26 The traitor to the feelings of Yellow Sky narrowly watched the speeding landscape。“We’re nearly there，”he said。
27 Presently the porter came and announced the proximity of Potter’s home。He held a brush in his hand and，with all his airy superiority gone，he brushed Potter’s new clothes as the latter slowly turned this way and that way。Potter fumbled out a coin and gave it to the porter，as he had seen others do。Itwas a heavy and muscle-bound business，as that of a man shoeing his first horse。
28 The porter took their bag，and as the train began to slow they moved forwardto the hooded platform of the car。Presently the two engines and their long string of coaches rushed into the station of Yellow Sky。
29 “They have to take water here，”said Potter，from a constrictedthroat andin mournful cadence，as one announcing death。Before the train stopped，his eyeshad swept the length of the platform，and he was glad and astonished to see there was none upon it but the station-agent，who，with a slightly hurried and anxious air，was walking toward the water-Pottertanks。When the train had halted，the porter alighted first，and placed in position a little temporary step。
評注：下車後卻沒有看到又害怕又期待的迎接隊伍，站台上甚至看不到什麼人。這個意外在後麵的故事情節發展中會有一個合理的交代。
30 “Come on，girl，”said Potter hoarsely。As he helped herdown they eachlaughed on a false note。He took the bag from the negro，and bade his wife cling to his arm。As they slunk rapidly away，his hangdog glance perceived that they were unloading the two trunks，and also that the station-agent，far ahead near thebaggage car，had turned and was running toward him，making gestures。He laughed，and groaned as he laughed，when he noted the first effect of his marital blissupon Yellow Sky。He gripped his wife’s arm firmly to his side，and they fled。Behind them the porter stood chuckling fatuously。
prehension：n。理解
proximity：n。接近
fumble out：v。摸出
hoarsely：adv。嘶啞地
slink：v。潛逃
hangdog：adj。鬼鬼祟祟的
chuckle：v。笑
fatuously：adv。傻傻地
Ⅱ
31 The California Express on the Southern Railway was due at Yellow Sky in twenty-one minutes。There were six men at the bar of the“Weary Gentleman”saloon。Onewas a drummer who talked a great deal and rapidlythree were Texans who did not care to talk at that timeand two were Mexican sheepherders，who did not talkas a general practice in the“Weary Gentleman”saloon。The barkeeper’s dog lay on the boardwalk that crossed in front of the door。His head was on his paws，andhe glanced drowsily here and there with the constant vigilance of a dog that iskicked on occasion。Across the sandy street were some vivid green grassplots，so wonderful in appearance amid the sands that burned near them in a blazing sun，that they caused a doubt in the mind。They exactly resembled the grass mats used to represent lawns on the stage。At the cooler end of the railway station aman without a coat sat in a tilted chair and smoked his pipe。The fresh-cut bank of the Rio Grande circled near the town，and there could be seen beyond it a great，plum-colored plain of mesquite。
評注：值得注意的有兩點。第一，克萊恩在這裏變換了敘事角度。事實上，他在這個短篇小說中巧妙地同時運用了傑克、異鄉鼓手和威爾遜三者的視角來完成故事的講述。第二，小說的線性時間被打破，因為第二節的時間起點位於第一節時間終點之前的二十多分鍾。
32 Save for the busy drummer and his panions in the saloon，Yellow Sky was dozing。The newer leaned gracefully upon the bar，and recited many tales with the confidence of a bard who has e upon a new field。
33 “—and at the moment that the old man fell downstairs with the bureau in his arms，the old woman was ing up with two scuttles of coal，and，of course—”
34 The drummer’s tale was interrupted by a young man who suddenly appeared in the open door。He cried：“Scratchy Wilson’s drunk，and has turned loose with both hands。”The two Mexicans at once set down their glasses and faded out of the rear entrance of the saloon。
35 The drummer，innocent and jocular，answered：“All right，old man。S’pose he has Come in and have a drink，anyhow。”
36 But the information had made such an obvious cleft in every skullin the room that the drummer was obliged to see its importance。All had bee instantly solemn。“Say，”said he，mystified，“what is this？”His three panions made the introductory gesture of eloquent speech，but the young man at the door forestalled them。
37 “It means，my friend，”he answered，as he came into the saloon，“that for the next two hours this town won’t be a health resort。”
vigilance：n。警戒
save for：除……之外
turn loose with both hands：手拿雙槍，隨便亂射
jocular：adj。詼諧的
a cleft in every skull：每個人都魂飛魄散
forestall：v。阻止
health resort：休養場所
38 The barkeeper went to the door and locked and barred it。Reachingout of thewindow，he pulled in heavy wooden shutters and barred them。Immediately a solemn chapel-like gloom was upon the place。The drummer was looking from one to another。
39 “But say，”he cried，“what is this，anyhow？You don’t mean there is going to be a gunfight？”
