The traders endured their isolation and exile by making it as comfortable as possible. The honorable company maintained its own living quarters for the staff and all ate a common mess. When private British and American companies were established and prospered they followed the same custom. Chinese cooks soon learned how to prepare the strange food the barbarians ate and there was competition to see which mess could set the best table. There was perpetual open house and constant visits back and forth from one mess to another. In default of anything else social life centered around the table and sideboard.

貿易者靠讓日子過得盡可能舒服來忍受離鄉背井的隔離。東印度公司為員工維持他們自己的生活區，所有的人都在一起用餐。私人的英美公司設立而發達時，他們也有同樣的風氣。中國廚師們很快就知道該怎麼準備奇怪的野蠻人食物，而且開始那個食堂可以設立最好的座位這類的競爭。有了永久營業的餐廳，不斷有訪客來來去去從這家吃到那家。除了社交生活之外的所有例行公事，圍繞著餐桌與餐具櫃的中央打轉。

For the greater part of the year these early traders were almost completely isolated from the rest of the world. They left all social constant behind them, lived in a community of men where there were no restraining influences except those which they imposed on themselves. To replace the conventions of their homes they built up a rigid code, which, though often broken, was never denounced. They keynote of the code was that the prestige of the white man must be maintained by clean living and honest trading. The British had brought a part of code with them from India and the Americans adopted it as did the other foreigners. When the center of foreign trade moved from Canton to Ningpo and then to Shanghai, the code went with the traders and although changed conditions have modified it, it still exists.

一年到頭早期的貿易者幾乎處於跟世界完全孤立的狀態。他們不理身旁的世事，住在一個除了自己強加在自身上的規範外，幾乎無拘無束的社區。為了取代家鄉的習俗，他們建立了嚴格的規矩，但除了常被打破外，也沒人受到譴責過。這些規範的主旨在於必須維持白人清白地生活與誠實地貿易的聲譽。英國人從印度帶來某些規矩，而美國人像其他外國人一般地遵守。當貿易的中心從廣東轉往寧波再到上海，這些規矩跟隨著貿易者；雖然環境的變更也更改了它，但還是依然存在。

A great many local amenities were established. Every ship carried mail for every other ship or for every business house, but no mail was ever delivered until the ship which had brought it was ready to sail. Any letter in the ship’s mail bag might contain information of great value to a competitor, and so mail day coincided with the sailing rather than the arrival of ship. After the cargo was stowed, and the hatch battened down and the ship ready to sail, the heads of firms would call for a farewell drink with the captain and he would distribute the letters which may have been locked away in his safe for a month or more.

許多當地的福利設施也建立了。每一艘船運送著給其他船或公司的郵件，但是郵件直到船已經準備好出航才會被送到船上。任何在船隻郵件包裡的信件可能包含著競爭對手想要的重要資訊，所以寄郵件的日期恰好是船離港的時間而非到達的時間。在貨櫃裝好、老闆跟船長舉杯順風之後，他才會把可能鎖進保險箱一個多月的郵件拿出來分派。

Although American trade started with small ships and limited capital, it was not long before one of the greatest of all of the princely houses of the China Coast flew the American flag. This was Russell & Co., founded by Captain Samuel Russell of Middletown, Connecticut. The firm was so successful and gained such a reputation for honesty and fair dealing that it became a synonym for wealth, honor and power. It has been out of existence for more than sixty years but it is still talked about on the China Coast, and a few old men are able to boast that they were once Russell employees.

雖然美國人開始貿易時開著小船以及只擁有有限的資本，但不久之後中國沿岸其中一間富麗堂皇的辦公大樓就飄揚著美國旗幟。那是Russell貿易公司，由出身於康乃迪克州中部鎮的Samuel Russell船長所創設。這間公司是如此成功，贏得了誠實公平的信譽，並跟富有、榮譽與強大這些字眼劃上等號。這公司已經關閉超過六十年還有許多人津津樂道地談論，有些老人還因曾經受顧於這家公司而自吹自擂。（編按：挑個小毛病。作者這邊的記憶有誤，本書出版於1940年，而這間公司於1842~1891年，自關閉後只有經歷五十年而已。Russell本人是耶魯大學骷髏兄弟會的成員之一。）

After one or two voyage to China on trading ventures, Captain Russell saw that an agency was needed in Canton to take care of the business affairs of the sailing-ship skippers who were not always good business men as well as good seamen. His firm was established for the sole purpose of acting as commission agents for other traders, to sell and buy cargo for them and take care of all of the shore details of the business. Before the establishment of his firm, the skippers of the sailing ships had not only the responsibility of the long and difficult voyage but also that of disposing of the old cargo and the purchase of new.

