石
石兄
The Dance of Love
爱的舞蹈
My old friend Harry and I were reminiscing. "Do you remember our first high-school dance?" I asked. "How scared we were?" He nodded.
过去的趣事常常引起我和好友哈里的无限感慨。"你还记得我们中学时代的第一次舞会吗？"我问，当时我们是多么紧张。他点点头，表示有同感。
My mind went back to that time when the boy-and-girl chemistry had begun to bubble in our veins, and we knew little about dealing with it. I recalled the decorated gym, the Victrola playing "Night and Day", the boys and the girls pretending to ignore one another.
于是，我的思绪又回到了那个遥远的年代。当时我们情窦初开，不谙男女之事。我至今还记得在那个张灯结彩的体育馆里，电唱机传出那首迷人的舞曲《日日夜夜》，男孩和女孩们则都努力装出毫不在意对方的样子。
"It could have been a disaster," I said, "but I was saved by a safety pin."
"要不是那枚安全别针，我非出洋相不可，"我说。
"A safety pin?" Harry asked.
"安全别针？"哈里问。
"Yes, and the memory of Fred Astaire."
"是的，还有福雷德·阿斯泰勒。"
Having delivered this line, I left Harry and headed homeward to relive the magic moment of how it felt to hold my arm around the waist of the prettiest, wittiest, most wonderful girl in the gym.
说完，我告别哈里，独自回家，那种神奇的感觉又回到眼前--搂着体育馆里最聪明、最漂亮的女孩的腰是一种多么美妙的感受。
According to the popular Hollywood scenario, high school should have been a kind of coeducational paradise, with convertibles, junior proms, and guys in varsity sweaters winning the hearts of the best-looking girls in the class with wisecracks.
好莱坞电影剧本里描写的中学生活往往是天堂般的：男女生同校，乘敞篷汽车，还有舞会，小伙子们都穿着大学球队的球衣，说着俏皮话，以赢得班上最漂亮女孩的青睐。
Unfortunately the educational authorities in our cities either didn't go to the movies or disagreed with what they saw. As soon as we entered high school, the sexes were segregated. Boys went to one school, girl to another.
但不幸的是，我们城市的教育主管当局不是不看那些电影，就是看了也不会赞成。我们一进中学，男女生就分开了，男生上男校，女生上女校。
Consequently when Mr. Biggs, our homeroom teacher, announced that the freshman class of our school have a Christmas dance with the freshman class of the girls' high, his words received a mixed reception. My friends from grade school constituted the athletic group. Our pulse raced more at the thought of holding a bat handle than a girl's band. We had never had anything to do with girls. So when Mr. Biggs asked, "How many of you boys know how to dance?" We did not raise our hands. "In that case," said Mr. Biggs, "tomorrow you will report to Miss Haelein in the gym for lessons."
所以，当班主任布利格斯先生宣布我们新生将和另一所女子中学的新生共同举办圣诞舞会的时候，大家都喜忧参半。我和小学的同学们只知道握起球棒会让我们激动不己，从不知道握着女孩的手是什么滋味。我们从来没和女孩们接触过。所以当布里格斯先生问："你们有几个会跳舞？"的时候，没有一个人举手。"那么，你们明天必须到体育馆找海兰小姐报到，她将教会你们跳舞。"
"Line up and count off," Miss haelein instructed the next day. " Even numbers, one step forward; odd numbers, one step to the rear. "We executed the maneuver.
"站好队，然后报数，"海兰小姐吩咐说，"双数前进一步，单数后退一步。"我们依令而行。
"Boys in the rear rank will be boys; boy in the front rank will be girls. When I count one, two, three, four, the boys will approach the girls, ask them to dance, put their right arms around their waists, hold their left arms high and, counting with me, walk to the music."
