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有一段距离就看见三四辆汽车和一大群人。
“Wreck！” said Tom。 “That’s good。 Wilson’ll have a little business at last。” 〃撞车！〃汤姆道，〃那很好。威尔逊终于有一点生意了。〃
He slowed down； but still without any intention of stopping； until； as we came nearer； the hushed； intent faces of the people at the garage door made him automatically put on the brakes。 他把车子放慢下来，但并没打算停，直至到我们开得近一点，车行门口那群人屏息敛容的而孔才使他不由自主地把车刹住。
“We’ll take a look；” he said doubtfully； “just a look。” 〃我们去看一眼，〃他犹疑不定地说，〃看一眼就走。〃
I became aware now of a hollow； wailing sound which issued incessantly from the garage； a sound which as we got out of the coupe and walked toward the door resolved itself into the words “Oh； my God！” uttered over and over in a gasping moan。 我这时听见一阵阵空洞哀号的声音从车行里传出来，我们下了小轿车走向车行门口时，才听出其中翻来覆去、上气不接下气地喊出的〃我的上帝啊〃几个字。
“There’s some bad trouble here；” said Tom excitedly。 〃这儿出了什么大乱子了。〃汤姆激动地说。
He reached up on tiptoes and peered over a circle of heads into the garage； which was lit only by a yellow light in a swinging wire basket overhead。 Then he made a harsh sound in his throat； and with a violent thrusting movement of his powerful arms pushed his way through 他跟着脚从一圈人头上向车行里望去，车行天花板上点着一盏挂在铁丝罩用的发黄光的电灯。他喉咙里哼了一声，接着他用两只有力气的手臂猛然向前一推就挤进了人群。
The circle closed up again with a running murmur of expostulation； it was a minute before I could see anything at all。 Then new arrivals deranged the line； and Jordan and I were pushed suddenly inside。 那一圈人又合拢来，同时传出一阵咕咕哝哝的劝告声。有一两分钟我什么也看不见。后来新到的人又打乱了圈子，忽然间乔丹和我被挤到里面去了。
Myrtle Wilson’s body； wrapped in a blanket； and then in another blanket； as though she suffered from a chill in the hot night； lay on a worktable by the wall； and Tom； with his back to us； was bending over it； motionless。 Next to him stood a motorcycle policeman taking down names with much sweat and correction in a little book。 At first I couldn’t find the source of the high； groaning words that echoed clamorously through the bare garage—then I saw Wilson standing on the raised threshold of his office； swaying back and forth and holding to the doorposts with both hands。 Some man was talking to him in a low voice and attempting； from time to time； to lay a hand on his shoulder； but Wilson neither heard nor saw。 His eyes would drop slowly from the swinging light to the laden table by the wall； and then jerk back to the light again； and he gave out incessantly his high； horrible call： 茉特尔？威尔逊的尸体裹在一条毯子里，外面又包了一条毯子，仿佛在这炎热的夜晚她还怕冷似的。尸体放在墙边一张工作台上，汤姆背对着我们正低头在看，一动也不动。在他旁边站着一名摩托车警察，他正在把人名字往小本子上抄，一面流汗一面写了又涂改。起初我找不到那些在空空的车行里回荡的高昂的呻吟声的来源…然后我才看见威尔逊站在他办公室高高的门槛上，身体前后摆动着，双手抓着门框。有一个人在低声跟他说话，不时想把一只手放在他肩上，但威尔逊既听不到也看不见。他的目光从那盏摇晃的电灯慢慢地下移到墙边那张停着尸体的桌子上，然后又突然转回到那盏灯上，同时他不停地发出他那高亢的、可怕的呼号：
“Oh； my Gaod！ Oh； my Gaod！ oh； Gaod！ oh； my Gaod！” 〃哎哟，我的上。。。。。。帝啊！哎哟，我的上。。。。。。帝啊！哎哟，上。。。。。。帝啊！哎哟，我的上。。。。。。帝啊！〃
Presently Tom lifted his head with a jerk and； after staring around the garage with glazed eyes； addressed a mumbled incoherent remark to the policeman。 过了一会汤姆猛地一甩，抬起头来，用呆滞的目光扫视了车行，然后对警察含糊不清地说了一句话。
“May。” the policeman was saying； “…o——” 〃My－v〃警察在说，〃o〃
“No； r。” corrected the man； “Mavro——” 〃不对，r〃那人更正说，〃Mavro〃
“Listen to me！” muttered Tom fiercely。 〃你听我说！〃汤姆凶狠地低声说。
“r” said the policeman； “o——” 〃r－〃警察说，o
“g——” 〃g〃