在經歷一兩次到中國的航海貿易之後，Russell船長發現他需要一個代理人在廣東幫忙處理商業事務，因為好的海員不見得都是好的商人。他設立公司的目的僅僅是需要一個委託窗口來處理貨物買賣，並且幫忙注意沿岸商業的詳細資訊。在他的公司設立之前，運輸的海員不只要應付長途與艱困的航海，還要負責處理舊的貨物與採買新的。

The Russell venture succeeded from the very beginning. Business men in America now consigned their ships and cargo to this firm and had no further worried about the business abilities of the skipper or the responsibility of a supercargo. Russell & Co. collected a commission on the sale of cargo and on the purchase of tea or other China produce, and no matter how the deals went they always made money. Soon the company was able to maintain an establishment as luxurious as that of the Honorable company itself. The wine cellar was well stocked and it was taken for granted that any distinguished American who visited Canton would be the guest of the Russell hong. As other ports were opened to foreign trade a branch of Russell & Co. was be found in each one and the same pattern of princely hospitality was duplicated. The Russell mess was as well stocked as the largest hotel. Commodore Perry, who was a guest both at Macao and Shanghai, tells of having expressed a preference for a certain brand of table water and it was immediately produced and served to him daily during his stay. Money was made so fast that and with such certainty that there was a constant stream of young partners coming out to engage in the business and old partners going back home to retire. The names of the partners read like a blue book of Boston society, for most of them came from that city.

Russell的事業開始的時候相當成功。在美國的生意人把船與貨物交給他在中國的公司，再也不必擔心海員的商業能力或是貨物管理員的責任。公司被集中委託賣出貨物與買進茶葉和其他中國商品，而且不管交易怎麼談，總是賺錢。很快公司有能力維持一棟像東印度高貴公司般豪華的設施。酒窖藏滿紅酒，眾所皆知任何高貴的美國人只要訪問廣東，都會成為Russell的座上賓。當其他的港口陸續開放，每一個港口都有Russell分公司，慷慨的好客行為一個個被複製。Commodore Perry曾在澳門與上海作客，告訴我們他當時曾經表達過喜歡某種牌子的餐桌開水，很快這牌子的開水在他停留的日子裡每天出現在餐桌上。錢是賺得如此快又肯定，以致於新的合夥人像小河般流向中國從事這行業，而舊的合夥人流回家鄉退休。合夥人的名冊讀起來就像一本波士頓官方藍皮書，因為很多人來自於那個城市。

The company soon went into the private banking business, became the agents of the great firm of Baring Brothers, and financed shipments not only for Americans but for British. Partners who had made their fortunes and returned to live in America invested in the shipping business and the company acted as their agents. As profits piled up the firm gained a reputation not only for integrity and princely generosity but also for a canniness in trade which was little short of the miraculous. Their ships beat the British in the race to London with the first tea of the season. The ponderous Indiamen, bulky and slow running, slipped into second place, for the clipper ships built by the Russell partners and managed by the Russell hong were the fastest things afloat. They built the first telegraph line in China. The first steamships on the China Coast and the Yangtze were owned by Russell. The Russell partners appeared to have the touch of Midas. The steamship venture had meant a huge investment and at the beginning of the year 1864 the company was a million dollars in debt. But when the books were closed at the end of the year the debt had been wiped out and there was a balance in the bank. The Russell ships have long since disappeared but they left a pleasant memento behind them. Russell brought out Negro cooks to teach the Chinese, and the American tradition has been preserved in all China Coast boats, for hot cakes and syrup are always to be had for breakfast and baked beans are on the menu once a week.

