第1章
和正牌攻的有纪念意义的初遇：
The first time I laid eyes on Terry Lennox he was drunk in a Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith outside the terrace of The Dancers.
对Terry的外貌描写：
He had a young-looking face but his hair was bone white. You could tell by his eyes that he was plastered to the hairline, but otherwise he looked like any other nice young guy in a dinner jacket who had been spending too much money in a joint that exists for that purpose and for no other.
He was right about the plastic job. The right side of my new friend's face was frozen and whitish and seamed with thin fine scars. The skin had a glossy look along the scars. A plastic job and a pretty drastic one.
马洛对Terry的感想：
"He's the politest drunk I ever met," I said to the white coat.
【重点zh注意】
I drove home chewing my lip. I'm supposed to be tough but there was something about the guy that got me. I didn't know what it was unless it was the white hair and the scarred face and the clear voice and the politeness. Maybe that was enough. There was no reason why I should ever see him again. He was just a lost dog, like the girl said.
宋碧云译本：我咬着嘴唇开车回家。我算是硬汉，可是这个人有让我动心的地方。除了白发、疤痕脸、响亮的声音和彬彬有礼的态度，我不知道是什么。也许这几点就够了。我再见到他的可能性不大。正如那位姑娘所说的，他只是一条迷路的狗。
I

第2章
Marlowe又捡到了流浪狗Terry= =
We went to a drive-in where they made hamburgers that didn't taste like something the dog wouldn't eat. I fed Terry Lennox a couple and a bottle of beer and drove him home. The steps were still tough on him but he grinned and panted and made the dimb. An hour later he was shaved and bathed and he looked human again. We sat down over a couple of very mild drinks.
然后两个人开始谈话。
"Lucky you remembered my name," I said.
"I made a point of it," he said. "I looked you up too. Could I do less?"
"So why not give me a ring? I live here all the time. I have an office as well."
"Why should I bother you?"
"Looks like you had to bother somebody. Looks like you don't have many friends."
【Terry是特♂地记下Marlowe的名字的，他还去调查了Marlowe，不打电话的原因是不想打扰Marlowe】
我很喜欢这种淡淡的暧昧，一长串都是JQ。
"Look," I said, "I'd put up what you need. I'm no big soft-hearted slob. So you take what's offered and be good. I want you out of my hair because I've got a feeling about you."
"Really?" He looked down into his glass. He was only sipping the stuff. "We've only met twice and you've been more than white to me both times. What sort of feeling?"
"A feeling that next lime I'll find you in worse trouble than I can get you out of. I don't know just why I have the feeling, but I have it."
He touched the right side of his face gently with two fingertips. "Maybe it's this. It does make me look a little sinister, I suppose. But it's an honorable wound—or anyhow the result of one."
"It's not that. That doesn't bother me at all. I'm a private dick. You're a problem that I don't have to solve. But the problem is there. Call it a hunch. If you want to be extra polite,call it a sense of character. Maybe that girl didn't walk out on you at The Dancers just because you were drunk. Maybe she had a feeling too."
He smiled faintly. "I was married to her once. Her name is Sylvia Lennox. I married her for her money."
I stood up scowling at him. "I'll fix you some scrambled eggs. You need food."
"Wait a minute, Marlowe. You're wondering why if I was down and out and Sylvia had plenty I couldn't ask her for a few bucks. Did you ever hear of pride?"
"You're killing me, Lennox."
"Am I? My kind of pride is different. It's the pride of a man who has nothing else. I'm sorry if I annoy you."
I went out to my kitchen and cooked up some Canadian bacon and scrambled eggs and coffee and toast. We ate in the breakfast nook. The house belonged to the period that always had one.【Marlowe你好贤惠！】
I said I had to go to the office and would pick up his suitcase on the way back. He gave me the check ticket. His face now had a little color and the eyes were not so far back in his head that you had to grope for them.
Before I went out I put the whiskey bottle on the table in front of the couch. "Use your pride on that," I said. "And call Vegas, if only as a favor to me."
He just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. I was still sore going down the steps. I didn't know why, any more than I knew why a man would starve and walk the streets rather than pawn his wardrobe. Whatever his rules were he played by them.
把素未谋面的醉鬼捡回家，还捡了两次，然后请他吃东西，给他做早餐……
然后对方说自己是个有自尊的男人blabla……
这展开还真是荡漾啊罒ω罒
I

