1.'Where is the cow?' asked mr Pestonjee.'The cow?' the junior manager responded.'Yes, what else?''Oh, the cowwww...''I told you, two days ago.''Yes. I didn't forget. By this eve –?''No, not evening. By noon, in the lobby.''I thought he wasn't serious,' said the junior manager, when he left the room of mr. Pestonjee, returning to his desk.'A cow?' the accountant responded.'Yes.''A real cow?''Yes, a cow, a real cow, a living cow. Now, come with me.' Glancing towards the main door, the junior officer spotted the office assistant sitting on his stool, picking his nose.'And you also.'

“奶牛在哪里？”佩斯顿吉先生问。“奶牛？” 初级经理回答说。“是的，还能有什么？”“哦，奶牛~~”“两天前我告诉过你。”“是的，我记得。是今天晚上前要吗？”“不，不是晚上，是中午。到时候，我要在公司大厅里见到它。”“我以为他不是认真的。”这位初级经理离开佩斯顿吉先生的办公室，回到他自己的办公桌时自言自语道。“一头奶牛？”会计师接过话来。“是的。”“一头真正的奶牛？”“是的，一头奶牛，真正的奶牛，活的奶牛。现在，你跟我一起去吧。” 初级经理看着正门的方向，发现了正坐在凳子上抠鼻孔的办公室助理，“你也跟着。”

2. Halfway down the stairs, the office assistant saw the cleaner walking up counting who knows what with his fingers. He grabbed the cleaner's hand. The cleaner didn't seem to care about his new-found direction and now there were four of them stepping out to look for a cow.'Let's look near the station.' Said the junior manager. The station was a mile away.'I have to finish the company's balances today. Mr Pestonjee said it was urgent,' said the accountant, his legs already moving in the opposite direction.'This cow business is also for Pestonjee and it's due by noon,' said the junior manager.'Yes, yes. No, no. See you at lunch.' Said the accountant, and he left.

下到一半楼梯时，办公室助理看到清洁工正一边上楼，一边掐着手指数落着东家长西家短的事情。于是，他抓住清洁工的一只手，而且清洁工似乎并不在乎自己的脚步被人引向了其他方向——现在，这支“外出寻找奶牛”团队有四个成员了。“我们去车站附近看看。”初级经理说。公司距车站一英里远。“我今天必须把公司平账弄好了，佩斯顿吉先生说这事很紧急。”会计师说，他的双腿已经开始朝回去的方向移动。“找奶牛的事也是给佩斯顿吉先生办的，而且这事必须在中午前完成。” 初级经理说。“是，是。不，不。咱们午饭时见。”会计师说着便脱离了这个四人团队。

3. They continued their journey. Half a mile later, despite her many manifestations – cow milk, cow curd, cow butter, cow leather, cow dung, cow paintings, cow murals, cow sculptures, a cow temple, shops named after cows, conversations around cows, and a cow cart without a cow, the animal in its whole earthly form was not to be seen. It was already twelve.

剩下的三个人继续他们的行程。走了半英里后，尽管他们已经见到了许多关于奶牛的事——牛奶、牛乳、奶牛黄油、奶牛皮、牛粪、关于奶牛的画作、关于奶牛的壁画、奶牛雕塑、供着奶牛的庙宇、以奶牛命名的商店、关于牛的谈话，以及一架没有奶牛的牛车，但作为一个活生生动物的奶牛却始终没有出现在他们眼前。已经十二点了。

4.'There, I see one!,' the office assistant shouted, pointing to a sturdy, milk-white animal busy rubbing herself against a banyan tree.'Do you see the owner?''She isn't tied. Must be stray.''She has a bell around her neck.''Doesn't matter. We aren't stealing. She'll be back in no time.'