“g——” He looked up as Tom’s broad hand fell sharply on his shoulder。 “What you want； fella？” 〃g〃汤姆的大手猛一下落在他肩膀上时，他抬起头来，〃你要啥，伙计？〃
“What happened？—that’s what I want to know。” 〃是怎么回事？我要知道的就是这个。〃
“Auto hit her。 Ins’antly killed。” 〃汽车撞了她，当场撞死。〃
“Instantly killed；” repeated Tom； staring。 〃当场撞死。〃汤姆重复道，两眼发直。
“She ran out ina road。 Sonofabitch didn’t even stopus car。” 〃她跑到了路中间。狗娘养的连车子都没停。〃
“There was two cars；” said Michaelis； “one in’； one goin’； see？” 〃当时有两辆车子，〃米切里斯说，〃一来，一去，明白吗？〃
“Going where？” asked the policeman keenly。 〃去哪儿？〃警察机警地问。
“One goin’ each way。 Well； she。”—his hand rose toward the blankets but stopped half way and fell to his side——” she ran out there an’ the one in’ from N’york knock right into her； goin’ thirty or forty miles an hour。” 〃一辆车去一个方向。喏，她，〃他的手朝着毯子举起来，但半路上就打住，又放回到身边，〃她跑到外面路上，纽约来的那辆车迎面撞上了她，车子时速有三四十英里。〃
“What’s the name of this place here？” demanded the officer。 〃这地方叫什么名字？〃警察问道。
“Hasn’t got any name。” 〃没有名字。〃
A pale welldressed negro stepped near。 一个面色灰白、穿得很体面的黑人走上前来。
“It was a yellow car；” he said； “big yellow car。 New。” 〃那是一辆黄色的车子，〃他说，〃大型的黄色汽车，新的。〃
“See the accident？” asked the policeman。 〃看到事故发生了吗？〃警察问。
“No； but the car passed me down the road； going faster’n forty。 Going fifty； sixty。” 〃没有，但是那辆车子在路上从我旁边开过，速度不止四十英里，有五六十英里。〃
“e here and let’s have your name。 Look out now。 I want to get his name。” 〃过来，让我们把你名字记下来。让开点。我要记下他的名字。〃
Some words of this conversation must have reached Wilson； swaying in the office door； for suddenly a new theme found voice among his gasping cries： 这段对话一定有几个字传到了在办公室门日摇晃的威尔逊耳朵里，因为忽然间一个新的题目出现在他的哀号中：
“You don’t have to tell me what kind of car it was！ I know what kind of car it was！” 〃你不用告诉我那是一辆什么样的车！我知道那是辆什么样的车！〃
Watching Tom； I saw the wad of muscle back of his shoulder tighten under his coat。 He walked quickly over to Wilson and； standing in front of him； seized him firmly by the upper arms。 我注视着汤姆，看见他肩膀后面那团肌肉在上衣下面紧张起来。他急忙朝威尔逊走过去，然后站在他面前，一把抓住他的上臂。
“You’ve got to pull yourself together；” he said with soothing gruffness。 〃你一定得镇定下来。〃他说，粗犷的声音中带着安慰。
Wilson’s eyes fell upon Tom； he started up on his tiptoes and then would have collapsed to his knees had not Tom held him upright。 威尔逊的眼光落到了汤姆身上。他先是一惊，踮起了脚尖，然后差点跪倒在地上，要不是汤姆扶住他的话。
“Listen；” said Tom； shaking him a little。 “I just got here a minute ago； from New York。 I was bringing you that coupe we’ve been talking about。 That yellow car I was driving this afternoon wasn’t mine—do you hear？ I haven’t seen it all afternoon。” 〃你听我说，〃汤姆说，一面轻轻地摇摇他，〃我刚才到这里，从纽约来的。我是把我们谈过的那辆小轿车给你送来的。今天下午我开的那辆车子不是我的…你听见了吗？后来我整个下午都没看到它。〃
Only the negro and I were near enough to hear what he said； but the policeman caught something in the tone and looked over with truculent eyes。 只有那个黑人和我靠得近，可以听到他讲的话，但那个警察也听出他声调里有问题，于是用严厉的目光向这边看。
“What’s all that？” he demanded。 〃你说什么？〃他质问。
“I’m a friend of his。” Tom turned his head but kept his hands firm on Wilson’s body。 “He says he knows the car that did it 。 。 。 it was a yellow car。” 〃我是他的朋友。〃汤姆回过头来，但两手还紧紧抓住威尔逊的身体，〃他说他认识肇事的车子。。。。。。是一辆黄色的车子。〃
Some dim impulse moved the policeman to look suspiciously at Tom。 一点模糊的冲动促使警察疑心地看看汤姆。
“And what color’s your car？” 〃那么你的车是什么颜色呢？〃
“It’s a blue car； a coupe。” 〃是一辆蓝色的车子，一辆小轿车。〃
“We’ve e straight from New York；” I said。 〃我们是刚从纽约来的。〃我说。
Some one who had been driving a lit