通译双语文库:心是孤独的猎手第二部分 1

1

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这个夏天跟米克记忆中所有的夏天都不同。没有多少事情发生，她也无法用思想或语言向自己描绘，却感觉发生了一种改变。她一直很兴奋。早晨，她迫不及待地起床，开始一天的忙碌。晚上，她万分憎恨不得不又去睡觉了。

1

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This summer was different from any other time Mick could remember. Nothing much happened that she could describe to herself in thoughts or words—but there was a feeling of change.All the time she was excited.In the morning she couldn’t wait to get out of bed and start going for the day.And at night she hated like hell to have to sleep again.

2

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一吃完早饭，她就把孩子们带出去，除了吃饭时间，他们白天基本不在家。很多时候他们只是在街上瞎逛——她推着拉尔夫的手推车，巴伯跟在后面。她一刻不停地忙着思考、计划。有时候，她会突然抬起头来，发现他们已经走了很远，到了镇上一个她根本不认识的地方。还有一两次，他们在街上碰见比尔，她忙着思考，比尔不得不抓着她的胳膊，才让她看见他。

2

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Right after breakfast she took the kids out, and except for meals they were gone most of the day. A good deal of the time they just roamed around the streets—with her pulling Ralph’s wagon and Bubber following along behind.Always she was busy with thoughts and plans.Sometimes she would look up suddenly and they would be way off in some part of town she didn’t even recognize.And once or twice they ran into Bill on the streets and she was so busy thinking he had to grab her by the arm to make her see him.

3

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一大早，天气有点凉，他们的影子长长地投在面前的人行道上。但到了中午，天空总是像火焰一样，阳光强烈，让人不敢睁眼。很多时候，她对将来的计划会跟冰雪联系在一起。有时候，她好像到了瑞士，周围山上都白雪皑皑，她在绿莹莹的冷冰上溜冰。辛格先生也在陪她一起溜冰，也许还有收音机里传来的卡罗尔·隆巴德[8]和阿图罗·托斯卡尼尼[9]的音乐。他们一起溜冰，然后辛格先生掉进了冰窟窿，她则会不顾一切地跳进去，在冰下游着把他救上来。这个计划一直萦绕在她的脑海中。

3

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Early in the mornings it was a little cool and their shadows stretched out tall on the sidewalk in front of them. But in the middle of the day the sky was always blazing hot.The glare was so bright it hurt to keep your eyes open.A lot of times the plans about the things that were going to happen to her were mixed up with ice and snow.Sometimes it was like she was out in Switzerland and all the mountains were covered with snow and she was skating on cold, greenish-colored ice.Mister Singer would be skating with her.And maybe Carole Lombard or Arturo Toscanini who played on the radio.They would be skating together and then Mister Singer would fall through the ice and she would dive in without regard for peril and swim under the ice and save his life.That was one of the plans always going on in her mind.

4

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通常，他们溜达一阵子之后，她便把巴伯和拉尔夫安顿在一个阴凉的地方。巴伯是个特别好的孩子，她把他训练得非常听话。如果她告诉巴伯不要离拉尔夫太远，要待在一喊就能听得见的地方，那么，他绝对不会跑到两三个街区外跟那里的孩子们玩弹珠游戏。他会一个人在手推车旁边玩，所以，她不在他们旁边的时候，一点都不用担心。她要么去图书馆，看《国家地理》杂志，要么只是到处瞎逛，思考更多的问题。如果她有钱，就会到布兰农的店里，买包烟或者一块银河牌巧克力。布兰农先生总会给小孩子打折，五分钱的东西，他三分钱就卖给孩子。

4

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Usually after they had walked awhile she would park Bubber and Ralph in some shady place. Bubber was a swell kid and she had trained him pretty good.If she told him not to go out of hollering distance from Ralph she wouldn’t ever find him shooting marbles with kids two or three blocks away.He played by himself near the wagon, and when she left them she didn’t have to worry much.She either went to the library and looked at the National Geographic or else just roamed around and thought some more.If she had any money she bought a dope or a Milky Way at Mister Brannon’s.He gave kids a reduction.He sold them nickel things for three cents.

5

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然而，自始至终——无论她做什么——都有音乐。有时候，她一边走一边哼唱，有时候，她静静听着心里的那些歌曲。她的心里有各种各样的音乐：有些是她从收音机里听来的，有些是她脑子里原来就有的，不是从任何地方听来的。

5

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But all the time—no matter what she was doing—there was music. Sometimes she hummed to herself as she walked, and other times she listened quietly to the songs inside her.There were all kinds of music in her thoughts.Some she heard over radios, and some was in her mind already without her ever having heard it anywhere.

6

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晚上，等孩子们一上床睡觉，她便自由了，那是她一天中最重要的时光。她一个人待着的时候，会发生很多事情，而周围一片漆黑。吃完晚饭，她会立刻又跑出家门。晚上她到底在干什么，她跟谁都不能说，妈妈问起来时，她便随口编些听上去很合理的小故事搪塞过去。但大多数时候，如果有人喊她，她会立马跑开，就像没听见一样，对每个人都如此，只有对她爸爸例外。爸爸的声音里有一种东西，让她无法跑开。他是镇上块头最大、个子最高的男人之一，但他的声音却非常安静、和善，他开口说话的时候，总会让人们大吃一惊。不管她多着急，只要爸爸一喊她，她总是不得不停住脚步。

6

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In the night-time, as soon as the kids were in bed, she was free. That was the most important time of all.A lot of things happened when she was by herself and it was dark.Right after supper she ran out of the house again.She couldn’t tell anybody about the things she did at night, and when her Mama asked her questions she would answer with any little tale that sounded reasonable.But most of the time if anybody called her she just ran away like she hadn’t heard.That went for everybody except her Dad.There was something about her Dad’s voice she couldn’t run away from.He was one of the biggest, tallest men in the whole town.But his voice was so quiet and kindly that people were surprised when he spoke.No matter how much of a hurry she was in, she always had to stop when her Dad called.

7

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今年夏天，她突然意识到，爸爸身上有种东西她以前从未注意到。在那之前，她从来没有真正把他看作独立的个体。有很多次，他喊她，她便走进他干活儿的前屋，在他旁边站一会儿——但她一边听他说话，一边走神。后来，有一天晚上，她突然理解了爸爸。那天晚上，一切如常，她也不知道为什么会一下子开了窍。之后她感觉自己长大了，仿佛她理解了他，也理解了其他人。

7

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This summer she realized something about her Dad she had never known before. Up until then she had never thought about him as being a real separate person.A lot of times he would call her.She would go in the front room where he worked and stand by him a couple of minutes—but when she listened to him her mind was never on the things he said to her.Then one night she suddenly realized about her Dad.Nothing unusual happened that night and she didn’t know what it was that made her understand.Afterward she felt older and as though she knew him as good as she could know any person.

8

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八月末的一个晚上，她急呼呼地向外跑。她必须九点以前赶到那所房子，不容商量。爸爸喊住她，她走进了前屋。他正疲惫地趴在工作台前。不知为什么，看到他在那里坐着，似乎不太寻常。去年发生事故之前，他一直是个油漆工兼木匠。每天天不亮，他便穿着工装出门，一去便是一天。到了晚上，他有时还会四处转着修表，算是副业。有很多次，他努力想在首饰店找份工作，可以整天穿着干净衬衫打着领带独自坐在桌前工作。现在，他没法干木工活儿了，便在房前挂了个牌子，写着“低价修表”。但他的长相跟大多数钟表匠不一样——市中心的那些钟表匠都是些行动敏捷、皮肤黝黑的犹太人。对工作台而言，她爸爸的个子太高，而且那副大骨架看上去松松垮垮的。

8

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It was a night in late August and she was in a big rush. She had to be at this house by nine o’clock, and no maybe either.Her Dad called and she went into the front room.He was sitting slumped over his workbench.For some reason it never did seem natural to see him there.Until the time of his accident last year he had been a painter and carpenter.Before daylight every morning he would leave the house in his overalls, to be gone all day.Then at night sometimes he fiddled around with clocks as an extra work.A lot of times he had tried to get a job in a jewelry store where he could sit by himself at a desk all day with a clean white shirt on and a tie.Now when he couldn’t carpenter any more he had put a sign at the front of the house reading“Clocks and Watches Repaired Cheap.”But he didn’t look like most jewelers—the ones downtown were quick, dark little Jew men.Her Dad was too tall for his workbench, and his big bones seemed joined together in a loose way.

