It is late on a slow Wednesday, when Herb seats the fat man at my station. This fat man is the fattest person I have ever seen, though he is neat-appearing and well-dressed enough. Good evening, I say. May I serve you?
那是一个漫长的周三的晚上，赫布带着一个胖男子坐在了我的服务台前。他是我见过的最胖的人，但他看上去很整洁，穿着也很得体。我对他说：晚上好，先生，很高兴为您效劳！
Rita, he was big, I mean, really BIG. Good evening, he says. Hello. I think we're ready to order, he says. He has this way of speaking—strange, and he makes a little puffing sound every so often. I think we will begin with a Caesar salad, he says. And then a bowl of soup with some extra bread and butter, if you please. Then the lamb chops, he says, and baked potato with sour cream. We'll see about dessert later. Thank you very much, he says, and hands me the menu.
丽塔，他是个庞然大物，我是说，他真是太胖了。他回答说：晚上好，我觉得，我们已经准备好点餐了。他说话的方式有点奇怪，几乎说出的每个字都带着喘气的声音。他继续说：先给我们来一份凯撒沙拉。再来一碗汤，还有一些面包和黄油，如果方便的话。他接着说：再来一份羊排，还有一份烤马铃薯，再配些酸奶油，最后再来份甜点。好了，就这些吧，非常感谢！说完把菜单递给了我。
I hurry away to the kitchen and turn in the order to Rudy, who takes it with a face. You know Rudy. Rudy is that way when he works. As I come out of the kitchen, Margo says to me: Who's your fat friend? He's really a fatty. Now that's part of it. I think that is really part of it.
我赶快离开服务台来到厨房，把点餐单交给了鲁迪。鲁迪接过点餐单时做了个鬼脸。你了解鲁迪的。鲁迪工作的时候就是这个样子。我正要走出厨房时，玛戈对我说：你的那个胖朋友是谁啊？他真是太胖了。当时我就觉得后面还会发生更精彩的故事，我真的是这么想的。
I put the bread and butter onto his table, and he immediately starts buttering pieces of bread. I am so keyed up or something, I knock over his glass of water. I'm so sorry, I say. Are you all right? It's nothing, he says. It's all right he says, and he puffs. Don't worry about it. He smiles. When I come back to serve the salad, I see the fat man has eaten all his bread and butter.
我把面包和黄油放在他的桌子上后，他立即就开始在面包片上涂抹黄油。我可能是有点儿激动过度了，把他的水打翻了。我连忙说：非常抱歉，您没事儿吧？他说：没事，没关系的。话音里夹杂着喘气声。他继续微笑着说：别担心，没事的。当我回到厨房取来沙拉给他送去时，我看到这个胖男人已经把面包和黄油吃光了。
A little later, when I bring him more bread, he has finished his salad. You know the size of those Caesar salads? You're very kind, he says. We don't often enjoy bread like this, he says. Where are you from? I ask him. I don't believe I've seen you before, I say. Denver, he says. I don't say anything more on the subject, though I am curious. Your soup will be along in a few minutes, sir, I say, and leave.
过了一会儿，当我从厨房又给他取来些面包时，他已经把沙拉吃光了。你知道凯撒沙拉是多大一份吧？他说：您的服务真周到。我们并不总是这样吃面包的。我问他：您是哪里人？我们之前应该没见过。他回答说：丹佛。虽然我很好奇，但我还是没再继续这个话题。我说：先生，您的汤还得稍等几分钟。说完我便离开了。
When I serve his soup, I see the bread has disappeared again. He is just putting the last piece of bread into his mouth. Believe me, he says, we don't eat like this all the time. You'll have to excuse us, he says. Don't think a thing about it, please, I say. I like to see a man eat and enjoy himself, I say. I don't know, he says. And puffs. He arranges the napkin. Then he picks up his spoon.
当我给他上汤时，我发现刚刚上的面包又消失了。他刚好正把最后一片面包塞进嘴里。他说：相信我，我们并不是每次都这样吃东西的。请原谅我们的失礼。我回答说：请不要这么客气。我喜欢看人们享受美味。他说：我也不知道我为什么会吃这么多。他边说边喘着气，并用餐巾纸擦了擦嘴角，然后拿起了勺子。
God, he's fat! Says Leander. He can't help it, I say, so shut up. I put down another basket of bread and more butter on his table. How was the soup? I say. Thank you. Good, he says. Very good, he says. He wipes his lips and dabs his chin. Do you think it's warm in here, or is it just me? he says. No, it is warm in here, I say. Maybe we'll take off our coat, he says. Go right ahead, I say. A person has to be comfortable, I say. That's true, he says, that is very, very true, he says. But I see a little later that he is still wearing his coat.
利安德说：天啊，他太胖了！我说：他自己也没办法，所以别说了。我又在他的桌子上放了一篮子面包和一些黄油。我对他说：汤的味道还可以吧？他回答说：谢谢，很好，好极了。他用餐巾纸擦了擦嘴唇和下巴，然后继续说道：您觉得这里热吗？还是只有我觉得有点儿热？我说：不，这里的确有点儿热。他说：也许我们需要脱掉外套。我说：您请便。我们希望每位客人都能够在这里舒适地进餐。他说：有道理，非常非常有道理。但，过了一会儿，我再次到他时他仍然穿着外套。
The place is emptying out. By the time I serve the fat man his chops and baked potato, along with more bread and butter, he is the only one left. Is everything all right? I say. Fine, he says, and he puffs. Excellent, thank you, he says, and puffs again. Enjoy your dinner, I say, and walk to the kitchen. How is old tub-of-guts doing? He's going to run your legs off, says Harriet. You know Harriet.
