64 The man’s face flamed in a rage begot of whiskey。His eyes，rolling and yet keen for ambush，hunted the still doorways and windows。He walked with the creeping movement of the midnight cat。As it occurred to him，he roared menacing information。The long revolvers in his hands were as easy as strawsthey were moved with an electric swiftness。The little fingers of each hand played sometimes in a musician’s way。Plain from the low collar of the shirt，the cords of his neck straightened and sank，straightened and sank，as passion moved him。The onlysounds were his terrible invitations。The calm adobes preserved their demeanor at the passing of this small thing in the middle of the street。
65 There was no offer of fightno offer of fight。The man called tothe sky。There were no attractions。He bellowed and fumed and swayed his revolvers here and everywhere。
66 The dog of the barkeeper of the“Weary Gentleman”saloon had not appreciated the advance of events。He yet lay dozing in front of his master’s door。At sightof the dog，the man paused and raised his revolver humorously。At sight of the man，the dog sprang up and walked diagonally away，with a sullen head，and growling。The man yelled，and the dog broke into a gallop。As it was about to enter an alley，there was a loud noise，a whistling，and something spat the ground directly before it。The dog screamed，and，wheeling in terror，galloped headlong in a new direction。Again there was a noise，a whistling，and sand was kicked viciously before it。Fear-stricken，the dog turned and flurried like an animal in a pen。The man stood laughing，his weapons at his hips。
評注：威爾遜拿狗來取樂的細節反映了此人的怪癖性格。
67 Ultimately the man was attracted by the closed door of the Weary Gentleman saloon。He went to it and，hammering with a revolver，demanded drink。
68 The door remaining imperturbable，he picked a bit of paperfrom the walk，and nailed it to the framework with a knife。He then turned his back contemptuously upon this popular resort and，walking to the opposite side of the street and spinning there on his heel quickly and lithely，fired at the bit of paper。He missed it by a halfinch。He swore at himself，and went away。Later，he fortablyfusilladed the windows of his most intimate friend。The man wasplaying with this town。It was a toy for him。
semblance：n。偽裝
ferocious：adj。凶惡的
beget：v。引起
ambush：n。埋伏
menacing：adj。威脅的
demeanor：n。風度
bellow：v。吼叫
fume：v。火冒三丈
gallop：n。飛奔
viciously：adv。邪惡地
flurry：v。慌張
imperturbable：adj。沉靜的
contemptuously：adv。輕蔑地
fusillade：v。猛射
69 But still there was no offer of fight。The name of Jack Potter，his ancient antagonist，entered his mind，and he concluded that it would be a glad thing if he should go to Potter’s house，and by bombardment induce him to e out and fight。He moved in the direction of his desire，chanting Apache scalp-music。
70 When he arrived at it，Potter’s house presented the same still front as hadthe other adobes。Taking up a strategic position，the man howled a challenge。But this house regarded him as might a great stone god。It gave no sign。After a decent wait，the man howled further challenges，mingling with them wonderful epithets。
71 Presently there came the spectacle of a man churning himself intodeepest rage over the immobility of a house。He fumed at it as the winter wind attacks a prairie cabin in the North。To the distance there should have gone the sound of atumult like the fighting of two hundred Mexicans。As necessity bade him，he paused for breath or to reload his revolvers。
antagonist：n。敵手
bombardment：n。轟擊
epithet：n。諢名（帶侮辱性的單詞或短語）
tumult：n。騷亂
Ⅳ
72 Potter and his bride walked sheepishly and with speed。Sometimes they laughed together shamefacedly and low。
73 “Next corner，dear，”he said finally。
74 They put forth the efforts of a pair walking bowed against a strong wind。Potter was about to raise a finger to point the first appearance of the new home when，as they circled the corner，they came face to face with a man in a maroon-colored shirt who was feverishly pushing cartridges into a largerevolver。Upon the instant the man dropped his revolver to the ground，and，like lightning，whipped another from its holster。The second weaponwas aimed at the bridegroom’s chest。
評注：視角再度切換到傑克夫婦那裏，而這時正好冤家路窄，威爾遜正好守候在他家門口。西部文學作品中很多這樣的場麵，即兩個有著血海深仇的男人舉槍對決。克萊恩可以說是故意運用了這種老套的情節模式，但最後卻給它一個反高潮的結尾。
75 There was a silence。Potter’s mouth seemed to be merely a grave for his tongue。He exhibited an instinct to at once loosen his arm from the woman’s grip，and he dropped the bag to the sand。As for the bride，her face had gone as yellow as old cloth。She was a slave to hideous rites gazing at the apparitional snake。
