"Tell me what I have to pay," said the shadow; "for I don't like to be in any sort of debt."

“请告诉我，我应该付出些什么，”影子说，“因为我讨厌老欠别人的债。”

"How canst thou talk so?" said the learned man. "What debt is there to talk about?

“你怎能讲这类的话呢？”学者说。“现在谈什么债呢？

Make thyself as free as anyone else. I am extremely glad to hear of thy good fortune: sit down, old friend,

你跟任何人一样，是自由的！你有这样的好运气，我感到非常快乐。请坐吧，老朋友，

and tell me a little how it has gone with thee, and what thou hast seen at our opposite neighbor's there—in the warm lands."

请告诉我一点你过去的生活情况，和你在那个热带国家，在我们对面那所房子里所看到的事情。”

"Yes, I will tell you all about it," said the shadow, and sat down:

“是的，我可以告诉您，”影子说。于是他就坐下来。

"but then you must also promise me, that, wherever you may meet me, you will never say to anyone here in the town that I have been your shadow.

“不过请您答应我：随便您在什么地方遇见我，请不要告诉这城里的任何人，说我曾经是您的影子！

I intend to get betrothed, for I can provide for more than one family."

我现在有意订婚，因为我现在的能力供养一个家庭还绰绰有余。”

"Be quite at thy ease about that," said the learned man;

“请放心，”学者说，

"I shall not say to anyone who thou actually art: here is my hand—I promise it, and a man's bond is his word."

“我决不把你的本来面目告诉任何人。请握我的手吧。我答应你。一个男子汉——说话算话。”

"A word is a shadow," said the shadow, "and as such it must speak."

“一个影子——说话算话！”影子说，因为他不得不这样讲。

It was really quite astonishing how much of a man it was.

说来也真够了不起，他现在成了一个多么完整的人。

It was dressed entirely in black, and of the very finest cloth; it had patent leather boots, and a hat that could be folded together,

他全身是黑色的打扮：他穿着最好的黑衣服，漆皮鞋，戴着一顶可以叠得只剩下一个顶和边的帽子。

so that it was bare crown and brim; not to speak of what we already know it had—seals, gold neck-chain, and diamond rings;

除此以外，他还有我们已经知道的护身符、金项链和钻石戒指。

yes, the shadow was well-dressed, and it was just that which made it quite a man.

影子真是穿得异乎寻常地漂亮。正是这种打扮使他看起来像一个人。

"Now I shall tell you of my adventures," said the shadow;

“现在我对您讲吧，”影子说。

and then he sat, with the polished boots, as heavily as he could, on the arm of the learned man's new shadow, which lay like a poodle-dog at his feet.

于是他把他穿着漆皮鞋的脚使劲地踩在学者新影子的手臂上——它躺在他的脚下像一只小狮子狗。