guard came to the prison shoe shop where Jimmy Valentine was working and took him to the prison office. There the warden handed Jimmy his pardon, which had been signed that morning by the governor. He took it quietly; he was too tired to show excitement. He had been in prison nearly ten months and he had been sentenced to four years. True, he had expected to stay only about three months, at the longest. He had a lot of friends and he had been sure they would help him.
看守來到基米·范林丁正在幹活的監獄製鞋間，將他帶到監獄辦公室。到了那裡，監獄長將一張赦免書遞給基米，這是今天早上州長簽署的。基米默默地接過去，對此他沒有流露出任何的激動。他早已膩煩，他在獄中呆了將近10個月，而判他的是4年徒刑。說真的，他本來打算最多呆3個月的。他有好多朋友，他相信他們一定會為他想辦法的。
“Now, Valentine,” said the warden, “You’ll go out in the morning. Make a man of yourself. You’re not a bad fellow really. Stop breaking open safes and be honest.”
“范林丁，”監獄長說，“明天早上你就可以出獄了，要活出個人樣來。其實你這人並不壞。再不要撬保險柜了。做一個誠實的人。”
“Me?” said Jimmy, in surprise. “Why, I’ve never broken open a safe in my life.”
“我？”基米吃驚地說，“你說什麼？我可從來沒有撬過保險柜呀。”
“Oh, no,” laughed the warden. “Of course not. And what about that Springfield job? Do you mean to say you didn’t take part in it?”
“啊，沒有，”監獄長笑道，“當然沒有。可是，春田事件該怎么說呢？你是說你沒有參與那件事嗎？”
“Me?” said Jimmy still more surprised. “Why, warden, I’ve never been to Springfield in my life!”
“我？”基米更吃驚了。“怎么，監獄長，我可從來沒有去過春田呀！”
“Take him back,” the warden said to the guard smiling, “and give him some clothes. Unlock him at seven in the morning and let him come to me. Better think over my advice, Valentine.”
“把他帶回去，”監獄長對看守笑道，“給他一些衣服，明天早上7點給他開鎖後讓他到我這裡來。最好還是把我的勸告想一下，范林丁。”
At a quarter past seven the next morning Jimmy stood in the warden’s office. He wore a badly-fitting ready-made suit and the cheap shoes that the state gives to prisoners, when they are set free. The clerk handed him a railroad ticket and the five-dollar bill with which he was supposed to start a new, honest life. The warden gave him a cigar, and they shook hands. Valentine, 9762, was registered on the books “Pardoned by Governor,” and Mr. James Valentine walked out into the sunshine.
第二天早上7點15分，基米站在了監獄長的辦公室。他穿著一套很不合身的現成衣服和一雙廉價的鞋子。這些是在釋放犯人時發給他們的。一名職員遞給他一張火車票和5美元。拿著這些錢，從此就可以開始誠實的新的人生了。監獄長遞給他一支雪茄。他們握了握手。范林丁，9762號，已經登記在“州長赦免冊”中。於是，詹姆斯·范林了便走到了陽光下。
Disregarding the song of the birds, the green trees, and the smell of the flowers, Jimmy went straight to a restaurant. There he ordered a roast chicken and a bottle of white wine and a better cigar than the one the warden had given him. Then he walked slowly to the railroad station. He put a quarter into the hat of a blind man sitting by the door, and took a train. Three hours later he arrived at his native town, went directly to the cafe of his old friend Mike Dolan and shook hands with Mike, who was alone behind the counter. “Sorry we couldn’t make it sooner, Jimmy, my boy,” said Mike. “It wasn’t so easy this time and we had a lot of trouble. Are you all right?”
基米沒有理會鳥鳴、綠樹和花香，徑直向飯店走去。到了那裡，他要了一份燒雞、一瓶葡萄酒和一支比監獄長給他的要好的雪茄，隨後慢慢地踱向了火車站。他向坐在門邊的盲人的帽中丟了2角5分錢。3個小時之後，他來到了自己的家鄉，直奔他的好友邁克·杜蘭開的咖啡館而去，跟獨自站在櫃檯後面的邁克握了握手。“很抱歉我們沒有早些辦成，基米，我的孩子，”邁克說，“這次可真不容易，我們費了不少周折。你一切都好吧？”
“Fine,” said Jimmy. “Have you got my key?”