"后排的男生跳男步，前排的跳女步，当我数一、二、三、四的时候，跳男步的男生走向跳女步的，并发出邀请，请将手放在女方的腰上，举起她们的左手，然后学着我的样子踏着音乐节拍走步。"
I was a boy and Harry was my girl. As we stepped and counted, he kicked me in the shins so hard that I threatened violence. It seemed hours before Miss Haenlein released us.
当时我学男步，哈里则是我的"女伴"。当我尝试着跳起来的时候，他向我的小腿踢了一脚，我说他要再踢我就有他好看的。过了好久，海兰小姐才放我们走。
We headed for the park, where we talked about girls more specifically than very before. All of us apparently had taken more notice of them we had let on.
下课后，我们来到公园，绘声绘色地谈论起了女孩。很明显，平时大家都对女孩的留意比装出来的多。
"Katie Sherwood," said Bill. "Did any of you guys ever take a look at her?" said Larry. "You mean that tall, dumb blonde?" We all agreed that that was the same Katie Sherwood. "Boy, is she stuck up," said Charley. "I guess she thinks she's good-looking or something." "That's because she wears lipsticks and high heels," said Bill.
"卡蒂·舍伍德，你们有谁注意过她？"比尔问道。"你是说那个又高又傻的金发女孩吗？"拉里问道，大家都表示同意就是那个女孩。"哥儿们，她可真傲气，"查理说，"我想她一定自以为很漂亮吧？" "那是因为她涂了口红，还穿着高跟鞋吧，"比尔说。
"You remember Vivian Hall?" Ken asked. "The short blonde who is always giving parties when her folks aren't home, where they play Spin the Bottle and Post Office? I don't want to dance with her."
"你们记得维维恩·霍尔吗？"肯问道，"那个小个子的金发女孩，每当大人们不在家时，她就开晚会。他们常在那里玩接吻的游戏，我不想和她跳舞。"
"And I don't want to dance with Margery Howe," I said of a girl who wore braces and had a collie. "Her mother told my mother that my dog gave her dog fleas."
"我不想和玛格丽·豪跳，"我说的是一个穿背带裙、常牵着牧羊犬的女孩子。"她妈妈对我妈妈说我的狗把跳蚤传给了她的狗。"
Although I would have denied it under thumbscrew and rack, I secretly did like Margery. She was tall and willowy, with long russet hair twisted in braids.
其实，我心里还是很喜欢玛格丽的，但打死我也不会承认。她身材修长苗条，黄褐色的头发编成辫子。
My only encounter with her had been the previous spring, when we had both taken our dogs to the park. She had her coolie and I had Bing, my truculent Scottie, As we passed each other, my dog suddenly sprang at hers, nipping it in the leg. The collie let out a yip and dashed for freedom. Entangled in his leash, Margery tumbled into my arms.
我和她唯一的接触是在去年春天，那天我们俩都带着狗在公园里散步。当我们相遇的时候，我那条好斗的长毛狗宾哥冲上去咬住她那条牧羊犬的腿，那条狗尖叫着拼命挣脱跑开了。玛格丽被拴狗的皮带绊住了，一下子倒在了我的怀里。
It was the first time I had ever had my arms around a girl. I was amazed by how light and frail she felt, and how wonderful her freshly ironed cotton dress smelled. In a moment she found her balance. "Thank you," she said and walked away. I was trembling.
这是我第一次拥抱着一个女孩。我惊奇地发现她是那样轻盈娇柔，她身上那条刚熨洗过的棉布裙的气味是那样好闻。过了一会儿，她才站稳。"谢谢你，"说完，她就走了，当时我浑身都在发抖。
Though we passed each other many times afterward, Margery never acknowledged my existence. But I found myself unable to forget her. She seemed to grow less approachable and more desirable. Worse yet, I learned she was going to ballet school and was sure to be a magnificent dancer.
