"Fight tuberculosis, folks." Christmas Eve, an old “搏击结核，乡亲们。 ”圣诞前夕，老

junkie selling Christmas seals on North Park Street. 迷在北园大街卖圣诞印章。

The "Priest," they called him. "Fight tuberculosis, folks." 在“牧师”，他们叫他。 “搏击结核，乡亲们。 ”

   

People hurried by, gray shadows on a distant wall. 人民匆匆，对远处的墙上灰色阴影。

It was getting late and no money to score. 当时天色已晚，没有钱的得分。

He turned into a side street and the lake wind hit him like a knife. 他变成了一条小巷，湖风打他像一把刀。

Cab stop just ahead under a streetlight. 驾驶室下的路灯就在前面停下。

Boy got out with a suitcase. Thin kid in prep school clothes, 男孩拿出一个手提箱。瘦孩子在预科学校的衣服，

familiar face, the Priest told himself, watching from the doorway. 熟悉的面孔，牧师告诉自己，从门口看。

   

"Remindsme of something a long time ago." The boy, there, with his overcoat “很久以前Remindsme的东西。 ”男孩，在那里，他的大衣

unbuttoned, reaching into his pants pocket for the cab fare. 敞着，伸手到他的裤子车资的口袋里。

   

The cab drove away and turned the corner. The boy went inside 驾驶室把车开走，并转危为安。男孩走了进去

a building. "Hmm, yes, maybe" - the suitcase was there in the doorway. 建筑物。 “嗯，是的，也许” - 行李箱在那里门口。

The boy nowhere in sight. Gone to get the keys, most likely, 男孩遥遥无期。去拿到钥匙，最有可能的，

have to move fast. He picked up the suitcase and started for the corner. 必须迅速采取行动。他拿起箱子，开始了角落。

Made it. Glanced down at the case. It didn't look like the case the boy had, 做到了。低头看看情况。它不像男孩了的情况下，

or any boy would have. The Priest couldn't put his finger on what was so 或者孩子会有。牧师不能把他的手指上有什么太

old about the case. Old and dirty, poor quality leather, and heavy. 旧左右的情况。旧又脏，劣质的皮革和厚重。

   

Better see what's inside. He turned into Lincoln Park, found an 更清楚地看到里面有什么。他变成了林肯公园，发现了一个

empty place and opened the case. Two severed human legs that belonged to 空的地方和打开的情况。两个人割断腿属于

a young man with dark skin. Shiny black leg hairs glittered in the 一名年轻男子皮肤黝黑。乌黑发亮的头发腿闪闪发光的

dim streetlight. The legs had been forced into the case and he had to use 昏暗的路灯。双腿被迫进入的情况下，他只好用

his knee on the back of the case to shove them out. "Legs, yet," 他的膝盖在包装盒的背面，以推他们出来。 “腿，但是， ”

he said, and walked quickly away with the case. 他说，快步走的情况。

   

Might bring a few dollars to score. The buyer sniffed suspiciously. 可能会带来几元钱的得分。买家嗅可疑。

"Kind of a funny smell about it." "It's just Mexican leather." “样的怪味了。 ” “这只是墨西哥的皮革。 ”

"Well, some joker didn't cure it." “嗯，有些爱开玩笑也没治好它。 ”

   

The buyer looked at the case with cold disfavor. 买方看着冷失宠的情况。

   

"Not even right sure he killed it, whatever it is. “甚至没有权利知道他杀死了它，不管它是什么。

Three is the best I can do and it hurts. But since this is Christmas 三是最好的，我可以做的，它伤害。但由于这是圣诞节

and you're the Priest..." he slipped three bills under the table into the 和你的牧师...... “他滑倒在桌子底下三个法案进入

Priest's dirty hand. The Priest faded into the street shadows, seedy 牧师的肮脏的手。牧师消失在街道的阴影，破旧的

and furtive. Three cents didn't buy a bag, nothing less than a nickel. 和鬼鬼祟祟的。三美分没买一包，无外乎镍。

   

Say, remember that old Addie croaker told me not to come back unless 再说了，记得老艾迪黄花鱼叫我不要回来，除非

I paid him the three cents I owe him. Yeah, isn't that a fruit for ya, 我付了他3毛钱我欠他的。是啊，这不就是一种水果的你，

blow your stack about three lousy cents. 吹你的筹码大约三糟糕美分。

   

The doctor was not pleased to see him. 医生很不高兴见到他。

   

"Now, what do you WANT? I TOLD you!" “现在，你想干什么？我告诉你！ ”

   

The Priest laid three bills on the table. The doctor put the 牧师放在桌上三个法案。医生把

money in his pocket and started to scream. 在他的口袋里的钱，并开始尖叫。

   

"I've had TROUBLES! PEOPLE have been around! “我有麻烦！人们一直在身边！

I may lose my LICENSE!" The Priest just sat there, eyes, old and heavy with 我可能失去我的驾照！ “神父只是坐在那里，眼睛，老重配

years of junk, on the doctor's face. 多年的垃圾，对医生的脸。

   