9

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爸爸只是盯着她。她看得出，他叫她来并没有什么事，只是特别想跟她说说话。他努力想着如何开口，那张瘦长的脸上，棕色眼睛显得很大，头发都掉光了，苍白的秃顶让他看上去有一种赤裸的神色。他还是看着她，并不说话。她急坏了。她九点整以前必须到那所房子，没有时间可以浪费。爸爸看出她很着急，于是清了清嗓子。

9

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Her Dad just stared at her. She could tell he didn’t have any reason for calling.He only wanted real bad to talk to her.He tried to think of some way to begin.His brown eyes were too big for his long, thin face, and since he had lost every single hair the pale, bald top of his head gave him a naked look.He still looked at her without speaking and she was in a hurry.She had to be at that house by nine sharp and there was no time to waste.Her Dad saw she was in a hurry and he cleared his throat.

10

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“我有东西给你。”他说，“不是什么贵重东西，但你也许可以用它好好慰劳下自己。”

10

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“I got something for you，”he said.“Nothing much, but maybe you can treat yourself with it.”

11

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他根本不用因为孤独、想找人说话就给她五分或一毛钱。他赚的钱，只够他大约每星期喝两次啤酒。这会儿他椅子旁边的地上就放着两瓶，一瓶空了，另一瓶刚打开。他每次喝啤酒，都喜欢找人聊天。爸爸在腰带上摸了一通，她赶紧挪开目光。这个夏天，他变得像个孩子一样，总是藏些五分、一毛的硬币留着自己用，有时候藏在鞋里，有时候藏在腰带上自己挖的一个小口里。她并不很想拿走那枚一毛钱的硬币，但当他把钱递过来时，她的手很自然地张开，准备接着。

11

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He didn’t have to give her any nickel or dime just because he was lonesome and wanted to talk. Out of what he made he only kept enough to have beer about twice a week.Two bottles were on the floor by his chair now, one empty and one just opened.And whenever he drank beer he liked to talk to somebody.Her Dad fumbled with his belt and she looked away.This summer he had gotten like a kid about hiding those nickels and dimes he kept for himself.Sometimes he hid them in his shoes, and other times in a little slit he had cut in his belt.She only half-way wanted to take the dime, but when he held it out her hand was just naturally open and ready.

12

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“我有很多活儿要干，不知道从哪儿开始。”他说。

12

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“I got so much work to do I don’t know where to begin，”he said.

13

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这跟事实恰恰相反，他心里很清楚，她也很清楚。他根本没有多少表要修，干完那点活儿，他便总是在家里到处转悠，找些杂七杂八的事干。晚上，他坐在工作台前，清理那些旧发条和齿轮，努力磨蹭到上床睡觉的时间。自从摔断髋骨之后，他便失去了稳定的工作，但他从来没有闲下来过。

13

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That was just the opposite to the truth, and he knew it good as she did. He never had many watches to fix, and when he finished he would fool around the house doing any little job that was needed.Then at night he sat at his bench, cleaning old springs and wheels and trying to make the work last out until bedtime.Ever since he broke his hip and couldn’t work steady he had to be doing something every minute.

14

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“今晚，我想了很多。”爸爸说。他倒出啤酒，在手背上撒了几粒盐，然后舔净盐粒，接着从杯子里喝了一大口啤酒。

14

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“I been thinking a lot tonight，”her Dad said. He poured out his beer and sprinkled a few grains of salt on the back of his hand.Then he licked up the salt and took a swallow out of the glass.

15

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她焦急难耐，几乎没法安静地站下去。爸爸注意到了这一点，想说点什么——但他叫她并不是有什么特别的事情要告诉她，而是只想跟她随便聊一会儿。他想开口，却又咽了口唾沫。他们就那么看着对方，沉默的时间更长了，两人都一句话没说。

15

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She was in such a hurry that it was hard to stand still. Her Dad noticed this.He tried to say something—but he had not called to tell her anything special.He only wanted to talk with her for a little while.He started to speak and swallowed.They just looked at each other.The quietness grew out longer and neither of them could say a word.

16

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就在那个时候，她开始理解了爸爸。她并不是获知了一个新的事实——之前，她从各个方面都明白这个事实，却偏偏没用脑子。现在，她突然知道自己理解了爸爸。他很孤独，他老了，从来没有哪个孩子会因为什么事情来找他，而且他赚的钱也不多。因此，他觉得自己被家人孤立了。在这种孤独中，他想靠近自己的一个孩子——但他们都很忙，根本不了解这一点。他觉得，自己对任何人都没有多大用处。

16

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That was when she realized about her Dad. It wasn’t like she was learning a new fact—she had understood it all along in every way except with her brain.Now she just suddenly knew that she knew about her Dad.He was lonesome and he was an old man.Because none of the kids went to him for anything and because he didn’t earn much money he felt like he was cut off from the family.And in his lonesomeness he wanted to be close to one of his kids—and they were all so busy that they didn’t know it.He felt like he wasn’t much real use to anybody.

17

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他们彼此望着对方，她就是在这个时候理解了这一点，这让她感觉有些怪异。爸爸拿起一根手表发条，用刷子蘸着汽油清洗起来。

17

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She understood this while they were looking at each other. It gave her a queer feeling.Her Dad picked up a watch spring and cleaned it with a brush dipped in gasoline.

18

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“我知道你着急出去。我只是想和你打个招呼。”

18

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“I know you’re in a hurry. I just hollered to say hello.”

19

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“没有，我不着急出去。”她说，“真的。”

19

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“No, I’m not in any rush，”she said.“Honest.”

20

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那天晚上，她坐在他工作台旁边的椅子上，他们谈了一阵子。他谈账目、花销，谈如果当初选择不一样的方式，如今会是什么样子。他喝着啤酒，眼泪一度涌上眼眶，他抽抽鼻子，用衬衫袖子擦了擦。那天晚上，尽管她很着急，但还是陪爸爸待了很长时间。然而，不知为什么，她没法跟他说她想的那些事——关于那些炎热而黑暗的夜晚的事。

20

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That night she sat down in a chair by his bench and they talked awhile. He talked about accounts and expenses and how things would have been if he had just managed in a different way.He drank beer, and once the tears came to his eyes and he snuffled his nose against his shirt-sleeve.She stayed with him a good while that night.Even if she was in an awful hurry.Yet for some reason she couldn’t tell him about the things in her mind—about the hot, dark nights.

21

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那些夜晚是秘密的，是整个夏天最重要的时刻。她在黑暗中一个人走着，就像镇上只有她一个人。夜里，几乎所有街道都跟她家所在的街区一样平淡无奇。有些孩子害怕在陌生的地方走夜路，她却不怕。女孩们都害怕会有男人从什么地方钻出来，然后把他的那个东西放进她们体内，就像结了婚那样。大多数女孩都是傻瓜。如果乔·路易斯[10]或者“山人”迪恩[11]这种块头的男人在她面前跳出来，想要打架，她会撒腿就跑。但如果这人的体重比她多不了二十磅，她会给他一顿胖揍，然后继续走自己的路。

21

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These nights were secret, and of the whole summer they were the most important time. In the dark she walked by herself and it was like she was the only person in the town.Almost every street came to be as plain to her in the night-time as her own home block.Some kids were afraid to walk through strange places in the dark, but she wasn’t.Girls were scared a man would come out from somewhere and put his teapot in them like they was married.Most girls were nuts.If a person the size of Joe Louis or Mountain Man Dean would jump out at her and want to fight she would run.But if it was somebody within twenty pounds her weight she would give him a good sock and go right on.

22

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那些夜晚棒极了，她顾上不考虑诸如害怕之类的事情。每次走在黑夜里，她都会思考着音乐。她一边在街上走，一边独自唱歌。她觉得全镇的人都在聆听，却不知道这竟然是米克·凯利唱的。

22

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The nights were wonderful, and she didn’t have time to think about such things as being scared. Whenever she was in the dark she thought about music.While she walked along the streets she would sing to herself.And she felt like the whole town listened without knowing it was Mick Kelly.