虽然后来我们又相遇了几次，但玛格丽从来都不理睬我，而我却无法忘记她。她似乎越来越难以接近，也越来越吸引人了。更糟糕的是，听说她要上芭蕾舞学校，她肯定会成为一名出色的舞蹈家。
I might have given up had it not been for Fred Astaire. One snowy Saturday my friends and I went to see Astaire and Ginger Rogers in The Gay Divorcee. Watching his flying feet as he guided Miss Rogers around the floor, and his nonchalant one-hand-in-the-pocket verbal acrobatics, I imagined myself in his role. When we left the theater, the magic was still with me, making all things seem possible.
我敢有此非分之想，也许是受福雷德·阿斯泰勒的影响。那是一个下雪的周末。我和朋友一起去看阿斯泰勒和罗杰斯主演的《快乐的离婚女郎》，舞池里罗杰斯小姐在阿斯泰勒的引导下，飞快地旋转着，阿斯泰勒则将手插在口袋里若无其事地调侃着。我被这个角色深深地吸引住了，梦想着自己就是阿斯泰勒。离开剧院后，我仍沉迷在这种幻想当中，似乎对任何事情都充满了信心。
I dreamed my dreams but never dared speak to Margery. Almost daily we passed each other in the park. Whenever she saw me, she pointed her nose in the air and pulled her dog closer to her.
尽管我梦寐以求，但从来不敢和玛格丽说话。我们几乎每天都能在公园里相遇。而每次她见到我，总是高扬着头走了，而且紧紧地牵着她的狗。
But in the deepest recesses of my heart, I knew that I would one day dance with Margery.
但在我的内心深处有一种强烈的预感，有一天我会和她一起跳舞。
To prepare for that day, I secretly went to the library, sidled up to the librarian's desk, and whispered that I needed a book on dancing.
为了做好准备，我悄悄地上了一次图书馆，小声地向图书馆员说我要借一本有关跳舞的书。
"Dancing!" she boomed. I cringed, fearful that someone might overhear. "What kind? Ballet? Classical? Eurythmic?"
"跳舞？"她大声说话的样子让我非常紧张，生怕被别人知道。"是哪一种舞蹈？芭蕾舞？古典舞？还是现代体操舞？"
"No," I replied. "just regular dancing." I was about to add. "like Fred Astaire does."
"什么也不是，"我说，"就是那种普通的舞蹈。"我差点儿加了一句："就是福雷德·阿斯泰勒跳的那种。"
"Ballroom dancing?" I nodded yes. She searched briefly through the shelves and handed me a book. I ran home with it tucked under my coat. Alone in my room, I opened it to find pages and pages of feet marked ABCD in different positions. I tried to follow the diagrams while I hummed, but I knew it was a lost cause.
"是交际舞吧？"我点点头。她飞快地从书架上为我取了一本书。我将书掖在大衣里，赶紧跑回了家。回家之后，我独自一人躲在屋里，一边看着一页页用ABCD标出的不同舞步的图示，一边哼着曲子学跳，但我知道一点戏也没有。
Finally the night of the dance came. It was to begin at eight, and at 7:30 my friends and I met on a corner. Even Harry, Limping so realistically on his supposedly wounded leg that he looked like a shattered war veteran, had turned up.
舞会之夜终于来临了，舞会定于晚上8点开始，但刚过7点半我和朋友们就在一个拐角处聚齐了。哈里假装脚受伤了，乍看起来还真像一个战场上受伤的老兵，但他也来了。
Filled with blase courage, my friends and I marched in to the gym. Twisted crepe paper in our school's colors was festooned around the room. Standing by the door were Miss Haenlein and Mr. Biggs. We gravely shook hands with each and quickly headed for the farthest corner, turned our backs and began talking nervously.
我们都装作满不在乎的样子走进体育馆，体育馆里挂满了校旗颜色的绘纸，门口站着海兰小姐和布利格斯先生。我们相互郑重地握握手，便走到舞厅最里面，离开舞池，开始紧张地交谈起来。
On the far side of the room were the girls. They were dazzling. In their magnificent dresses and resplendent hairdos, they seemed to drip sophistication and icy indifference. As we eyed them, our courage-which we had bolstered with smart remarks and explosive laughter-dribbled away.
