【导读】约翰·柯里尔(1901~1980)生于伦敦，家境非常贫寒，读完小学后，因为无力负担中学学费，只能回到家里接受教育。他很早就开始阅读安徒生童话，受其影响，他终生都对神话和传奇充满兴趣。另外一位对柯里尔产生极大影响的作家是乔纳森·斯威夫特(Jonathan Swift)，柯里尔作品中对人性复杂程度的洞察和怀疑态度据说来自这位讽刺文学大师。
《追爱人》原文不足1100字，情节非常简单：一个名叫艾伦·奥斯丁(Alan Austen)的小伙子为了博得心上人戴安娜(Diana)的青睐费尽心思，打探到有种神秘的怀春水可帮助他达到目的。于是，艾伦在一处破旧的房子里找到一位神秘老人，希望能买到这种药水，但老人避而不谈他想要的药水，反而推荐起另一种无色无味的昂贵药水。老人将这种药水称为富裕中年人的“生活清洁剂”，并暗示它有杀人不见血的功效。接着，在艾伦的强烈要求下，老人详细描述了他想买的那种怀春水的药效：这种药水能让艾伦彻底征服他正在追求的女孩，让她在身体上和精神上都毫无保留地归属于他，听命于他。当艾伦得知这种神奇的药水只需1元钱时，他兴奋异常。小说以艾伦和老人互相道别而结束。
【正文】
Alan Austen, as nervous as a kitten, went up certain dark and creaky stairs in the neighborhood of Pell Street, and peered about for a long time on the dime landing before he found the name he wanted written obscurely on one of the doors.
艾伦·奥斯丁紧张得像只小猫，瑟瑟索索地走进裴尔街附近一个黑黢黢的楼梯间，拾级而上，楼梯吱呀作响。他在昏暗的楼梯口眯着眼费力辨认了半天，才找到那扇门，门上写着他要找的名字，字迹模糊不清。
[2] He pushed open this door, as he had been told to do, and found himself in a tiny room, which contained no furniture but a plain kitchen table, a rocking-chair, and an ordinary chair. On one of the dirty buff-colored walls were a couple of shelves, containing in all perhaps a dozen bottles and jars. An old man sat in the rocking-chair, reading a newspaper. Alan, without a word, handed him the card he had been given.
[2] 他按之前的吩咐，直接推开门。房间很小，几乎没什么家具，只有一张不起眼的餐桌、一把摇椅和一把普普通通的椅子。暗黄色的墙壁脏兮兮的，其中一面墙上钉了两三个隔板，上面放着约摸十多个瓶瓶罐罐。一位老人坐在摇椅上，正读着报纸。艾伦一声不响地把自己之前收到的那张卡片递给了老人。
[3] "Sit down, Mr. Austen," said the old man very politely. "I am glad to make your acquaintance."
"Is it true," asked Alan, "that you have a certain mixture that has…er…quite extraordinary effects?"
[3]“请坐，奥斯丁先生，”老人很有礼貌地说，“非常高兴结识您。”
“是真的吗?”艾伦问，“您真有那种……呃……效果非同寻常的药水吗?”
[4] "My dear sir," replied the old man, "my stock in trade is not very large—I don't deal in laxatives and teething mixtures—but such as it is, it is varied. I think nothing I sell has effects which could be precisely described as ordinary."
[4]“亲爱的先生，”老人答道，“我卖的药不是特别多——我可不卖泻药或者长牙药。话虽如此，我的药品种也不少。而且我觉得，我卖的这些药的效果，准确地说，哪一种都不是‘寻常’二字能描述得了的。”
[5] "Well, the fact is. . ." began Alan.
"Here, for example," interrupted the old man, reaching for a bottle from the shelf.
"Here is a liquid as colorless as water, almost tasteless, quite imperceptible in coffee, wine, or any other beverage. It is also quite imperceptible to any known method of autopsy."
"Do you mean it is a poison?" cried Alan, very much horrified.
"Call it a glove-cleaner if you like," said the old man indifferently. "Maybe it will clean gloves. I have never tried. One might call it a life-cleaner. Lives need cleaning sometimes."
[5]“哦，是这么回事……”艾伦打算切入正题。
“比如这个。”老人打断他的话头，手伸向架子上的一个瓶子。
“这种药和水一样没有颜色，几乎没有任何味道，掺进咖啡、葡萄酒和任何其他饮料都无法觉察，目前所有的验尸方法也都验不出来。”
“您的意思，那是毒药?”艾伦惊恐万分地叫了出来。
“你可以叫它手套清洗剂，”老人面无表情地说，“也许它能清洁手套，但我从没试过。也可以叫它生活清洁剂。有时候，生活也需要清洗清洗。”
[6] "I want nothing of that sort," said Alan.
"Probably it is just as well," said the old man. "Do you know the price of this? For one teaspoonful, which is sufficient, I ask five thousand dollars. Never less. Not a penny less."
"I hope all your mixtures are not as expensive," said Alan apprehensively.
[6]“我可不想买那种东西。”艾伦表示。
“也许不想买最好。”老人说，“你知道这药的价格吗?一茶匙的量就够用，这一茶匙药我收5000元，绝对不能少，一分也不能少。”
“希望您的药水不是都这么贵。”艾伦说，脸色忧虑。
[7] "Oh dear, no," said the old man. "It would be no good charging that sort of price for a love potion, for example. Young people who need a love potion very seldom have five thousand dollars. Otherwise they would not need a love potion."
"I am glad to hear that," said Alan.
"I look at it like this," said the old man. "Please a customer with one article, and he will come back when he needs another. Even if it is more costly. He will save up for it, if necessary."
[7]“噢，当然不是，”老人说，“比如怀春水，要那种价就不合适了。需要怀春水的年轻人极少有5000元，不然他们也不需要怀春水了。”
“听您这么说，我真高兴。”艾伦说。
“我是这么看的，”老人说，“用一种货让顾客开心，这样，他们需要另一种货时就会回来。即使这第二种货贵很多，只要是必需，他们省吃俭用也会买。”
[8] "So," said Alan, "you really do sell love potions?"
"If I did not sell love potions," said the old man, reaching for another bottle, "I should not have mentioned the other matter to you. It is only when one is in a position to oblige that one can afford to be so confidential."
[8]“那么，”艾伦说，“您这里真卖怀春水喽?”
“要是我不卖怀春水，”老人手伸向另一个瓶子，“我也不会跟你提刚才那种药。能效系铃之劳，方敢承解铃之密嘛。”
(转第二页)
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