做工的人，傍午傍晚散了工，每每花四文铜钱，买一碗酒，——这是二十多年前的事，现在每碗要涨到十文，——靠柜外站着，热热的喝了休息；倘肯多花一文，便可以买一碟盐煮笋，或者茴香豆，做下酒物了，如果出到十几文，那就能买一样荤菜，但这些顾客，多是短衣帮，大抵没有这样阔绰。
When men come off work at midday and in the evening they buy a bowl of wine; it cost four coppers twenty years ago; but now it costs ten.
Standing beside the counter, they drink it warm and relax.
Another copper will buy a plate of salted bamboo shoots or peas flavoured with aniseed to go with the wine, while for a dozen coppers you can buy a meat dish.
But most of these customers belong to the short-coated class, few of whom can afford this.
只有穿长衫的，才踱进店面隔壁的房子里，要酒要菜，慢慢地坐喝。
Only those in long gowns enter the adjacenet room to order wine and dishes and sit and drink at leisure.
我从十二岁起，便在镇口的咸亨酒店里当伙计，掌柜说，样子太傻，怕侍候不了长衫主顾，就在外面做点事罢。
At the age of twelve I started work as a waiter in Prosperity Tavern at the entrance to the town.
The tavern keeper said I looked too foolish to serve long-gowned customers, so I was given work in the outer room.
外面的短衣主顾，虽然容易说话，但唠唠叨叨缠夹不清的也很不少。
Although the short-coated customers there were more easily pleased, there were quite a few trouble makers among them too.
他们往往要亲眼看着黄酒从坛子里舀出，看过壶子底里有水没有，又亲看将壶子放在热水里，然后放心：在这严重兼督下，羼水也很为难。
They would insist on watching with their own eyes as the yellow wine was ladled from the keg, looking to see if there were any water at the bottom of the wine-pot, and inspecting for themselves the immersion of the pot in hot water.
Under such keen scrutiny, it is very difficult to dilute the wine.
所以过了几天，掌柜又说我干不了这事。
and after a few days, the manager retired me from this line of work, too.
幸亏荐头的情面大，辞退不得，便改为专管温酒的一种无聊职务了。
Fortunately I had been recommended by someone influential, so he could not dismiss me, and I was transferred to the dull work of warming wine.
我从此便整天的站在柜台里，专管我的职务。
All day, every day I spent behind the bar, devoting myself to this task –
虽然没有什么失职，但总觉得有些单调，有些无聊。
Though I performed my assigned task to the best of my ability, it was downright monotonous.
掌柜是一副凶脸孔，主顾也没有好声气，教人活泼不得；只有孔乙己到店，才可以笑几声，所以至今还记得。
And what with the stern face of the boss and the unfriendliness of the customers, I was never able to loosen up.
The only time I could relax a bit, and even have a laugh or two, was when Kong Yiji came around.
And that's why I still remember him even now.
孔乙己是站着喝酒而穿长衫的唯一的人。
Kong Yiji was the only long-gowned drinker who took his wine standing up.
他身材很高大；青白脸色，皱纹间时常夹些伤痕；一部乱蓬蓬的花白的胡子。
He was a big man ,strangely pallid with scars that often showed among the wrinkles of his face.
He had a large, unkempt beard streaked with white.
穿的虽然是长衫，可是又脏又破，似乎十多年没有补，也没有洗。
Although he wore a long gown it was dirty and tattered and looked as if it had not been washed or mended for over ten years.
因为他姓孔，别人便从描红纸⑵上的“上大人孔乙己”这半懂不懂的话里，替他取下一个绰号，叫作孔乙己。
Because his family name was Kong, people nicknamed him Yiji.
They got the idea from the first six words of a copybook that was used in teaching children how to write characters: ABOVE-GREAT-MAN-KONG-YI-JI, a string of words whose meaning you could half make out, and half couldn't.
孔乙己一到店，所有喝酒的人便都看着他笑，有的叫道，“孔乙己，你脸上又添上新伤疤了！”
Whenever he came into the shop, everyone there would look at him and chuckle.
And someone would call out:“Kung I-chi!
There are some fresh scars on your face!”
他不回答，对柜里说，“温两碗酒，要一碟茴香豆。”
Ignoring this remark, Kung would come to the counter to order two bowls of heated wine with a dish of peas flavored with aniseed.
便排出九文大钱。
For this he produced nine coppers.
他们又故意的高声嚷道，“你一定又偷了人家的东西了！”
Someone else would out, in deliberately loud tones:“You must have been stealing again!”
我前天亲眼见你偷了何家的书，吊着打。”
The day before yesterday I saw you with my own eyes being hung up and were trussed up and beaten for stealing books from the Ho family.”
孔乙己便涨红了脸，额上的青筋条条绽出，争辩道，“窃书不能算偷……窃书！……
Kong's face would flush scarlet, the veins on his forehead throbbing in the heat of discomfort. 'Stealing books is no crime!
读书人的事，能算偷么？”
Is scholarship theft?” '
接连便是难懂的话，什么“君子固穷”⑶，什么“者乎”之类，引得众人都哄笑起来：店内外充满了快活的空气。
Tacked onto that was a whole string of words that were difficult to understand, things like The gentleman doth stand firm in his poverty,3 and verily this and forsooth that.
Everyone roared with laughter.
The space within the shop and the space surrounding the shop swelled with joy.
听人家背地里谈论，孔乙己原来也读过书，但终于没有进学⑷，又不会营生；于是愈过愈穷，弄到将要讨饭了。
From the gossip I heard, Kung I-chi had studied the classics but had never passed the official examination.
With no way of making a living, he grew poorer and poorer until he was practicallt reduced to beggary.
可惜他又有一样坏脾气，便是好喝懒做。
Unfortunately he had failings: he liked drinking and was lazy.