大厅另一边是女生，她们都打扮得光彩照人，华丽的服饰和光亮的发型使她们显得格外老成和冷漠。当看见她们的时候，我们靠噱头和狂笑支撑起来的勇气转眼间不见了踪影。
At Mr.Biggs' signal, the Victrola began playing. My palms were sweating as, one by one, my friends, like paratroopers leaping through an open hatch into space, left to dance. Only Harry and I remained. Suddenly Miss Haenlein appeared. "Boys," she said sharply. "Remember no wallflowers." Raising our arms, Harry and I joined together and, counting loudly, "one, two, three, four," we shambled across the floor. We were halfway to the door and a dash for freedom, when Miss Haenlein pulled us apart. The next thing I knew, I was holding Vivian Hall, and Harry was dancing with Margery Howe. To my horror, as soon as record was finished another went on. With each new song, we changed partners, until I was holding Margery.
布利格斯先生示意开始放音乐。于是，我的朋友们像跳伞队员一样鱼贯而上跳了起来。只剩下我和哈里没动，我的手心里直冒着汗。这时，海兰小姐走过来说："孩子们，不能只看不跳。"没办法，我只好和哈里搂在一起，嘴里念着"一、二、三、四"，慢慢地往门口蹭，想跳到门口时就溜之大吉。但海兰小姐拦住了我们，并把我们分开。等我回过神来的时候，发现自己正搂着维维恩，而哈里则拥着玛格丽。更令我紧张的是，一曲终了，又来一曲，而且还要换一个舞伴。终于，我和玛格丽跳到了一块。
In her party dress, with her hair done in a Grecian knot, she seemed like a goddess. Holding her at arm's length, and trying my best to think of something to say, I noticed a bright glint in the bodice of her dress. It was a safety pin, and it was holding her dress together. Margery suddenly seemed totally human. I found myself actually dancing. When it was time to change partners, I had the courage to say, "Let's not." And she agreed.
她穿着晚礼服，挽着古希腊式发髻，在我的心目中简直成了女神。我远远地搂着她，不知该说什么。突然，我注意到她的胸衣上有一个闪闪发光的东西，原来是一枚安全别针，是用来别住紧身衣的。于是，我眼中的玛格丽又变成了凡人。我这才放心大胆地跳起来。当一曲终了又要换舞伴的时候，我鼓起勇气说："我们不换。"她竟然同意了。
The dance was over too soon, and I found myself alone with Margery. Putting one hand in my pocket, partially in imitation of Fred Astaire and partially to make sure I still had the $1.60 I had saved by weeks of self-denial, I said in what I considered to be the right degree of nonchalance, "Would you care to drop in at the soda fountain before we call it a night?"
不知不觉，舞会已经结束了。我和玛格丽单独在一起，我手插在口袋里，一半是为了模仿阿斯泰勒，一半是为了确认我几个星期苦心省下来的1美元60美分还在口袋里。我尽力装作漫不经心的样子说："在我们分手之前，你和我去喝杯汽水怎么样？"
Margery looked down at me and said, "I'd love to, but I promised my mother I wouldn't be home late."
玛格丽看着我说："我是想去，但我答应妈妈要尽早回家的。"
I bowed. "Some other time then."
我鞠了一躬说："那就下一次吧。"
I don't remember her answer, because, as I took my hand out of my pocket, my change spilled all over the floor. By the time I had picked it up, she was gone. As I walked home singing "Night and Day," I knew that there had never been a more beautiful evening, ever, for anyone.
我不记得她当时说了什么，因为我一抽手将硬币撒得满地都是。在我低头拣钱的时候，她已经走了。那天晚上，我哼着《日日夜夜》的曲子回到了家里。我相信那是我度过的最美的一个晚上。
爱的舞蹈
My old friend Harry and I were reminiscing. "Do you remember our first high-school dance?" I asked. "How scared we were?" He nodded.
