The Firm of Happiness, Limited

Norman Cameron

The Firm of Happiness, Limited was one to astonish the stars,

More like a thriving town than a multiple store--- a hotchpotch

Of markets and playrooms and chapels and brothels and baths and bars,

As smoothly running and closely packed as the works of a watch.

Nobody finally understood the cause of the crash.

Some spoke of Nemesis; others rumoured, vaguely, of course,

That a gang of directors jad simply robbed the firm of its cash,

Or that some ironical Jew was selling it short on the Bourse.

Whatever the reason, the firm of a sudden began to fail.

The floor were undusted at corners, the commissionaries were unshaved,

The girls were anxious and raucous, the comedians’ jokes were stale.

The customers noticed the difference---to judge from the way they behaved.

When Happiness closed its doors, the Corporation of the city

Were distressed to see so vast a property left alone

To moulder and waste; in a mingled impulse of thrift and pity

They decided to buy the empty building, and floated a loan.

Now nobody knows what to do with this monstrous hulk we have bought.

At the last Corporation meeting one alderman, half in jest,

Spoke of turning it into a barracks.Meanwhile there’s the dreary thought

That we ratepayers have to keep paying the burdensome interest.

幸福有限责任公司

诺尔曼・卡麦隆

幸福有限责任公司震惊星辰，

像百货公司，更像兴旺的城镇--

集市、游乐、酒吧、妓院、教堂、澡堂无所不包，

排列精密正如钟表运转有条不紊。

对它的倒闭人们始终不懂个中奥妙，

是上天惩罚还是人为灾祸各有传闻;

或者败在卷走资金的领导集团?

或者毁于股市将它抛售的犹太商人?

公司突然开始崩溃，不管是何原因，

管理委员面容不整，地上角落布满灰尘;

不安的小姐声音嘶哑，笑星遭到厌弃，

顾客察觉到这一切变化，不再登门。

公司巨大的资产闲置、发霉，

看到这副景象市政机关实在痛心;

他们决定筹集贷款买下空楼，

既是为了节俭也是出于怜悯。

买下巨大的空楼无人知道如何处理，

用作工棚吧，市政会上议员的玩笑半假半真。

我们这些纳税人还得为它继续支付利息，

想到这一点人人感到非常郁闷。