Why Don't We Complain?
It was the very last coach and the only empty seat on the entire train， so there was no turning back. The problem was to breathe. Outside the temperature was below freezing. Inside the railroad car the temperature must have been about 85 degrees. I took off my overcoat， and a few minutes later my jacket， and noticed that the car was flecked （饰以斑点） with the white shirts of the passengers. I soon found my hand moving to loosen my tie. From one end of the car to the other， as we rattled through Westchester Country， we sweated； but we did not moan. 这是整列火车最后一节车厢中唯一的一个空位子，所以也不必再掉头去找了。问题是这里让人透不过气。外面的气温在冰点以下，而火车车厢里的温度一定有85度左右。我脱掉了大衣，几分钟后又脱掉了外套，并且我注意到车厢里望去星星点点的都是乘客们的白衬衫。不久我就发现我的手开始在松领带了。在火车哐啷哐啷地行进在威彻斯特县的时候，从车厢的一头到另一头，我们全都汗水淋漓，但我们没有吭声。
I watched the train conductor appear at the head of the car. \， all tickets， please！\（雄壮的）age， I thought， the passengers would seize the conductor and strap him down on a seat over the radiator （暖气片）to share the fate of his patrons. He shuffled down the aisle， picking up tickets， punching commutation cards. No one addressed a word to him. He approached my seat， and I drew a deep breath of resolution. \，\my voice……Instantly the doleful （消沉的）eyes of my seatmate turned tiredly from his newspaper to fix me with a resentful stare： what question could be so important as to justify my sibilant intrusion into his stupor（麻木不仁）？ I was shaken by those eyes. I am incapable of making a discreet fuss， so I mumbled a question about what time we were due in Stamford （I didn't even ask whether it would be before or after dehydration could be expected to set in）， got my reply， and went back to my newspaper and to wiping my brow.
我看到乘务员在车厢的头里出现了。―查票了，全都把票拿出来！‖我想，若是在一个更有男儿气概的时代，乘客们准会抓住乘务员，把他捆在暖气片上方的座位上，让他也尝尝乘客们受的苦。他慢吞吞地沿着过道走着，验着票，在长期车票上打着洞。没有一个人跟他说一句话，他来到了我的座位边，我深呼吸做了决定。―乘务员‖，我用勉强可以听到的声音开口说道。马上，我的同座从报纸间懒懒的抬起阴沉的眼，向我投来懊怒的一望：有什么问题那么重要，值得我用颤巍巍的声音扰了他的入定呢？我在这目光中动摇了，我连稍有条理的瞎拉上几句也做不到了，于是只好咕哝着问了下什么时候能到斯坦福德县（我甚至没问那是在可以预期发生的脱水之前还是之后）得到回答后，我就一边抹着额头的汗，一边重新看我的报纸。
The conductor had nonchalantly （冷漠地）walked down the gauntlet （夹击）of eighty sweating American freemen， and not one of them had asked him to explain why the passengers in that car had been consigned to suffer. There is nothing to be done when the temperature outdoors is 85 degrees， and indoors the air conditioner has broken down； obviously when that happens there is nothing to do， except perhaps curse the day that one was born. But when the temperature outdoors is below freezing， it takes a positive act of will on somebody's part to set the temperature
indoors at 85. Somewhere a valve （阀门）was turned too far， a furnace overstocked， a thermostat maladjusted： something that could easily be remedied by turning off the heat and allowing the great outdoors to come indoors. All this is so obvious. What is not obvious is what has happened to the American people.