过去的趣事常常引起我和好友哈里的无限感慨。"你还记得我们中学时代的第一次舞会吗？"我问，当时我们是多么紧张。他点点头，表示有同感。
My mind went back to that time when the boy-and-girl chemistry had begun to bubble in our veins, and we knew little about dealing with it. I recalled the decorated gym, the Victrola playing "Night and Day", the boys and the girls pretending to ignore one another.
于是，我的思绪又回到了那个遥远的年代。当时我们情窦初开，不谙男女之事。我至今还记得在那个张灯结彩的体育馆里，电唱机传出那首迷人的舞曲《日日夜夜》，男孩和女孩们则都努力装出毫不在意对方的样子。
"It could have been a disaster," I said, "but I was saved by a safety pin."
"要不是那枚安全别针，我非出洋相不可，"我说。
"A safety pin?" Harry asked.
"安全别针？"哈里问。
"Yes, and the memory of Fred Astaire."
"是的，还有福雷德·阿斯泰勒。"
Having delivered this line, I left Harry and headed homeward to relive the magic moment of how it felt to hold my arm around the waist of the prettiest, wittiest, most wonderful girl in the gym.
说完，我告别哈里，独自回家，那种神奇的感觉又回到眼前--搂着体育馆里最聪明、最漂亮的女孩的腰是一种多么美妙的感受。
According to the popular Hollywood scenario, high school should have been a kind of coeducational paradise, with convertibles, junior proms, and guys in varsity sweaters winning the hearts of the best-looking girls in the class with wisecracks.
好莱坞电影剧本里描写的中学生活往往是天堂般的：男女生同校，乘敞篷汽车，还有舞会，小伙子们都穿着大学球队的球衣，说着俏皮话，以赢得班上最漂亮女孩的青睐。
Unfortunately the educational authorities in our cities either didn't go to the movies or disagreed with what they saw. As soon as we entered high school, the sexes were segregated. Boys went to one school, girl to another.
但不幸的是，我们城市的教育主管当局不是不看那些电影，就是看了也不会赞成。我们一进中学，男女生就分开了，男生上男校，女生上女校。
Consequently when Mr. Biggs, our homeroom teacher, announced that the freshman class of our school have a Christmas dance with the freshman class of the girls' high, his words received a mixed reception. My friends from grade school constituted the athletic group. Our pulse raced more at the thought of holding a bat handle than a girl's band. We had never had anything to do with girls. So when Mr. Biggs asked, "How many of you boys know how to dance?" We did not raise our hands. "In that case," said Mr. Biggs, "tomorrow you will report to Miss Haelein in the gym for lessons."
所以，当班主任布利格斯先生宣布我们新生将和另一所女子中学的新生共同举办圣诞舞会的时候，大家都喜忧参半。我和小学的同学们只知道握起球棒会让我们激动不己，从不知道握着女孩的手是什么滋味。我们从来没和女孩们接触过。所以当布里格斯先生问："你们有几个会跳舞？"的时候，没有一个人举手。"那么，你们明天必须到体育馆找海兰小姐报到，她将教会你们跳舞。"
"Line up and count off," Miss haelein instructed the next day. " Even numbers, one step forward; odd numbers, one step to the rear. "We executed the maneuver.
"站好队，然后报数，"海兰小姐吩咐说，"双数前进一步，单数后退一步。"我们依令而行。
"Boys in the rear rank will be boys; boy in the front rank will be girls. When I count one, two, three, four, the boys will approach the girls, ask them to dance, put their right arms around their waists, hold their left arms high and, counting with me, walk to the music."