“很好，”基米說，“你沒拿我的鑰匙吧？”
He took his key and went upstairs, unlocking the door of his room. Everything was just as he had left it. There on the floor was still the collar-button that had been torn from the shirt of Ben Price—the well known detective—when Price had come to arrest him. Jimmy removed a panel in the wall and dragged out a dust-covered suitcase. He opened it and looked fondly at the finest set of burglar’s tools in the East. It was a complete set, made of special steel. The set consisted of various tools of the latest design. He had invented two or three of them himself, and was very proud of them. Over nine hundred dollars they had cost him! They had been made at X., a place where they make such things for the profession.
他拿了鑰匙就上了樓，打開他房間的門。一切都和他離開時一樣。地板上那顆領扣還在，這是那個著名偵探本·普萊斯逮捕他時，從他的襯衫上撤掉的。基米移開牆壁上的一塊嵌板，取出一隻積滿灰塵的手提箱。他將它打開之後，愛惜地瞧著那套在東部最出色的盜竊工具。這是完整的一套，是用特種鋼製成的，包括各種最新式的工具，其中兩三件還是他自己發明的，對此他感到非常自豪。他為這套工具花費了900多美元。這是在某地製作的，那個地方以製造這種東西而聞名。
In half an hour Jimmy went downstairs and walked through the cafe. He was now dressed in an elegant new suit, and carried his cleaned suitcase in his hand. “What are you going to do next? To break another safe?” asked Mike Dolan smiling cheerfully.
半小時後，基米下了樓，穿過咖啡館，現在他穿上一套新穎雅致的衣服，手裡提著擦拭一新的手提箱。“下一步準備做什麼呢？撬開另一個保險柜吧？”邁克·杜蘭笑道。
“I don’t understand. I’m representing the New York Amalgamated Biscuit Company.”
“我不懂你的意思，我是紐約聯合陶器公司的代表。”
This statement delighted Mike to such an extent that he gave Jimmy a seltzer-and-milk on the spot. Jimmy never touched “hard” drinks.
這一番話把邁克逗樂了，他為此馬上遞給基米一杯礦泉牛奶。基米是從來不碰烈性飲料的。
A week after the release of Valentine, 9762, there was a new safe-burglary in Richmond, Indiana. Only eight hundred dollars were stolen. Two weeks after that another safe was opened and fifteen hundred dollars disappeared; securities and silver were untouched. That began to interest the detectives. A few days later the Jefferson City Bank was robbed and banknotes amounting to five thousand dollars were taken. The losses were now so high that it was time for so well known a detective as Ben Price to begin investigation. When all the cases were compared, a striking similarity in the methods of burglaries was noticed. Ben Price investigated the scenes of the robberies and was heard to say.
在9762號范林丁釋放一周之後，印第安那州的里土滿又發生了一起保險柜被盜事件。只有區區800美元。兩星期後，一家保險柜再次被盜，1500美元不翼而飛，證券和銀器紋絲未動。這開始引起了偵探的注意。又過了幾天，傑弗遜市銀行被盜，被竊走了5000美元。現在損失的數目越來越大，因此該由本·普萊斯這樣大名鼎鼎的偵探來著手偵查。在比較了所有的案件之後，普萊斯偵探發現盜竊手法如出一轍。本·普萊斯調查了這些盜竊案的現場。爾後，人們聽他說道：
“That’s all Jimmy Valentine’s work. He’s resumed business. He’s got the only tools that can open any safe without leaving the slightest trace. Yes, it is Mr. Valentine.”
“這都是基米·范林丁乾的。他又重操舊業了。他有非常出色的工具，可以打開任何保險柜而又不留下任何蛛絲馬跡。是的，這是范林丁乾的。”
Ben Price knew Jimmy’s habits. He had learned them while investigating the Springfield case.
本·普萊斯對基米的惡習了如指掌。當他在偵查春田案件時就掌握了所有這一切。
One afternoon Jimmy Valentine and his suitcase climbed out of a train in Elmore, a little town in Arkansas. Jimmy, looking like a student who had just come home from college, walked out of the station and went toward the hotel.