乘务员毫不关心地走过他身边这八十个流着汗的自由的美国人，他们之中竟然没有一个要求他解释为什么那节车厢的乘客得经受如此的折磨。如果外面温度是85度，而里面的空调又坏了的话，那没办法；显然当那样的事情发生的时候人们是束手无策的，除了或许可以咒骂生不逢时。但当外面的温度在冰点以下，把室内的温度调到85度，则肯定是人的意愿能控制的范围之内的事。哪儿有个阀门开的太大了，哪个炉子烧的太旺了，或是哪个调温器没调好：总之这些毛病都可以通过把暖气关掉，把外面的空气放进车厢里来轻易地予以纠正。这一切都是如此的显而易见。让人不明白的是发生在美国人身上的事。
It isn't just the commuters， whom we have come to visualize as a supine breed who have got on to the trick of suspending （暂时不起作用）their sensory faculties twice a day while they submit to the creeping dissolution （瓦解）of the railroad industry. It isn't just they who have given up trying to rectify （纠正）irrational vexations. It is the American people everywhere. 不光乘车往返的人是这样的。虽然我们看到的乘车族好像是怠惰的一群，当他们不得不一天两次路上火车忍受缓慢的旅程时，他们已经学会暂停身上的感觉器官了，不只是他们已经放弃试图纠正令他们烦恼的不合理现像。哪儿的美国人都是一样的。
A few weeks ago at a large movie theatre I turned to my wife and said， \is out of focus.\，\the point again， with mounting impatience. \，\apprehensively. （She would rather lose her eyesight than be around when I make one of my infrequent scenes.） I waited. It was just out of focus —— not glaringly out， but out. My vision is 20-20， and I assume that is the vision， adjusted， of most people in the movie house. So， after hectoring my wife throughout the first reel， I finally prevailed upon her to admit that it was off， and very annoying. We then settled down， coming to rest on the presumption that： a） someone connected with the management of the theatre must soon notice the blur and make the correction； or b） that someone seated near the rear of the house would make the complaint in behalf of those of us up front； or c） that —— any minute now —— the entire house would explode into catcalls and foot stamping， calling dramatic attention to the irksome （讨厌的）distortion.
几星期以前在一家大电影院里，，我扭头对我妻子说：―片子没对好焦此距。‖―别说话。‖，她这样回答我。我遵命了，但几分钟以后越来越失去耐心的我提出再次提出了这一观点。―马上就会变好的。―她善解人意地说道。(她情愿把眼睛看坏也不愿在我很难得地发一次脾气的时候把脸转过来。)我等着。片确实没对准焦——偏得不算太离谱，可确实偏了。我的视力是20-20，我想那也是电影院里大多数观众的视力，包括矫正后的。因此，在折磨了我妻子整整第一卷片子之后，我终于使她承认片子没对准焦距，而且这是让人很不舒服的。我们然后平静下来，期待出现以下的可能性:l)某个电影院的管理人员不久就注意到画面的模糊并作出改正；或2)某个坐在电影院后排的人会帮我们这些坐在前面的人来艳怨一下；
或3)一现在随时都行了一整个电影院会爆发出倒彩声和踩脚声，以唤起对画面可恶的变形的足够注意。
What happened was nothing. The movie ended， as it had begun just out of focus， and we trooped out， we stretched our faces in a variety of contortions to accustom the eye to the shock of normal focus. 可什么都没有发生。电影直到结束都和开始时一样没对准焦。当我们这一大群人步出电影院时，我们做着各种面目扭曲的表情以适应正常的焦距对我们眼睛的冲击。
I think it is safe to say that everybody suffered on that occasion. And I think it is safe to assume that everyone was expecting someone else to take the initiative in going back to speak to the manager. And it is probably true even that if we had supposed the movie would run right through the blurred image， someone surely would have summoned up the purposive indignation to get up out of his seat and file his complaint.