"后排的男生跳男步，前排的跳女步，当我数一、二、三、四的时候，跳男步的男生走向跳女步的，并发出邀请，请将手放在女方的腰上，举起她们的左手，然后学着我的样子踏着音乐节拍走步。"
I was a boy and Harry was my girl. As we stepped and counted, he kicked me in the shins so hard that I threatened violence. It seemed hours before Miss Haenlein released us.
当时我学男步，哈里则是我的"女伴"。当我尝试着跳起来的时候，他向我的小腿踢了一脚，我说他要再踢我就有他好看的。过了好久，海兰小姐才放我们走。
We headed for the park, where we talked about girls more specifically than very before. All of us apparently had taken more notice of them we had let on.
下课后，我们来到公园，绘声绘色地谈论起了女孩。很明显，平时大家都对女孩的留意比装出来的多。
"Katie Sherwood," said Bill. "Did any of you guys ever take a look at her?" said Larry. "You mean that tall, dumb blonde?" We all agreed that that was the same Katie Sherwood. "Boy, is she stuck up," said Charley. "I guess she thinks she's good-looking or something." "That's because she wears lipsticks and high heels," said Bill.
"卡蒂·舍伍德，你们有谁注意过她？"比尔问道。"你是说那个又高又傻的金发女孩吗？"拉里问道，大家都表示同意就是那个女孩。"哥儿们，她可真傲气，"查理说，"我想她一定自以为很漂亮吧？" "那是因为她涂了口红，还穿着高跟鞋吧，"比尔说。
"You remember Vivian Hall?" Ken asked. "The short blonde who is always giving parties when her folks aren't home, where they play Spin the Bottle and Post Office? I don't want to dance with her."
"你们记得维维恩·霍尔吗？"肯问道，"那个小个子的金发女孩，每当大人们不在家时，她就开晚会。他们常在那里玩接吻的游戏，我不想和她跳舞。"
"And I don't want to dance with Margery Howe," I said of a girl who wore braces and had a collie. "Her mother told my mother that my dog gave her dog fleas."
"我不想和玛格丽·豪跳，"我说的是一个穿背带裙、常牵着牧羊犬的女孩子。"她妈妈对我妈妈说我的狗把跳蚤传给了她的狗。"
Although I would have denied it under thumbscrew and rack, I secretly did like Margery. She was tall and willowy, with long russet hair twisted in braids.
其实，我心里还是很喜欢玛格丽的，但打死我也不会承认。她身材修长苗条，黄褐色的头发编成辫子。
My only encounter with her had been the previous spring, when we had both taken our dogs to the park. She had her coolie and I had Bing, my truculent Scottie, As we passed each other, my dog suddenly sprang at hers, nipping it in the leg. The collie let out a yip and dashed for freedom. Entangled in his leash, Margery tumbled into my arms.
我和她唯一的接触是在去年春天，那天我们俩都带着狗在公园里散步。当我们相遇的时候，我那条好斗的长毛狗宾哥冲上去咬住她那条牧羊犬的腿，那条狗尖叫着拼命挣脱跑开了。玛格丽被拴狗的皮带绊住了，一下子倒在了我的怀里。
It was the first time I had ever had my arms around a girl. I was amazed by how light and frail she felt, and how wonderful her freshly ironed cotton dress smelled. In a moment she found her balance. "Thank you," she said and walked away. I was trembling.
这是我第一次拥抱着一个女孩。我惊奇地发现她是那样轻盈娇柔，她身上那条刚熨洗过的棉布裙的气味是那样好闻。过了一会儿，她才站稳。"谢谢你，"说完，她就走了，当时我浑身都在发抖。
Though we passed each other many times afterward, Margery never acknowledged my existence. But I found myself unable to forget her. She seemed to grow less approachable and more desirable. Worse yet, I learned she was going to ballet school and was sure to be a magnificent dancer.
