Witches’ Loaves女巫的面包

Miss Martha Meacham kept the little bakery on the corner （the one where you go up three steps， and the bell tinkles when you open the door）.

玛莎·米查姆小姐在街角开了一家面包店，就是那家要登上三级台阶，开门时会听到一阵铃声的小店。

Miss Martha was forty， her bank-book showed a credit of two thousand dollars， and she possessed two false teeth and a sympathetic heart. Many people have married whose chances to do so were much inferior to Miss Martha’s.

玛莎小姐芳龄四十，有两千美元的银行存款，有两颗假牙，还有一颗温柔多情的心。许多条件远不如玛莎小姐的人都已结了婚，可她还是独身一人。

Two or three times a week a customer came in in whom she began to take an interest. He was a middle-aged man， wearing spectacles and a brown beard trimmed to a careful point.

有一位顾客每周来店两三次，玛莎小姐开始对他产生了好感。那是一个中年男子，戴着一副眼镜，棕色的胡须总是修得整整齐齐。

He spoke English with a strong German accent. His clothes were worn and darned in places， and wrinkled and baggy in others. But he looked neat， and had very good manners.

他说英语带有浓重的德国口音。他的衣服有的地方破了缝补过，有的地方皱巴巴、松垮垮。不过，他这人看起来还挺精神，对人也彬彬有礼。

He always bought two loaves of stale bread. Fresh bread was five cents a loaf. Stale ones were two for five. Never did he call for anything but stale bread.

这位顾客总是买两个陈面包。新鲜面包是五美分一个，陈面包是五美分两个。除了陈面包，他从来没有买过其他东西。

Once Miss Martha saw a red and brown stain on his fingers. She was sure then that he was an artist and very poor. No doubt he lived in a garret， where he painted pictures and ate stale bread and thought of the good things to eat in Miss Martha’s bakery.

有一次，玛莎小姐看到他的手指上有一块红褐色的污渍。于是，她断定他是一位艺术家，而且非常穷。毫无疑问，他住在一间阁楼里，在那里画着画，吃着陈面包，心里想着玛莎小姐面包店里的各种美食。

Often when Miss Martha sat down to her chops and light rolls and jam and tea she would sigh， and wish that the gentle-mannered artist might share her tasty meal instead of eating his dry crust in that draughty attic. Miss Martha’s heart， as you have been told， was a sympathetic one.

每当玛莎小姐坐下来喝着茶，享用她的肉排、面包卷、果酱时，她都会叹息一声，真希望这位温文尔雅的艺术家能够分享她美味可口的饭菜，而不是待在四处透风的阁楼里啃干面包。要知道，我们的玛莎小姐有着一副菩萨心肠。

In order to test her theory as to his occupation， she brought from her room one day a painting that she had bought at a sale， and set it against the shelves behind the bread counter.

有一天，为了印证自己对他职业的判断正确与否，她从住处拿来一幅在一次促销时买下的画，并将它摆在面包柜台后面的架子上。

It was a Venetian scene. A splendid marble palazzio stood in the foreground—or rather forewater. For the rest there were gondolas （with the lady trailing her hand in the water）， clouds， sky， and chiaro-oscuro in plenty. No artist could fail to notice it.

这是一幅威尼斯的风景画。画面的前景（更确切地说是前面的水中）矗立着一座富丽堂皇的大理石宫殿。画面其他部分有几条平底小船（船上有位女士把手伸进水里划动着）、云彩、天空，并大量采用明暗光影技法。对于这样的一幅画，任何艺术家都不会视而不见的。

Two days afterward the customer came in.

两天后，这位顾客又来了。

“Two loafs of stale bread， if you blease.

“新（请）给我拿两个陈面包。”

“You haf here a fine bicture， madame，” he said while she was wrapping up the bread.

“夫人，您这里还育（有）一幅不错的侉（画）呢。”她在包面包时，他说。

“Yes？” says Miss Martha， reveling in her own cunning. “I do so admire art and” （no， it would not do to say “artists” thus early） “and paintings，” she substituted. “You think it is a good picture？”

“是吗？”玛莎小姐说道，得意于自己的这一妙计。“我非常喜欢艺术和——”（哦，不，这会儿就说“艺术家”为时过早）“尤其是绘画。”她改口道，“您觉得这画画得还不错？”

“Der balance，” said the customer， “is not in good drawing. Der bairspective of it is not true. Goot morning， madame.”

“则（这）宏（宫）殿，”这位顾客说道，“画得不太好。它拉（那）个斗（透）视效果不够真实。栽（再）见，夫人。”

He took his bread， bowed， and hurried out.

他拿上面包，鞠了一躬，匆匆离开了。

Yes， he must be an artist. Miss Martha took the picture back to her room.

没错了，他肯定是位艺术家。玛莎小姐把那幅画拿回了住处。

How gentle and kindly his eyes shone behind his spectacles！ What a broad brow he had！ To be able to judge perspective at a glance–and to live on stale bread！ But genius often has to struggle before it is recognized.

他那双眼睛透过镜片闪烁着多么和善的光芒！他的额头多宽啊！一眼就能判断出画的透视好不好——却靠啃陈面包过活！不过，自古天才多磨难。

What a thing it would be for art and perspective if genius were backed by two thousand dollars in bank， a bakery， and a sympathetic heart to–But these were day-dreams， Miss Martha.

如果一个天才能有两千美元存款、一个面包店和一颗同情心作后盾，那对艺术灵感和透视效果该会有多大好处啊——可这些都是白日梦，玛莎小姐。

Often now when he came he would chat for a while across the showcase. He seemed to crave Miss Martha’s cheerful words.

现在，他来了之后总是隔着展示柜跟玛莎小姐聊上一会儿。他似乎渴望听到玛莎小姐那令人愉悦的话语。

He kept on buying stale bread. Never a cake， never a pie， never one of her delicious Sally Lunns.

他还是买陈面包。从不买蛋糕，不买馅饼，也不买她那些美味的莎莉甜饼。

She thought he began to look thinner and discouraged. Her heart ached to add something good to eat to his meagre purchase， but her courage failed at the act. She did not dare affront him. She knew the pride of artists.

她觉得，他看上去开始消瘦了，还有点儿沮丧。她很想在他买的寒碜的食物里增添一些好吃的东西，只是没有这样做的勇气。她不敢冒犯他。她了解艺术家的那股傲气。

Miss Martha took to wearing her blue-dotted silk waist behind the counter. In the back room she cooked a mysterious compound of quince seeds and borax. Ever so many people use it for the complexion.