艺术良心
“I never could hold my partnerpartner n.合伙人， 股东， 舞伴， 伴侣 vt.与……合伙，组成一对 vi.做伙伴， 当助手， Andy Tucker， down to legitimatelegitimate adj.合法的， 合理的， 正统的 v.合法 ethics of pure swindling.” said Jeff Peters to me one day.
我始终没能使我的搭档安迪·塔克就范，让他恪导纯诈骗的职业道德。”杰夫·彼得斯有一天对我说。
Andy had too much imagination to be honest. He used to devise schemes of moneygetting so fraudulentfraudulent adj.欺诈的， 欺骗性的， 骗得的 and highfinancial that they wouldnt have been allowed in the bylawsbylaw n.次要法规，(社，团制定的)规章制度 of a railroad rebaterebate n.回扣， 折扣 vt.减少， 打折扣 vi.给……回扣， 打折扣 system.
安迪太富于想像力了，以致不可能诚实。他老是想出许多不正当而又巧妙的敛钱的办法，那些办法甚至在铁路运费回定制的章程里都不便列入。
Myself， I never believed in taking any mans dollars unless I gave him something for it—something in the way of rolled gold jewelry， garden seeds， lumbagolumbago n.腰痛 lotionlotion n.洗液， 洗剂， stock certificatescertificate n.证书， 证明书 vt.发给证明书，以证书形式授权给……， stove polish or a crack on the head to show for his money. I guess I must have had New England ancestorsancestor n.祖先， 祖宗 away back and inherited some of their stanch and rugged fear of the police.
至于我自己呢，我一向不愿意拿了人家的钱而不给人家办事——比如说包金的首饰、花籽、腰痛药水、股票证券、擦炉粉，或者砸破人家的脑袋；人家花了钱，总得收回一些成本。我想我的祖先中间准有几个新英格兰人，他们对警察的畏惧和戒心多少遗传了一些给我。
But Andys family tree was in different kind. I dont think he could have traced his descent any further back than a corporation.
但是安迪的家谱不同。我认为他和股份有限公司一样，没有什么祖先可供追溯。
One summer while we was in the middle West， working down the Ohio valley with a line of family albumsalbum n.集邮本， 照相簿， 签名纪念册， headache powders and roach destroyer， Andy takes one of his notions of high and actionableactionable adj.可控告的 financiering.
一年夏天，我们在中西部俄亥俄河流域做家庭相册、头痛粉和灭蟑螂药片的买卖，安迪灵机一动，想到了一个巧妙而可付诸实践的生财之道。
“Jeff，” says he， “Ive been thinking that we ought to drop these rutabaga fanciersfancier n.空想家， 培育动物(或植物)的行家， 爱好者 and give our attention to something more nourishing and prolific. If we keep on snapshootingsnapshoot vt.快镜拍摄 these hinds for their egg money well be classed as nature fakers. How about plunging into the fastnessesfastness n.牢固， 固定(性)， 不褪色(性)， 放荡，僻静的处所， 抗(毒)性， 要塞， 巩固 of the skyscraperskyscraper n.摩天楼， 高耸的烟囱 country and biting some big bull caribous in the chest？”
“杰夫，”他说，“我一直在琢磨，我们应当抛开这些费力不挣钱的差事，把注意力转移到更有油水，更有出息的事情上去。假如我们继续在农民身上刮小钱，人家就要把我们列入初级骗子之流了。我们不妨进入高楼林立的地带，在大牛犊的胸脯上咬一口，你看怎么样？”
“Well，” says I， “you know my idiosyncrasiesidiosyncrasy n.特质， 特性. I prefer a square， nonillegal style of business such as we are carrying on now. When I take money I want to leave some tangibletangible adj.切实的 object in the other fellows hands for him to gaze at and to distract his attention from my spoor， even if its only a Komical Kuss Trick Finger Ring for Squirting Perfume in a Friends Eye. But if youve got a fresh idea， Andy，” says I， “lets have a look at it. Im not so wedded to petty graftgraft n.嫁接， (接枝用的)嫩枝， (皮肤等的)移植， 渎职v.嫁接， 接枝， 移植(皮肤等)， 渎职 that I would refuse something better in the way of a subsidysubsidy n.补助金， 津贴.”
