1. The package was lying by the front door: a cube-shaped carton sealed with tape, their name and address printed on it: "Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Lewis, 21 7 E. Thirty-seventh Street, New York, New York 10016." Norma picked it up, and went into the apartment. It was just getting dark. After she put the lamb chops in the broiler, she sat down to open the package.
Inside the carton was a push-button unit fastened to a small wooden box. She also saw a folded piece of paper Scotch-taped to the bottom of the box. She pulled it off: "Mr. Steward will call on you at 8:00P.M." Norma put the button unit beside her on the couch. She reread the typed note, smiling.
前门边上放着一个包裹——是一个用胶带密封起来的方形纸箱，上面印着收件人的姓名和地址——“亚瑟·刘易斯先生和太太，纽约州纽约市第三十七街 21 7 E号，邮编：10016“。诺尔玛拾起包裹，走进了公寓。夜色渐渐降临。她把羊排放入烤箱，然后坐下来打开包裹。纸箱内部是一个固定在一个小木盒上的按钮装置。她还看到盒子底部用透明胶带粘着的一张折叠起来的纸条。她扯下了纸条，上边写着：“今晚8点斯图尔德先生要拜访您家。”诺尔玛把按钮装置放在她身边的沙发上。她又读了一遍那张打印的纸条，脸上挂着微笑。
2. The doorbell rang at eight o'clock. ''I'll get it," Norma called from the kitchen. Arthur was in the living room, reading. There was a small man in the hallway. He removed his hat as Norma opened the door. "Mrs. Lewis?" he inquired politely. "Yes?" ''I'm Mr. Steward." "Oh, yes." Norma repressed a smile. She was sure now it was a sales pitch. "May I come in?" asked Mr. Steward. ''I'm rather busy," Norma said, ''I'll get you your whatchamacallit, though." She started to turn.
8点的时候门铃响了。“我来开门，”诺尔玛在厨房喊道。此时，亚瑟正在起居室里看书。门外站着一个矮小的男人。诺尔玛打开房门时，他摘下了帽子。“是刘易斯太太吗？“他礼貌地询问道。”您有事？“”我是斯图尔德先生。” “哦，知道了。”诺尔玛忍住没笑。她现在确认这人是个推销员了。“我可以进去吗？”斯图尔德先生问道。“我很忙，”诺尔玛说，“但我会把那个不知是什么的东西拿给你。”她转身要朝屋里走去。
3. "Don't you want to know what it is?" Norma turned back and frowned. She didn't like his attitude. "What are you trying to sell?" she asked. ''I'm not selling anything," he answered. Arthur came out of the living room. "Something wrong?" Mr. Steward introduced himself. "Oh, the-" Arthur pointed toward the living room and smiled. "What is that gadget, anyway?" "It won't take long to explain," replied Mr. Steward.
“您难道不想知道它是什么吗？”诺尔玛转回身，皱起眉头。她不喜欢这个人的态度。“你想要卖什么？”她问。“我什么也不卖，”他回答。亚瑟从起居室里走了出来。“什么情况？”斯图尔德先生做了自我介绍。“哦，就是”亚瑟一边指向起居室一边微笑着说，“那个什么小玩意，是吧？”“很短的时间就可以解释清楚，“斯图尔德先生回答道。
4. They went into the living room and Mr. Steward sat in Norma's chair. "So what's it for?" asked Arthur. "If you push the button," Mr. Steward told him, "somewhere in the world someone you don't know will die. In return for which you will receive a payment of $50,000." Norma stared at the small man. He was smiling. "What are you talking about?" Arthur asked him. Mr. Steward looked surprised. "But I've just explained," he said. "Is this a practical joke?" asked Arthur. "Not at all. The offer is completely genuine."
他们一起走进起居室，斯图尔德先生坐在诺尔玛的椅子上。“那东西是干什么用的？”亚瑟问。 “当您按下按钮时，”斯图尔德先生告诉他，“世界上某个地方的某个您不认识的人就会死去。作为回报，您将得到5万美元的报酬。”诺尔玛凝视着这个面带笑容的矮小男人。“你说什么呢？”亚瑟问他。斯图尔德先生看起来有些惊讶。“但我刚刚解释过了啊，”他说。“这是个恶作剧吗？”亚瑟问。“完全不是。这个交易完全是真实的。”
5. "You aren't making sense," Arthur said. "You expect us to believe-" "Whom do you represent?" demanded Norma. Mr. Steward looked embarrassed. ''I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to tell you that," he said. "However, I assure you, the organization is of international scope." "I think you'd better leave," Arthur said, standing. Mr. Steward rose. "Of course." "And take your button unit with you." "Are you sure you wouldn't care to think about it for a day or so? I will leave my card in case," said Mr. Steward. He placed it on the table by the door. When he was gone, Arthur tore it in half and tossed away the pieces.