第3章
Three days before Christmas I got a cashier's check on a Las Vegas bank for $100. A note written on hotel paper came with it. He thanked me, wished me a Merry Christmas and all kinds of luck and said he hoped to see me again soon.
Terry说自己想要不久后再次见到Marlowe。
可惜Marlowe说自己其实不想见到他，只是因为工作没法避免。（I just didn't want to see him again. But I knew I would—if only on account of his goddamn gold-plated pigskin suitcase.）
From then on it got to be a sort of habit with him to drop in around five o'clock. We didn't always go to the same bar, but oftener to Victor's than anywhere else.
Terry总是来找Marlowe喝酒聊天（我觉得Terry对Marlowe好感度真心很高），Marlowe感到不解：
"What I don't get is why a guy with your privileges would want to drink with a private eye."
"Are you being modest?"
"Nope. I'm just puzzled. I'm a reasonably friendly type but we don't live in the same world. I don't even know where you bang out except that it's Encino. I should guess your
home life is adequate."
然后Terry说自己没有任何家庭生活，他没有正面回答Marlowe的问题。
He finished his drink at a gulp and stood up. "I've got to run, Marlowe. Besides I'm boring you and God knows I'm boring myself."
"You're not boring me. I'm a trained listener. Sooner or later I may figure out why you like being a kept poodle."
Terry说“我惹你心烦了”。
Marlowe说没有，然后又说“我迟早会知道你为什么喜欢当别人的狮子狗”的。
……一糖一鞭= =
He touched his scars gently with a fingertip. He had a remote little smile. "You should, wonder why she wants me around, not why I want to be there, waiting patiently on my satin cushion to have my head patted."
【用指尖轻轻摩挲脸上的疤痕，脸上挂着淡漠的微笑←好有范儿~】
本章重头戏！
We went out into the tired evening and he said he wanted to walk. We had come in my car, and for once I had been fast enough to grab the check. I watched him out of sight. The light from a store window caught the gleam of his white hair for a moment as he faded into the light mist.
I liked him better drunk, down and out, hungry and beaten and proud. Or did I? Maybe I just liked being top man.
宋碧云译本：
　 我们跨出门外，走进疲惫的黄昏，他说他想要散散步。但是我们是开我的车来的，而且这一次我动作够快，抢先付了账。我望着他消失。一家店铺橱窗的灯光照着他的白发闪啊闪，片刻之后他就没入薄雾之中。
　　他喝醉酒、落魄潦倒、又饿又惨自尊心又强的时候，我反而比较喜欢他。真的如此吗？也许我只是喜欢当老大哥。
I

第4、5章
转折来了，这也意味着接下来Terry的出镜率要减少了。
开篇是两人唠嗑，Terry突然反常地说起了自己和复婚的妻子Sylvia的事情，Marlowe烦了。
I stood up and dropped some money on the table. "You talk too damn much," I said, "and it's too damn much about you. See you later."
I walked out leaving him sitting there shocked and white-faced as well as I could tell by the kind of light they have in bars. He called something after me, but I kept going.
Ten minutes later I was sorry. But ten minutes later I was somewere else. He didn't come to the office any more, Not at all, not once. I had got to him where it hurt.
再次见面是一个月后，非常喜剧化的重逢：
I didn't see him again for a month. When I did it was five o'clock in the morning and just beginning to get light. The persistent ringing of the doorbell yanked me out of bed. I plowed down the hall and across the living room and opened up. He stood there looking as if he hadn't slept for a week. He had a light topcoat on with the collar turned up and he seemed to be shivering. A dark felt hat was pulled down over his eyes.
He had a gun in his hand.
Terry请求Marlowe送他去机场。Sylvia被杀了，和Terry脱不开关系。Sylvia是个富豪千金，他的父亲像盖世太保。
总之，Terry麻烦了。
重头戏：
　　“我有我的理由。”他生硬地说。
　　“我也有。”
　　他突然微微一笑，拎起手提箱，用空着的一只手捏捏我的手臂。“好吧，朋友，听你的。记住，如果事情变得棘手了，你可以全权决定怎么做。你不欠我什么。我们一起喝过酒，渐渐熟起来，我谈自己谈得太多了。我在你的咖啡罐里留了五张百元大钞。别生我的气。”
　　“我宁愿你没留。”
　　“我的钱连一半都用不完。”
　　“祝你好运，特里。” 棒槌学堂·出品
　　“登机吧。”我说，“我知道你没杀她。所以我才会来这儿。”
　　他强打起精神，全身变得很僵硬，慢慢转过身，回头望。
　　他静静地说：“抱歉。这一点儿你错了。我要慢慢地上飞机。你有充分的时间阻止我。”
　　他走过去。我望着他。办公室的家伙正在等，但是不太急。墨西哥人很少失去耐性。他伸手拍拍猪皮手提箱，对特里咧嘴一笑，然后侧让一边，让特里穿过门口。过了一会儿特里由海关那一边的门口出来。他非常缓慢地走过石子地，走到扶梯前，停在那儿，朝我这边看。他没打信号或挥手。我也没有。接着他上了飞机，扶梯就收走了。
I