虽然后来我们又相遇了几次，但玛格丽从来都不理睬我，而我却无法忘记她。她似乎越来越难以接近，也越来越吸引人了。更糟糕的是，听说她要上芭蕾舞学校，她肯定会成为一名出色的舞蹈家。
I might have given up had it not been for Fred Astaire. One snowy Saturday my friends and I went to see Astaire and Ginger Rogers in The Gay Divorcee. Watching his flying feet as he guided Miss Rogers around the floor, and his nonchalant one-hand-in-the-pocket verbal acrobatics, I imagined myself in his role. When we left the theater, the magic was still with me, making all things seem possible.
我敢有此非分之想，也许是受福雷德·阿斯泰勒的影响。那是一个下雪的周末。我和朋友一起去看阿斯泰勒和罗杰斯主演的《快乐的离婚女郎》，舞池里罗杰斯小姐在阿斯泰勒的引导下，飞快地旋转着，阿斯泰勒则将手插在口袋里若无其事地调侃着。我被这个角色深深地吸引住了，梦想着自己就是阿斯泰勒。离开剧院后，我仍沉迷在这种幻想当中，似乎对任何事情都充满了信心。
I dreamed my dreams but never dared speak to Margery. Almost daily we passed each other in the park. Whenever she saw me, she pointed her nose in the air and pulled her dog closer to her.
尽管我梦寐以求，但从来不敢和玛格丽说话。我们几乎每天都能在公园里相遇。而每次她见到我，总是高扬着头走了，而且紧紧地牵着她的狗。
But in the deepest recesses of my heart, I knew that I would one day dance with Margery.
但在我的内心深处有一种强烈的预感，有一天我会和她一起跳舞。
To prepare for that day, I secretly went to the library, sidled up to the librarian's desk, and whispered that I needed a book on dancing.
为了做好准备，我悄悄地上了一次图书馆，小声地向图书馆员说我要借一本有关跳舞的书。
"Dancing!" she boomed. I cringed, fearful that someone might overhear. "What kind? Ballet? Classical? Eurythmic?"
"跳舞？"她大声说话的样子让我非常紧张，生怕被别人知道。"是哪一种舞蹈？芭蕾舞？古典舞？还是现代体操舞？"
"No," I replied. "just regular dancing." I was about to add. "like Fred Astaire does."
"什么也不是，"我说，"就是那种普通的舞蹈。"我差点儿加了一句："就是福雷德·阿斯泰勒跳的那种。"
"Ballroom dancing?" I nodded yes. She searched briefly through the shelves and handed me a book. I ran home with it tucked under my coat. Alone in my room, I opened it to find pages and pages of feet marked ABCD in different positions. I tried to follow the diagrams while I hummed, but I knew it was a lost cause.
"是交际舞吧？"我点点头。她飞快地从书架上为我取了一本书。我将书掖在大衣里，赶紧跑回了家。回家之后，我独自一人躲在屋里，一边看着一页页用ABCD标出的不同舞步的图示，一边哼着曲子学跳，但我知道一点戏也没有。
Finally the night of the dance came. It was to begin at eight, and at 7:30 my friends and I met on a corner. Even Harry, Limping so realistically on his supposedly wounded leg that he looked like a shattered war veteran, had turned up.
舞会之夜终于来临了，舞会定于晚上8点开始，但刚过7点半我和朋友们就在一个拐角处聚齐了。哈里假装脚受伤了，乍看起来还真像一个战场上受伤的老兵，但他也来了。
Filled with blase courage, my friends and I marched in to the gym. Twisted crepe paper in our school's colors was festooned around the room. Standing by the door were Miss Haenlein and Mr. Biggs. We gravely shook hands with each and quickly headed for the farthest corner, turned our backs and began talking nervously.
我们都装作满不在乎的样子走进体育馆，体育馆里挂满了校旗颜色的绘纸，门口站着海兰小姐和布利格斯先生。我们相互郑重地握握手，便走到舞厅最里面，离开舞池，开始紧张地交谈起来。
On the far side of the room were the girls. They were dazzling. In their magnificent dresses and resplendent hairdos, they seemed to drip sophistication and icy indifference. As we eyed them, our courage-which we had bolstered with smart remarks and explosive laughter-dribbled away.
