Edward Mills and George Benton: A Tale

These two were distantly related to each other—seventh cousins, or something of that sort. While still babies they became orphans, and were adopted by the Brants, a childless couple, who quickly grew very fond of them. The Brants were always saying: “Be pure, honest, sober, industrious, and considerate of others, and success in life is assured.”

这两个人算是远亲——七拐八绕的表兄弟之类的关系。两人还在襁褓之中便都成了孤儿，被布兰特夫妇收养，这对膝下无子的夫妇很快就打心底里疼爱起他们来。布兰特夫妇总是念叨着：“为人纯洁、诚实、节制、勤恳，处处替别人着想，人生的成功便是板上钉钉的事了。”

The children heard this repeated some thousands of times before they understood it; they could repeat it themselves long before they could say the Lord's Prayer; it was painted over the nursery door, and was about the first thing they learned to read. It was destined to be the unswerving rule of Edward Mills's life. Sometimes the Brants changed the wording a little, and said: “Be pure, honest, sober, industrious, considerate, and you will never lack friends.”

孩子们在听懂这句话之前，就已经听过它几千遍了；他们能把这句话背下来，比会背主祷文还要早得多；这句话就漆在育儿室的门上，是他们最先学会认读的字句之一。这句话注定要成为爱德华·米尔斯一生恪守不渝的准则。有时候，布兰特夫妇会把措辞稍微改动一下，说：“为人纯洁、诚实、节制、勤恳、处处为人着想，你就永远不愁没有朋友。”

Baby Mills was a comfort to everybody about him. When he wanted candy and could not have it, he listened to reason, and contented himself without it. When Baby Benton wanted candy, he cried for it until he got it. Baby Mills took care of his toys; Baby Benton always destroyed his in a very brief time, and then made himself so insistently disagreeable that, in order to have peace in the house, little Edward was persuaded to yield up his play-things to him.

小米尔斯是身边每个人的贴心宝贝。他想要糖果而得不到的时候，肯听道理，也就作罢不闹了。小本顿想要糖果的时候，却要哭闹到手为止。小米尔斯很爱惜自己的玩具；小本顿却总是没多久就把自己的玩具弄坏，然后又缠人得让人心烦不已，弄得家里为了图个清净，只好劝小爱德华把自己的玩具让给他。

When the children were a little older, Georgie became a heavy expense in one respect: he took no care of his clothes; consequently, he shone frequently in new ones, which was not the case with Eddie. The boys grew apace. Eddie was an increasing comfort, Georgie an increasing solicitude. It was always sufficient to say, in answer to Eddie's petitions, “I would rather you would not do it”—meaning swimming, skating, picnicking, berrying, circusing, and all sorts of things which boys delight in. But no answer was sufficient for Georgie; he had to be humored in his desires, or he would carry them with a high hand.

孩子们再大一点的时候，乔治在一件事上开销渐渐变大：他从不爱惜自己的衣服，因此常常穿着新衣服招摇过市，艾迪却从来没有这样的情形。两个男孩渐渐长大。艾迪越来越让人省心，乔治却越来越让人操心。对艾迪的种种请求——游泳、溜冰、野餐、采浆果、看马戏，还有男孩子们喜欢的各式各样的花样——只消说一句“我倒宁愿你别去”，就足够了。可对乔治来说，什么样的答复都不管用；非得顺着他的心愿不可，不然他就要蛮横到底。

Naturally, no boy got more swimming skating, berrying, and so forth than he; no body ever had a better time. The good Brants did not allow the boys to play out after nine in summer evenings; they were sent to bed at that hour; Eddie honorably remained, but Georgie usually slipped out of the window toward ten, and enjoyed himself until midnight.