76 The two men faced each other at a distance of three paces。He of the revolver smiled with a new and quiet ferocity。
77 “Tried to sneak up on me，”he said。“Tried to sneak up on me！”His eyes grew more baleful。As Potter made a slight movement，the man thrust his revolvervenomously forward。“No，don’t you do it，Jack Potter。Don’t you move a finger toward a gun just yet。Don’t you move an eyelash。The time has e for me to settle with you，and I’m goin’to do it my own way，and loaf along with no interferin’。So if you don’t want a gun bent on you，just mind what I tell you。”
shamefacedly：adv。羞怯地
cartridge：n。彈藥筒
whip：v。突然拿取
holster：n。槍套
hideous：adj。可怕的
rite：n。儀式
apparitional：adj。幽靈般出現的
snake：n。[美俚]阿飛
ferocity：n。殘忍
sneak up on sb。：v。突襲
baleful：adj。有惡意的
78 Potter looked at his enemy。“I ain’t got a gun on me，Scratchy，”he said。“Honest，I ain’t。”He was stiffening and steadying，but yet somewhere at theback of his mind a vision of the Pullman floated：the sea-green figured velvet，the shining brass，silver，and glass，the wood that gleamed as darkly brilliantas the surface of a pool of oil—all the glory of the marriage，the environmentof the new estate。“You know I fight when it es to fighting，Scratchy Wilsonbut I ain’t got a gun on me。You’ll have to do all the shootin’yourself。”
79 His enemy’s face went livid。He stepped forward，and lashed his weapon to and fro before Potter’s chest。“Don’t you tell me you ain’t got no gun on you，you whelp。Don’t tell me no lie like that。There ain’t a man in Texas ever seen you without no gun。Don’t take me for no kid。”His eyes blazed with light，and his throat worked like a pump。
80 “I ain’t takin’you for no kid，”answered Potter。His heels had not moved an inch backward。“I’m takin’you for a damn fool。I tell you I ain’t got a gun，and I ain’t。If you’re goin’to shoot me up，you better begin now。You’ll never get a chance like this again。”
81 So much enforced reasoning had told on Wilson’s rage。He was calmer。“If you ain’t got a gun，why ain’t you got a gun？”he sneered。“Been to Sunday-school？”
82 “I ain’t got a gun because I’ve just e from San Anton’with my wife。I’m married，”said Potter。“And if I’d thought there was going to be any galoots like you prowling around when I brought my wife home，I’d had a gun，and don’t you forget it。”
83 “Married！”said Scratchy，not at all prehending。
84 “Yes，married。I’m married，”said Potter，distinctly。
評注：傑克·波特原本希望裝成文質彬彬的紳士把老實本分的城市姑娘娶回家，但還沒進家門卻被老仇人截住，逼迫他顯露出西部牛仔的鐵血本色。克萊恩的這種反諷式的情節模式極具喜劇效果和戲劇張力。
85 “Married？”said Scratchy。Seemingly for the first time，he saw the drooping，drowning woman at the other man’s side。“No！”he said。He was like a creature allowed a glimpse of another world。He moved a pace backward，and his arm，with the revolver，dropped to his side。“Is this the lady？”he asked。
86 “Yes，this is the lady，”answered Potter。
87 There was another period of silence。
88 “Well，”said Wilson at last，slowly，“Is’pose it’s all off now。”
89 “It’s all off if you say so，Scratchy。You know I didn’t make the trouble。”Potter lifted his valise。
90 “Well，I’low it’s off，Jack，”said Wilson。He was looking at the ground。“Married！”He was not a student of chivalryit was merely that in the presence of this foreign condition he was a simple child of the earlier plains。He picked up his starboard revolver，and，placing both weapons in their holsters，hewent away。His feet made funnel-shaped tracks in the heavy sand。
評注：意想不到的結尾留給讀者一個永恒的困惑，究竟為什麼威爾遜會在城裏來的新娘麵前如同泄氣的皮球一樣呢？是西部男人的騎士精神還是對自己撒酒瘋行為的幡然醒悟？這就留給讀者自己去品味了。
livid：adj。青紫色
lash：v。擺動，晃動
sneer：v。譏笑
galoot：n。[俚]呆子，傻瓜
prowl：v。晃蕩，徘徊
drooping：adj。下垂的
valise：n。小提箱
chivalry：n。騎士精神
Comprehension Exercises：
1.Do you think that it was the shock of Jack’s marriage or the womanthat hehad married that stopped Scratchy Wilson from taking his challenge any further？
2.Throughout the story，the information that we are given about the bride is subtle and at times ambiguous。Interpreting this information，discuss her as a character。
3.Discuss how Crane suggests a shift in society throughout the story。
斯蒂芬·克萊恩（1871—1900）：美國自然主義作家，出生於新澤西州紐瓦克的牧師家庭，曾在兩所大學中途肄業，1891年輟學去紐約任記者。1893年寫了一部中篇小說《街頭女郎梅季》，取材於紐約貧民窟的生活。1894年開始分期發表另一部小說《紅色英勇勳章》，1895年成書。這部小說獲得歐美各國重視後，《街頭女郎梅季》遂得以重新出版。1896年，去古巴采訪，途中輪船遇到風暴。他根據這次經曆寫成短篇小說《海上扁舟》（1898），細致地描寫了4個人怎樣在茫茫大海中掙紮與戰鬥，是美國短篇小說中的一個名篇。1898年再次去古巴采訪美西戰爭。1900年因肺病死於歐洲。克萊恩也是一位詩人，曾發表過《黑騎者》（1895）和《戰爭是仁慈的》（1899）兩部詩集。他的詩寫法自由，不顧傳統的音節和韻律，風格樸質簡潔，常常通過寓言式的意象揭示生活的某個真理。評論界認為他與女詩人艾米莉·狄金生同為美國現代詩歌的先驅。