Thief 小偷 （5）

　The wallet is a woman’s, fat with money and credit cards from places like Sak’s and Peck & Peck and Lord & Taylor, and it belongs to the blonde in the fur-trimmed coat—the blonde he has earlier seen in conversation with the criminal brunette. She, too, is breathless, as is the police man with her.

　　这只皮夹是一名妇女的，鼓鼓囊囊地装着钞票和像“萨克”、“佩克与佩克”、“洛德与泰勒”这种公司的信用卡。皮夹的主人是那个穿皮毛镶边外套的金发女人——他早先看到在和那个作贼的黑发女人交谈的金发女人。她也跑得气喘吁吁，像那个和她一同赶来的警察一样。

　　“That’s him,” the blonde girl says, “He lifted my billfold.”

　　“就是他，”金发女人说，“是他偷了我的皮夹。”

　　It occurs to the man that he cannot even prove his own identity to the policeman.

　　他突然想到，他甚至无法向警察证实自己的身份。

　　Two weeks later—the embarrassment and rage have diminished, the family lawyer has been paid, the confusion in his household has receded-the wallet turns up without explanation in one morning’s mail. It is intact, no money is missing, all the cards are in place. Though he is relieved, the man thinks that for the rest of his life he will feel guilty around policemen, and ashamed in the presence of women.

　　时隔两星期之后——他不再那样尴尬和恼怒，家庭律师的报酬已经支付，家里的风波也已经过去——他的钱夹在上午送来的邮件中意外地出现了，没有附任何解释。皮夹原封未动，钱一点也没少，所有的证卡都在。尽管松了口气，但他觉得，在自己今后的人生旅途中，他在警察旁边会感到内疚，在女人们面前会感到羞愧难当。