“我不知道你在说什么，”亚瑟说，“你希望我们相信…… ”“你代表谁来的？”诺尔玛逼问道。斯图尔德先生看起来有点儿尴尬。“我恐怕我不能随便告诉您，”他说，“不过，我向您保证，我服务的是一个国际组织。”“我觉得你最好赶快离开，”亚瑟说，随即站起身来。斯图尔德先生也站了起来。“当然可以。”“还有，请把你的按钮装置也带走。”“您确定您不需要再考虑一两天吗？留下我的名片，后悔了可以联系我，“斯图尔德先生说。他把名片放在门边的桌子上。但，当他离开后，亚瑟就把它撕成了两半，并扔掉了。

6. Norma was still sitting on the sofa. "What do you think it was?" she asked. "I don't care to know," he answered. She tried to smile but couldn't. "Aren't you curious at all?" "No." He shook his head. "Why won't you talk about it?" Norma asked. “Doesn't it intrigue you?" "It offends me," Arthur said. "I know, but doesn't it intrigue you, too? You think it's a practical joke?" she asked. "If it is, it's a sick one." Norma did not give up. "Maybe some eccentric millionaire is doing it." "Maybe." "Wouldn't you like to know?" Arthur shook his head. "Why?" "Because it's immoral," he told her. Norma slid beneath the covers. "Well, I think it's intriguing," she said. Arthur turned off the lamp and leaned over to kiss her. "Good night," he said. "Good night." Norma closed her eyes. “Fifty thousand dollars…”, she thought.
诺尔玛仍然坐在沙发上。“你觉得那是个什么东西？”她问。“我不想知道，”亚瑟回答说。她试图挤出一丝笑容，但没成功。“你一点儿也不好奇吗？” “一点儿也不。”他摇了摇头。 “你为什么不愿意说说这件事？”诺尔玛问道，“它难道没有激起你的兴趣吗？”“它让我感到不舒服，”亚瑟说道，“我知道，但它难道没同时激起你的兴趣吗？你真的觉得它就是个恶作剧吗？“她问。”如果是，它也是个令人作呕的恶作剧。“诺尔玛没有放弃。“也许某个古怪的百万富翁正在运作这件事。”“也许吧。”“你不想了解一下吗？”亚瑟摇了摇头。“为什么？”“因为这事不道德，”他告诉她。诺尔玛钻进被窝。“好吧，我倒是觉得这事挺有趣的，”她说。亚瑟关了灯，俯身亲吻她。“晚安，”他说。“晚安，”诺尔玛闭上了眼睛。“五万美元呢......”，她心想。
7. The next day, the package was somehow lying by the front door; Norma saw it. “Well… of all the nerve!”, she thought. She picked up the package and carried it into the kitchen, leaving it on the table. She sat in the living room, but after a while, she went back into the kitchen to turn the cutlets in the broiler. She put the package in a bottom cabinet. She'd throw it out in the morning, she thought to herself.
第二天，那个包裹莫名其妙地又出现在前门边上。诺尔玛看到了它。“嗯......真是厚颜无耻！”，她心想。她拾起包裹，把它带到厨房，并放在了桌子上。她坐在起居室里，但过了一会儿，她又回到厨房，给烤箱里的肉饼翻个面。她把包裹放进了一个底柜。“早晨时就应该把它扔掉”，她心想。
8. "Maybe some eccentric millionaire is playing games with people," she said. Arthur looked up from his dinner. "I don't understand you. Let it go," he told her. Norma ate in silence. Suddenly, she put her fork down. "Suppose it's a genuine offer?" she said. Arthur stared at her. He looked incredulous. "What would you like to do? Get the button back and push it? Murder someone?" Norma looked disgusted. "Murder! How can you call it murder if you don't even know the person?" Arthur looked astounded. "Are you saying what I think you are?" "If it's some old peasant ten thousand miles away? Some diseased native in Congo?" "How about a baby boy in Pennsylvania?" Arthur countered. "Some beautiful little girl on the next block?"
