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1.NewYorkisacityofthingsunnoticed.Itisacitywithcatssleepingunderparkedcars,twostonearmadilloscrawlingupSt.Patrick’sCathedral,andthousandsofantscreepingontopoftheEmpireStateBuilding.Theantsprobablywerecarriedtherebywindsorbirds,butnobodyissure;nobodyinNewYorkknowsanymoreabouttheantsthantheydoaboutthepanhandlerwhotakestaxistotheBowery;orthedappermanwhopickstrashoutofSixthAvenuetrashcans;orthemediumintheWestSeventieswhoclaims,‘I’mclairvoyant,clairaudientandclairsensuous.’aaaaa纽约拥有众多不为人注意的事物。在这个城市有猫睡在停泊的车下，两只犰狳攀上圣帕特里克教堂，还有成千的蚂蚁爬上帝国大厦的楼顶。那些蚂蚁或许是被风或者鸟带上去的，可谁也说不准。在纽约没有人了解蚂蚁，就像他们不知道那个乞丐去保利区乞讨时乘的是出租车；还有那个衣冠楚楚的家伙专门在第6大街从垃圾筒里捡垃圾；还有西70街的那位灵媒宣称：“我无所不见、无所不闻、无所不觉。”2.NewYorkisacityforeccentricsandacenterforoddbitsofinformation.NewYorkersblinktwenty-eighttimesaminute,butfortywhentense.MostpopcornchewersatYankeeStadiumstopchewingmomentarilyjustbeforethepitch.GumchewersonMacy'sescalatorsstopchewingmomentarilyjustbeforethey,getoff——toconcentrateonthelaststep.Coins,paperclips,ball-pointpens,andlittlegirls'pocketbooksarefoundbywork-menwhentheycleanthesealions'poolattheBronxZoo.纽约是一个古怪者的天堂，是奇事异闻的中心。纽约人每分钟眨28次眼睛，但在感到紧张时则眨40次。在扬基体育馆，嚼爆米花的观众们在投球前大多会暂时停止咀嚼。在美茜百货店的自动扶梯上，吃口香糖的人们也会在下最后一级时暂时停止咀嚼。布朗克斯动物园的工人们在清理海狮池则捞出硬币、回形针、圆珠笔和小姑娘的小皮夹。3.AParkAvenuedoormanhaspartsofthreebulletsinhishead——theresinceWorldWarI.Severalyounggypsydaughters,influencedbytelevisionandliteracy,arerunningawayfromhomebecausetheydon'twanttogrowupandbecomefortune-tellers.EachmonthahundredpoundsofhairaredeliveredtoLouisFederon545FifthAvenue,whereblondhairpiecesaremadefromGermanwomen'shair;brunettehairpiecesfromItalianwomen'shair;butnohairpiecesfromAmericanwomen'shairwhich,saysMr.Feder,isweakfromtoofrequentrinsesandpermanents.帕克街一位门房的脑袋里有3颗子弹的碎片——它们从第一次世界大战起就留在那里了。还有几个年轻的吉普赛人的女儿受了电视和文化的影响，她们生怕长大，生怕会变成算命的，于是离家出走。每个月，有100磅头发运到第五大街545号的路易斯·费达的店里。在那儿，德国女人的头发用来做金色假发，意大利女人的头发用来做棕色假发。但是，从来不用美国女人的头发做假发，因为费达先生说，美国女人洗头太勤，烫发太多，因此发质太弱。4.SomeofNewYork'sbestinformedmenareelevatoroperators,whorarelytalk,butalwaysListen——likedoormen.Sardi'sdoormenlistentothecommentsmadebyBroadway'sfirst-nighterswalkingbyafterthelastact.Theylistenclosely.Theylistencarefully.Withintenminutestheycantellyouwhichshowswillflopandwhichwillbehits.在纽约，消息最灵通的要算电梯操作工了。和门房一样，他们说话不多，但时常注意听。每当百老汇某场戏剧的首演结束，莎尔蒂剧院的门房就会聆听散场观众路过时的对话。他们听得很关注，听得很仔细。十分钟内他们就能告诉你哪出戏会失败，哪出戏将走红。5.OnBroadwayeacheveningabig,dark,1948Rolls-RoycepullsintoForty-sixthStreet——andouthoptwolittleladiesarmedwithBiblesandsignsreading,TheDamnedShallPerish.TheseladiesproceedtostandonthecornerscreamingatthemultitudesofBroadwaysinners,sometimesuntilthreea.m.,whentheirchauffeurintheRollspicksthemupanddrivesthembacktoWestchester.