Introduction：Having just gotten married in San Antonio，Jack Potter，town marshal of Yellow Sky，and the bride are aboard a train headed back to Yellow Sky，Jack’s home town。Despite their elegant surroundings，both bride and groom are nervous about returning to Yellow Sky。While the bride is not used to such classy surroundings and is anticipating her life ahead of her，Jack is anxious about thereception that his marriage will receive from his munity，particularly as hehad not told them of his intentions when he left for San Antonio。
Ⅰ
1 The great Pullman was whirling onward with such dignity of motion that a glance from the window seemed simply to prove that the plains of Texas were pouring eastward。Vast flats of green grass，dull-hued spaces of mesquite and cactus，little groups of frame houses，woods of light and tender trees，all were sweeping into the east，sweeping over the horizon，a precipice。
評注：典型的美國西部風光。
2 A newly married pair had boarded this coach at San Antonio。The man’s face was reddened from many days in the wind and sun，and a direct result of his new black clothes was that his brick-colored hands were constantly performing in a most conscious fashion。From time to time he looked down respectfully at his attire。He sat with a hand on each knee，like a man waiting in a barber’s shop。The glances he devoted to other passengers were furtive and shy。
3 The bride was not pretty，nor was she very young。She wore a dressof blue cashmere，with small reservations of velvet here and there，and with steel buttonsabounding。She continually twisted her head to regard her puff sleeves，very stiff，straight，and high。They embarrassed her。It was quite apparent that she had cooked，and that she expected to cook，dutifully。The blushes caused by the careless scrutiny of some passengers as she had entered the car were strange to see upon this plain，underclass countenance，which was drawn in placid，almost emotionless lines。
評注：兩段人物外貌細節描寫非常生動——這對新婚夫婦顯然在乘坐與他們社會地位不相符的高級交通工具。
Pullman：n。普式火車（19世紀美國發明家George M。Pullman設計的豪華型列車車廂，常用為特等客車。）
mesquite：n。（豆科）灌木
cactus：n。仙人掌
precipice：n。懸崖
attire：n。服裝
furtive：adj。偷偷摸摸，鬼鬼祟祟
puff sleeves：n。蓬起的袖子
scrutiny：n。仔細打量
countenance：n。麵容
placid：adj。平靜的
4 They were evidently very happy。“Ever been in a parlor car before？”he asked，smiling with delight。
5 “No，”she answered。“I never was。It’s fine，ain’t it？”
6 “Great！And then after a while we’ll go forward to the diner，and get a big layout。Finest meal in the world。Charge a dollar。”
7 “Oh，do they？”cried the bride。“Charge a dollar？Why，that’s too much—for us—ain’t it，Jack？”
8 “Not this trip，anyhow，”he answered bravely。“We’re going to go the whole thing。”
9 Later，he explained to her about the trains。“You see，it’s a thousand miles from one end of Texas to the otherand this train runs right across it，and never stops but four times。”He had the pride of an owner。He pointed out to herthe dazzling fittings of the coachand in truth her eyes opened wider as she contemplated the sea-green figured velvet，the shining brass，silver，and glass，the wood that gleamed as darkly brilliant as the surface of a pool of oil。At one end a bronze figure sturdily held a support for a separated chamber，and at convenient places on the ceiling were frescoes in olive and silver。
10 To the minds of the pair，their surroundings reflected the glory of theirmarriage that morning in San Antonio。This was the environment of their new estate，and the man’s face in particular beamed with an elation that made him appear ridiculous to the negro porter。This individual at times surveyed them from afarwith an amused and superior grin。On other occasions he bulliedthem with skillin ways that did not make it exactly plain to them that they were being bullied。He subtly used all the manners of the most unconquerable kind of snobbery。He oppressed thembut of this oppression they had small knowledge，and they speedily forgot that infrequently a number of travelers covered them with stares of derisive enjoyment。Historically there was supposed to be something infinitely humorous in their situation。
評注：從聖安東尼奧到普爾曼豪華車廂再到黃天鎮，傑克和他的妻子要經過三種截然不同的社會環境。注意克萊恩筆下不同社會環境對人物形象的塑造作用。譬如在這個豪華車廂，富人紳士和列車服務生對這對窮夫妻的勢利態度就頗值得尋味。
11 “We are due in Yellow Sky at 3：42，”he said，looking tenderly into her eyes。
12 “Oh，are we？”she said，as if she had not been aware of it。To evince surprise at her husband’s statement was part of her wifely amiability。She took from a pocket a little silver watchand as she held it before her，and stared at it with a frown of attention，the new husband’s face shone。
13 “I bought it in San Anton’from a friend of mine，”he told hergleefully。