“也许是某个古怪的百万富翁正和人们做游戏呢，”她说。亚瑟停下了晚餐，抬起头来。“我不明白你在想什么。忘了它吧，”他告诉她。诺尔玛开始默默地吃晚餐。突然，她放下了叉子。“假使这件事是真的，结果会是怎样？”她说。亚瑟凝视着她，目光里充满了疑虑。“你想要怎么做？把那个按钮装置弄回来，然后按下它？谋杀掉某个人？”诺尔玛看起来有些反感。“谋杀！如果你甚至都不认识那个人，怎么能称之为谋杀？”亚瑟露出了震惊的表情。“你想表达的是我认为的那个意思吗？”“如果他是一万英里之外的某位老农呢？刚果的某个患病的土著人呢？” “那要是宾夕法尼亚州的一个男婴呢？”亚瑟反驳道，“或者，居住在附近街区的某个漂亮的小女孩呢？”
9. "The point is, Norma," he continued, "what's the difference whom you kill? It's still murder." "The point is," Norma broke in, "if it's someone you've never seen in your life and never will see, someone whose death you don't even have to know about, you still wouldn't push the button?" Arthur stared at her, appalled. "You mean you would?" "Fifty thousand dollars, Arthur." "What has the amount-" "Fifty thousand dollars, Arthur," Norma interrupted. "A chance to take that trip to Europe we've always talked about." "Norma, no." "A chance to buy that cottage on the island." "Norma, no." His face was white. She shuddered. "All right, take it easy, why are you getting so upset? It's only talk." After dinner, Arthur said, ''I'd rather not discuss it anymore, if you don't mind.” Norma shrugged. "Fine with me."
“关键是，诺尔玛，”他继续说道，“你杀的人究竟是谁又有什么区别呢？这仍然是谋杀。” “关键是，”诺尔玛插话道，“如果这人是你一生中从未谋面，也永远不会见到的人，他的死亡甚至你都没必要知道的话，你仍然不会按下那个按钮吗？”亚瑟盯着她，有些心惊胆寒。“你的意思是你会按下按钮？” “五万美元呢，亚瑟。” “钱多少又…… ”“五万美元啊，亚瑟，”诺尔玛打断了他。“有了这笔钱，我们一直心心念的欧洲行就可以实现了。” “不行，诺尔玛。” “我们还可以买下岛上的那套小别墅。” “诺尔玛，不行。”他的脸色变得苍白。她打了个寒颤，“好吧，放轻松点儿，你为什么变得这么心烦意乱？我们只是讨论讨论而已。”晚饭后，亚瑟说：“如果你不介意，我宁可不再讨论这个话题了。”诺尔玛耸了耸肩。“我没问题。”
10. When Arthur had gone to work, Norma remained at the table, staring into her breakfast coffee. Suddenly, she turned abruptly, and took the package from the bottom cabinet. She stared at the button. “How ridiculous”, she thought. “All this furore over a meaningless button.” Reaching out, she pressed it down. “For us”, she thought angrily. She shuddered. Was it happening? A chill of horror swept across her. In a moment, it had passed. She made a contemptuous noise. Ridiculous, she thought. To get so worked up over nothing. She threw the button unit into the wastebasket and hurried to dress for work. She was just about to go when the telephone rang. She picked up the receiver. "Mrs. Lewis?" Mr. Steward asked. It couldn’t be her voice shrieking so much. Mr. Steward spoke and she started crying. This couldn’t be true! It couldn't be. "You said I wouldn't know the one that died!" she screamed. "My dear lady," Mr. Steward said. "Do you really think you knew your husband?"
亚瑟出去上班后，诺尔玛一直呆在餐桌旁，直勾勾地盯着她的早餐咖啡。突然，她转过身来，从底柜取出包裹。她盯着那个按钮。“多么荒谬啊”，她想。 “所有这些疯狂的想法都源自一个毫无意义的按钮。”她伸出手，按下了它。“为了我们，”她心里充满了愤怒。她打了个寒颤。有事情发生了吗？一阵恐怖的寒意席卷了她的全身。过了一会儿，寒意消失了。她发出了一个轻蔑的声音。她觉得很荒谬。因为不存在的事情而让自己恼火。她把按钮装置扔进了废纸篓，然后赶紧穿上衣服准备去上班。她正要出门时，电话铃响了。她拿起听筒。“是刘易斯太太吗？”电话那边传来了斯图尔德先生的声音。她从来没有这样尖叫过。斯图尔德先生说话时，她开始哭了起来。这不可能是真的！不可能。“你说过我不会认识那个死的人！”她尖叫道。“我亲爱的女士，”斯图尔德先生说，“您真的觉得您认识您的丈夫吗？”