自然而然地，没有哪个孩子比他游泳、溜冰、采浆果之类的活动玩得更多；也没有谁玩得比他更痛快。善良的布兰特夫妇不许孩子们在夏夜九点以后还在外头玩，到了这个钟点，就得打发他们上床睡觉；艾迪总是规规矩矩地留在屋里，乔治却常常在快十点的时候悄悄从窗户溜出去，一直玩到半夜才尽兴而归。

It seemed impossible to break Georgie of this bad habit, but the Brants managed it at last by hiring him, with apples and marbles, to stay in. The good Brants gave all their time and attention to vain endeavors to regulate Georgie; they said, with grateful tears in their eyes, that Eddie needed no efforts of theirs, he was so good, so considerate, and in all ways so perfect.

想要纠正乔治这个坏习惯，看起来简直不可能，可布兰特夫妇最后总算想出了办法——用苹果和玻璃弹珠来贿赂他，哄他老老实实待在家里。这对善良的夫妇把全部的心力和精力都花在这场徒劳的努力上，想要管束乔治；他们说起艾迪来，眼里总噙着感激的泪水，说他们对艾迪根本用不着费什么心思，他是那样懂事、那样体贴，方方面面都堪称完美。

By and by the boys were big enough to work, so they were apprenticed to a trade: Edward went voluntarily; George was coaxed and bribed. Edward worked hard and faithfully, and ceased to be an expense to the good Brants; they praised him, so did his master; but George ran away, and it cost Mr. Brant both money and trouble to hunt him up and get him back.

渐渐地，两个孩子都长到了能干活的年纪，于是都去当了学徒，学一门手艺：爱德华是心甘情愿去的；乔治则是又哄又骗才肯去的。爱德华工作勤恳踏实，不再让善良的布兰特夫妇破费什么；他受到夸奖，师傅也称赞他；可乔治却跑掉了，布兰特先生又是花钱又是费心，才把他找回来。

By and by he ran away again—more money and more trouble. He ran away a third time—and stole a few things to carry with him. Trouble and expense for Mr. Brant once more; and, besides, it was with the greatest difficulty that he succeeded in persuading the master to let the youth go unprosecuted for the theft.

不久乔治又跑了一回——又是一笔钱、又是一番周折。他第三次跑掉——这回还顺手偷了几样东西带走。布兰特先生又是一番破财受累；此外，他还费了九牛二虎之力，才说服师傅不去为这桩偷窃之事追究这小子的责任。

Edward worked steadily along, and in time became a full partner in his master's business. George did not improve; he kept the loving hearts of his aged benefactors full of trouble, and their hands full of inventive activities to protect him from ruin. Edward, as a boy, had interested himself in Sunday-schools, debating societies, penny missionary affairs, anti-tobacco organizations, anti-profanity associations, and all such things; as a man, he was a quiet but steady and reliable helper in the church, the temperance societies, and in all movements looking to the aiding and uplifting of men. This excited no remark, attracted no attention—for it was his “natural bent.”

爱德华一直脚踏实地地干活，后来终于成了师傅生意上的正式合伙人。乔治却毫无长进；他让这对年迈的恩人满心慈爱却又满心忧愁，还要绞尽脑汁想出各种法子来护着他，免得他彻底毁掉自己。爱德华小时候就热衷于主日学校、辩论社团、少年传教事务、戒烟组织、戒骂人协会之类的活动；长大成人之后，他也一直在教会、戒酒会以及各种旨在扶助、提升世人的事业里，做一个默默无闻却始终可靠的帮手。这并未引起什么议论，也没引来什么关注——因为这本就是他“天性使然”。

Finally, the old people died. The will testified their loving pride in Edward, and left their little property to George—because he “needed it”; whereas, “owing to a bountiful Providence,” such was not the case with Edward. The property was left to George conditionally: he must buy out Edward's partner with it; else it must go to a benevolent organization called the Prisoner's Friend Society. The old people left a letter, in which they begged their dear son Edward to take their place and watch over George, and help and shield him as they had done.