“那里，我看见一头！”办公室助理指着一个正忙着在一棵榕树上蹭痒痒的健硕的乳白色动物大喊道。“你看到它的主人了吗？”“没拴着。肯定是走丢的。”“它脖子上挂着铃铛呢。”“没关系。我们又不是在偷东西。它很快就会回来。”

5. They somehow managed to tie a rope around her neck, and off they went. The cow, with the bell dangling under her neck, followed the three men. When they reached the stairs of their office though, she stopped abruptly. The office assistant and the cleaner began pushing her.'What's going on?' the guard came running behind them.'Where are you taking that cow?''To Sir Pestonjee,' said the office assistant.'But she refuses to walk up.' The guard whacked the cow with his baton, hard, which made the cow eventually walk up.

他们设法在这头奶牛的脖子上套了根绳子，然后踏上了回公司的路。奶牛跟在这三个人后面，铃铛在它的脖子下面晃来晃去。但当他们走到办公室的楼梯前时，奶牛突然停下了脚步。办公室助理和清洁工开始向前推它。“怎么了？”保安跟着他们跑了过来。“你们要把那头奶牛牵到哪里去？”“牵到佩斯顿吉先生那里。”办公室助理说，“但它不肯走。”保安用警棍用力打了几下奶牛，终于让它走上了楼梯。

6. By the time they reached the second floor she had urinated on the office assistant's shirt and on the red carpet in the lobby. The company director, mr Pestonjee's boss, sat expansively, his legs resting on the sprawling table.'What is the price of our chewing gum? One pice?' He asked mr. Pestonjee, and twirled his stick.'One pice, yes Sir, we are competing with tea. But chewing gum has more benefits.''Why is that?' asked the managing director.

当他们到达二楼时，奶牛在办公室助理的衬衫和大厅的红地毯上撒了泡尿。公司董事长，也就是佩斯顿吉的老板，正非常放松地坐在那里，双腿搭在那张宽阔的桌子上。“我们的口香糖价格是多少？一铜币吗？”他问佩斯顿吉先生，同时转动着手里的手杖。“是的，先生，是一铜币。我们的竞品是茶。但嚼口香糖的益处更大。“为什么？”董事长问。

7.'So I was saying, one day while walking home I stopped at the vegetable market. Beside me was a bellied man reading a newspaper–''What's your point?''Yes, yes sir. So, he stood there reading his paper loudly like he was the –''I don't have time for this.''I am coming to the point, sir. So he spits without a care in the world on my new leather shoes. That barbarian! Sorry sir, for my language. He had no manners.''So?''If he would spit chewing gum, instead of his phlegm, it won't soil anything. If his clothes are stained with his spit, his wife will be angry. If his wife is angry she will beat him. Instead he can chew gum all day long and everyone is happy.'

“我是说，一天回家的路上，我在菜市场停下了脚步。我旁边有一个大腹便便的男子正看着报纸~”“你想表达什么？”“嗯，您别急。他就那么站在那儿大声读着报纸，就像他~”“我没时间听你说这个。”“这就说重点，先生。然后，他毫无顾忌地将一口痰吐在了我的新皮鞋上。真是个野蛮人！抱歉，先生，请原谅我说了粗话。”“然后呢？”“如果他吐的是口香糖而不是痰，就不会弄脏任何东西。如果他的衣服被他吐的痰弄脏，他的妻子就会生气。如果他的妻子生气了，她就会揍他。取而代之，他可以一天到晚地嚼口香糖，这样大家都高兴。”

8.'Yes, yes. But I still think children are more attracted to chewing gum, not men. Why don't you work on that? Advertise near some of the schools. By the way, have you changed the old label?''Sorry, sir. Yes, sir. I did.''Is the new label specific about the contents?''Yes, sir.''It says:'Does not contain animal products. Suitable for all vegetarians.''?'Yes, sir.''Good. I want this message on the poster, not just on the label. What is that smell?'