公司隨即踏進了私人銀行的事業，成為霸菱銀行的代理商（編按：就是在1995年被自己員工Nick Lesson搞垮的那一間），提供英美兩國商人船務融資。賺到錢回美國退休的合夥人也投資在運輸事業上，公司成為他們的代理。當鈔票越堆越高，公司不只正直慷慨的行為，還因貿易上近乎於奇蹟的機靈而備受讚揚。他們的船在運送當季第一批茶葉到倫敦的競賽上打敗了英國人。龐大的印度人級商船，笨重緩慢地跑著，滑到了第二名，因為由Russell伙伴建造，由他自己管理的快艇是浮在水面上最快的東西。他們也建造了中國的第一條電報線路。第一艘在揚子江與中國沿岸上跑的蒸汽船，也是Russell所有。Russell的伙伴看起來被麥德斯摸到過，全身金光閃閃（編按：麥德斯是希臘神話的神祉，能點石成金）。蒸汽船事業意味著一大筆投資金額，在1864年開始的時候，公司負債一百萬美元。但故事結束，當年年尾債務已經被消彌，銀行居然還有結餘。Russell的船儘管已經消失很久了，還是留下許多令人緬懷的記念。Russell把黑人廚師帶到中國傳藝，美國傳統還一直保留在中國沿海的船上，早餐供應熱蛋糕與楓糖漿，還有菜單上一週一次的烤豆子。

The monopoly of Honorable company came to an end in 1834 and other princely houses grew up under the British flag. One of the most famous was that of Jardine, Matheson & Co., founded by Dr. Jardine, who had been a surgeon on one of the Honorable company’s boats. He established new traditions of efficiency by having only one chair in his office – the one occupied by himself. There was no opportunity for callers to sit down for a comfortable chat. But that was as far as the Jardine inhospitality went. The French chef at Shanghai was famous for his skill, and the wine cellar was even better than that of Russell.

高貴公司的壟斷在1834到了尾聲，另外一些英國公司開始崛起。其中最有名的一家是由曾在東印度公司船上當外科醫師的Jardinen所創立的。他建立了一些有效率的新慣例，像是他的辦公室裡只有一張椅子，就在他的屁股之下。拜訪者根本沒機會坐下來好好聊天。但幸好他的冷淡只到這裡而已。他雇用的法國大廚在上海享有盛名，而且他的酒窖比Russell的還要好。（編按：Jardine的財富是用鴉片堆出來的，他可說是促成中國第一次鴉片戰爭的要素。）

The princely tradition persisted long after keen competition had made trading anything but a princely occupation and the business formerly monopolized by a few big concerns was divided among dozens of smaller ones. But through good times and bad, the China Coast was always a spendthrift place where a man would spend his last dollar entertaining his friends or possibly go into debt by spending money he did not possess. There was always the chance that one would get a break and be able to meet all obligations. In a foreign trade based on silver currency of constantly fluctuating value, any man in business was likely to go to bed broke and wake up prosperous, or vice versa, with complications either way. There was a strong element of chance in all business and the reckless spirit of gambling crept into most business transaction.

激烈的競爭使得每項東西都可以拿來交易，但是慷慨除外，所以這樣的傳統還是維持了很長一段時間；而且過去生意由少數企業壟斷的局面也變成幾打的小公司互相競爭。但是不管時機好壞，中國沿海依舊是個揮霍無度的地方；在這裡一個人可能會花掉身上最後一毛錢來娛樂他的朋友，或是揮霍不屬於自己的錢而債臺高築。這裡總是有機會讓你想得到一個好運時，卻搞的滿身爛債。對外貿易根據價值不斷起伏變動的銀色波浪上上下下，身在其中的人也許晚上上床前破產，早上起來卻變成大富翁，或是剛好相反，不過任何一種都伴隨著混亂。在所有生意裡都有很強烈的機會成分，以及魯莽的賭博精神在大部分的交易裡蠕動著。

When I arrived in Shanghai in 1911 there were a half-dozen business concerns which maintained private bars where business or personal friends could drop in for a drink an odd moments during the day. This was before higher customs and excise duties had raised the prices of liquor. As everything was cheap the fact that a business firm should maintain a private bar was considered no more unusual than that a business man should have a box of cigarettes on his desk, for the convenience of his callers.