23

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在这些自由自在的夏日夜晚，她学到了很多音乐知识。她走在镇上的富人区，那里家家户户都有收音机，所有的窗子都敞开着，她能听到非常美妙的音乐。过了一阵子，她便知道哪户人家的收音机会播放她喜欢的节目。有户特别的人家会播放各种各样好听的交响乐。晚上，她总是到这户人家去，溜进人家漆黑的院子里侧耳聆听。房子周围有漂亮的灌木丛，她会坐在窗户附近的一丛灌木底下。等音乐播放完毕，她还会站在漆黑的院子里，双手插进口袋，思考很长时间。这是整个夏天最真实的时刻——她听着收音机里的音乐，仔细琢磨着。

23

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She learned a lot about music during these free nights in the summer-time. When she walked out in the rich parts of town every house had a radio.All the windows were open and she could hear the music very marvelous.After a while she knew which houses tuned in for the programs she wanted to hear.There was one special house that got all the good orchestras.And at night she would go to this house and sneak into the dark yard to listen.There was beautiful shrubbery around this house, and she would sit under a bush near the window.And after it was all over she would stand in the dark yard with her hands in her pockets and think for a long time.That was the realest part of all the summer—her listening to this music on the radio and studying about it.

24

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“请关门，先生。”[12]米克说。

24

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“Cerra fa puerta, se?or，”Mick said.

25

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巴伯像野蔷薇一样机灵。“请您帮个忙，小姐。”[13]他机智地回答道。

25

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Bubber was sharp as a briar.“Hagame usted el favor, se?orita，”he answered as a comeback.

26

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在职业学校学西班牙语，这简直太棒了。说外语时，有种东西让她觉得自己似乎见多识广。自从开学后，她每天下午都在说新学的西班牙语单词和句子，觉得特别有趣。起初，巴伯被难住了。她说外语的时候，巴伯脸上的表情特别滑稽。后来，他迅速赶了上来。很快，无论她说什么，他都可以鹦鹉学舌，学过的单词也都记得住。当然，他并不能完全理解那些句子的意思，但她说西班牙语反正也不是因为这些话的意思。过了一阵子，这孩子学习的速度非常快，她会的西班牙语都说完了，只好急促而含混地发些胡乱编造出来的音。但很快，他就识破了她这套把戏——没有人能蒙得了“老”巴伯·凯利。

26

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It was grand to take Spanish at Vocational. There was something about speaking in a foreign language that made her feel like she’d been around a lot.Every afternoon since school had started she had fun speaking the new Spanish words and sentences.At first Bubber was stumped, and it was funny to watch his face while she talked the foreign language.Then he caught on in a hurry, and before long he could copy everything she said.He remembered the words he learned, too.Of course he didn’t know what all the sentences meant, but she didn’t say them for the sense they made, anyway.After a while the kid learned so fast she gave out of Spanish and just gabbled along with made-up sounds.But it wasn’t long before he caught her out at that—nobody could put a thing over on old Bubber Kelly.

27

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“我要假装第一次走进这座房子。”米克说，“那样，我就可以更好地判断出是不是所有装饰品都好看。”

27

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“I’m going to pretend like I’m walking into this house for the first time，”Mick said.“Then I can tell better if all the decoration looks good or not.”

28

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她走出去，到了门廊，然后又回来，站在走廊里。她、巴伯、波西娅，还有她爸爸，他们一整天都在布置走廊和餐厅，为派对做准备。装饰用的是秋天的叶子、藤蔓，还有红色绉纱纸。厨房的壁炉台上和帽架后面，摆放了亮黄色叶子。他们在墙上挂了藤蔓，在要放潘趣酒大碗的桌子上也挂了藤蔓。铺在壁炉上的红色绉纱纸垂着长长的流苏，椅背也绕了一圈垂着流苏的红色绉纱纸。装饰品很多，很好看。

28

-

She walked out on the front porch and then came back and stood in the hall. All day she and Bubber and Portia and her Dad had been fixing the hall and the dining-room for the party.The decoration was autumn leaves and vines and red crêpe paper.On the mantelpiece in the dining-room and sticking up behind the hatrack there were bright yellow leaves.They had trailed vines along the walls and on the table where the punch bowl would be.The red crêpe paper hung down in long fringes from the mantel and also was looped around the backs of the chairs.There was plenty decoration.It was O.K.

29

-

她用手搓着额头，眯眼看着。巴伯站在她旁边，模仿着她的每一个动作。“我确实希望这次派对办得很成功，肯定想。”

29

-

She rubbed her hand on her forehead and squinted her eyes. Bubber stood beside her and copied every move she made.“I sure do want this party to turn out all right.I sure do.”

30

-

这将是她办的第一场派对，她参加过的派对也不过四五场。去年夏天，她参加了一个毕业舞会派对，却没有一个男孩邀请她散步或者跳舞，她只能站在潘趣酒大碗旁边。最后，所有茶点都吃光了，她便回家了。这次派对绝对不要像那次一样。再过几个小时，她邀请的那些人就该陆续来了，喧闹就要开始了。

30

-

This would be the first party she had ever given. She had never even been to more than four or five.Last summer she had gone to a prom party.But none of the boys asked her to prom or dance, so she just stood by the punch bowl until all the refreshments were gone and then went home.This party was not going to be a bit like that one.In a few hours now the people she had invited would start coming and the to-do would begin.

31

-

她为什么想到要办这个派对，已经想不起来了。她到职业学校上学后不久，便有了这个想法。高中太好了，一切都跟文法学校不一样。要是她像黑兹尔和埃特那样必须得去学习速记课程，她就不可能这么高兴了——但她得到了特殊许可，可以像男孩一样学习机械课程。机械课程、代数、西班牙语简直棒极了。英语很难。她的英语老师是明纳小姐。大家都说，明纳小姐把自己的脑子卖给一个著名医生了，卖了一万块钱，所以，等她死了，他就可以把明纳小姐的脑子割开，看看她为什么那么聪明。写作课上，她会抛出这样的问题：“说出八位跟约翰逊博士同时代的名人”，或者“写出《威克菲尔德牧师传》中的十句话”。她总是按照字母顺序喊学生的名字，上课时，成绩册总是打开着。她尽管聪明过人，却整天绷着一张脸。西班牙语老师曾经去欧洲旅行过一次。她说，在法国，人们买回家的面包都是一整条，连包装都没有。他们会站在街上一边聊天，一边用面包敲打旁边的灯柱，而且法国没有水——只有酒。

31

-

It was hard to remember just how she got the idea of this party. The notion came to her soon after she started at Vocational.High School was swell.Everything about it was different from Grammar School.She wouldn’t have liked it so much if she had had to take a stenographic course like Hazel and Etta had done—but she got special permission and took mechanical shop like a boy.Shop and Algebra and Spanish were grand.English was mighty hard.Her English teacher was Miss Minner.Everybody said Miss Minner had sold her brains to a famous doctor for ten thousand dollars, so that after she was dead he could cut them up and see why she was so smart.On written lessons she cracked such questions as“Name eight famous contemporaries of Doctor Johnson，”and“Quote ten lines from‘The Vicar of Wakefield.’”She called on people by the alphabet and kept her grade book open during the lessons.And even if she was brainy she was an old sourpuss.The Spanish teacher had traveled once in Europe.She said that in France the people carried home loaves of bread without having them wrapped up.They would stand talking on the streets and hit the bread on a lamp post.And there wasn’t any water in France only wine.

32

-

无论从哪个方面看，职业学校都棒极了。课间，他们在走廊里走来走去，到了午饭时间，学生们到健身馆里闲逛。但很快，有件事情开始让她烦心。走廊里，人们结伴走来走去，似乎都属于某个特别的小群体。不到一两个星期，她便认识了走廊里、班里的人，会跟他们说话——但仅此而已。她不属于任何一个小群体。在文法学校时，她如果想加入哪个群体，可以直接走上前去，就这么简单。但在这里，一切都不一样。

32

-

In nearly all ways Vocational was wonderful. They walked back and forth in the hall between classes, and at lunch period students hung around the gym.Here was the thing that soon began to bother her.In the halls the people would walk up and down together and everybody seemed to belong to some special bunch.Within a week or two she knew people in the halls and in classes to speak to them—but that was all.She wasn’t a member of any bunch.In Grammar School she would have just gone up to any crowd she wanted to belong with and that would have been the end of the matter.Here it was different.

