d her.

“We have three children. I work in the bursar’s office at Columbia.”

“You’re looking very…” (he wanted to say old) “…well,” he said.

She understood. Under the trees in Washington Square, she found herself desperately reaching back into the past. She had been older than he then in Ohio. Now she was not young at all. Bill was still young.

"We live on Central Park West," she said. "Come and see us sometime."

“Sure,” he replied. “You and your husband must have dinner with my family some night. Any night. Lucille and I’d love to have you.”

The leaves fell slowly from the trees in the Square. Fell without wind. Autumn dusk. She felt a little sick.

"We'd love it," she answered.

"You ought to see my kids." He grinned.

Suddenly the lights came on up the whole length of Fifth Avenue, chains of misty brilliance in the blue air.

"There's my bus," she said.

He held out his hand. "Good-bye."

"When..." she wanted to say, but the bus was ready to pull off. The lights on the avenue blurred. And she was afraid to open her mouth as she entered the bus. Afraid it would be impossible to utter a word.

Suddenly she shrieked very loudly, “Good-bye!” But the bus door had closed.

The bus started. People came between them outside, people crossing the street, people they didn't know. Space and people. She lost sight of Bill. Then she remembered she had forgotten to give him her address—or to ask him for his -- or tell him that her youngest boy was named Bill, too.

初秋

年轻的时候，比尔和一个女人共坠爱河。长夜漫漫，他们相伴而行，谈笑晏晏。不久，两人之间发生了一些无关紧要的事，他们不再无话不谈。冲动之下，女人嫁了另一个男人，她以为自己爱这个男人。比尔离开了，从此对女人失去信心。

昨日，她经过华盛顿广场，遇见了比尔，多年来的阔别重逢。

“比尔·沃克。”她叫了一声。

他停下了脚步，但是他并没有第一眼认出她，她老了太多。

“玛丽！你从哪里过来的？”

她不由自主地昂起自己的脸，仿佛等待着一个吻，但是比尔伸出了手，她握住了。

“我现在住在纽约。”她应了比尔。

“噢！”比尔客气地笑了笑，眉宇之间随即浮现一丝皱纹。

“我每日每夜都想你过得怎样啊，比尔。”

“我是个律师，在一家叫奈斯的公司上班，就在市中心。”

“结婚了吧？”

“结了呀，都有两个孩子了。”

“这样。”她接着话。

公园里人来人往，都是些陌生人。傍晚时分，接近日落，冷冷凄凄。

“你先生呢？”他问道。

“我们有三个孩子，我在哥伦比亚的一个会计室上班。”

“你看上去很……”（他想说“老”来着）“就是很……”他断断续续说道。

她明白他想说什么。在华盛顿广场的树荫下，她猛然意识到自己在拼命地回忆过去。她比在俄亥俄州的时候老多了。现在她青春逝去，而比尔依然光彩照人。

“我们一家住在中心公园西区，”她说，“你有空就过来做做客。”

“会的。”他应答道，“哪天晚上你和你先生一定要到我们家吃顿饭，哪天晚上都可以。我和露西尔非常欢迎你们。”

广场的树叶缓缓下落，没有一丝风。秋日黄昏时分了。她突然些不适。

“我们很乐意去你家做客。”她说。

“你应该来看看我的孩子。”他咧嘴一笑。

霎时，整个第五大街华灯初上，一串串灯光在深蓝的夜空下显得朦朦胧胧。

“我等的公交车来了。”她说。

他伸出手来，说了句“再见”。

“何时……”她想说出来，但是公交车已经靠边停下了。街边的灯光模糊了。她上公交车的时候，她不敢开口，怕自己说不出一句话。

突然她大叫一声“再见”，但是车门已经关紧了。

车开走了，两人之间，外面过马路的人来来往往，都是些陌生的面孔。广场上的行人，她看着比尔在她视线里消失了，她才想起忘了把自己的住址告诉比尔，也没有要比尔的地址，也没有告诉他，自己的小儿子也叫比尔。