第6章
　　他向我亮了一下警徽。没看清是什么，若以为他是防疫人员也不为过。他是灰金发色的白人，看来很讨厌。另一位搭档个子高高的，俊美整洁，有一种考究的猥鄙相，像是受过教育的暴徒。他们的眼神充满守候、耐心和警觉、冷淡和不屑，警察才会有那种眼神。从警察学校毕业游行时就有了。
　　“我是格林警官，中央凶杀组的。这位是戴顿警探。”
【新出场的两位只是路人，但即使是路人，跟马洛的互动也很有爱】
——————
　　我把书扔进一张椅子，回到格林那张茶几对面的沙发上。“为什么来找我？”我问，“我从来没走进那栋房子。我告诉过你了。”
　　格林轻拍着大腿，手一上一下一上一下，他静静地对我咧着嘴笑。戴顿在椅子上一动也不动，眼神活像要吃掉我。
——————
　　戴顿小心翼翼地放下便条簿和圆珠笔。他双眼发亮站起身，走过来站在我前面。
　　“站起来，机灵小子。我上过大学，并不表示我会容忍你这种小崽子胡说八道。”
　　我站起身来，还没站稳，他就出手打我。他给我一记漂亮的左钩拳，没打中。铃声响了，可不是吃饭的铃声。我用力坐下，摇摇头。戴顿还在那儿。现在他笑眯眯的。
　　“我们再试一次。”他说，“刚才那回你还没准备好。不算真正就绪。”
　　我看看格林。他正俯视大拇指，好像在研究指甲上的肉刺。我不动也不说话，等他抬头。我若再站起来，戴顿会再打我。其实他不管怎么样都会再出手。但我若再站起身而他打了我，我会要他好看，刚才那一拳证明他是拳击手。他打在恰当的位置，但要打倒我需要好多好多拳。
——————
　 “好吧，”我说，“吹呀。特里·伦诺克斯是我的朋友。我在他身上投入了相当的感情，不会因为警察吆喝几句就破坏掉。你有案子要告他，也许比你们说给我听的更明确。有动机、机会，加上他开溜的事实。动机是陈年旧事，早就淡化了，几乎是交易中的一部分。我不欣赏那种交易，但他就是那种人——有点儿软弱，非常温和。如果他知道她死了，自然知道你们一定会抓他，其他的毫无意义。如果举行审讯，他们要是传讯我，我会不得不回答这些问题。我用不着回答你们的问话。格林，我看得出你是好人。我也看得出你的搭档是一个他妈的有权力情绪、爱亮警徽的家伙。你如果希望我落入真正的困境，叫他再打我呀。我他妈的会把他那玩意儿打断。”
　　格林站起来，伤心地望着我。戴顿没有动，他是出一次手的凶汉。他必须休息一下，抚一抚背脊。
　　“我打个电话。”格林说，“但我知道答案是什么。你是只小病鸡，马洛。一只病得很重的小病鸡。滚开，别碍手碍脚。”最后一句话是对戴顿说的。戴顿转身走回去，拿起便条簿。
　　格林走到电话边，轻轻拿起来。为了这一趟冗长不讨好的苦差事，他的脸都起皱了。跟警察打交道的麻烦就在这里。你已打定主意要恨他们，却遇到一个对你讲人情味的，叫人不知怎么办才好。
【特里·伦诺克斯是我的朋友。我在他身上投入了相当的感情←翻译君GJ！】
I