33

-

第一星期，她一个人在走廊里溜达，思考着这件事。她很想归属到某个小群体，这个想法几乎跟她对音乐的渴望一样强烈。这两个想法一直在她脑子里挥之不去。最后，她想到了派对。

33

-

During the first week she walked up and down the halls by herself and thought about this. She planned about being with some bunch almost as much as she thought of music.Those two ideas were in her head all the time.And finally she got the idea of the party.

34

-

她对邀请的人精挑细选。不请文法学校的孩子，不请十二岁以下的孩子，只请十三到十五岁之间的孩子。她认识所请的每个人，他们都跟她在走廊里说过话——如果有不知道名字的，她便直接去问人家。那些有电话的孩子，她打电话过去邀请，其余的人她是上学时邀请的。

34

-

She was strict with the invitations. No Grammar School kids and nobody under twelve years old.She just asked people between thirteen and fifteen.She knew everybody she invited good enough to speak to them in the halls—and when she didn’t know their names she asked to find out.She called up those who had a telephone, and the rest she invited at school.

35

-

电话里，她说的话总是一模一样。她让巴伯附耳过来听。“我是米克·凯利。”她说。如果他们没听清名字，她会再重复一次，直到他们听清为止。“这个周六晚上八点钟，我要办一场舞会派对，现在邀请你参加。我住在第四大街一〇三号，A号楼。”“A号楼”在电话里听上去好极了。几乎所有人都会说很高兴受到邀请。有几个难缠的男孩想要故作聪明，一遍遍问她的名字。其中有个男孩想逗个趣，便说：“我不认识你。”她即刻顶了回去：“去你的吧！”除了这个故作聪明的家伙，有十个男孩和十个女孩，她知道他们肯定会来。这是一场真正的派对，将比她参加过或听说过的所有派对都好，都与众不同。

35

-

On the telephone she always said the same thing. She let Bubber stick in his ear to listen.“This is Mick Kelly，”she said.If they didn’t understand the name she kept on until they got it.“I’m having a prom party at eight o’clock Saturday night and I’m inviting you now.I live at　103　Fourth Street, Apartment A.”That Apartment A sounded swell on the telephone.Nearly everybody said they would be delighted.A couple of tough boys tried to be smarty and kept on asking her name over and over.One of them tried to act cute and said，“I don’t know you.”She squelched him in a hurry：“You go eat grass！”Outside of that wise guy there were ten boys and ten girls and she knew that they were all coming.This was a real party, and it would be better and different from any party she had ever gone to or heard about before.

36

-

米克最后望了一眼走廊和餐厅。她在帽架旁边停住，站在“老脏脸”的那张照片前面。上面的人是妈妈的祖父，内战期间他是位少校，在一场战斗中牺牲了。有个孩子曾经在他照片上画上了眼镜和胡子，擦掉铅笔痕迹后，他的脸都脏了。因此，她管他叫“老脏脸”。这张照片镶在大相框中间，两边各有一张照片，上面是他的两个儿子，他们看上去大约跟巴伯一样大，穿着军装，脸上一副吃惊的表情。他们也在战场上牺牲了。那都是很久以前的事情了。

36

-

Mick looked over the hall and dining-room one last time. By the hatrack she stopped before the picture of Old Dirty-Face.This was a photo of her Mama’s grandfather.He was a major way back in the Civil War and had been killed in a battle.Some kids once drew eyeglasses and a beard on his picture, and when the pencil marks were erased it left his face all dirty.That was why she called him Old Dirty-Face.The picture was in the middle of a three-part frame.On both sides were pictures of his sons.They looked about Bubber’s age.They had on uniforms and their faces were surprised.They had been killed in battle also.A long time ago.

37

-

“为了派对，我把这张照片取下来吧，我觉得看上去太普通了，你说呢？”

37

-

“I’m going to take this down for the party. I think it looks common.Don’t you?”

38

-

“不知道。”巴伯说，“我们普通吗，米克？”

38

-

“I don’t know，”Bubber said.“Are we common, Mick?”

39

-

“我不普通。”

39

-

“I’m not.”

40

-

她把那张照片放到了帽架下面。房间装饰得很不错。等辛格先生回来后，他会高兴的。几个房间空荡荡的，很安静。桌子布置好了，就等摆上晚餐了。吃完晚餐，就可以开始派对了。她走进厨房，看看茶点的情况。

40

-

She put the picture underneath the hatrack. The decoration was O.K.Mister Singer would be pleased when he came home.The rooms seemed very empty and quiet.The table was set for supper.And then after supper it would be time for the party.She went into the kitchen to see about the refreshments.

41

-

“你觉得一切都会顺利吧？”她问波西娅。

41

-

“You think everything will be all right?”she asked Portia.

42

-

波西娅正在做饼干。茶点放在炉子上方，有花生酱、果冻三明治、巧克力饼干，还有潘趣酒。三明治用一块潮湿的碟布盖着。她偷偷瞧了一眼，但没拿。

42

-

Portia was making biscuits. The refreshments were on top of the stove.There were peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chocolate snaps and punch.The sandwiches were covered with a damp dishcloth.She peeped at them but didn’t take one.

43

-

“我跟你说过四十遍了，一切都会很顺利的。”波西娅说，“我回家做好晚饭，立刻就回来，然后系上雪白的围裙，很漂亮地上菜。到九点半，我要离开这里。今天是星期六，晚上海博埃、威利和我也有我们的计划。”

43

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“I done told you forty times that everything going to be all right，”Portia said.“Just soon as I come back from fixing supper at home I going to put on that white apron and serve the food real nice. Then I going to push off from here by nine-thirty.This here is Saturday night and Highboy and Willie and me haves our plans, too.”

44

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“当然了。”米克说，“我只想让你帮我，等事情开了头就好了——你懂的。”

44

-

“Sure，”Mick said.“I just want you to help out till things sort of get started—you know.”

45

-

她没忍住，拿了一块三明治。然后，她让巴伯跟着波西娅，自己走进中间的房间。她要穿的裙子正平放在床上。黑兹尔和埃特在这方面一直很慷慨，会把自己最好的衣服借给她——她们应该不会参加这次派对。埃特借给她的是一件蓝色双绉长晚礼服，一双白色浅口鞋，还有一顶水晶头冠。这些衣服美极了，简直想象不出她穿上会是什么样子。

45

-

She gave in and took one of the sandwiches. Then she made Bubber stay with Portia and went into the middle room.The dress she would wear was laying out on the bed.Hazel and Etta had both been good about lending her their best clothes—considering that they weren’t supposed to come to the party.There was Etta’s long blue crêpe de chine evening dress and some white pumps and a rhinestone tiara for her hair.These clothes were really gorgeous.It was hard to imagine how she would look in them.

46

-

到了傍晚，阳光透过窗子投下长长的黄色斜影。如果她要花两个小时才能打扮好参加派对，那现在就该动手了。想到要穿上这么漂亮的衣服，她简直坐立不安，迫不及待。她慢步走进浴室，脱掉身上破旧的短裤和衬衫，打开水龙头。她使劲刷着脚后跟、膝盖处的粗糙部位，特别是胳膊肘。她洗了很长时间。

46

-

The late afternoon had come and the sun made long, yellow slants through the window. If she took two hours over dressing for the party it was time to begin now.When she thought about putting on the fine clothes she couldn’t just sit around and wait.Very slowly she went into the bathroom and shucked off her old shorts and shirt and turned on the water.She scrubbed the rough parts of her heels and her knees and especially her elbows.She made the bath take a long time.

47

-

她光着身子跑进中间的房间，开始穿衣服。她穿上丝绸内衣、丝绸袜子，为了好玩，她甚至穿上了埃特的胸罩。然后，她小心翼翼地穿上裙子，踩上浅口鞋。这是她第一次穿晚礼服。她久久地站在镜子前面。她个子很高，裙子离脚踝还有两三英寸的距离——鞋子太小，弄得脚疼。她在镜子前面站了很长时间，最后断定自己的样子要么像个傻瓜，要么美若天仙。

47

-

She ran naked into the middle room and began to dress. Silk teddies she put on, and silk stockings.She even wore one of Etta’s brassières just for the heck of it.Then very carefully she put on the dress and stepped into the pumps.This was the first time she had ever worn an evening dress.She stood for a long time before the mirror.She was so tall that the dress came up two or three inches above her ankles—and the shoes were so short they hurt her.She stood in front of the mirror a long tune, and finally decided she either looked like a sap or else she looked very beautiful.One or the other.