40 “Don’t know whether there’ll be a fight or not，”answered one man，grimly。“But there’ll be some shootin’—some good shootin’。”
41 The young man who had warned them waved his hand。“Oh，there’llbe a fightfast enough，if any one wants it。Anybody can get a fight out there in the street。There’s a fight just waiting。”
42 The drummer seemed to be swayed between the interest of a foreigner and a perception of personal danger。
43 “What did you say his name was？”he asked。
44 “Scratchy Wilson，”they answered in chorus。
45 “And will he kill anybody？What are you going to do？Does this happen often？Does he rampage around like this once a week or so？Can he break in that door？”
46 “No，he can’t break down that door，”replied the barkeeper。“He’s triedit three times。But when he es you’d better lay down on the floor，stranger。He’s dead sure to shoot at it，and a bullet may e through。”
47 Thereafter the drummer kept a strict eye upon the door。The time had not yetbeen called for him to hug the floor，but，as a minor precaution，he sidled near to the wall。“Will he kill anybody？”he said again。
48 The men laughed low and scornfully at the question。
49 “He’s out to shoot，and he’s out for trouble。Don’t see any good in experimentin’with him。”
50 “But what do you do in a case like this？What do you do？”
51 A man responded：“Why，he and Jack Potter—”
52 “But，”in chorus the other men interrupted，“Jack Potter’s inSan Anton’。”
53 “Well，who is he？What’s he got to do with it？”
54 “Oh，he’s the town marshal。He goes out and fights Scratchy when he gets on one of these tears。”
55 “Wow！”said the drummer，mopping his brow。“Nice job he’s got。”
56 He wanted to ask further questions，which were born of an increasing anxietyand bewilderment but when he attempted them，the men merely looked at him in irritation and motioned him to remain silent。A tense waiting hush was upon them。In the deep shadows of the room their eyes shone as they listened for sounds from the street。One man made three gestures at the barkeeperand the latter，moving like a ghost，handed him a glass and a bottle。The man poured a full glass of whiskey，and set down the bottle noiselessly。He gulped the whiskey in a swallow，and turned again toward the door in immovable silence。The drummer saw that the barkeeper，without a sound，had taken a Winchester from beneath the bar。Later he saw this individual beckoning to him，so he tiptoed acrossthe room。
57 “You better e with me back of the bar。”
58 “No，thanks，”said the drummer，perspiring。“I’d rather be where I can make a break for the back door。”
59 Whereupon the man of bottles made a kindly but peremptory gesture。The drummer obeyed it，and，finding himself seated on a box with his head below the levelof the bar，balm was laid upon his soul at sight of various zinc and copper fittings that bore a resemblance to armor-plate。The barkeeper tooka seat fortably upon an adjacent box。
60 “You see，”he whispered，“this here Scratchy Wilson is a wonder with agun—a perfect wonder—and when he goes on the war trail，we hunt our holes—naturally。He’s about the last one of the old gang that used to hang out along the river here。He’s a terror when he’s drunk。When he’s sober he’s all right—kind of simple—wouldn’t hurt a fly—nicest fellow in town。But when he’s drunk—whoo！”
評注：當克萊恩的敘事視角位於黃天鎮的酒肆時，人物語言立刻就具有了鮮明的鄉土特色。作者安排一個異鄉客來勾勒出威爾遜的惡霸形象，可謂讓讀者未見其人，先聞其聲，產生很好的懸念鋪陳效果。
61 There were periods of stillness。“I wish Jack Potter was back from San Anton’，”said the barkeeper。“He shot Wilson up once—in the leg—and he would sail in and pull out the kinks in this thing。”
in chorus：異口同聲
rampage：v。暴跳如雷
precaution：n。預防，防範
bewilderment：n。困惑
irritation：n。憤怒
hush：n。安靜
Winchester：[美]連發槍
beckon：v。召喚，招手
perspire：v。流汗
peremptory：adj。專斷的
balm：n。安慰藥
armor-plate：n。裝甲板
adjacent：adj。鄰近的
sail in：[口]毅然出麵
kink：n。糾結
62 Presently they heard from a distance the sound of a shot，followed by three wild yowls。It instantly removed a bond from the men in the darkened saloon。There was a shuffling of feet。They looked at each other。“Here he es，”they said。
Ⅲ
63 A man in a maroon-colored flannel shirt，which had been purchased for purposes of decoration，and made，principally，by some Jewish women on the East Side of New York，rounded a corner and walked into the middle of the main street of Yellow Sky。In either hand the man held a long，heavy，blue-black revolver。Often heyelled，and these cries rang through a semblance of a deserted village，shrillyflying over the roofs in a volume that seemed to have no relation to the ordinary vocal strength of a man。It was as if the surrounding stillness formed the arch of a tomb over him。These cries of ferocious challenge rang against walls of silence。And his boots had red tops with gilded imprints，of the kind beloved inwinter by little sledding boys on the hillsides of New England。