Ileen was of the opinion， also， that Boston is more cultured than Chicago， that Rosa Bonheur was one of the greatest of women painters， that Westerners are more spontaneousspontaneous adj.自发的， 自然产生的 and openhearted than Easterners， that London must be a very foggy city， and that California must be quite lovely in the springtimespringtime n.春天， 春季. And of many other opinions indicating a keeping up with the worlds best thought.
艾琳还认为，波士顿的文化修养高于芝加哥，罗莎·都乌尔是最伟大的女画家之一西部人比东部人开朗坦率。伦敦准是一个多雾的城市，春天的加利福尼亚一定很美。她还有许多别的见解，表明她绝不落后于世界上最优秀的思想。
These， however， were but gleaned from hearsayhearsay n.谣言， 传闻， 道听途说 adj.传闻的 and evidence， Ileen had theories of her own. One， in particular， she disseminated to us untiringly. Flattery she detested. Frankness and honesty of speech and action， she declared， were the chief mental ornamentsornament n.装饰物， 教堂用品 vt.装饰， 修饰 of man and woman. If ever she could like any one， it would be for those qualities.
不过，这些都只是从道听途说和明显的事实中拉来的，艾琳还有她自己的理论。其中有一条，她尤其不厌其烦地向我们传播，这就是她讨厌恭维。她声明，言行的坦率和诚实是男人和女人心灵上主要的光辉。假如她喜欢任何人的话，就因为那个人具有这种品质。
“Im awfully weary，” she said， one evening， when we three musketeersmusketeer n.持步枪的士兵， 步兵 of the mesquite were in the little parlor， “of having compliments on my looks paid to me. I know Im not beautiful.”
“人们老是赞美我的外貌，”有一晚，我们三个牧豆树下的火枪手在小客厅里时，艾琳说道，“真叫我腻味。我知道自己并不美。”
(Bud Cunningham told me afterward that it was all he could do to keep from calling her a liarliar n.(惯于)说谎者 when she said that.)
（巴德·坎宁安后来告诉我，她说这话的时候，他好不容易才忍住没有说她言不由衷。）
“Im only a little MiddleWestern girl，” went on Ileen， “who justs wants to be simple and neat， and tries to help her father make a humble living.”
“我只不过是个中西部的小姑娘，”艾琳接着说，“只求简单朴素地生活，帮着爸爸糊口谋生。”
(Old Man Hinkle was shipping a thousand silver dollars a month， clear profit， to a bank in San Antonio.)
（欣克尔老头每月要运出一千元现大洋的净利，存在圣安东尼奥的一家银行里。）
Bud twisted around in his chair and bent the rim of his hat， from which he could never be persuaded to separate. He did not know whether she wanted what she said she wanted or what she knew she deserved. Many a wiser man has hesitated at deciding. Bud decided..
巴德坐在椅子上不踏实地扭来扭去，不停地窝着帽檐；这顶帽子他任什么场合都不肯脱手。他拿不准她要听的究竟是她口头上所说的她爱听的那种话，还是她心里明知道她应当得到的恭维话。许多比他更聪明的人在作出决定时都犹豫过。巴德终于作出了决定。
“Why—ah， Miss Ileen， beauty， as you might say， aint everything. Not sayin that you havent your share of good looks， I always admired more than anything else about you the nice， kind way you treat your ma and pa. Any one whats good to their parents and is a kind of homebody dont specially need to be too pretty.”
“呃——哈，艾琳小姐，正如你会说的，美并不是一切。我不是说你长得不漂亮，不过你待你爷爷奶奶的那份温顺厚道一向使我比对什么都更为钦佩。一个人待父母好，又顾家，不一定要长得太漂亮。”
Ileen gave him one of her sweetest smiles. “Thank you， Mr. Cunningham.” she said， “I consider that one of the finest complimentscompliment n.称赞， 恭维， 致意， 问候， 道贺 vt.称赞， 褒扬， 恭维 Ive had in a long time. Id so much rather hear you say that than to hear you talk about my eyes and hair. Im glad you believe me when I say I dont like flattery.”
艾琳给了他一个最甜蜜的微笑。“谢谢你，坎宁安先生。”她说。“我认为这是我长久以来所听到的最好的夸奖之一。我宁愿多听这种活，而不愿意听你夸我的眼睛和头发。我说我不喜欢别人恭维我，你信了我的话，真使我高兴。”
Our cue was there for us. Bud had made a good guess. You couldnt lose Jacks. He chimed in next.