一天下午，基米·范林丁帶著他的手提箱在阿肯色州的一個名叫愛爾摩的小鎮下了火車。基米看上去就像一個剛從學校回家的大學生。他出了車站，向旅館走去。 A young lady crossed the street, passed him at the corner and entered a door over which was the sigh “The Elmore Bank”. Jimmy Valentine looked into her eyes, forgot what he was, and became another man. She lowered her eyes and blushed slightly. Young men of Jimmy’s style and looks were scarce in Elmore.
這時，正好有一位年輕小姐穿過馬路，在拐角處和他擦身而過，走進了寫有“愛爾摩銀行”的大門。基米·范林丁凝視著她的眼睛，忘乎所以，像換了一個人似的。她雙眼低垂，臉色羞紅。在愛爾摩，像基米這樣風度翩翩的年輕人還是不多見的。
Jimmy called a boy that was standing on the steps of the bank as if he were one of the stockholders, and began to ask him questions about the town, giving him dimes from time to time. By and by the young lady came out, passed Jimmy again, pretending not to see him, and went on her way.
基米將站在銀行台階上的一個男孩叫了進來，活像一個股東似的，向他了解該鎮的情況，不時給他幾個一角的銀幣。過了一會兒，那個小姐走了出來，又從基米的身邊走過，假裝沒有看見他的樣子，只顧走自己的路。
“Isn’t that young lady Miss Polly Simpson?” asked Jimmy slyly.
“這不是波麗·辛普森小姐嗎？”基米神情閃爍地問道。
“No,” said the boy. “She’s Annabel Adams. Her father owns this bank. What have you come to Elmore for? Is that a gold watch-chain? I’m going to get a bulldog. Have you got any more dimes?”
“不是，”那個男孩說，“她是安娜貝爾·亞當斯。她的父親是這家銀行的老闆。你到愛爾摩來做什麼？你這是金表鏈嗎？我想買一條哈巴狗。你還有銀幣嗎？”
Jimmy went to the planters’ Hotel, registered as Ralph D. Spencer, and engaged a room. He leaned on the desk and declared his intentions to the clerk. He said he had come to Elmore to start business. How was the shoe business now in the town? He had thought of the shoe business. Was it worthwhile opening a shoe-store? The clerk was impressed by the clothes and manner of Jimmy and he was ready to give the young man any information he desired.
基米來到了普蘭特旅館登記時簽的是拉爾夫·D·斯賓塞，他在那裡租賃了一個房間。他靠著桌子向店員說明了來意。他說他是來愛爾摩做生意的。這鎮上鞋子生意怎么樣。他想做鞋子的生意。開一家鞋店划得來嗎？基米的衣著和舉止使店員感到這人來頭不小，因此很樂意為這個年輕人提供他所需要的情況。
Yes, it was worthwhile investing money in the shoe business, he thought. There wasn’t a shoe-store in the place. The dry-goods and general stores sold them. Business in all lines was fairly good.
他想，不錯。投資經營鞋子是划得來的。這地方沒有鞋店。鞋子只在布店和百貨商店有售。各行各業的買賣都相當不錯。
“I hope, Mr. Spencer, you’ll decide to stay in Elmore. You’ll find it a pleasant town to live in, and the people are very nice,” continued the clerk.
“我希望，斯賓塞先生，你能決定在愛爾摩居住。你會發現住在這個小鎮是非常令人愉快的。這裡的人都很好，”店員繼續說道。 Mr. Spencer said that he would stop in the town for a few days and consider the situation.
斯賓塞先生說，他想在這鎮上呆一段時間，看看情況。
The clerk wanted to call the boy to carry up the suitcase, but Mr. Spencer said that he needn’t do it. He would carry his suitcase himself; it was rather heavy. Mr. Ralph Spencer, the phoenix that arose from Jimmy Valentine’s ashes—ashes left by the flame of a sudden attack of love—remained in Elmore and prospered. He opened a shoe-store and made large profits. In all other respects he was also a success.