终于，两位老人相继去世了。遗嘱里表明了他们对爱德华由衷的爱与骄傲，却把那点微薄的家产留给了乔治——因为乔治“需要”；至于爱德华，遗嘱里写道，“承蒙上天的眷顾”，他并不需要这些。这份财产留给乔治是有条件的：他必须用这笔钱买下爱德华那位合伙人的股份；否则这笔钱就要转交给一个名叫“囚犯之友协会”的慈善机构。两位老人还留下了一封信，恳求他们亲爱的儿子爱德华替他们照看乔治，像他们过去那样帮助他、庇护他。

Edward dutifully acquiesced, and George became his partner in the business. He was not a valuable partner: he had been meddling with drink before; he soon developed into a constant tippler now, and his flesh and eyes showed the fact unpleasantly. Edward had been courting a sweet and kindly spirited girl for some time. They loved each other dearly, and—But about this period George began to haunt her tearfully and imploringly, and at last she went crying to Edward, and said her high and holy duty was plain before her—she must not let her own selfish desires interfere with it: she must marry “poor George” and “reform him.”

爱德华恭顺地答应了下来，乔治便成了他生意上的合伙人。他并不是个称职的合伙人：他早先就沾染上了酗酒的毛病，如今很快就发展成了一个整天离不开酒瓶子的醉汉，他那浮肿的脸色和浑浊的眼神，把这一切都暴露得让人不忍多看。爱德华那时已经在追求一位温柔善良的姑娘有一段时间了。两人情投意合，深深相爱——可就在这段时期，乔治开始眼泪汪汪、苦苦哀求地纠缠这位姑娘，最后她哭着跑去找爱德华，说她眼前有一桩崇高而神圣的责任，她不能让自己那点自私的心愿妨碍了这份责任：她必须嫁给“可怜的乔治”，去“感化他、改造他”。

It would break her heart, she knew it would, and so on; but duty was duty. So she married George, and Edward's heart came very near breaking, as well as her own. However, Edward recovered, and married another girl—a very excellent one she was, too.

她知道这会让她心碎，她心里明白得很，可是——责任终归是责任。于是她嫁给了乔治，爱德华的心也几乎为此碎了，她自己的心又何尝不是如此。不过，爱德华后来也慢慢缓过来了，娶了另一位姑娘——那也是位十分出色的姑娘。

Children came to both families. Mary did her honest best to reform her husband, but the contract was too large. George went on drinking, and by and by he fell to misusing her and the little ones sadly. A great many good people strove with George—they were always at it, in fact—but he calmly took such efforts as his due and their duty, and did not mend his ways. He added a vice, presently—that of secret gambling. He got deeply in debt; he borrowed money on the firm's credit, as quietly as he could, and carried this system so far and so successfully that one morning the sheriff took possession of the establishment, and the two cousins found themselves penniless.

两家都添了孩子。玛丽尽了她最大的努力想感化丈夫，可这桩差事实在太过艰巨。乔治照旧酗酒，渐渐地，他竟也开始虐待她和几个孩子，情形十分可悲。许多善良的人都苦口婆心地劝导过乔治——事实上，这样的努力从没间断过——可他却坦然地把这些劝导当成自己理所应得、别人义不容辞的事，一点都没改过自新。不久他又添上了一样恶习——暗地里赌博。他债台高筑；他悄悄拿公司的信用去借钱，这套手法玩得越来越大、越来越顺手，直到有一天早晨，治安官接管了整个商号，两位表兄弟这才发现自己已经身无分文了。

Times were hard, now, and they grew worse. Edward moved his family into a garret, and walked the streets day and night, seeking work. He begged for it, but it was really not to be had. He was astonished to see how soon his face became unwelcome; he was astonished and hurt to see how quickly the ancient interest which people had had in him faded out and disappeared. Still, he must get work; so he swallowed his chagrin, and toiled on in search of it. At last he got a job of carrying bricks up a ladder in a hod, and was a grateful man in consequence; but after that nobody knew him or cared anything about him.