餐厅的人越来越少。当我为那个胖子上羊排和烤马铃薯，以及又一份面包和黄油时，餐厅里就只剩下他一位客人了。我问道：您用餐用的还好吧？他回答说：很好。话音里依旧夹杂着喘气声。他继续说：非常好，谢谢。喘气声仍在继续。我说：祝您用餐愉快！然后我回到了厨房。哈里特问道：那个饭桶还在吃啊？他都快让你跑断腿了。你了解哈里特的。
For dessert, I say to the fat man, there is the Green Lantern Special, which is a pudding cake with sauce, or there is cheesecake or vanilla ice cream or pineapple sherbet. We're not making you late, are we? He says, puffing and looking concerned. Not at all, I say. We'll be honest with you, he says. We would like the Special, but we may have a dish of vanilla ice cream as well. With just a drop of chocolate syrup, if you please. We told you we were hungry, he says. I go off to the kitchen to see after his dessert myself, and Rudy says: Harriet says you got a fat man from the circus out there. That true? Rudy, he is fat, I say, but that is not the whole story. Rudy just laughs at his own joke.
饭后甜点，我给那个胖子推荐了今日特别推荐的绿灯侠（一种带沙司的布丁蛋糕）、芝士蛋糕、香草冰淇淋和菠萝果子露，让他任选其一。他说：我们不会耽误您下班吧？话音里夹杂着喘气声，同时面露担心的神情。我说：绝对不会的。他说：那就不跟您客气了。我们想要份特别推荐的甜点，但我们还想要一盘香草冰淇淋，上面只放一滴巧克力酱就好，如果方便的话。他说：我们刚刚告诉过您，我们饿坏了。我走到厨房亲自为他准备甜点。鲁迪说：哈里特说你正在招待一个从马戏团跑出来的胖子，真的吗？我说：鲁迪，他是很胖，但这并不是故事的全部。鲁迪只顾得被自己说的笑话逗得大笑着。
I put the Special in front of the fat man and a big bowl of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup to the side. Thank you, he says. You are very welcome, I say—and a feeling comes over me. Believe it or not, he says, we have not always eaten like this. If we had our choice, never. But there is no choice. Then he picks up his spoon and eats. This story's getting interesting now, Rita says while lighting one of my cigarettes and pulling her chair closer to the table.
我把特别推荐的甜点放在那个胖子面前，并把一大碗带巧克力酱的香草冰淇淋放在一边。他说：谢谢。我说：您太客气了——内心一种感觉油然而生。他说：信不信由您，我们并非总是这样吃东西。如果有选择的话，我们绝对不会这样的。但我们别无选择。然后，他拿起勺子开吃了。丽塔插话说：这故事变得越来越有趣了。边说边给我点了支香烟，并把她的椅子向桌子方向移了移。
That's it. Nothing else. He eats his desserts, and then he leaves and then we go home, Rudy and me. Some fatty, Rudy says, stretching like he does when he's tired. The he laughs and starts watching the TV. I take a shower. I put my hand on my middle and wonder what would happen if I had children and one of them turned out to look like that, so fat.
但这就是全部故事了。他吃完了甜点就离开了，然后鲁迪和我也回家了。鲁迪说：有些胖子就像他一样，累了就会伸懒腰。然后，他大笑着开始看电视。我冲了个澡。随后，插着腰开始浮想联翩：如果我将来有了孩子，并且其中一个孩子变成那么胖，那该怎么办啊？
As if he's been thinking about it, Rudy says, I knew a fat guy once, a couple of fat guys, really fat guys, when I was a kid. They were tubbies! I don't remember their names. Fat, that's the only name this one kid had. We only called him Fat. The other kid came along later. His name was Wobbly. Everybody called him Wobbly except the teachers. Wobbly and Fat. Wish I had their picture, Rudy says. I can't think of anything to say.
鲁迪似乎也在思考着这个问题，突然对我说：我小时候认识一个胖子，不，是一对胖子，他们真是太胖了，胖得像水桶一样！我甚至不记得他们的名字了。这种胖孩子只有一个名字——胖子。我们只管他们叫“胖子”。后来班里又来了一个名叫“胖墩”的男孩。除了老师以外，每个人都叫他“胖墩”。我真希望能有他们的照片。除了这个，我真不知道该怎么评价他们了。
In bed, I suddenly feel that I am fat! I feel I am terrifically fat, so fat that other fat people are nothing compared to me! That's a funny story, Rita says, but I can see she doesn't know what to make of it. I feel depressed. But I won't go into it with her. I've already told her too much. She sits there waiting, waiting for what? I'd like to know. It is August. My life is going to change. I feel it.
在床上，我突然觉得我很胖！觉得我胖得不得了，甚至其他胖子在我面前都不值得一提！ 丽塔说：这真是个有趣的故事。但我可以看出她并没有完全听懂我的故事。我感到有些沮丧。但我不想对她说。我已经对她说得太多。她坐在那儿等着。她在等什么呢？我很想知道。这时是八月。我的生活即将改变。我能感觉到。