我想如果说人人都在那种场合里道了罪应该不会错的，认为每个人都在期待着别人先出头跑到后面去跟经理说也是不会错的。这样的想法或许足有道理的，即就算我们预计到影片会这么模模糊糊地一直放下去，也肯定会有别的某个人会实在气不过，从而起身离座发表他的怨言。
But notice that no one did. And the reason no one did is because we are all increasingly anxious in America to be unobtrusive（不引人注目）， we are reluctant to make our voices heard， hesitant about claiming our right； we are afraid that our cause is unjust， or that if it is not unjust， that it is ambiguous； or if not even that， that it is too trivial to justify the horrors of a confrontation with Authority； we will sit in an oven or endure a racking headache before undertaking a head-on， I'm-here-to-tell-you complaint. That tendency to passive compliance， to a heedless endurance， is something to keep one's eyes on —— in sharp focus. 但是请注意没有一个人这样做。之所以没人这样做是因为我们在美国越来越相信少说为妙，我们不愿意别人听见我们的声音，在要求获得自己的权益时犹豫不决；我们生怕自己的理由是不正当的，或即便它是正当的，也提得不够明确；或即使够明确了，又嫌它太琐碎，不值得为之承受直面权威所引起的恐惧，在我们敢于正面地、用―我现在告诉你‖的口气进行抱怨之前，我们会坐在炉子上或忍受折磨人的头痛。这种消极地屈从和不在乎地忍受的倾向是我们必须注意到，并予以深究的。
I myself can occasionally summon the courage to complain， but I cannot， as I have intimated， complain softly. My own instinct is so strong to let the thing ride， to forget about it —— to expect that someone will take the matter up， when the grievance （不满） is collective， in my behalf —— that it is only when the provocation is at a very special key， whose vibrations touch simultaneously a complex of nerves， allergies（反感）， and passions， that I catch fire and find the reserves of courage and assertiveness to speak up. When that happens， I get quite carried away. My blood gets hot， my brow wet， I become unbearably and unconscionably sarcastic and bellicose； I am girded for a total showdown（摊牌）。 我有时候会有足够的勇气去抱怨，但如同我明白表示过的那样，我不会柔声细气地抱怨。我的直觉十分强烈，我不会让事情就这么算了，让自己忘了它——或在
有人和我一同受到委屈时指望别人来替我出头——只要刺激到了某一个特殊的点，由这一点引起的震动同时激起了我的勇气、厌恶和激情，这时我就会发火，并找到我储备的勇气和自信来开口。这种事发生时，我会有点不能自已。我会热血沸腾，额头冒汗，变得让人难以忍受地、过度地爱挖苦人和好斗；并摆开了和人一争到底的架势。
Why should that be？ Why could not I （or anyone else） on that railroad coach have said simply to the conductor， \—— I take that back： that sounds sarcastic —— \， would you be good enough to turn down the heat？ I am extremely hot. In fact， I tend to get hot every time the temperature reaches 85 degr —— \that last sentence. Just end it with the simple statement that you are extremely hot， and let the conductor infer the cause.
为什么要那样呢?为什么我(或随便哪个别人)在那节火车车厢中不直截了当地对乘务员说，―先生‖—我收回:这听上去有点讽刺—―乘务员，能否请您好心把暖气开低一点?我感到太热了。事实上，我每次在温度达到85度的时候都会感觉到热‖—删去最后一句，就在简简单单地说―太热了‖的时候结束，让乘务员去推出原因。
Every New Year's Eve I resolve to do something about the Milquetoast in me and vow to speak up， calmly， for my rights， and for the betterment of our society， on every appropriate occasion. Entering last New Year's Eve I was fortified in my resolve because that morning at breakfast I had had to ask the Waitress three times for a glass of milk. She finally brought it —— after I had finished my eggs， which is when I don't want it any more. I did not have the manliness to order her to take the milk back， but settled instead for a cowardly sulk（生气）， and ostentatiously（显眼地） refused to drink the milk —— though I later paid for it —— rather than state plainly to the hostess， as I should have， why I had not drunk it， and would not pay for it.
