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McGinty glanced his eyes over the account of the shooting of one Jonas Pinto, in the Lake Saloon, Market Street, Chicago, in the New Year week of 1874.
麦金蒂粗略地看了一下这份报道：一八七四年一月上旬，在芝加哥市场街雷克酒店，一个叫乔纳斯·平托的被人杀害了。
"Your work?" he asked, as he handed back the paper.
"是你干的？"麦金蒂把剪报还回去，问道。
McMurdo nodded.
麦克默多点点头。
"Why did you shoot him?"
"你为什么杀死他？"
"I was helping Uncle Sam to make dollars. Maybe mine were not as good gold as his, but they looked as well and were cheaper to make.
"我帮助山姆大叔私铸金币。也许我的金币成色没有他的好，可是看起来也不错，而且铸起来便宜。
This man Pinto helped me to shove the queer..."
这个叫平托的人帮我推销伪币..."
"To do what?"
"做什么？"
"Well, it means to pass the dollars out into circulation. Then he said he would split.
"啊，就是说让伪币流通使用。后来他说他要告密。
Maybe he did split. I didn't wait to see. I just killed him and lighted out for the coal country."
也许他真告过密，我毫不迟疑地杀死了他，就逃到这煤矿区来了。"
"Why the coal country?"
"为什么要逃到煤矿区来呢？"
"'Cause I'd read in the papers that they weren't too particular in those parts."
"因为我在报上看到杀人犯在此地是不太引人注目的。"
McGinty laughed. "You were first a coiner and then a murderer, and you came to these parts because you thought you'd be welcome."
麦金蒂笑道："你先是一个铸造伪币犯，后是一个杀人犯，你到这里来，因为你想在这儿会受欢迎吧。"
"That's about the size of it," McMurdo answered.
"大体就是这么回事，"麦克默多答道。
"Well, I guess you'll go far. Say, can you make those dollars yet?"
"好，我看你前途无量。喂，你还能铸伪币吗？"
McMurdo took half a dozen from his pocket. "Those never passed the Philadelphia mint," said he.
麦克默多从衣袋里掏出六个金币来，说道："这就不是费城铸币厂制造的。"
"You don't say!" McGinty held them to the light in his enormous hand, which was hairy as a gorilla's.
"不见得吧！"麦金蒂伸出猩猩爪子一样毛茸茸的大手，把金币举到灯前细看。
"I can see no difference. Gar! you'll be a mighty useful brother, I'm thinking!
"我真看不出什么不同来！哎呀，我看你是一个大有作为的弟兄。
We can do with a bad man or two among us, Friend McMurdo: for there are times when we have to take our own part.
麦克默多朋友，我们这伙子里没有一两个坏汉子不成，因为我们得保护自己呀。
We'd soon be against the wall if we didn't shove back at those that were pushing us."
要是我们不把推我们的人猛推回去，那我们可要马上碰壁了。"
"Well, I guess I'll do my share of shoving with the rest of the boys."
"好，我想我要和大家一起尽一份力量。"
"You seem to have a good nerve. You didn't squirm when I shoved this gun at you."
"我看你很有胆量。在我把手枪对准你时，你却毫不畏缩。"
"It was not me that was in danger."
"那时危险的并不是我。"
"Who then?"
"那么，是谁呢？"
"It was you, Councillor." McMurdo drew a cocked pistol from the side pocket of his pea-jacket.
"是你，参议员先生。"麦克默多从他粗呢上装口袋里掏出一支张开机头的手枪，说道。
"I was covering you all the time. I guess my shot would have been as quick as yours."
"我一直在瞄准你。我想我开起枪来是不会比你慢的。"
"By Gar!" McGinty flushed an angry red and then burst into a roar of laughter.
麦金蒂气得满脸通红，后来爆发出一阵大笑。
"Say, we've had no such holy terror come to hand this many a year. I reckon the lodge will learn to be proud of you...
"哎呀！"他说道，"喂，多年没见像你这样可怕的家伙了。我想分会一定将以你为荣的……
Well, what the hell do you want? And can't I speak alone with a gentleman for five minutes but you must butt in on us?"
喂，你究竟要干什么？我不能单独和一位先生谈五分钟吗？为什么你非打扰我们不行呢？"
The bartender stood abashed. "I'm sorry, Councillor, but it's Ted Baldwin. He says he must see you this very minute."
酒吧间的侍者惶惑地站在那里，报告说："很抱歉，参议员先生。不过特德·鲍德温先生说他一定要在此刻见你。"
The message was unnecessary; for the set, cruel face of the man himself was looking over the servant's shoulder.
其实已用不着侍者通报了，因为这个人本人已经把他凶恶的面孔从仆役的肩上探进来。
He pushed the bartender out and closed the door on him.
他一把推出侍者，把门关上。