我在1911年抵達上海，那裡還有半打的公司在自己的辦公室裡設置私人酒吧，讓你商業的或是私人的朋友可以大白天隨時泡在那。但這是在高額的關稅與貨物稅提高酒類售價之前的事。什麼東西都便宜的時候，公司應該設立酒吧的想法，被認為跟商人應該在自己的桌上放一盒香菸來招待拜訪者是差不多的。

In fact the China Press, the paper on which I was city editor, maintained a private bar for the staff though there was nothing free about it, and the Chinese cashier, who was suspected of having a silent partnership in the enterprise, always deducted the bar bill from the pay checks. The managing editor insisted that having a bar in the office made the reporters hurry back after covering the assignments and also was personally a great time-saver as it made it unnecessary for him to leave the office.

事實上我在當編輯時，中國郵報就設置了一個酒吧，雖然沒有一樣東西是免費的，而且中國出納員被懷疑私下跟公司合作，在員工的薪水裡扣除酒吧消費的帳單。總編輯堅持在辦公室裡有個酒吧可以讓記者們在跑完新聞後趕快回來，而且個人因素上，酒吧還是個很棒的節省時間方式，讓他可以不用離開辦公室。

For various reasons many of these private bars were discontinued and ten years ago there were only there of them left. The most famous was that maintained by the great Hongkong & Shanghai Bank. To be invited to enjoy its hospitality was an honor reserved for exchange and bullion brokers and people with heavy overdrafts. It was distinction something like that of being known as a friend of the Morgans. A more democratic bar was that of Lane, Crawford and Co., general storekeepers. Every morning at 10:30 the venerable Mr. Crawford, who had been doing the same thing for more than twenty years, would empty a bottle of gin in a pitcher of ice, add other ingredients and serve a drink which was known as a “Crawford Special”. This was a daily ritual attended by a half-dozen or more old cronies and there were usually a dozen more who would drop in for a drink before noon. As the famous old private bars disappeared, Caldbeck, McGregor & Co., the premier wine and spirit merchants of the Far East, included in plans for their new building a replica of an old English tap room which is an architectural joy. A list of those who have enjoyed its hospitality would include some of the most famous of the many famous visitors to Shanghai.

基於很多原因私人酒吧無法再維持下去，到十年前只剩下三座。最有名的是由香港上海匯豐銀行所維持。想要被邀請享受銀行特地保留的好客尊榮，你必須是外匯、金塊交易的經紀人，或是超額借貸的客戶。摩根銀行也有些類似這樣的特點。另一個比較大眾化的酒吧是在Lane Crawford公司。過去二十年每天早上10:30，令人尊敬的Crawford先生都會喝乾一壺由冰塊、其他原料與琴酒調製而成的「Crawford特調」。這是六、七個好朋友每天的儀式，到中午之前加入喝酒行列的人通常會增加到一打以上。當著名的老式私人酒吧消失之後，遠東地區最早的紅酒與烈酒商人們，Caldbeck McGregor公司計畫在新大樓裡蓋一個賞心悅目的英式酒吧。有一份曾經接受過招待的名單上，包含一些來過上海的名人中的名人。

In good old days drinks were provided free to passengers on the British boats in the China Coast trade just as wine is considered a part of the meal on French boats and, incidentally, on French airplanes today. I can imagine there was a terrible uproar when this practice was discontinued. The companies must have had a difficult time getting passengers to pay for their drinks. To this day every ticket sold for passage on the Yangtze or the Coast contains a bold-face notice warning passengers that the passage money does not include drinks, which must be paid for at bar prices.

在往日的美好時光裡，中國沿岸的英國船隻有提供免費酒類飲料給乘客，就像在法國船隻與今日的法國航空，紅酒被認為是餐點的一部份。我能夠想像這項服務被宣布終止時的恐怖騷動。這些公司為了讓乘客為酒類付費，必定有過一段相當難熬的時間。今日每一張渡過揚子江或是海岸的船票上面都印有粗體黑字提醒、警告乘客，運費裡沒有包含酒精飲料，必須依照吧台的定價付費。