每个元旦，我都下决心要对付在我体内的那个胆小鬼，并发誓在每个合适的场合要平静地开口去说，既为了维护自己的权利，也为了改善社会。在去年元旦的时候我的决心更加强了，因为那天早上在吃早餐的时候我为了要一杯牛奶不得不跟女侍应说了三遍。她最终把牛奶拿来了—但那是时我已经吃完鸡蛋了，也就是说我已经不想再喝牛奶了。我没有勇气让她把牛奶拿回去，而是代之以一种懦夫式的不快，并娇情地拒绝喝下牛奶—尽管我后来还是付了牛奶钱—而不是像我应该做的那样，简单明了地告诉女侍应我为什么不喝，并且不付牛奶钱。
So by the time the New Year ushered out the Old， riding in on my morning's indignation and stimulated by the gastric juices of resolution that flow so faithfully on New Year's Eve， I rendered （表示）my vow. Henceforward I would conquer my shyness， my despicable disposition to supineness（苟安）。 I would speak out like a man against the unnecessary annoyances of our time. 于是就在元旦辞别了旧岁，乘着我早晨的怒气来到我身边时，受着元旦前夜大快朵颐时的决心的驱策，我立下了我的誓言。自此以后我要战胜我的羞祛和多一事不如少一事的可那心态。对于不该我们承受的可厌之事。我要像真正的男人出言相争。
Forty-eight hours later， I was standing in line at the ski repair store in Pico Peak， Vermont. All I needed， to get on with my skiing， was the loan， for one minute，
of a small screwdriver， to tighten a loose binding. Behind the counter in the workshop were two men. One was industriously engaged in servicing the complicated requirements of a young lady at the head of the line， and obviously he would be tied up for quite a while. The other —— \，\—— was a middle-aged man， who sat in a chair puffing a pipe， exchanging small talk with his working partner. My pulse began its telltale acceleration. The minutes ticked on. I stared at the idle shopkeeper， hoping to shame him into action， but he was impervious to my telepathic reproof （责备） and continued his small talk with his friend， brazenly insensitive to the nervous demands of six good men who were raring to ski.
四十八小时之后，我在佛蒙特州皮科峰的滑雪用具修理店里排队。我所需要的只是借一把小小的螺丝刀，把一个连接处的螺丝紧一紧，这样我就能滑雪了。修理店的拒台后面有两个男人。一位正在忙得不亦乐乎地为排在头里的一位年轻女士服务，，满足她提出的复杂要求。很明显，他一时半会儿脱不开身，另一位一一他的同事管他叫―吉格—是一位中年人，他正坐在椅子里拿着烟斗喷云吐雾，不时和他的伙伴聊上几句。我的脉搏加快了，宛如在向我搬弄着是非。一分钟又一分钟滴答滴答着流逝了。我瞪着无所事事的店主，希望能让他因感到羞愧而起身干活，但他对我用心灵感应发出的谴责无动于衷，仍然继续着和朋友的谈天，厚颜无耻地漠视六个急切想要滑雪的好人的不安要求。
Suddenly my New Year's Eve resolution struck me. It was now or never. I broke from my place in line and marched to the counter. I was going to control myself. I dug my nails into my palms. My effort was only partially successful.
突然间我想到了我的新年决心，此时不为，更待何时?我从队伍里走了出来，来到了柜台前，我把拳头握得紧紧的，想要控制住自己。但我的努力只部分达到了目的。
\，\， \？\
―如果你不太忙的话，‖我冷冰冰地说道，―能否请你给我递一把螺丝刀?‖
Work stopped and everyone turned his eyes on me， and I experienced that mortification （耻辱）I always feel when I am the center of centripetal shafts of curiosity， resentment， perplexity（困惑）。
忙着的活停了下来，所有人都把眼光转向我，我感受到了一种熟悉的屈辱，这是每次我成为人们好奇、怨恨或疑惑的中心时，我都能感受到的。
But the worst was yet to come. \， sir，\， moving the pipe from his mouth. \That was the signal for a great whirring noise that descended from heaven. We looked， stricken， out the window， and it appeared as though a cyclone had suddenly focused on the snowy courtyard between the shop and the ski lift. Suddenly a gigantic army helicopter materialized， and hovered down to a landing. Two men jumped out of the plane carrying a stretcher tore into the ski shop， and lifted the shopkeeper onto the stretcher. Jiggs bade his companion goodbye， was whisked out the door， into the plane， up to the heavens， down —— we learned —— to a near-by army hospital. I looked up manfully —— into a score of man-eating eyes. I put the experience down as a reversal.