Smiley's People汉译55
本帖最后由 agent124 于 2024-5-3 23:59 编辑The stubborn brevity of Mostyn’s speech was now so evident that Strickland felt obliged to fill the gaps.
“Yes, well, there’s no question but that if we’re looking for scapegoats, George, that section head of Mostyn’s made a monumental fool of himself, no question at all,” Strickland declared brightly. “He omitted to send for Vladimir’s papers—which would not, of course, have been forthcoming. He omitted to acquaint himself with standing orders on the handling of émigrés. He also appears to have succumbed to a severe dose of week-end fever, leaving no word of his whereabouts should he be required. God help him on Monday morning, says I. Oh, yes. Come, Mostyn, we’re waiting, boy.”
Mostyn obediently took back the story. Vladimir rang for the third and last time at three-forty-three, sir, he said, speaking even more slowly than before. It should have been quarter to four, but he jumped the gun by two minutes. Mostyn by then had a rudimentary brief from his section head, which he now repeated to Smiley: “He called it a bromide job. I was to find out what, if anything, the old boy really wanted and, if all else failed, make a rendezvous with him to cool him down. I was to give him a drink, sir, pat him on the back, and promise nothing except to pass on whatever message he brought me.”
“And the ‘neighbours’?” Smiley asked. “They were not an issue to your section head?”
“He rather thought that was just a bit of agent’s histrionics, sir.”
“I see. Yes, I see.” Yet his eyes, in contradiction, closed completely for a moment. “So how did the dialogue with Vladimir go this third time?”
现在已经非常明显，莫斯廷特意坚持用非常简短的讲述方式，斯屈克兰觉得自己有义务填补空白。
"是的，毫无疑问，如果我们要找替罪羊的话，乔治，莫斯廷的那个科长是个天字第一号的傻瓜，毫无疑问，"斯屈克兰爽快地说。"他没有去拿弗拉基米尔的档案——当然，他即使去拿也拿不到。他没有去熟悉处理流亡者的规定。他似乎还抵挡不住‘度周末病’的诱惑，而且没有把行踪告诉别人，如果有人需要他，也找不到他。我说，周一早上只有上帝能帮他了。嗯，就是这样。接着说，莫斯廷，我们等着呢，孩子。"
莫斯廷乖乖地把话接过来。弗拉基米尔在三点四十三分第三次也是最后一次打电话来，长官。莫斯廷说着，语速更慢了。本来应该是三点三刻，但他提前了两分钟。当时，莫斯廷的科长已经跟他简单地说了一些基本的指示，他现在又向斯迈利重复了一遍："他说这不过是普通的例行公事。我得弄清这老家伙到底要什么，如果其他办法都没用，就和他会面，让他冷静下来。我要给他一杯酒，长官，拍拍他的背，什么也不答应，只答应转达他带给我的任何信息。"
"那么'邻居'呢？" 斯迈利问。"他们对你们科长来说不是问题吗？"
"他认为那只是特工的花言巧语，长官。"
"我明白了。是的，我明白了。" 然而，有那么一会儿，他的眼睛却完全闭上了，意味着他并没有明白。"那么，第三次与弗拉基米尔的对话进行得如何？"
“According to Vladimir, it was to be an immediate meeting or nothing, sir. I tried out the alternatives on him as instructed—‘Write us a letter—is it money you want? Surely it can wait till Monday’—but by then he was shouting at me down the phone. ‘A meeting or nothing. Tonight or nothing. Moscow Rules. I insist Moscow Rules. Tell this to Max—’”
Interrupting himself, Mostyn lifted his head and with unblinking eyes returned Lauder Strickland’s hostile stare.
“Tell what to Max?” said Smiley, his gaze moving swiftly from one to the other of them.
“We were speaking French, sir. The card said French was his preferred second language and I’m only Grade B in Russian.”
“Irrelevant,” Strickland snapped.
“Tell what to Max?” Smiley persisted.
Mostyn’s eyes searched out a spot on the floor a yard or two beyond his own feet. “He meant: Tell Max I insist it’s Moscow Rules.”
Lacon, who had stayed uncharacteristically quiet these last minutes, now chimed in: “There’s an important point here, George. The Circus were not the suitors here. He was. The ex-agent. He was doing all the pressing, making all the running. If he’d accepted our suggestion, written out his information, none of this need ever have happened. He brought it on himself entirely. George, I insist you take the point!”
“弗拉基米尔说，马上见面，否则啥都没有，长官。我按照指示，给他提了几个替代方案——'给我们写封信——你想要钱吗？等到星期一没问题吧'——但那时他已经在电话里对我大喊大叫了。'马上会面，否则啥都没有。今晚会面，否则啥都没有。莫斯科规则。我坚持莫斯科规则。把这个告诉马克斯——'”
莫斯廷停住话，抬起头。劳德·斯屈克兰充满敌意地盯着他看，莫斯廷也眼睛一眨不眨地看着斯屈克兰。
“把什么告诉马克斯？”斯迈利说，他的目光在两个人之间迅速切换。
“我们在说法语，先生。卡片上说法语是他喜欢的第二语言，而我的俄语只有中级水平。”
“无关紧要。”斯屈克兰厉声说道。
“跟马克斯说什么？” 斯迈利追问道。
莫斯廷的眼睛盯着地板上离自己脚下一两码远的地方。“他的意思是：告诉马克斯，我坚持这是莫斯科规则。”
雷肯在过去的几分钟里一反常态地保持沉默，现在他也插话了： “有一点很重要，乔治。这个事情当中，圆场不是主动索求的一方。他才是。那个前特工，一直是他在施压，他是主动的。如果他接受我们的建议，把他的信息写出来，这一切就不会发生了。这完全是他自找的。乔治，我要你务必认识到这一点！”
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