"他准有八十岁喽。"
"不管怎样，我算准他有八十岁。"
"I wish he would go home. I never get to bed before three o'clock. What kind of hour is that to go to bed?"
"我真希望他回家去。我从来没有在三点钟以前睡觉过。那是个什么样的睡觉时间呀？"
"He stays up because he likes it."
"他因为不喜欢睡觉所以才不睡觉。"
"He's lonely. I'm not lonely. I have a wife waiting in bed for me."
他孤孤单单。我可不孤单。我有个老婆在床上等着我呢。"
"He had a wife once too."
"他从前也有过老婆。"
"A wife would be no good to him now."
"这会儿有老婆对他可没好处。"
"You can't tell. He might be better with a wife."
"话可不能这么说。他有老婆也许会好些。"
"His niece looks after him. You said she cut him down."
"他侄女会照料他。你刚才说是她把他放下来的。"
"I know." "I wouldn't want to be that old. An old man is a nasty thing."
"我知道。" "我才不要活得那么老。老人邋里邋遢。"
"Not always. This old man is clean. He drinks without spilling. Even now, drunk. Look at him."
"不一定都是这样。这个老人干干净净。他喝啤酒来并不滴滴答答往外漏。哪怕这会儿喝醉了。你瞧他。"
"I don't want to look at him. I wish he would go home. He has no regard for those who must work."
"我才不想瞧他。我希望他回家去。他并不关心那些非干活不可的人。"
The old man looked from his glass across the square, then over at the waiters.
那老人从酒杯上抬起头来望望广场，又望望那两个侍者。
"Another brandy," he said, pointing to his glass. The waiter who was in a hurry came over.
"再来杯白兰地，"他指着杯子说。那个着急的侍者跑了过去。
"Finished," he said, speaking with that omission of syntax stupid people employ when talking to drunken people or foreigners. "No more tonight. Close now."
"没啦，"他不顾什么句法地说，蠢汉在对醉汉或外国人说话时就这么说法。"今晚上没啦。打烊啦。"
"Another," said the old man.
"再来一杯，"那老人说。
"No. Finished." The waiter wiped the edge of the table with a towel and shook his head.
"不，没啦，"侍者一边拿块毛巾揩揩桌沿，一边摇摇头。
The old man stood up, slowly counted the saucers, took a leather coin purse from his pocket and paid for the drinks, leaving half a peseta tip. The waiter watched him go down the street, a very old man walking unsteadily but with dignity.
老人站了起来，慢慢地数着茶托，打口袋里摸出一只装硬币的起夹子来，付了酒账，又放下半个比塞塔作小账。那个侍者瞅着他顺着大街走去，这个年纪很大的人走起路来，虽然脚步不挺稳，却很有神气。
"Why didn't you let him stay and drink?" the unhurried waiter asked. They were putting up the shutters. "It is not half-past two."
"你干吗不让他呆下来喝酒呢？"那个不着急的侍者问道。他们这会儿正在拉下百叶窗。"还不到二点半呢。"
"I want to go home to bed."
"我要回家睡觉了。"
"What is an hour?"
"一个钟头算啥？"
"More to me than to him."
"他无所谓，我可很在乎。"
"An hour is the same."
"反正是一个钟头。"
"You talk like an old man yourself. He can buy a bottle and drink at home."
"你说得就象那个老人一模一样。他可以买啤酒回家去喝嘛。"
"It's not the same."
"这可不一样。"
"No, it is not," agreed the waiter with a wife. He did not wish to be unjust. He was only in a hurry.
"是呀，这是不一样的。"那个有老婆的侍者表示同意说。他不希望做得不公道，他只是有点儿着急。
"And you? You have no fear of going home before your usual hour?"
"那么你呢？你不怕不到你通常的时间就回家吗？"
"Are you trying to insult me?"
"你想侮辱我吗？"
"No, hombre, only to make a joke."
"不，老兄，只是开开玩笑。"
"No," the waiter who was in a hurry said, rising from pulling down the metal shutters. "I have confidence. I am all confidence."
"不，"那个着急的侍者一边说，一边拉下了铁百叶窗后站了起来。"我有信心。我完全有信心。"
"You have youth, confidence, and a job," the older waiter said. "You have everything."
"你有青春，信心，又有工作，"那个年纪大些的侍者说，"你什么都有了。"
"And what do you lack?"
"那么，你缺少什么呢？"
"Everything but work."
"除了工作，什么都缺。"
"You have everything I have."
"我有什么，你也都有了。"
"No. I have never had confidence and I am not young."
"不，我从来就没有信心，我也不年轻了。"
"Come on. Stop talking nonsense and lock up."
"好啦，好啦，别乱弹琴了，把门锁上吧。"
"I am of those who like to stay late at the cafe," the older waiter said.
"With all those who do not want to go to bed. With all those who need a light for the night."
"我是属于那种喜欢在餐馆呆得很晚的人，"那个年纪大些的侍者说。"我同情那种不想睡觉的人，同情那种夜里要有亮光的人。"