如今世道艰难，而且越来越糟。爱德华把家人搬进了一间阁楼，自己则日夜在街头奔走，四处找活干。他四处求人给他份工作，可实在是求不到。他惊讶地发现，自己的这张脸怎么这么快就不受人待见了；他既惊讶又心痛地发现，人们过去对他的那份关切，怎么消散得这样快、消失得这样彻底。可他终究得找活干；于是他咽下满腔的懊丧，继续咬牙苦寻。终于，他找到了一份用泥桶沿梯子搬砖的活计，为此心怀感激；可从那以后，再没有人认得他，也没有人再关心他了。

He was not able to keep up his dues in the various moral organizations to which he belonged, and had to endure the sharp pain of seeing himself brought under the disgrace of suspension.

他连自己所属的各个道德组织的会费都交不起了，只能眼睁睁地忍受着自己因此被除名的耻辱，那滋味实在难堪。

But the faster Edward died out of public knowledge and interest, the faster George rose in them. He was found lying, ragged and drunk, in the gutter one morning. A member of the Ladies' Temperance Refuge fished him out, took him in hand, got up a subscription for him, kept him sober a whole week, then got a situation for him. An account of it was published.

可爱德华在世人眼中越是迅速地销声匿迹，乔治却越是迅速地声名鹊起。一天早晨，有人发现他衣衫褴褛、烂醉如泥地躺在阴沟里。妇女戒酒救济会的一位成员把他捞了出来，接手照料他，为他募集了一笔钱，让他戒酒整整一个星期，然后又给他谋了份差事。这件事还上了报纸。

General attention was thus drawn to the poor fellow, and a great many people came forward and helped him toward reform with their countenance and encouragement. He did not drink a drop for two months, and meantime was the pet of the good. Then he fell—in the gutter; and there was general sorrow and lamentation. But the noble sisterhood rescued him again.

于是社会的关注就这样转移到了这位可怜人身上，许多人纷纷站出来，用他们的支持和鼓励帮助他改过自新。他有两个月滴酒未沾，这段日子里，他成了善良人士眼中的宠儿。可后来他又堕落了——重新跌回了阴沟里；举城上下一片惋惜哀叹。可那群高尚的姐妹们又一次把他救了出来。

They cleaned him up, they fed him, they listened to the mournful music of his repentances, they got him his situation again. An account of this, also, was published, and the town was drowned in happy tears over the re-restoration of the poor beast and struggling victim of the fatal bowl. A grand temperance revival was got up, and after some rousing speeches had been made the chairman said, impressively: “We are not about to call for signers; and I think there is a spectacle in store for you which not many in this house will be able to view with dry eyes.”

她们把他洗涮干净，喂他吃饭，听他悔恨交加地哭诉忏悔，又替他重新找了份工作。这件事同样上了报纸，全城的人都为这位可怜的、与那要命的酒瓶苦苦挣扎的“野兽”重新回归正道而感动得热泪盈眶。一场盛大的戒酒复兴大会随即举办起来，几番激动人心的演说过后，主席神情庄重地说道：“我们眼下不打算再号召大家签名了；我想，接下来这一幕，恐怕这满屋子里没几个人能不落泪地看完。”

There was an eloquent pause, and then George Benton, escorted by a red-sashed detachment of the Ladies of the Refuge, stepped forward upon the platform and signed the pledge. The air was rent with applause, and everybody cried for joy. Everybody wrung the hand of the new convert when the meeting was over; his salary was enlarged next day; he was the talk of the town, and its hero. An account of it was published.

一阵意味深长的停顿之后，乔治·本顿在一队佩戴红绶带的救济会女士的簇拥护送下，走上了讲台，签下了戒酒誓言。全场顿时掌声雷动，人人都激动得落下泪来。散会之后，人人都争相与这位刚刚“悔改”的人握手；第二天他就加了薪，成了全城议论的话题，成了全城的英雄。这件事也上了报纸。

George Benton fell, regularly, every three months, but was faithfully rescued and wrought with, every time, and good situations were found for him. Finally, he was taken around the country lecturing, as a reformed drunkard, and he had great houses and did an immense amount of good.