“‘哎，’我说，‘你了解我的古怪脾气。我宁愿干我们目前所干的规矩合法的买卖。我得人钱财，总要留一点实实在在的东西给人家，让他看得见、摸得着，即使那东西是一只握手时会咬手的机关戒指，或者是会喷人满脸香水的香水瓶。你有什么新鲜主意，安迪，’我说，‘也不妨说出来听听。我不拘泥于小骗局，如果有好的外快可赚，我也不拒绝。’
“‘I was thinking，’ says Andy， ‘of a little hunt without horn， hound or camera among the great herd of the Midas Americanus， commonly known as the Pittsburg millionairesmillionaire n.百万富翁， 大富豪.’
“‘我想的是，’安迪说，‘不用号角、猎狗和照相机，在那一大群美国的迈达斯，或者通称为匹茨堡百万富翁的人中间打一次猎。’
“‘In New York？’ I asks.
“‘在纽约吗？’我问道。
“‘No， sir，’ says Andy， ‘in Pittsburg. Thats their habitat. They dont like New York. They go there now and then just because its expected of em.’
“‘不，老兄，’安迪说，‘在匹茨堡。那才是他们的住所。他们不喜欢那。他们只因为人家指望他们去纽约，才偶尔去玩玩。’
“‘A Pittsburg millionaire in New York is like a fly in a cup of hot coffee—he attracts attention and comment， but he dont enjoy it. New York ridiculesridicule n.嘲笑， 奚落 v.嘲笑， 奚落 him for ”blowing“ so much money in that town of sneaks and snobs， and sneers. The truth is， he dont spend anything while he is there. I saw a memorandummemorandum n.备忘录， 便笺， 便函， 买卖契约书 of expenses for a ten days trip to Bunkum Town made by a Pittsburg man worth 15，000，000 once. Heres the way he set it down：
“‘匹茨堡的百万富翁到了纽约，就像掉进滚烫的咖啡里的苍蝇——他成了人们注意和议论的目标，自己却不好受。纽约嘲笑他在那个满是鬼鬼祟祟的势利小人的城市里花了那么多冤枉钱。他在那里的实际开销并不多。我见过一个身价一千五百万元的匹茨堡人在纽约待了十天的费用账。账目是这样的：
R. R. fare to and from…… 21.00
Cab fare to and from hotel……2.00
Hotel bill (5 per day)……50.00
Tips……5，750.00
Total……5，823.00
往返火车票……21.00美元
去旅馆来回车力……2. 00美元
旅馆费（每天5美元）……50.00美元
小费……5750.00美元
总计5823.00 美元
“‘Thats the voice of New York，’ goes on Andy. ‘The towns nothing but a head waiter. If you tip it too much itll go and stand by the door and make fun of you to the hat check boy. When a Pittsburger wants to spend money and have a good time he stays at home. Thats where well go to catch him.’
“‘那就是纽约的声音。’安迪接着说，‘纽约市无非像是一个侍者领班。你给小费多得出了格，他就会跑到门口，和衣帽间的小厮取笑你。因此，当匹茨堡人想花钱找快活时，总是待在家里。我们要找他就得去那儿。’
“Well， to make a densedense adj.密集的， 浓厚的 story more condensed， me and Andy cached our paris green and antipyrine powderspowder n.粉， 粉末， 火药， 尘土 vt.搽粉于， 撒粉，使成粉末 vi.搽粉， 变成粉末 and albums in a friends cellar， and took the trail to Pittsburg. Andy didnt have any especial prospectusprospectus n.内容说明书， 样张 of chicanery and violence drawn up， but he always had plenty of confidence that his immoralimmoral adj.不道德的， 邪恶的， 放荡的， 淫荡的 nature would rise to any occasion that presented itself.
“闲话少说，我和安迪把我们的巴黎绿、安替比林粉和相片册寄存在一个朋友家的地下室里，便动身去匹茨堡了。安迪并没有拟订出使用狡诈或暴力的计划书，但他一向很自信，在任何情况下，他的缺德天性都能应付自如。
“As a concessionconcession n.让步 to my ideas of self-preservation and rectitude he promised that if I should take an active and incriminatingincriminate vt.控告……有罪， 使负罪， 控告 part in any little business venture that we might work up there should be something actual and cognizantcognizant adj.认知的 to the senses of touch， sight， taste or smell to transfer to the victim for the money so my conscience might rest easy. After that I felt better and entered more cheerfully into the foul play.
“作为对我明哲保身和堂堂正正的观点做些让步，他提出，只要我积极参加可能采取的任何非法买卖，他就保证受害者花了钱能得到触觉、视觉、味觉和嗅觉所能感知的真实的东西，让我良心上也说得过去。他作过这种保证之后，我感觉好多了，并轻松愉快地参加了骗局。