店員想叫手下人搬手提箱。斯賓塞先生說不需要，他自己會提。手提箱是相當沉的。拉爾夫·斯賓塞先生，這隻由基米·范林丁的灰燼中再生的鳳凰——灰燼是由突然襲來的愛情之火燃成的——在愛爾摩定居下來了，並且取得了成功。他開了一家鞋店，獲利甚豐，在其它方面也都一帆風順。
He was popular with many important people and had many friends. And he accompanied the wish of his heart. He met Miss Annabel Adams, and fell more and more deeply in love with her.
他在眾多重要人物中名聲鵲起，也結交了不少朋友。他在努力實現自己的心愿。他和安娜貝爾·亞當斯小姐相識，而且越來越深地墜入了情網。
In a year the situation of Mr. Ralph Spencer was this: he had won the respect of most of the inhabitants of the place, his shoe-store was prospering, and he and Annabel were to be married in two weeks. Mr. Adams, Annabel’s father, who was a typical country banker, approved of Spencer. Annabel herself was very proud of her fiancé. In fact her pride almost equaled her affection. Jimmy was as much at home in the family of Mr. Adams and that of Annabel’s married sister as if he were already a member.
在一年的時間裡，拉爾夫·斯賓塞先生達到了這樣一種境況：他贏得了本地大多數居民的尊敬；他的鞋店生意興隆；他和安娜貝爾也將於兩周內喜結良緣。亞當斯先生，安娜貝爾的父親，這位典型的地方銀行家，也對斯賓塞非常滿意。安娜貝爾對自己的未婚夫也很自豪。實際上，她的自豪幾乎和她的愛情不相上下。基米在亞當斯先生的家裡以及在安娜貝爾已經出嫁的姐姐那裡，都感到像在自己家裡一般無拘無束。
One day Jimmy sat down in his room and wrote this letter which he sent to the address of one his old friends:
一天，基米坐在他的房裡，給一個好友寫了這樣一封信： “Dear Old Chap,
I want you to be at Brown’s Cafe, in Little Rock, next Wednesday night at nine o’clock. I want you to do something for me. And, also, I want to make you a present of my tools. I know you’ll be glad to get them—you couldn’t get such a set for a thousand dollars. Say, Billy, I gave up the old business—a year ago. I’ve got a nice store. I’m making an honest living, and in two weeks I’m going to marry the finest girl on earth. It’s the only life, Billy, the straight one. I wouldn't’ touch a dollar of another man’s money now for a million. After I get married I’m going to sell my store and go west, where there won’t be so much danger of meeting people who knew me before. I tell you, Billy, she’s an angel. She believes in me and I would never do another crooked thing for the whole world. Do come to Brown’s, for I must see you. I’ll bring the tools with me.
Your old friend, Jimmy.”
“親愛的老夥計：
下周三晚上9點，希望你到小石城波浪咖啡館來。我有事相托。同時，我將把我的工具送給你。我知道，你得到它們會很高興的——你花1000美元也買不到這一套東西。聽我說，比利。我已經在一年前金盆洗手。我開了一家非常出色的商店。我現在過的是正直清白的生活，兩周內我要和世界上最好的姑娘結婚。這才是真正的生活，比利，這才是正直的人生。現在我已經對別人的東西秋毫不犯。結婚後，我打算將店賣掉，移居西部，在那裡可以更安全些，不致碰到那些知道我過去底細的人。我對你說，比利，她真是一個天使。她信任我，而我無論如何也不能再走邪路了。務必到波浪咖啡館來。我必須見你。我將隨身帶來那些工具。
你的好友
基米”
On the Monday night after Jimmy wrote this letter, Ben Price, the detective, arrived in Elmore. He walked about the town quietly until he found out what he wanted to know. From the drugstore across the street from Spencer’s shoe-store he got a good look at Ralph D. Spencer.
星期一晚上，也正是在基米寫完這封信之後，本·普萊斯偵探來到了愛爾摩。他悄悄地走遍了整個鎮子，直到他搞清了他想要知道的種種情況。他從斯賓塞鞋店對面馬路的一家雜貨店中，詳細地觀察了拉爾夫·斯賓塞的一舉一動。
愛的力量