大厅另一边是女生，她们都打扮得光彩照人，华丽的服饰和光亮的发型使她们显得格外老成和冷漠。当看见她们的时候，我们靠噱头和狂笑支撑起来的勇气转眼间不见了踪影。
At Mr.Biggs' signal, the Victrola began playing. My palms were sweating as, one by one, my friends, like paratroopers leaping through an open hatch into space, left to dance. Only Harry and I remained. Suddenly Miss Haenlein appeared. "Boys," she said sharply. "Remember no wallflowers." Raising our arms, Harry and I joined together and, counting loudly, "one, two, three, four," we shambled across the floor. We were halfway to the door and a dash for freedom, when Miss Haenlein pulled us apart. The next thing I knew, I was holding Vivian Hall, and Harry was dancing with Margery Howe. To my horror, as soon as record was finished another went on. With each new song, we changed partners, until I was holding Margery.
布利格斯先生示意开始放音乐。于是，我的朋友们像跳伞队员一样鱼贯而上跳了起来。只剩下我和哈里没动，我的手心里直冒着汗。这时，海兰小姐走过来说："孩子们，不能只看不跳。"没办法，我只好和哈里搂在一起，嘴里念着"一、二、三、四"，慢慢地往门口蹭，想跳到门口时就溜之大吉。但海兰小姐拦住了我们，并把我们分开。等我回过神来的时候，发现自己正搂着维维恩，而哈里则拥着玛格丽。更令我紧张的是，一曲终了，又来一曲，而且还要换一个舞伴。终于，我和玛格丽跳到了一块。
In her party dress, with her hair done in a Grecian knot, she seemed like a goddess. Holding her at arm's length, and trying my best to think of something to say, I noticed a bright glint in the bodice of her dress. It was a safety pin, and it was holding her dress together. Margery suddenly seemed totally human. I found myself actually dancing. When it was time to change partners, I had the courage to say, "Let's not." And she agreed.
她穿着晚礼服，挽着古希腊式发髻，在我的心目中简直成了女神。我远远地搂着她，不知该说什么。突然，我注意到她的胸衣上有一个闪闪发光的东西，原来是一枚安全别针，是用来别住紧身衣的。于是，我眼中的玛格丽又变成了凡人。我这才放心大胆地跳起来。当一曲终了又要换舞伴的时候，我鼓起勇气说："我们不换。"她竟然同意了。
The dance was over too soon, and I found myself alone with Margery. Putting one hand in my pocket, partially in imitation of Fred Astaire and partially to make sure I still had the $1.60 I had saved by weeks of self-denial, I said in what I considered to be the right degree of nonchalance, "Would you care to drop in at the soda fountain before we call it a night?"
不知不觉，舞会已经结束了。我和玛格丽单独在一起，我手插在口袋里，一半是为了模仿阿斯泰勒，一半是为了确认我几个星期苦心省下来的1美元60美分还在口袋里。我尽力装作漫不经心的样子说："在我们分手之前，你和我去喝杯汽水怎么样？"
Margery looked down at me and said, "I'd love to, but I promised my mother I wouldn't be home late."
玛格丽看着我说："我是想去，但我答应妈妈要尽早回家的。"
I bowed. "Some other time then."
我鞠了一躬说："那就下一次吧。"
I don't remember her answer, because, as I took my hand out of my pocket, my change spilled all over the floor. By the time I had picked it up, she was gone. As I walked home singing "Night and Day," I knew that there had never been a more beautiful evening, ever, for anyone.
我不记得她当时说了什么，因为我一抽手将硬币撒得满地都是。在我低头拣钱的时候，她已经走了。那天晚上，我哼着《日日夜夜》的曲子回到了家里。我相信那是我度过的最美的一个晚上。