在百老汇，每天傍晚都会有一辆黑色的1948年的大劳斯劳埃斯轿车开进第56街——从车里跳出来两位小个子女士，手持《圣经》和标语，标语上写着：“遭神咒的必亡。”两位女士接着站在街角，朝着百老汇的芸芸罪人们叫喊，有时直到凌晨3点。这时司机会开着那辆劳斯劳埃斯来接她们，将她们送回威斯切斯特。6.BythistimeFifthAvenueisdesertedbyallbutafewstrollinginsomniacs,somecruisingcabdrivers,andagroupofsophisticatedfemaleswhostandinstorewindowsallnightanddaywearingcold,perfectsmiles.LikesentriestheylineFifthAvenue——thesewindowmannequinswhogazeontothequietstreetwithtiltedheadsandpointedtoesandlongrubberfingersreachingforcigarettesthataren'tthere.此时，第5大街已是了无人迹．只有几个失眠的人在闲逛，和几辆出租车在游弋。还有一些神情肃然的女性，整天整夜肃立在商店橱窗内，脸上挂着冷漠、完美的笑容。她们像哨兵似的，沿着第5大街排列着——这些橱窗模特儿，凝视着静谧的街头，搔首弄姿。她们有着修长的脚趾，长长的橡皮手指向前伸着，仿佛想接那根本不存在的香烟。7.Atfivea.m.,Manhattanisatownoftiredtrumpetplayersandhomeward-boundbartenders.PigeonscontrolParkAvenueandstrutunchallengedinthemiddleofthestreet.ThisisManhattan'smellowesthour.Mostnightpeopleareoutofsight——butthedaypeoplehavenotyetappeared.Truckdriversandcabsarealert,yettheydonotdisturbthemood.TheydonotdisturbtheabandonedRockefellerCenter,orthemotionlessnightwatchmenintheFultonFishMarket,orthegas-stationattendantsleepingnexttoSloppyLouie'swiththeradioon.早上5点，曼哈顿属于那些疲惫的小号吹奏手和回家的酒吧侍应。鸽子占据了帕克大街。它们走在马路的中央，如入无人之境。这是曼哈顿最美好的时刻。过夜生活的人大多已经销声匿迹——而白天工作的人则尚未出门。卡车和出租车司机们保持着警觉，但他们并不惊扰此时的气氛。他们不惊扰寂寥的洛克菲勒中心，以及福尔顿鱼市场那一动不动的看门人，以及开着收音机，自己倚在斯洛比·路易快餐店边上睡着了的加油站服务员。8.Atfivea.m.,theBroadwayregularseitherhavegonehomeortoall-nightcoffeeshopswhere,undertheglaringlight,youseetheirwhiskersandwear.AndonFifty-firstStreetaradiopresscarisparkedatthecurbwithaphotographerwhohasnothingtodo.Sohejustsitsthereforafewnights,looksthroughthewindshieldandsoonbecomesakeenobserveroflifeaftermidnight.早上5点，百老汇的常客们不是回家了，就是在通宵咖啡馆里。在咖啡馆眩目的灯光下，看得见男人的胡须和女人的脂粉。在第5大街，一辆无线电采访车停在路边。车内的摄影记者百无聊赖。他只是连着几夜坐在车内，望着挡风玻璃外的一切。很快，他饶有兴味地观察起午夜后的夜生活来。9.Atonea.m.hesays,BroadwayisfilledwithwiseguysandwithkidscomingoutoftheAstorHotelinwhitedinnerjackets——kidswhodrivetodancesintheirfathers'cars.Youalsoseecleaningladiesgoinghome,alwayswearingkerchiefs.Bytwoa.m.someofthedrinkersaregettingoutofhand,andthisisthehourforbarfights.Atthreea.m.thelastshowisover,inthenightclubs,andmostofthetouristsandout-of-townbuyersarebackinhotels.Andsmall-timecomediansarecriticizingbig-timecomediansinHanson'sDrugstore.Atfoura.m.,afterthebarsclose,youseethedrunkscomeout——andalsothepimpsandprostitutes,whotakeadvantageofdrunks.Atfivea.m.,though,itismostlyquiet.NewYorkisanentirelydifferentcityatfivea.m.“早上1点，”他说，