48

-

她尝试了六种不同的方式弄自己的头发。额头前翘起的一绺头发有点麻烦，所以她打湿刘海儿，做了三个波浪卷。最后，她把水晶头冠卡在头发上，涂了很多口红，还有腮红。打扮完毕，她像电影明星一样抬起下巴，微闭双眼。她慢慢地把脸转过来，又转过去，她看上去很美——就是很美。

48

-

Six different ways she tried out her hair. The cowlicks were a little trouble, so she wet her bangs and made three spit curls.Last of all she stuck the rhinestones in her hair and put on plenty of lipstick and paint.When she finished she lifted up her chin and half-closed eyes like a movie star.Slowly she turned her face from one side to the other.It was beautiful she looked—just beautiful.

49

-

她感觉自己像完全换了个人，完全不是米克·凯利了。还要再等两个小时派对才能开始，如果家人看见她早早就穿好了衣服，她会感到很难为情。她又走进浴室，锁上门。她不能坐下，怕弄乱裙子，于是便站在浴室中央。四面逼仄的墙壁压过来，似乎让她更为兴奋。她觉得自己跟以前的米克·凯利完全不同，她知道这将是她一生当中最美妙的东西——这次派对。

49

-

She didn’t feel like herself at all. She was somebody different from Mick Kelly entirely.Two hours had to pass before the party would begin, and she was ashamed for any of the family to see her dressed so far ahead of time.She went into the bathroom again and locked the door.She couldn’t mess up her dress by sitting down, so she stood in the middle of the floor.The close walls around her seemed to press in all the excitement.She felt so different from the old Mick Kelly that she knew this would be better than anything else in all her whole life—this party.

50

-

“耶！潘趣酒！”

50

-

“Yippee！The punch！”

51

-

“最漂亮的裙子——”

51

-

“The cutest dress—”

52

-

“嘿，你解开了那道题，关于三角形的，四十六——”

52

-

“Say！You solve that one about the triangle forty-six by twen—”

53

-

“让我过去，闪开！”

53

-

“Lemme by！Move out my way！”

54

-

前门每一秒钟都会砰地响一下，人们蜂拥而入。尖厉的声音与柔和的声音混在一起，最后合成了一种轰鸣的噪音。女孩们扎堆站在一起，穿着漂亮的长晚礼服；男孩们则到处闲逛，他们穿着洁净的帆布裤子，或者后备军官训练队制服，或者崭新的深色秋季西装。到处都是一片嘈杂混乱，米克没法认清哪张脸或者哪个人。她站在帽架旁边，环顾整个派对的场面。

54

-

The front door slammed every second as the people swarmed into the house. Sharp voices and soft voices sounded together until there was just one roaring noise.Girls stood in bunches in their long, fine evening dresses, and the boys roamed around in clean duck pants or R.O.T.C.uniforms or new dark fall suits.There was so much commotion that Mick couldn’t notice any separate face or person.She stood by the hatrack and stared around at the party as a whole.

55

-

“大家都来拿一张舞会请柬，开始报名。”

55

-

“Everybody get a prom card and start signing up.”

56

-

起初，房间里很吵，没人听见，也没人留意。男孩们都密匝匝地围在潘趣酒大碗周围，根本看不到桌子和藤蔓，只有她爸爸的面孔在男孩们的脑袋上面露出来。他微笑着，把潘趣酒给男孩们分到小纸杯里。她旁边帽架的座位上放着一罐糖果、两块手帕。几个女孩以为今天是她的生日，她向她们道谢，把礼物打开，并没有告诉她们她还有八个月才过十四岁生日。每个人都像她一样，干净清爽、盛装打扮，身上散发出好闻的味道。男孩们的头发都抹得水润光滑，女孩们则穿着各种颜色的长裙站在一起，像一大片色彩艳丽的花朵。这个开头非常棒。这场派对的开端很不错。

56

-

At first the room was too loud for anyone to hear and pay attention. The boys were so thick around the punch bowl that the table and the vines didn’t show at all.Only her Dad’s face rose up above the boys’heads as he smiled and dished up the punch into the little paper cups.On the seat of the hatrack beside her were a jar of candy and two handkerchiefs.A couple of girls thought it was her birthday, and she had thanked them and unwrapped the presents without telling them she wouldn’t be fourteen for eight more months.Every person was as clean and fresh and dressed up as she was.They smelled good.The boys had their hair plastered down wet and slick.The girls with their different-colored long dresses stood together, and they were like a bright hunk of flowers.The start was marvelous.The beginning of this party was O.K.

57

-

“我有苏格兰—爱尔兰、法国血统，还有——”

57

-

“I’m part Scotch Irish and French and—”

58

-

“我有德国血统——”

58

-

“I got German blood—”

59

-

她又喊了一遍领取舞会请柬，然后走进了餐厅。很快，他们开始从走廊里拥进来，每人拿了一张舞会请柬，然后一堆堆地靠墙排起了队。现在才是真正的开始。

59

-

She hollered about the prom cards one more time before she went into the dining-room. Soon they began to pile in from the hall.Every person took a prom card and they lined up in bunches against the walls of the room.This was the real start now.

60

-

然后，突然间变得非常怪异——这种安静。男孩们一起站在房间的一侧，女孩们则站在对面。不知为什么，大家都立刻同时住了嘴。男孩们拿着请柬，望着女孩们，房间里一片寂静。没有一个男孩按照惯例开始邀请舞伴。这种可怕的寂静越来越让人难以忍受，她参加派对的经验不足，不知道该如何是好。然后，男孩们开始互相打闹、说话。女孩们也咯咯笑起来——但即便她们没去看那些男孩子，你也看得出，她们满脑子想的只是她们是不是会受欢迎。这会儿，那种可怕的寂静消失了，但房间里有种紧张不安的气氛。

60

-

It came all of a sudden in a very queer way—this quietness. The boys stood together on one side of the room and the girls were across from them.For some reason every person quit making noise at once.The boys held their cards and looked at the girls and the room was very still.None of the boys started asking for proms like they were supposed to do.The awful quietness got worse and she had not been to enough parties to know what she should do.Then the boys started punching each other and talking.The girls giggled—but even if they didn’t look at the boys you could tell they only had their minds on whether they were going to be popular or not.The awful quietness was gone now, but there was something jittery about the room.

61

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过了一会儿，一个男孩走到一个名叫德洛丽丝·布朗的女孩跟前，在她的舞会请柬上报了名。其他男孩见状，也都立刻冲到德洛丽丝跟前。当她的请柬签满名字的时候，他们又开始冲到另一个女孩玛丽跟前。在那之后，一切突然又停止了。还有另外一两个女孩得到了几个舞伴——因为是她主办的派对，所以有三个男孩来找她当舞伴。就是这些了。

61

-

After a while a boy went up to a girl named Delores Brown. As soon as he had signed her up the other boys all began to rush Delores at once.When her whole card was full they started on another girl, named Mary.After that everything suddenly stopped again.One or two extra girls got a couple of proms—and because she was giving the party three boys came up to her.That was all.

62

-

人们只是在餐厅和走廊里闲逛。大部分男孩聚集在潘趣酒大碗周围，想要彼此炫耀。女孩们则凑到一起，时常哈哈大笑，假装玩得很开心。男孩们琢磨着女孩们，女孩们则琢磨着男孩们，但房间里却充满了一种很奇怪的感觉。

62

-

The people just hung around in the dining-room and the hall. The boys mostly flocked around the punch bowl and tried to show off with each other.The girls bunched together and did a lot of laughing to pretend like they were having a good time.The boys thought about the girls and the girls thought about the boys.But all that came of it was a queer feeling in the room.

63

-

那个时候，她才开始注意到哈里·米诺维茨。他家就住在隔壁，她从小就认识他。尽管他比她大两岁，但她长得比他快。夏天的时候，他俩经常在外面大街边的草地上摔跤和打架。哈里是个犹太男孩，长得却不大像犹太人。他的头发是淡褐色的，很直。今晚，他穿得非常整洁，他进门的时候将一顶大人的巴拿马帽挂在了帽架上，帽子上还插了一根羽毛。

63

-

It was then she began to notice Harry Minowitz. He lived in the house next door and she had known him all her life.Although he was two years older she had grown faster than him, and in the summer-time they used to wrestle and fight out on the plot of grass by the street.Harry was a Jew boy, but he did not look so much like one.His hair was light brown and straight.Tonight he was dressed very neat, and when he came in the door he had hung a grown man’s panama hat with a feather in it on the hatrack.