第8-10章
Terry没有被抓住，Marlowe以“事后从犯”的罪名进了监狱。
有一个神秘的人给他指派了一位律师，律师说自己不是Terry派来的，但Marlowe坚信是Terry——
"……If you're in touch with Lennox, tell him to quit bothering about me. I'm not in here for him. I'm in here for me. No complaints. It's part of the deal. "
"Nobody else would bother to send you here to help me."
Marlowe拒绝保释出狱，他说，如果自己这么做了，那“Terry杀人”这个概念就会在大家心里落实。
律师对他说：You amuse me, Marlowe. You're childish in some ways.
最后Marlowe被放了——
　　“先生，伦诺克斯案已经结案。不会有什么伦诺克斯案了。今天下午他在大酒店写了一份完整的自白，然后开枪自杀。我刚才说过，在欧塔托丹。”
　　我站在那儿，茫茫然瞪着眼，眼角瞥见格伦茨慢慢倒退，似乎以为我会出手揍他。我一时大概显得很凶吧。接着他又回到书桌后，斯普兰克林抓着我的手臂。
　　他用鼻音很重的嗓门说：“走吧，人晚上偶尔也会想回家的。”
　　我跟着他出来，关上门，关得很轻很轻，活像屋里刚死了人。
【外面有个跑警局的记者，问Marlowe要不要搭便车回家，在车上两人谈话。】
　 “你有个好朋友要诀别。”他说，“你既然肯为他坐牢，他一定是你的好朋友。”
　　“谁说我为他坐牢？”
　　他微微一笑。“我不能在报上发表，并不表示我不知道，朋友。再见啦，改天再见。”
【外人都看出来Marlowe和Terry感情深厚了= =~】
Sylvia死相很惨，脸被揍地辨认不出，Marlowe说自己怎么无论如何也不相信Terry会做出这种事。
I

第11章
重头戏！！
　　我超然地思索特里·伦诺克斯的一切。他已经退入远处，白发、疤面、软弱的吸引力以及古怪的自尊都已远了。我不评判或分析他怎么受的伤、怎么会恰好娶了西尔维娅这种妻子。他就像你在船上认识的人，彼此很熟，其实一点儿都不了解。他走得也像那种人，在码头道别：“老朋友，我们要常联络啊。”明知道你不会他也不会主动联络。你可能永远不会跟这家伙重逢了。就算再见，他也会变成完全不同的人，又一个特等车厢里的扶轮社社员。生意好吧？噢，不太坏。你气色不错嘛。你不也一样？我体重增加太多了。我们不都一样吗？记不记得“弗兰科尼亚”号（或其他别的）之旅？噢，当然，那次旅行太棒了，不是吗？
　　去他的太棒。你烦得要命。你跟那家伙讲话，只因为附近没有你感兴趣的人。也许特里·伦诺克斯和我也是这样。不，不见得。我拥有他的一部分。我曾在他身上投入时间和金钱，在牢里关了三天，更别提下巴挨了一掌，每次吞东西还会痛。现在他死了，我甚至不能把五百块钱还给他。这叫我很不愉快。令人不悦的永远是小事。
【对“我拥有他的一部分”这句喷了，特地去看了原文，是I owned a piece of him. 】
【有人来找Marlowe，对方对Marlowe很不屑。】
　　他气冲冲地瞪着我，慢慢站起身，像美洲豹一般优雅。他走到房间另一头，探头看我的办公室，回头看我一眼，就走进去了。他是那种走到哪儿都以主人自居的家伙。我跟进去，关上门。他站在桌边四处张望，很好玩似的。
　　“你真业余，”他说，“太业余了。”
　　我走到书桌后面等着。
　　“你一个月赚多少，马洛？”
　　我没答理他，点着我的烟斗。
　　“最多不超过七百五十块钱。”他说。
　　我把烧过的火柴扔进烟灰缸，吐出烟雾。
　　“你是胆小鬼，马洛。你是个花生仁儿大的骗子。你小得要用放大镜才看得见。”
　　我根本没说话。
　　“你的感情太廉价了。你从头到脚都廉价。你跟一个家伙交友，一起喝几杯酒，插科打诨了几句，他身无分文的时候你塞了一点儿钱给他，你就死心塌地信了他了。就像小学生读《弗兰克·梅里维尔》一样。你没有胆子，没有脑筋，没有人脉，没有见解，于是你摆出一种冒充的姿态，指望人家会为你哭。……在我的账册里，你一分不值。”
　　他从书桌对面探身用手背拍我的脸，漫不经心，充满轻蔑，但无意伤害我。【我喜欢看Marlowe被调戏~】他脸上一直挂着笑容。看我一动也不动，他慢慢坐下来，一只手肘支在桌上，用褐色的手掌托着下巴。小鸟一样亮的眼睛盯着我瞧，除了发亮，里面什么都没有。
　　“知道我是谁了吧，便宜货？”
　　“你叫梅嫩德斯。小伙子们叫你曼迪。你在日落大道那一带活动。”
　　“是吗？我怎么飞黄腾达的？”
　　“我不知道。你大概是在墨西哥妓院拉皮条起家的。”【噗】
【原来曼迪、特里、兰迪，三人曾是战友。Terry救过他们。】
“……我和兰迪没能为他出半点儿力。除了拉斯维加斯那份短暂的工作，他不让我们帮忙。然后他死了，没跟我们道别，没给我们机会报答他。我本来可以很快把他弄出国，比老千出千还快。他却来向你哭诉。我心里很不痛快。一个便宜货，一个让警察作威作福的家伙。”
曼迪的来意是警告Marlowe——
“不要想靠伦诺克斯案赚钱或出名啊。已经结案了，完了。特里已死，我们不希望别人再来打扰他。他吃了太多苦头。”
I

