本文作者是西奥多・德莱塞，美国文学史上最杰出的现实主义小说家，一位以探索充满磨难的现实生活著称的美国自然主义作家。他的作品贴近广大人民的生活，诚实、大胆，充满了生活的激情。《嘉莉妹妹》真实再现了当时美国社会，而《美国悲剧》则是他成就最高的作品，让人们清晰地看到了美国社会的真实情况。本文摘选自《美国悲剧》第四章，由许汝祉翻译，'属于典型的文学翻译，特别是文中对于人物心理和性格的描写十分深刻，所以在翻译时注意用词。

Today, being driven by the necessity of doing something for himself, he entered the drug store which occupied the principal corner, facing 14th street at Baltimore, and finding a girl cashier in a small glass cage near the door, asked of her who was in charge of the soda fountain.

今天他因为急于要给自己想个办法，迫不得已，便走进了那家杂货店。这家店铺坐落在巴尔第摩街路口，正面是十四号街，地位正当要冲。他看见靠近门口的一座小玻璃柜房里有一个女出纳员，就去向她打听卖汽水的柜台归谁负责。

Interested by his tentative and uncertain manner, as well as his deep and rather appealing eyes, and instinctively judging that he was looking for something to do, she observed: "Why, Mr. Secor, there, the manager of the store."

这个姑娘一看他那试探和踌躇的神情和他那双深沉的、相当讨人欢喜的眼睛，便对他发生了兴趣。她直觉地揣测到他是要找事做，便说:“呕!塞科尔先生，在那儿，他是本店的经理。

She nodded in the direction of a short, meticulously dressed man of about thirty-five, who was arranging an especial display of toilet novelties on the top of a glass case.

她朝一个三十五岁上下的矮个子男人那边点点头。那个人穿得很讲究，一点也不马虎。他正在布置一只玻璃柜上的一些新奇化妆品，要摆成一种特别的式样。

Clyde approached him, and being still very dubious as to how one went about getting anything in life, and finding him engrossed in what he was doing, stood first on one foot and then on the other, until at last, sensing someone was hovering about for something, the man turned: "Well?" he queried.

克莱德走到他身边，不过心里还在犹疑不定，不知道应该怎样才能找个出路，同时他又看出人家正在全神贯注地干他手头的事情，于是便站在一边，两只脚替换着歇一歇。到后来，那个经理觉得仿佛有人在他身边守着，想找他谈什么事，这才转过身来说：“有事吗?”

You don't happen to need a soda fountain helper, do you?

您这儿卖汽水的柜台上要不要添个助手?

Clyde cast at him a glance that said as plain as anything could, "If you have any such place, I wish you would please give it to me. I need it."

克莱德对他望了一眼，把自己的迫切心情表露得再清楚不过了。“要是有这样的位置，就请您让我来干吧。我想找这么个事情。”

"No, no, no ," replied this individual, who was blond and vigorous and by nature a little irritable and contentious.

“没有，没有，没有，”这个人回答说。他长得漂漂亮亮、精神饱满，生性有点暴躁，喜欢争吵。

He was about to turn away, but seeing a flicker of disappointment and depression pass over Clyde's face, he turned and added, "Ever work in a place like this before?"