乔治·本顿每隔三个月就要照例堕落一回，可每一回也都被人尽心尽力地拯救、开导，还替他找到好差事。到最后，他竟被人带着到各地巡回演讲，以“悔改的酒鬼”的身份现身说法，场场爆满，据说做了不知多少善事。

He was so popular at home, and so trusted—during his sober intervals—that he was enabled to use the name of a principal citizen, and get a large sum of money at the bank. A mighty pressure was brought to bear to save him from the consequences of his forgery, and it was partially successful—he was “sent up” for only two years.

他在家乡如此受人欢迎，也如此受人信任——至少在他清醒的那段日子里是这样——以至于他竟能冒用一位地方名流的名义，从银行骗取了一大笔钱。人们使出浑身解数，想要替他开脱这桩伪造罪的后果，也算是部分奏效了——他只被“送进去”蹲了两年。

When, at the end of a year, the tireless efforts of the benevolent were crowned with success, and he emerged from the penitentiary with a pardon in his pocket, the Prisoner's Friend Society met him at the door with a situation and a comfortable salary, and all the other benevolent people came forward and gave him advice, encouragement and help. Edward Mills had once applied to the Prisoner's Friend Society for a situation, when in dire need, but the question, “Have you been a prisoner?” made brief work of his case.

一年过后，那些不辞辛劳的仁人善士终于修成正果，他揣着一纸赦免令走出了监狱大门，“囚犯之友协会”便在门口迎接他，给了他一份差事和一份舒适的薪水，其余那些行善之人也纷纷登门，给他出主意、打气、帮忙。爱德华·米尔斯曾在走投无路的时候，向“囚犯之友协会”求过一份差事，可一句“你可曾坐过牢？”，便三言两语打发了他的申请。

While all these things were going on, Edward Mills had been quietly making head against adversity. He was still poor, but was in receipt of a steady and sufficient salary, as the respected and trusted cashier of a bank. George Benton never came near him, and was never heard to inquire about him. George got to indulging in long absences from the town; there were ill reports about him, but nothing definite.

就在这些事一件件上演的时候，爱德华·米尔斯却一直在默默地与逆境抗争。他仍旧清贫，却也有一份稳定而足以糊口的薪水，做着一家银行受人敬重、值得信赖的出纳。乔治·本顿从没靠近过他，也从没听说他打听过他的近况。乔治渐渐养成了长期离城不归的习惯；关于他的种种流言蜚语传得纷纷扬扬，却总也没个准信。

One winter's night some masked burglars forced their way into the bank, and found Edward Mills there alone. They commanded him to reveal the “combination,” so that they could get into the safe. He refused. They threatened his life. He said his employers trusted him, and he could not be traitor to that trust. He could die, if he must, but while he lived he would be faithful; he would not yield up the “combination.” The burglars killed him.

一个冬天的夜里，几个蒙面的窃贼闯进了银行，发现爱德华·米尔斯独自一人在那儿。他们命令他说出保险柜的密码，好让他们进去。他拒绝了。他们以性命相威胁。他说，雇主信任他，他不能背叛这份信任。要死，他也可以死，可只要他还活着一天，他就要忠于职守；他绝不会交出那组密码。窃贼们杀了他。

The detectives hunted down the criminals; the chief one proved to be George Benton. A wide sympathy was felt for the widow and orphans of the dead man, and all the newspapers in the land begged that all the banks in the land would testify their appreciation of the fidelity and heroism of the murdered cashier by coming forward with a generous contribution of money in aid of his family, now bereft of support.