“是的，是的。但我还是认为孩子们更喜欢嚼口香糖，而不是成年男子。你为什么不朝这个方向努力努力？在一些学校附近打打广告。顺便问一下，你是否把旧标签改了？”“抱歉，先生。是的，先生，旧标签已经改了。”“新标签是否对产品含量进行了更有针对性地描述？”“是的，先生。”“标签上是否写了'不含动物产品，适合所有素食主义者'？'是的，先生。''很好。我希望这条信息出现在广告海报上，而不仅仅是标签上。这想法如何？”

9.'Sir, I have something that will convince you a cow is the best ambassador for our product.''What?''Here in the lobby.' The managing director stepped out of his room. A cow stood in the lobby looking at him with big moist eyes.'What is this nonsense? Is this a joke, Mr Pestonjee?''No, sir. I got her for you. To show you how she eats grass, just like chewing gum. That she deserves to be on our posters. Sir! The cow chews all day long! If we use her on our posters they will love our chewing gum.'

“先生，我有个可以说服您奶牛才是我们产品最佳的形象大使。”“什么？”“就在公司的大厅里。”董事长走出他的办公室。一头奶牛正站在大厅里，睁着一双湿润的大眼睛瞅着他。“这什么乱七八糟的？佩斯顿吉先生，这是在开玩笑吗？”“不，先生。这是我为您找来的。向您展示它是如何吃草的，跟嚼口香糖一模一样。它理应出现在我们的广告海报上。先生！奶牛整天都是嚼啊嚼！如果我们把它用在我们的广告海报上，人们会爱上我们的口香糖的！”

10.'First, get her out of here,' shouted the managing director.'Second, clean up this mess right now! I can't breathe. I want this place cleared, spotless, before the day ends!' Then he left for the day. Mr. Pestonjee advanced towards the cow, sad, angry and disappointed about his vain efforts, he felt he needed to take it out on the cow.

“首先，把它请出去，”董事长大喊道，“其次，立刻收拾好这烂摊子！我都喘不过来气了。我要这个地方今天被清理干净，要一尘不染那种！”随后，他便离开了。佩斯顿吉先生朝奶牛走去，对自己努力的付诸东流感到悲伤、愤怒和失望，他觉得自己需要把这满肚子的怒气都撒在这头奶牛上。

11. Schlip – flop – he slid on the puddle of dung and urine and landed on his back. The office assistant covered his mouth to prevent him from laughing out loud. The cow rose. She looked at mr Pestonjee lying on the floor, and their eyes locked for two seconds. Her neck turned, as if embarrassed. She walked past the junior manager, through the doorway and down the stairs. The office assistant followed her with his eyes until she disappeared into the streets.

出溜——啪叽，他背朝下滑倒在牛粪和牛尿形成的坑里。办公室助理用手遮住嘴，以防自己笑出声来。奶牛站了起来。它看着躺在地板上的佩斯顿吉先生，佩斯顿吉先生也看着它，四目相对有两秒钟时间。奶牛的脖子转开了，好像很尴尬的样子。它从初级经理身边走过，穿过门口，走下楼梯。办公室助理的眼睛一直盯着它的背影，直至它消失在街的尽头。

12.'See, sir, what an intelligent animal. She knew her way out.''Only one door was open, you idiot. Get me a towel.''But still, sir. She could have pushed open the other doors.''What do we do now?' the manager asked.'Go home?' . Mr. Pestonjee knew: he was defeated.

“先生，看，多么聪明的动物。它居然知道怎么出去。”“你个白痴，只有一扇门是开着的。给我拿一条毛巾来。”“但是，先生，它本可以推开其他门的。”“那我们现在要做什么？”经理问，“回家？” 。佩斯顿吉先生知道，自己已经一败涂地

13. Within minutes all of the office's twelve employees were out and the guard had locked the gates. A week later, on the way to the railway station to catch the train, Mr. Pestonjee saw the cow siting near a temple, healthier, busy with and unusually large bounty of grass. It made him wonder…

几分钟之内，办公室里的全部12名员工全部离开了公司，然后保安锁上了大门。一周后，在去火车站赶火车的途中，佩斯顿吉先生看到了那头奶牛正坐在一所寺庙旁，看上去比之前更健康了，正忙着像通常那样大口大口地吃草。这场景让他感到很诧异......