14 “It’s seventeen minutes past twelve，”she said，looking up at him with a kind of shy and clumsy coquetry。A passenger，noting this play，grew excessivelysardonic，and winked at himself in one of the numerous mirrors。
parlor car：n。特等豪華鐵路客車
fittings：n。（常用複數）家具，裝潢
contemplate：v。注視，凝視
frescoes：n。壁畫
elation：n。得意洋洋
ridiculous：adj。荒謬的，可笑的
grin：n。露齒笑
snobbery：n。勢利
derisive：adj。嘲笑的
evince：v。表明
amiability：n。親切，友善
gleefully：adv。愉快地
coquetry：n。媚態
excessively：adv。非常地
sardonic：adj。諷刺的，嘲笑的
15 At last they went to the dining-car。Two rows of negro waiters，in glowing white suits，surveyed their entrance with the interest，and also the equanimity，of men who had been forewarned。The pair fell to the lot of a waiter who happened to feel pleasure in steering them through their meal。He viewed them with the manner of a fatherly pilot，his countenance radiant with benevolence。The patronage，entwined with the ordinary deference，was not plain to them。And yet，as they returned to their coach，they showed in their faces a sense of escape。
16 To the left，miles down a long purple slope，was a little ribbon of mist where moved the keening Rio Grande。The train was approaching it atan angle，and the apex was Yellow Sky。Presently it was apparent that，as the distance from Yellow Sky grew shorter，the husband became mensurately restless。His brick-redhands were more insistent in their prominence。Occasionally he was even rather absent-minded and faraway when the bride leaned forward and addressed him。
17 As a matter of truth，Jack Potter was beginning to find the shadow of a deedweigh upon him like a leaden slab。He，the town marshal of Yellow Sky，a man known，liked，and feared in his corner，a prominent person，had gone to San Antonio to meet a girl he believed he loved，and there，after the usual prayers，had actually induced her to marry him，without consulting Yellow Sky for any part of the transaction。He was now bringing his bride before an innocent and unsuspecting munity。
equanimity：n。鎮靜
forewarn：v。預先通知
radiant：adj。容光煥發的
benevolence：n。仁愛之心
patronage：n。施惠
entwine with：v。纏繞
deference：n。尊重
keening：adj。哀嚎的
Rio Grande：n。（美國和墨西哥之間的）格蘭德河
apex：n。頂點
mensurately：adv。相應地，與之相配地
marshal：n。警長
induce：v。勸誘
transaction：n。事務
18 Of course people in Yellow Sky married as it pleased them，in accordance with a general custombut such was Potter’s thought of his duty to his friends，or of their idea of his duty，or of an unspoken form which does not control men in these matters，that he felt he was heinous。He had mitted an extraordinary crime。Face to face with this girl in San Antonio，and spurred by his sharp impulse，he had gone headlong over all the social hedges。At San Antonio he was likea man hidden in the dark。A knife to sever any friendly duty，any form，was easy to his hand in that remote city。But the hour of Yellow Sky—the hour of daylight—was approaching。
19 He knew full well that his marriage was an important thing to histown。It could only be exceeded by the burning of the new hotel。His friends could not forgive him。Frequently he had reflected on the advisability of telling them by telegraph，but a new cowardice had been upon him。He feared to do it。And now the train was hurrying him toward a scene of amazement，glee，and reproach。He glanced out of the window at the line of haze swinging slowly in toward the train。
評注：傑克的心事說明，他所生活工作的黃天鎮是一個雖然偏僻但卻充滿濃厚鄉情的地方。不征求鄉親的同意就結婚在傑克看來竟然是一種不可饒恕的罪過，這種略帶誇張的寫法烘托了西部小鎮人與人之間的緊密聯係。這種人際關係在當時的美國東部讀者看來，是不可思議的。
20 Yellow Sky had a kind of brass band，which played painfully，to the delight of the populace。He laughed without heart as he thought of it。If the citizens could dream of his prospective arrival with his bride，they wouldparade the bandat the station and escort them，amid cheers and laughing congratulations，to his adobe home。
21 He resolved that he would use all the devices of speed and plains-craft in making the journey from the station to his house。Once within that safe citadel，he could issue some of a vocal bulletin，and then not go among the citizens until they had time to wear off a little of their enthusiasm。
in accordance with：符合，與……一致
heinous：adj。可憎的
spur：v。驅使，驅策
headlong：adv。輕率地
sever：v。切斷
exceed：v。超過
advisability：n。適當，得當
cowardice：n。懦弱
reproach：n。責備
prospective：adj。預期的
escort：v。護送
adobe：n。土坯
citadel：n。根據地
22 The bride looked anxiously at him。“What’s worrying you，Jack？”
23 He laughed again。“I’m not worrying，girl。I’m only thinking of Yellow Sky。”
24 She flushed in prehension。
25 A sense of mutual guilt invaded their minds and developed a finertenderness。They looked at each other with eyes softly aglow。But Potter often laughed thesame nervous laugh。The flush upon the bride’s face seemed quite permanent。