侦探们最终缉拿到了那伙罪犯，为首的一个正是乔治·本顿。举国上下都对这位遇害出纳的遗孀和孤儿深表同情，全国各地的报纸都恳请全国所有的银行，用一笔慷慨的捐款来表达对这位遇害出纳的忠诚与英勇气概的赞赏，以此救济这户如今失去了顶梁柱的人家。

The result was a mass of solid cash amounting to upward of five hundred dollars—an average of nearly three-eights of a cent for each bank in the Union. The cashier's own bank testified its gratitude by endeavoring to show (but humiliatingly failed in it) that the peerless servant's accounts were not square, and that he himself had knocked his brains out with a bludgeon to escape detection and punishment.

结果募集到的现金总共超过了五百美元——平摊到联邦所有银行头上，每家银行差不多摊到了三又八分之一美分。这位出纳生前所在的那家银行倒是用一番“感激”来表明心意——他们竭力想证明（结果却丢人现眼地失败了）这位无与伦比的雇员账目其实并不清白，说他其实是为了逃避被人发现和惩罚，才自己用棍棒砸碎了自己的脑袋。

George Benton was arraigned for trial. Then everybody seemed to forget the widow and orphans in their solicitude for poor George. Everything that money and influence could do was done to save him, but it all failed; he was sentenced to death. Straightway the Governor was besieged with petitions for commutation or pardon; they were brought by tearful young girls; by sorrowful old maids; by deputations of pathetic widows; by shoals of impressive orphans. But no, the Governor—for once—would not yield.

乔治·本顿被押上了法庭受审。这时候，众人似乎全都忘了那位遗孀和几个孤儿，一门心思都扑在了可怜的乔治身上。凡是金钱和权势能办到的事，人们都替他办了，可全都无济于事；他最终被判处了死刑。紧接着，请求减刑或赦免的请愿书便如潮水般涌向了州长；有泪眼汪汪的年轻姑娘送来的，有满心哀伤的老处女送来的，有一批批令人动容的寡妇代表团送来的，还有成群结队、惹人怜悯的孤儿送来的。可这一回，州长却始终不肯让步。

Now George Benton experienced religion. The glad news flew all around. From that time forth his cell was always full of girls and women and fresh flowers; all the day long there was prayer, and hymn-singing, and thanksgiving, and homilies, and tears, with never an interruption, except an occasional five-minute intermission for refreshments.

这时乔治·本顿“得了信仰”，皈依了宗教。这个喜讯很快传遍了四方。从那以后，他的牢房里天天挤满了姑娘、妇女，还有新鲜的花束；一整天都是祷告声、赞美诗声、感恩声、说教声、哭泣声，从未间断，只偶尔停个五分钟，用来吃点茶点。

This sort of thing continued up to the very gallows, and George Benton went proudly home, in the black cap, before a wailing audience of the sweetest and best that the region could produce. His grave had fresh flowers on it every day, for a while, and the head-stone bore these words, under a hand pointing aloft: “He has fought the good fight.”

这样的情形一直延续到绞刑架前，乔治·本顿头戴黑帽，昂首阔步地“荣归”，面对着这一带能够召集到的、最温柔善良的一群哭泣观众。有那么一阵子，他的坟前每天都摆着新鲜的花，墓碑上刻着这样的字句，上头还画着一只指向天空的手：“他打过了那美好的仗。”

The brave cashier's head-stone has this inscription: “Be pure, honest, sober, industrious, considerate, and you will never—”

那位英勇出纳的墓碑上，刻着这样一句话：“为人纯洁、诚实、节制、勤恳、处处为人着想，你就永远不会——”

Nobody knows who gave the order to leave it that way, but it was so given.

没人知道是谁下令要把这句话就这么留着不写完，可确实是有人这样下了令。

The cashier's family are in stringent circumstances, now, it is said; but no matter; a lot of appreciative people, who were not willing that an act so brave and true as his should go unrewarded, have collected forty-two thousand dollars—and built a Memorial Church with it.

据说，如今这位出纳的家人正过着十分拮据的日子；可这也无妨，因为一大群心怀感激的人，不愿让这样一桩英勇忠诚的义举得不到应有的褒奖，已经凑齐了四万二千美元——用这笔钱建起了一座纪念教堂。