"Would you like it?" I asked.
“喜欢吗？”我问。
"Oh yes!" he cried, clutching the greasy pelt to him. Then a canny look came into his eyes. "What do you want for it?"
“哇，当然！”他大叫，紧紧抓着那油腻腻的毛皮。接着，眼里露出机警的神色，“你想换什么？”
"Your girl," I said, mincing no words.
“你的女朋友。”我毫不讳言。
"Polly?" he said in a horrified whisper. "You want Polly?"
“波莉？”他惊愕地低声说，“你要波莉？”
'That's right."
“没错。”
He flung the coat from him. "Never," he said stoutly.
他把皮大衣甩开，口气坚决：“别想。”
I shrugged. "Okay. If you don't want to be in the swim, I guess it's your business."
我耸了耸肩：“好吧，如果你不想赶时髦，你看着办吧。”
I sat down in a chair and pretended to read a book, but out of the corner of my eye I kept watching Petey. He was a torn man. First he looked at the coat with the expression of a waif at a bakery window. Then he turned away and set his jaw resolutely. Then he looked back at the coat, with even more longing in his face. Then he turned away, but with not so much resolution this time. Back and forth his head swiveled, desire waxing, resolution waning. Finally he didn't turn away at all; he just stood and stared with mad lust at the coat.
我坐到椅子上，假装看书，一直用余光瞟着皮蒂。他不知所措。起初，他用一个站在面包店前的流浪儿那种目光看着那件皮大衣。接着，他移开目光，挺着下巴，神情坚定。过一会儿，他又转回头来看看那件大衣，露出更加渴望的神情。等他再移开目光，神情不再那么坚定。他的目光往复移动，欲望愈增，定力愈减。最终，他的目光不再游弋，坚定地站在那儿，贪婪地盯着那件皮大衣。
"It isn't as though I was in love with Polly," he said thickly. "Or going steady or anything like that."
“我和波莉好像没谈恋爱，”他低声地说，“也谈不上什么正式确定关系。”
"That's right," I murmured.
“这就对了。”我嘟囔着。
"What's Polly to me, or me to Polly?"
“可我与波莉有何干，波莉与我又有何干！”
"Not a thing," said I.
“没关系。”我说。
"It's just been a casual kick —just a few laughs, that's all."
“这不过是寻欢作乐罢了，没别的。”
"Try on the coat," said I.
“试试大衣吧。”我说。
He complied. The coat bunched high over his cars and dropped all the way down to his shoe tops. He looked like a mound of dead raccoons. "Fits fine," he said happily.
他照办了。大衣上面盖住他的耳朵，下摆一直垂到脚面，活像一具浣熊尸体。他髙兴地说：“正合身。”
I rose from my chair. "is it a deal?" I asked, extending my hand.
我站了起来。“成交？”我说着，把手伸出来。
He swallowed. "It's a deal," he said and shook my hand.
他接受了。“成交！”他握了我的手。