208 Office dreams
208 办公室的梦想
It was July 1830. On a sunny, hot day, feeling as if all his stamina had left him, Case Steele staggered up the staircase and into his office. A stack of papers nearly reaching the ceiling greeted him. His assistant, Ward Stevens, came in and stood next to him. Case was a staggering 2.2 meters tall. Since this was the case, he stood in stark contrast to the rest of his staff, and Ward, at 1.6 meters tall, was no exception.
1830年7月。晴朗、炎热的一天，感觉好像没了一切体力，凯斯·斯蒂尔摇摇晃晃地上了楼梯，走进他的办公室。迎面一堆文件几乎堆到屋顶。他的助手沃德·史蒂文斯走进来，站在他身旁。凯斯身材惊人，高达两米二。正因为这样，他和他的其余员工对比分明，沃德一米六的身材，也不例外。
“Good morning, sir,” Ward greeted him.
“早上好，先生，”沃德向他打招呼。
“Is that the stale smell of alcohol on your breath, Ward? Are you still stashing a bottle of whiskey in your desk drawer?”
“沃德，是你嘴里难闻的酒气吗？你还在你的办公桌抽屉里暗藏一瓶威士忌酒吗？”
“Yes sir. It’s the one stain on my personal character that I regret. Please don’t let others know, sir, for I have good standing in our company, and it is my desire to move up in the business. If I were forced to stay stationary for too long, my ambition would become stagnant. The whiskey simply helps me deal with the perssure.”
“是的，先生。这是我个性上的一个污点，我为此感到遗憾。请不要让别人知道，先生，因为我在咱们公司名声不错，我希望在业务上有所发展。如果我长时间原地踏步，我的抱负就会止步不前。威士忌只是有助于我对付压力。”
“I understand. This city can really feel like it’s stalking you at times. You know, sometimes, Ward, I think we should just hop onto a stagecoach and go out west, Missouri territory or some place like that.”
“我明白。这座城市的确感觉好像有时在悄悄地追踪你。你知道，有时，沃德，我觉得我们应该跳上驿站马车去西部，密苏里地区或者和那里相似的某个地方。”
“I’ll admit, it sounds like an adventure, sir. But I’ve heard reports of starvation out there. I don’t care to starve, sir.”
说实在的，这听起来像是历险，先生。但我听说过那里挨饿的报道。我可不想挨饿，先生。”
“Oh, you won’t starve, Ward. It’s a land of plenty out there, and beautiful. I love nature and I bet I could wirte some nice stanzas of poetry about the wilderness. Things here in the city were static, with stately, ornate buildings and the same people seeking temporary stardom withing those confines. I need change and excitement!”
“哦，你不会挨饿，沃德。那里是富庶之地，风景迷人。我喜欢大自然，我一定可以写出有关荒野的优美诗节。尽管城市里的建筑雄伟华丽，并且总是有那么一批人在这个范围之内追求一时的明星地位，还是无法改变它那死气沉沅的气氛。我需要改变和激动。”
“But sir, nothing out there has been standardized like here in the city. Maybe one day you do things one way, then the next, another. I find it too dangerous. I think that’s the reason shy folks have starved out there.”
“但是先生，那里和城市不同，什么都没有规范化。或许今天你这么做，第二天又那么做。我觉得太危险。我认为这是人们在那里挨饿的原因。”
“Oh, Ward, no one out there is hungry. They have plenty of staple foods. You know, flap jacke, beans, and other starches.”
“哦，沃德，那儿没有人饿肚皮。他们有大量的主食。你知道，烙饼、豆子和其他淀粉类食品。”
“Isn’t this really just a fantasy, sir? We aren’t really going to get a stagecoach and go out west, are we?”
“难道这不是幻想吗，先生？我们并非是真想去找驿站马车去西部，不是吗？”
“Probably not, Ward. But it never hures to dream.”
“或许是的，沃德。可是幻想绝没有害处。”
Words:
stack vt.堆积n.堆
staff n.全体人员或职员
stagecoach n.驿马车,公共马车
stagger vi.蹒跚,摇晃
staggering adj.巨大的,惊人的
stagnant adj.(尤指水)不流动的,有臭味的,不发展的,停滞不前的
stain n.污点,瑕疵
staircase n.楼梯,楼梯间
stale adj.不新鲜的,走味的,无趣味的,陈腐的
stalk vt. 隐伏跟踪)猎物n.茎,柄,梗
stamina n.体力,耐力
stand vt.站立,忍受,容忍
standardize vt.使符合标准,使标准化
standing adj.固定的,常设的 n.身份,名望
stanza n.(诗)节,段
staple n. 主要产品,日常必需品adj. 主要的,常用的vt.把…订起来
starch n.淀粉,淀粉食物
stardom n.明星的身份或地位
stark adj.光秃秃的,荒凉的,分明的
starvation n.饥饿,饿死
starve v.挨饿
stash vt.藏起来,隐藏起来
stately adj.庄严的,堂皇的
static adj.静态的,呆板的
stationary adj.固定的,静止的