64

-

让她注意到他的，并不是他的衣服。他脸上有什么地方变了，因为他没像往常一样戴着角质架眼镜。他一只眼睛里长了一颗发红的麦粒肿，很大，看人的时候，他要把脑袋歪到一边才行，像鸟一样。他的两只瘦长的手不断地摸那个肿块，好像很疼的样子。他要潘趣酒的时候，直接把纸杯子戳到了她爸爸的脸上。她看得出来，他特别需要戴上眼镜。他很紧张，总是撞上别人。除了她，他没有邀请任何女孩做舞伴——而这是因为她是这场派对的主人。

64

-

It wasn’t his clothes that made her notice him. There was something changed about his face because he was without the horn-rimmed specs he usually wore.A red, droppy sty had come out on one of his eyes and he had to cock his head sideways like a bird in order to see.His long, thin hands kept touching around his sty as though it hurt him.When he asked for punch he stuck the paper cup right into her Dad’s face.She could tell he needed his glasses very bad.He was nervous and kept bumping into people.He didn’t ask any girl to prom except her—and that was because it was her party.

65

-

潘趣酒喝光了。爸爸怕她难堪，便跟她妈妈一起去厨房做柠檬水。有些人在前面门廊里，人行道上也有人。她很高兴到外面来呼吸一下夜晚清凉的空气。从闷热明亮的家里出来，她在黑暗中闻到了初秋的味道。

65

-

All the punch had been drunk. Her Dad was afraid she would be embarrassed, so he and her Mama had gone back to the kitchen to make lemonade.Some of the people were on the front porch and the sidewalk.She was glad to get out in the cool night air.After the hot, bright house she could smell the new autumn in the darkness.

66

-

然后，她看到了一件意料之外的事情。人行道边和漆黑的大街上有一群邻居家的孩子，皮特、萨克·韦尔斯、巴比、斯波尔瑞巴斯——一大群人，小的比巴伯还小，大的超过十二岁。还有些孩子她根本不认识，他们不知怎的都嗅到了派对的味道，到附近来转悠。还有跟她年纪相仿或者比她大些的孩子，她也没邀请他们过来，因为他们对她做过坏事，或者她曾经对他们做过坏事。他们都脏兮兮的，穿着简单的短裤或邋里邋遢的衬裤，或者破旧的日常衣服。他们就在附近闲逛，在黑暗中望着派对的场景。看到这些孩子，她心里生出两种感觉——一种是伤心，另一种是警惕。

66

-

Then she saw something she hadn’t expected. Along the edge of the sidewalk and in the dark street there was a bunch of nighborhood kids.Pete and Sucker Wells and Baby and Spareribs—the whole gang that started at below Bubber’s age and went on up to over twelve.There were even kids she didn’t know at all who had somehow smelled a party and come to hang around.And there were kids her age and older that she hadn’t invited either because they had done something mean to her or she had done something mean to them.They were all dirty and in plain shorts or draggle-tailed knickers or old every-day dresses.They were just hanging around in the dark to watch the party.She thought of two feelings when she saw those kids—one was sad and the other was a kind of warning.

67

-

“这支舞我约了你。”哈里·米诺维茨假装在念请柬上的内容，但她能看见那上面什么也没写。她爸爸走到门廊里，吹响了哨子，宣布第一支舞开始了。

67

-

“I got this prom with you.”Harry Minowitz made out like he was reading on his card, but she could see nothing was written on it. Her Dad had come onto the porch and blown the whistle that meant the beginning of the first prom.

68

-

“好的，”她说，“我们去吧。”

68

-

“Yeah，”she said.“Let’s get going.”

69

-

他们开始出门绕着街区走去。她穿着长裙子，依然觉得自己非常时髦而奢华。“你们看，米克·凯利！”黑暗中，一个孩子大喊起来。“看她！”她假装没听见，继续走路。大喊的就是那个斯波尔瑞巴斯，不久她就会抓住他的。她和哈里快速走在黑暗的人行道上，走到街道尽头时他们拐入另一个街区。

69

-

They started out to walk around the block. In the long dress she still felt very ritzy.“Look yonder at Mick Kelly！”one of the kids in the dark hollered.“Look at her！”She just walked on like she hadn’t heard, but it was that Spareribs, and some day soon she would catch him.She and Harry walked fast along the dark sidewalk, and when they came to the end of the street they turned down another block.

70

-

“你现在多大了，米克——十三岁？”

70

-

“How old are you now, Mick—thirteen?”

71

-

“马上就十四岁了。”

71

-

“Going on fourteen.”

72

-

她知道他心里想什么，这件事曾经让她担心。她身高五英尺六英寸，体重一百零三磅，其实才只有十三岁。派对上，别的孩子站在她身边，简直都是些小矮子，但哈里除外，他比她只矮了几英寸。没有哪个男孩愿意约一个比自己高那么多的女孩当舞伴。但抽烟也许能抑制一下她以后的生长。

72

-

She knew what he was thinking. It used to worry her all the time.Five feet six inches tall and a hundred and three pounds, and she was only thirteen.Every kid at the party was a runt beside her, except Harry, who was only a couple of inches shorter.No boy wanted to prom with a girl so much taller than him.But maybe cigarettes would help stunt the rest of her growth.

73

-

“我去年只长了三点二五英寸。”她说。

73

-

“I grew three and a fourth inches just in last year，”she said.

74

-

“我在集市上见过一位女士，足足有八英尺半高，但你可能长不了那么高。”

74

-

“Once I saw a lady at the fair who was eight and a half feet tall. But you probably won’t grow that big.”

75

-

哈里在一丛黑乎乎的紫薇灌木旁边停住脚步，附近没有人。他从口袋里拿出一样东西，开始摆弄起来。她靠过去看个仔细——是他的眼镜，他正用手绢擦着镜片。

75

-

Harry stopped beside a dark crêpe myrtle bush.Nobody was in sight.He took something out of his pocket and started fooling with whatever it was.She leaned over to see—it was his pair of specs and he was wiping them with his handkerchief.

76

-

“抱歉。”他说道，然后戴上了眼镜，她听到他长出了一口气。

76

-

“Pardon me，”he said. Then he put on his glasses and she could hear him breathe deep.

77

-

“你该一直戴着眼镜。”

77

-

“You ought to wear your specs all the time.”

78

-

“是的。”

78

-

“Yeah.”

79

-

“你为什么刚才一直不戴呢？”

79

-

“How come you go around without them?”

80

-

夜色宁静而浓重。他们穿过大街时，哈里扶住了她的胳膊肘。

80

-

The night was very quiet and dark. Harry held her elbows when they crossed the street.

81

-

“派对上有位年轻女士，她觉得男人戴眼镜显得太女孩子气。这个人——哦，嗯，也许，我是个——”

81

-

“There’s a certain young lady back at the party that thinks it’s sissy for a fellow to wear glasses. This certain person—oh well, maybe I am a—”

82

-

他没说完。突然，他绷紧身体，跑了几步，跳起来去够离头顶还有四英尺高的一片树叶。夜色中，她勉强能看见那片高高挂着的树叶。他的弹跳力非常好，一下就够到了，然后他把树叶放进嘴里，在黑暗中打了几下空拳。她赶上他。

82

-

He didn’t finish. Suddenly he tightened up and ran a few steps and sprang for a leaf about four feet above his head.She just could see that high leaf in the dark.He had a good spring to his jumping and he got it the first time.Then he put the leaf in his mouth and shadow-boxed for a few punches in the dark.She caught up with him.

83

-

像往常一样，一首歌回旋在她的脑海中。她独自哼唱起来。

83

-

As usual a song was in her mind. She was humming to herself.

84

-

“你唱的是什么歌？”

84

-

“What’s that you’re singing?”

85

-

“一个叫莫扎特的人写的曲子。”

85

-

“It’s a piece by a fellow named Mozart.”

86

-

哈里觉得非常美妙。他用脚向侧方跨着步，像个敏捷的拳击手一样。“听上去像个德国人的名字。”

86

-

Harry felt pretty good. He was sidestepping with his feet like a fast boxer.“That sounds like a sort of German name.”