"I can't write you a prescription." The doctor jerked open a drawer “我不能给你写处方。 ”医生猛地打开抽屉

and slid an ampule across the table. "That's all I have in the OFFICE!" 滑到桌子对面的安瓿。 “这就是我的办公室！ ”

The doctor stood up. "Take it and GET OUT!" he screamed, hysterical. 医生站了起来。 “拿去吧，快出来！ ”他尖叫，歇斯底里。

The Priest's expression did not change. 牧师的表情没有任何变化。

   

The doctor added in quieter tones, "After all, I'm a professional man, 医生加入安静的色调， “毕竟，我是一个专业的人，

and I shouldn't be bothered by people like you." 我不应该由您费心。 “

   

"Is that all you have for me? One lousy quarter G? Couldn't you lend “这就是你对我呢？一个糟糕的季度G你能不能借

me a nickel...?" "Get out, get out, I'll call the police I tell you." 我五分...... ？ “ ”滚出去，滚出去，我会叫警察我告诉你。 “

   

"All right, doctor, I'm going." Of course it was cold and far to walk, “好吧，医生，我要去。 ”当然，这是冷，远远地走，

rooming house, a shabby street, room on the top floor. 母婴同室的房子，一个破旧的街道，房间在顶楼。

   

"These stairs," coughed the Priest there, pulling himself up along the “这些楼梯， ”咳嗽的牧师那里，他自己拉了沿

bannister. He went into the bathroom, yellow wall panels, 班尼斯特。他走进浴室，黄色的外墙板，

toilet dripping, and got his works from under the washbasin. 马桶滴水，然后从脸盆下得到了他的作品。

   

Wrapped in brown paper, back to his room, get every drop in the dropper. 用牛皮纸包好，回到自己的房间，得到的滴管每一滴水。

   

He rolled up his sleeve. Then he heard a groan from next door, 他卷起他的袖子。然后，他听到隔壁的呻吟声，

room eighteen. The Mexican kid lived there, the Priest had passed him on 房间18 。墨西哥的孩子住在这里，牧师已经过去了他

the stairs and saw the kid was hooked, but he never spoke, because he 楼梯，看见孩子就迷上了，但他从不说话，因为他

didn't want any juvenile connections, bad news in any language. 不想让任何未成年连接，坏消息中的任何语言。

   

The Priest had had enough bad news in his life. 牧师已经受够了坏消息，在他的生命。

   

He heard the groan again, a groan he could feel, no mistaking that groan 他听到了呻吟声再次呻吟，他能感觉到，不会误解的呻吟

and what it meant. "Maybe he had an accident or something. 而这意味着什么。 “也许他出了车祸什么的。

   

In any case, I can't enjoy my priestly medications with that sound coming 在任何情况下，我不能享受我的祭司药物与声音来了

through the wall." Thin walls you understand. The Priest put down his 穿墙。 “你明白薄壁。牧师放下了

dropper, cold hall, and knocked on the door of room eighteen. 滴管，寒冷的大厅，敲了敲房间18门。

   

"Quien es?" "It's the Preist, kid, I live next door." “ Quien上课？ ” “这是Preist ，小时候，我住在隔壁。 ”

He could hear someone hobbling across the floor. 他能听到有人在地板上步履蹒跚。

   

A bolt slid. The boy stood there in his underwear shorts, eyes black with 螺栓下滑。这个男孩在他的内衣短裤站在那里，眼睛黑

pain. He started to fall. The Priest helped him over to the bed. 疼痛。他开始回落。牧师帮他走到床边。

   

"What's wrong, son?" "It's my legs, senor, cramps, and now I am without “怎么了，儿子？ ” “这是我的腿，感光芯片，抽筋，现在我不

medicine." The Priest could see the cramps, like knots of wood there 药。 “牧师可以看到痉挛，像木头疙瘩有

in the young legs, dark shiny black leg hairs. 在年轻的双腿，暗亮黑色腿毛。

   

"A few years ago I damaged myself in a bicycle race, “几年前，我自己损坏的自行车比赛，

it was then that the cramps started." And now he has the leg cramps back 就在那时，抽筋开始。 “ ，现在他的腿抽筋回

with compound junk interest. The old Priest stood there, feeling the boy 复方垃圾的兴趣。老道士站在那里，感觉这个男孩

groan. He inclined his head as if in prayer, went back and got his dropper. 呻吟声。他低下头，仿佛在祈祷，回去了他的滴管。

"It's just a quarter G, kid." "I do not require much, senor." “这只是四分之一G，小子。 ” “我不要求太多，感光芯片。 ”

   

The boy was sleeping when the Priest left room eighteen. 男孩被当牧师离开房间18睡觉。

He went back to his room and sat down on the bed. 他回到自己的房间，在床上坐了下来。

   

Then it hit him like heavy silent snow. All the gray junk yesterdays. 然后，它击中了他喜欢重无声的雪。所有灰色的垃圾昨天。

He sat there received the immaculate fix. And since he was himself a priest, 他坐在那里获得了完美的解决方法。而且因为他是自己一个牧师，

there was no need to call one. 有没有必要要求之一。