【赫临译笔】终点站 - 心云驛站

下午是康罗伊太太最喜欢的时间。劳累了一天，双眼疲劳，两脚生疼。她喜欢舒舒服服地在车上睡一大觉。她和司机埃先生成为了朋友。他总是在她到站前叫醒她，她下车时常常精神饱满。

但今天不同，埃先生没有开车，一个穿着皱巴巴工作服的小个子男人坐在驾驶员的座位上。

“埃先生去哪儿了？”康罗伊太太边把钱扔进投币箱边问。“我不知道，可能是病了吧。我只是个打工的，夫人。请往后站。”康罗伊太太希望埃先生没事。她不喜欢这个新司机，她决定今天不在路上睡了。她不想请司机叫醒她。他看上去可不像想帮人的那种类型。

康罗伊太太向窗外看了一眼，这是个和煦的下午。尽管她努力想睁开眼睛，可公交车的轻轻摇晃有催眠作用。不到几分钟，她就睡着了。她的头垂到了肩膀上。康罗伊太太不由自主地睡着了。

康罗伊太太眨动了一下眼睛，随后睁开眼。司机正低头看她。“我说，这是终点站，夫人。该下车了。”

康罗伊太太仔细端祥着窗外。“我在哪里？”她问：“我应该在艾塞克斯大道下车。”

“你在终点站，夫人。快点，下车吧，我们要按时收车。”

康罗伊太太费力地醒来，摇摇晃晃站起来。司机抓起的手臂，帮她走下通道。她往车下走时，感觉到一阵恐慌。“等一下，”她尖声说道：“这不是艾塞克斯大道。我在哪儿？怎样才能回家？”

“冷静点，夫人。我告诉过你，你在终点站。我们迟早都会到这里的。”

“但我为什么不能和你一起坐车回去呢？”她恳求着：“我付车费。”

“对不起，夫人。”他说着，关上了车门。“这违反规定。”

康罗伊太太注视着公交车消失在马路尽头。她四下环视了一周，想弄明白现在自己在这座城市的哪一部分。突然之间，阳光似乎非常明亮。

康罗伊太太眯起眼睛，她不认识这个地方，周围没有树，马路上没有标志，也没有人。离城似乎有数英里之遥。四面八方都看不到任何东西，什么也没有。康罗伊太太怀疑她是否还在做梦。

一个声音从背后传来，康罗伊太太迅速转过身去，心跳开始加速。

一个身穿蓝条纹西服的高大英俊的男子走了过来。他的西服使她想起她的老板伯顿先生经常这样穿着。一个生意人跑到这么远的乡下来做什么？

男子微笑着说：“是的，康罗伊太太，我来接你，现在我们该走了。”

“我知道这肯定很令人费解，康罗伊太太。多数人起初都有这种感觉。但我们一起走，一切都会明朗起来。”他抓住了她的手臂，“好吧，”他亲切地说：“就跟我来吧。”

“不！我哪也不跟你去。为什么呀？我甚至不知道你是谁，”康罗伊太太说，他挣脱了男子，向后退了一步。

男子温和地笑着。“我只是个助理，康罗伊太太。”他说。

“好了，助理先生，一定是弄错了。我刚才睡着了，在公交车上停留的时间太长了。然后司机让我下车。他不肯带我一起回去！他讲了些关于制度的鬼话。我将给公司打电话举报他！”

“但他把我一个人丢在这里，”康罗伊太太说：“现在，天又晚了。我得回家做饭。他拒载，算什么公交司机？”

穿蓝西服的男子朝康罗伊太太走过来，又一次抓起她的手臂。他拍拍她的手，低头朝她笑笑。“你得原谅司机的粗鲁，康罗伊太太。他刚开始工作。但他在照章办事。你瞧，康罗伊太太，这是终点站。你不必担心回家做饭的事了，我们的的乘客都只做单程。”

Afternoon was Mrs.Conroy's favorite time of day. After a hard day at work, her eyes were tiredand her feet hurt. She enjoyed she took on the bus. Mrs. Conroy had madefriends with the bus driver, Mr. Angstrom. He always woke her up before herstop. She usually felt fresh as a daisy when she got off thebus.

But today wasdifferent. Mr. Angstrom wasn't driving. A small man in a wrinkled uniform satin the driver's seat.

"Where'sMr. Angstrom?" asked Mrs. Conroy, dropping her money into the box." Idon't know. Sick, I guess. I just work here, lady. Step to the rear." Mrs.Conroy hoped that Mr. Angstrom was all right. She didn't like this new driver.She decided not to sleep on the way home today. She didn't want to ask thisdriver to wake her. He didn't look like the type who'd want to do anyone afavor.

Mrs. Conroylooked out the window. It was a warm afternoon. Though she tried to keep hereyes open, the gentle rocking of the bus had a lulling effect. Within a fewminutes her eyes closed. Her head dropped to her shoulders. In spite ofherself, Mrs. Conroy fell fast asleep.

The nextthing Mrs. Conroy knew, a hand was on her shoulder. Someone was shaking herawake.

Mrs. Conroy blinkedand opened her eyes. The bus driver looked down at her. "I said, this isthe end of the line, lady. Time to get off the bus."

Mrs. Conroypeered out the window. "Where am I?" she asked. "I was supposedto get off at Essex Avenue."

"You're at thelast stop, lady. Come on, get off the bus. I have a schedule to keep to."

Mrs. Conroywas having trouble waking up. She staggered to her feet. The bus driver tookher arm and helped her down the aisle. As she stepped off the bus, she felt asense of panic. "Wait a minute," she said in a shrill voice."This isn't Essex Avenue.Where am I? How can I get home?"

"Cool off,lady. I told you, you're at the end of the line. We all make it here sooner orlater."

Mrs. Conroy watchedthe bus disappear down the road. She looked around and tried to figure out whatpart of the city she was in. Suddenly the sun seemed awfully bright.

Mrs.Conroy squinted. She didn't recognize this place. There were notrees around, no street signs, and no people. The city seemed to have endedmiles back. She couldn't get her bearings. There was nothing to see in anydirection. Nothing at all. Mrs. Conroy wondered if she were still dreaming.

The voice came frombehind her. Mrs. Conroy whirled around, her heart beating rapidly.

A tall, handsomeman in a blue pin-striped suit stepped forward. His suit reminded her of theone that her boss, Mr. Burton, always wore. What was a businessman doing so farout here in the country?

The man smiled."Yes, Mrs. Conroy. I've come to meet you. It's time to go now."

"I know itmust be very confusing, Mrs. Conroy. Most people seem to feel that way atfirst. But as we go along, everything will become quite clear." He tookher by the arm. "It's all right," he said kindly. "Just comewith me."

"No! I'mnot going anywhere with you. Why should I? I don't even know who you are,"Mrs. Conroy said. She pulled away from the man and stepped back.

"Well,Mr. Assistant, there must be some mistake. I just fell asleep and stayed on thebus too long. Then the driver made me get off. He wouldn't take me back withhim! He talked some nonsense about rules. I'm going to call the company andreport him!"

"But he leftme out here alone," Mrs. Conroy said. "Now it's getting late. I haveto get home and fix dinner. What kind of bus driver refuses to takepassengers?"

The man inthe blue suit stepped toward Mrs. Conroy and took her arm again. This time shedidn't resist. He patted her hand and smiled down at her. "You'll have toforgive the driver for being rude, Mrs. Conroy. He's new at the job. But he wasonly following orders. You see, Mrs. Conroy, this is the end of the line. Youdon't have to worry about getting home and fixing dinner. Our passengers onlygo one way."