87

-

“我猜是。”

87

-

“I reckon so.”

88

-

“法西斯分子？”他问。

88

-

“Fascist?”he asked.

89

-

“什么？”

89

-

“What?”

90

-

“我说，莫扎特是个法西斯分子，还是个纳粹？”

90

-

“I say is that Mozart a Fascist or a Nazi?”

91

-

米克想了一会儿。“不是，法西斯和纳粹都是新名词，这个人已经死了很长时间了。”

91

-

Mick thought a minute.“No. They’re new, and this fellow’s been dead some time.”

92

-

“那很好。”他又开始在黑暗中打拳了。他希望她会问问为什么这么说。

92

-

“It’s a good thing.”He began punching in the dark again. He wanted her to ask why.

93

-

“我说，这是件好事。”他重复了一遍。

93

-

“I say it’s a good thing，”he said again.

94

-

“为什么？”

94

-

“Why?”

95

-

“因为，我憎恨法西斯分子。如果街上有法西斯分子走过来，我就杀了他。”

95

-

“Because I hate Fascists. If I met one walking on the street I’d kill him.”

96

-

她望着哈里。在街灯的照射下，那些树叶在他脸上投下斑驳的阴影，颤巍巍的。他非常激动。

96

-

She looked at Harry. The leaves against the street light made quick, freckly shadows on his face.He was excited.

97

-

“为什么？”她问。

97

-

“How come?”she asked.

98

-

“天啊！你难道不看报纸吗？你看，是这样——”

98

-

“Gosh！Don’t you ever read the paper?You see, it’s this way—”

99

-

他们绕着街区又转了回来。她家里一片喧闹。人行道上，人们都在大喊大叫，跑来跑去。她胃里涌起一阵强烈的恶心。

99

-

They had come back around the block. A commotion was going on at her house.People were yelling and running on the sidewalk.A heavy sickness came in her belly.

100

-

“除非我们绕着街区再来一圈，否则没有时间跟你解释。我不介意告诉你我为什么憎恨法西斯。我想跟你聊聊。”

100

-

“There’s not time to explain unless we prom around the block again. I don’t mind telling you why I hate Fascists.I’d like to tell about it.”

101

-

也许，这是他第一次有机会跟别人滔滔不绝地说起自己的这些想法，但她根本顾不上听，她忙着看自家门前的场景。“好吧，回头见。”舞会现在结束了，她现在可以去看看眼前的这团乱象，好好琢磨下。

101

-

This was probably the first chance he had got to spiel these ideas out to somebody. But she didn’t have time to listen.She was busy looking at what she saw in the front of her house.“O.K.I’ll see you later.”The prom was over now, so she could look and put her mind on the mess she saw.

102

-

她离开后到底发生了什么事？她走的时候，人们穿着漂亮的衣服站在周围，还是场真正的派对。现在——仅仅过了五分钟——这个地方看上去就像个疯人院。趁她不在家，外面的那些孩子从黑暗中钻出来，直接去了派对。他们竟然胆敢这样做！老皮特·韦尔斯在前门口晃悠，手里端着一杯潘趣酒。他们又喊又叫，四处乱跑，跟邀请来的客人混成一团——穿着他们破旧的松松垮垮的衬裤和日常衣服。

102

-

What had happened while she was gone?When she left the people were standing around in the fine clothes and it was a real party. Now—after just five minutes—the place looked more like a crazy house.While she was gone those kids had come out of the dark and right into the party itself.The nerve they had！There was old Pete Wells banging out of the front door with a cup of punch in his hand.They bellowed and ran and mixed with the invited people—in their old loose-legged knickers and everyday clothes.

103

-

巴比·威尔逊在门廊上乱钻——巴比还不到四岁。人人都看得出，这会儿，她该像巴伯一样在家睡觉才对。巴比一步一个台阶走下来，把潘趣酒杯高高举过头顶。她根本不应该出现在这里。布兰农先生是她的姨夫，只要她愿意，随时都可以到他店里拿免费水果和饮料。她一走到人行道上，米克就一把抓住她的胳膊。“赶紧回家，巴比·威尔逊，快，现在。”米克看着四周，想看看她还能做些什么才能让局势重新回归正常。她走到萨克·韦尔斯面前。他站在远一点黑乎乎的人行道上，手里握着纸杯，神情恍惚地望着所有人。萨克七岁，穿着短裤，光着上身，赤着脚。他倒没惹什么麻烦，但发生的一切让她气得发疯。

103

-

Baby Wilson messed around on the front porch—and Baby wasn’t more than four years old. Anybody could see she ought to be home in bed by now, same as Bubber.She walked down the steps one at a time, holding the punch high up over her head.There was no reason for her to be here at all.Mister Brannon was her uncle and she could get free candy and drinks at his place any time she wanted to.As soon as she was on the sidewalk Mick caught her by the arm.“You go right home, Baby Wilson.Go on, now.”Mick looked around to see what else she could do to straighten things out again like they ought to be.She went up to Sucker Wells.He stood farther down the sidewalk, where it was dark, holding his paper cup and looking at everybody in a dreamy way.Sucker was seven years old and he had on shorts.His chest and feet were naked.He wasn’t causing any of the commotion, but she was mad as hell at what had happened.

104

-

她一把抓住萨克的肩膀，使劲摇晃他。起初，他紧咬牙关，但过了一会儿，他的牙齿开始咔嗒作响。“赶紧回家，萨克·韦尔斯，没邀请你来，你不要在这里转悠了。”她放开手，萨克像夹着尾巴一样，慢慢沿着大街走了。但他并没有一路走回家。他走到街角，她看见他在路边坐了下来，望着派对上的人，他以为这样便会逃过她的目光了。

104

-

She grabbed Sucker by the shoulders and began to shake him. At first he held his jaws tight, but after a minute his teeth began to rattle.“You go home, Sucker Wells.You quit hanging around where you’re not invited.”When she let him go, Sucker tucked his tail and walked slowly down the street.But he didn’t go all the way home.After he got to the corner she saw him sit down on the curb and watch the party where he thought she couldn’t see him.

105

-

有那么一会儿，她打发掉萨克之后感觉很好。但紧接着，她心里又特别担心，开始喊他回来。搞砸这一切的是那些大孩子，他们才是真正的捣蛋鬼，在她看来，他们做坏事的胆子最大。他们吃光了茶点，毁了好好一场派对，把派对变成了一场闹剧。他们在前门来回穿梭，发出砰砰的声音，大喊大叫，又撞又挤。她走到皮特·韦尔斯跟前，因为他闹腾得最厉害。他戴着橄榄球头盔，专门冲撞别人。皮特已经十四岁了，却还留在七年级。她走到他跟前，但他块头实在太大，她没法像摇晃萨克那样去摇晃他。她让他赶紧回家，他抖动着身体像跳希米舞一样，朝她直冲过来。

105

-

For a minute she felt good about shaking the spit out of Sucker. And then right afterward she had a bad worry feeling in her and she started to let him come back.The big kids were the ones who messed up everything.Real brats they were, and with the worst nerve she had ever seen.Drinking up the refreshments and ruining the real party into all this commotion.They slammed through the front door and hollered and bumped into each other.She went up to Pete Wells because he was the worst of all.He wore his football helmet and butted into people.Pete was every bit of fourteen, yet he was still stuck in the seventh grade.She went up to him, but he was too big to shake like Sucker.When she told him to go home he shimmied and made a nose dive at her.

106

-

“我去过六个州，佛罗里达、阿拉巴马——”

106

-

“I been in six different states. Florida, Alabama—”

107

-

“是用银色的布做的，配了腰带——”

107

-

“Made out of silver cloth with a sash—”

108

-

派对全乱了。大家都在大声说话，从职业学校邀请来的人跟临近街坊的那帮人混在了一起，但男孩和女孩还是各自分成一堆堆地站着——却没有人结成舞伴。家里，柠檬水所剩无几，只在碗底还剩一小洼水，上面漂着几片柠檬皮。她爸爸总是对孩子太好了，只要有人将纸杯子伸到他面前，他都会倒上潘趣酒。

108

-

The party was all messed up. Everybody was talking at once.The invited people from Vocational were mixed with the neighborhood gang.The boys and the girls still stood in separate bunches, though—and nobody prommed.In the house the lemonade was just about gone.There was only a little puddle of water with floating lemon peels at the bottom of the bowl.Her Dad always acted too nice with kids.He had served out the punch to anybody who stuck a cup at him.Portia was serving the sandwiches when she went into the dining-room.In five minutes they were all gone.She only got one—a jelly kind with pink sops come through the bread.