我们已经得到了暗示。巴德猜准了。杰克斯当然不会错过机会。他马上凑了上去。
“Sure thing， Miss Ileen，” he said， “the goodlookers dont always win out. Now， you aint bad looking， of course—but thats nixcumrous. I knew a girl once in Dubuque with a face like a cocoanutcocoanut n.可可，可可豆， who could skin the cat twice on a horizontal bar without changing hands. Now， a girl might have the California peach crop mashed to a marmalademarmalade n.橘子或柠檬等水果制成的果酱 and not be able to do that. Ive seen—er—worse lookers than you， Miss Ileen， but what I like about you is the business way youve got of doing things. Cool and wise—thats the winning way for a girl. Mr. Hinkle told me the other day youd never taken in a lead silver dollar or a plugged one since youve been on the job. Now， thats the stuff for a girl—thats what catches me.”
“确实是这样，艾琳小姐，”他说，“漂亮的人并不是事事都行。当然，你并不难看——不过那毫不相干。我在杜布克见过一个姑娘，脸长得像椰子似的，可她在单杠上可以不换手，连续做两次悬垂穿腿后翻成后悬垂。尽管有长得羞花闭月的姑娘，这一手却不在行。我见过——呃——长相比你难看的人，艾琳小姐，但是我喜欢的是你做事有条有理。冷静和聪明——这是女孩子讨人喜欢的品质。那天欣克尔先生告诉我说，你干这份工作以来从没有收进一块铝大洋或是一块哑板。女孩子就该这样——那才是叫我喜欢的地方。”
Jacks got his smile， too.
杰克斯也得到了一个微笑。
“Thank you， Mr. Jacks，” said Ileen， “If you only knew how I appreciateappreciate vt.赏识， 鉴赏， 感激 vi.增值， 涨价 any ones being candid and not a flatterer！ I get so tired of people telling me Im pretty. I think it is the loveliest thing to have friends who tell you the truth.”
“谢谢你，杰克斯先生，”艾琳说，“你真该知道我多么欣赏有啥说啥，不爱恭维的人！人们老是说我长得好，真叫我厌烦。我认为有几个讲实话的朋友是再好不过的事了．”
Then I thought I saw an expectant look on Ileens face as she glanced toward me. I had a wild， sudden impulseimpulse n.推动， 刺激， 冲动， 推动力 vt.推动 to dare fate， and tell her of all the beautiful handiwork of the Great Artificer she was the most exquisite—that she was a flawless pearl gleaming pure and serene in a setting of black mud and emerald prairies—that she was—a—a corker， and as for mine， I cared not if she were as crtiel as a serpents tooth to her fond parents， or if she couldnt tell a plugged dollar from a bridle buckle， if I might sing， chantchant n.圣歌， praise， glorify， and worshipworship n.崇拜， 礼拜， 尊敬 vi.敬神， 拜神 vt.崇拜， 尊敬 her peerless and wonderful beauty.
这时候，艾琳朝我瞟了一眼，我觉得她脸上有一种期待的神情。我突然有一种难以抑制的冲动，要向命运挑战，对她说在伟大的造物主所有美妙的产品中，她是最秀丽的——她是一颗毫无瑕疵的明珠，在黑泥和葱翠草原的背景下散发着纯洁恬静的光芒——她是——她是天生尤物，就我而言，我才不管她是不是像蛇那样残忍地对待父母，也不管她是不是能辨认哑板大洋和马笼头上的搭扣，我只要能够歌颂、赞美。膜拜她那无与伦比的美丽就心满意足了。
But I refrained. I feared the fate of a flatterer. I had witnessed her delight at the craftycrafty adj.狡诈的， 诡计多端的， 善于骗人的 and discreetdiscreet adj.小心的， 慎重的， 有思虑的， 贤明的 words of Bud and Jacks. No！ Miss Hinkle was not one to be beguiled by the platedsilver tongue of a flatterer. So I joined the ranks of the candid and honest. At once I became mendaciousmendacious adj.虚假的， 说谎的 and didacticdidactic adj.教诲的，说教的.
但是我忍住没说。我害怕遭受奉承者的命运。我亲眼看到她听了巴德和杰克斯那巧妙而得体的话之后的高兴劲儿。不！欣克尔小姐不是奉承者的如簧之舌所能哄骗的。因此我也加入了老实人的队伍。我立即换了虚假的说教口吻。
“In all ages， Miss Hinkle，” said I， “in spite of the poetry and romance of each， intellect in woman has been admired more than beauty. Even in Cleopatra， herself， men found more charm in her queenly mind than in her looks.”
“古往今来，欣克尔小姐，”我说，“不管每个时代的诗歌和传奇怎么说，女性的智慧始终比她的美貌更能博得人们的倾慕。即使在克里奥帕特拉身上，男人们发现她那女皇的智慧比她的容颜具有更大的勉力。”