第12章整章福利！！！
先是Terry的来信：

Marlowe看了这信之后，种种反应耐人寻味——
　　我呆坐着看这张钞票看了好久。最后我把它收进信匣，到厨房去煮咖啡。不管是不是感情用事，我照他的吩咐做了。我倒了两杯咖啡，在他那杯里加了点儿波本威士忌，放在我送他去机场那天早晨他坐的位置上。我替他点了一根烟，摆在杯侧的一个烟灰缸里。我望着咖啡冒出热气，香烟升起一缕轻烟。外面的金钟花树丛中，鸟儿不知忙些什么，它们低声啾啾自言自语，偶尔拍拍羽翼。
　　后来咖啡不再冒热气，香烟也不再冒烟，只剩下一截冷烟蒂在烟灰缸边缘。我把它扔进水槽底下的垃圾箱，将咖啡倒掉，洗好杯子收起来。【Marlowe到底呆坐了多久】
　　就这样吧。以五千块钱报酬来说，只做这些好像还不太够。
　　过了一会儿，我去看晚场电影。毫无意义。我几乎没看到片子里演什么，只是一堆噪音和大脸。我又回家，玩儿了一会儿西班牙开局，也没什么意思。于是我上床睡觉。【做什么都没意思】
　　可是睡不着。凌晨三点我在屋里踱来踱去，听哈恰图良在拖拉机厂做工。他居然敢说那是小提琴演奏会。我看简直像电风扇链带松了，滚他的。【心情烦躁】
　　失眠的夜对我而言简直像胖子邮差一般稀奇。若不是早上要到丽兹贝弗利大酒店去见霍华德·斯潘塞先生，我会干下一瓶酒，喝个烂醉。下回我看见一个彬彬有礼的家伙醉倒在劳斯莱斯银色幽灵车上，我会能往哪儿跑就往哪儿跑。世上没有一个陷阱像你自设的陷阱那般害人。
“下回我看见一个彬彬有礼的家伙醉倒在劳斯莱斯银色幽灵车上，我会能往哪儿跑就往哪儿跑。”
这句话真是感情复杂啊。
【以下脑洞产物】
“我”两次见到他，两次帮了他。
在无数个黄昏，他出现在“我”的事务所，“我们”会一起去酒吧小酌一杯。
他像条流浪狗，有骨气，狼狈，饥饿。
他说要戒酒，他喝得很少。
他淡漠地微笑，说自己没有任何家庭生活。
再后来，因为他，“我”被警官揍，被关进监狱。我面临的是五年的牢狱生活。
那个记者说，你们一定是好友。
而曼迪说，你的感情太廉价了。你从头到脚都廉价。你跟一个家伙交友，一起喝几杯酒，插科打诨了几句，他身无分文的时候你塞了一点儿钱给他，你就死心塌地信了他了。
随他们去说吧，反正“我”无论如何也无法相信Sylvia是Terry杀的，这家伙不会把一个女人的脸揍得稀巴烂。
他是一个战场英雄（他的疤就是这么来的），一个自称有着与众不同的自尊的男人，他身上有种软弱与隐忍吸引着“我”。
“我”并不讨厌这家伙。
只是，下回“我”看见一个彬彬有礼的家伙醉倒在劳斯莱斯银色幽灵车上，“我”会能往哪儿跑就往哪儿跑。
I

待续。
新攻登场倒计时。