109

-

她走进餐厅时，波西娅正端上三明治。不到五分钟，三明治便被一扫而空，她只拿到一个——一个果冻三明治，粉色的果冻从面包里渗了出来。波西娅待在餐厅，望着派对上的人。“我玩得很开心，不想走了。”她说，“我已经给海博埃和威利捎信儿了，让他们自己去欢度周六夜晚吧，不要等我了。大家在这里都这么兴奋，我要等等，看着派对结束。”

109

-

Portia stayed in the dining-room to watch the party.“I having too good a time to leave，”she said.“I done sent word to Highboy and Willie to go on with the Saturday Night without me. Everbody so excited here I going to wait and see the end of this party.”

110

-

兴奋——就是这个词。她能感觉到，房间里、门廊上、外面的人行道上都充满了兴奋之情。她也觉得很兴奋，不仅仅是因为她的裙子，或者她看上去容光焕发的那种美——她经过帽架镜子时，看见自己两颊通红，还有头发上的水晶头冠。也许，她觉得兴奋，还因为所有的装饰品，所有来自职业学校的人，以及挤在一起的孩子们。

110

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Excitement—that was the word. She could feel it all through the room and on the porch and the sidewalk.She felt excited, too.It wasn’t just her dress and the beautiful way her face looked when she passed by the hatrack mirror and saw the red paint on her cheeks and the rhinestone tiara in her hair.Maybe it was the decoration and all these Vocational people and kids being jammed together.

111

-

“看她跑了！”

111

-

“Watch her run！”

112

-

“哎哟，住手——”

112

-

“Ouch！Cut it out—”

113

-

“也不看看你多大了！”

113

-

“Act your age！”

114

-

一群女孩沿着大街跑起来，提着裙子，头发在身后飞舞着。有些男孩砍下丝兰长长的尖锐叶片，拿着它们追赶着女孩子们。职业学校的新生们穿得像是参加真正的毕业舞会，行为举止却像些孩子。这像是开玩笑，又不像开玩笑。一个男孩拿着尖刺叶片朝她走过来，她抬腿就跑。

114

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A bunch of girls were running down the street, holding up their dresses and with the hair flying out behind them. Some boys had cut off the long, sharp spears of a Spanish bayonet bush and they were chasing the girls with them.Freshmen in Vocational all dressed up for a real prom party and acting just like kids.It was half playlike and half not playlike at all.A boy came up to her with a sticker and she started running too.

115

-

现在，派对的概念完全没有了，变成了标准的闹剧。这是她见过的最狂野的夜晚，那帮孩子是罪魁祸首。他们就像一场传染病，他们来到派对上，便让所有人都忘记了高中，忘记了长大。就像你下午要洗澡，但洗澡前你会跑到后院肆意打滚，弄得浑身脏透，只是为了进入澡盆那一刻的快感。每个人都变成了一个野孩子，在周六晚上疯玩——她觉得自己是里面最狂野的一个。

115

-

The idea of the party was over entirely now. This was just a regular playing-out.But it was the wildest night she had ever seen.The kids had caused it.They were like a catching sickness, and their coming to the party made all the other people forget about High School and being almost grown.It was like just before you take a bath in the afternoon when you might wallow around in the back yard and get plenty dirty just for the good feel of it before getting into the tub.Everybody was a wild kid playing out on Saturday night—and she felt like the very wildest of all.

116

-

她大喊大叫，又推又搡，首先去尝试新的惊险动作。她弄出很大动静，跑得飞快，根本没注意到其他人都在干什么。她想随心所欲地去做所有疯狂的事情，但呼吸却急促得跟不上了。

116

-

She hollered and pushed and was the first to try any new stunt. She made so much noise and moved around so fast she couldn’t notice what anybody else was doing.Her breath wouldn’t come fast enough to let her do all the wild things she wanted to do.

117

-

“街上的水沟！水沟！水沟！”

117

-

“The ditch down the street！The ditch！The ditch！”

118

-

她第一个朝水沟冲去。一个街区之外，人们在街道下面铺设了新管道，挖了一条很深的水沟。黑暗之中，沟边的火盆里都冒着明亮的红光。她简直等不及要爬下去。她一直跑到那些起伏的小火苗跟前，然后跳了下去。

118

-

She started for it first. Down a block they had put in new pipes under the street and dug a swell deep ditch.The flambeaux around the edge were bright and red in the dark.She wouldn’t wait to climb down.She ran until she reached the little wavy flames and then she jumped.

119

-

如果穿着网球鞋，她本来可以像猫一样落地——但脚上的高跟浅口鞋让她跌了一跤，肚子撞在管子上，这让她一下子连气都喘不动了。她闭着眼睛，躺在那里一动不动。

119

-

With her tennis shoes she would have landed like a cat—but the high pumps made her slip and her stomach hit this pipe. Her breath was stopped.She lay quiet with her eyes closed.

120

-

那场派对——很长一段时间里，她都记得自己原来的构想，记得脑海中对职业学校那些新生的想象，还记得她每天都想加入的那个群体。现在，她站在走廊里会有不同的感觉，因为她知道他们并没什么特殊的，跟别的孩子一样。这场被毁掉的派对让她认识到了这一点。但一切都结束了，到此为止。

120

-

The party—For a long time she remembered how she thought it would be, how she imagined the new people at Vocational. And about the bunch she wanted to be with every day.She would feel different in the halls now, knowing that they were not something special but like any other kids.It was O.K.about the ruined party.But it was all over.It was the end.

121

-

米克从水沟里爬上来。有些孩子正在那些小火盆旁边玩。火焰发出红色的光，照出长长的跳动的影子。有个男孩跑回家，戴上了一个面具，那是提前为万圣节买的。派对没有改变什么，除了她以外。

121

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Mick climbed out of the ditch. Some kids were playing around the little pots of flames.The fire made a red glow and there were long, quick shadows.One boy had gone home and put on a dough-face bought in advance for Halloween.Nothing was changed about the party except her.

122

-

她慢慢往家走去。经过那些孩子时，她既不说话，也不看他们。走廊里的装饰物已经扯掉了，屋子里似乎空荡荡的，所有人都跑到了外面。她走进浴室，脱掉蓝色晚礼服。裙子的褶边撕破了，她把撕破的地方叠到里面，这样便看不出来了。水晶头冠不知道掉到哪里去了。她的旧短裤和衬衫还放在地板上，没有人动过。她穿上短裤和衬衫。过了今晚，她长大了，不能再穿短裤了。今晚之后，不能再穿了。再也不能了。

122

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She walked home slowly. When she passed kids she didn’t speak or look at them.The decoration in the hall was torn down and the house seemed very empty because everyone had gone outside.In the bathroom she took off the blue evening dress.The hem was torn and she folded it so the raggedy place wouldn’t show.The rhinestone tiara was lost somewhere.Her old shorts and shirt were lying on the floor just where she had left them.She put them on.She was too big to wear shorts any more after this.No more after this night.Not any more.

123

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米克站在门廊上。卸妆之后，她的脸色很苍白。她把双手拢在嘴上，深吸了一口气。“大家都回家吧！关门了！派对结束了！”

123

-

Mick stood out on the front porch. Her face was very white without the paint.She cupped her hands before her mouth and took a deep breath.“Everybody go home！The door is shut！The party is over！”

124

-

在寂静、神秘的夜色中，又只剩了她一个人。时间不算晚——沿街的房子里，一块块方形的黄色灯光从窗子透出来。她走得很慢，双手插进口袋里，头歪向一边。她走了很久，并不在意自己在朝什么方向走。

124

-

In the quiet, secret night she was by herself again. It was not late—yellow squares of light snowed in the windows of the houses along the streets.She walked slow, with her hands in her pockets and her head to one side.For a long time she walked without noticing the direction.

125

-

后来，房子变得稀疏起来，有些院子里种着大树，还有黑乎乎的灌木丛。她看着四周，发现自己又来到了这幢房子，就是她这个夏天多次来过的那幢房子。她的双脚不知不觉便把她带到了这里。她走到房子跟前，等了一会儿，确定没有人看见她，然后她穿过了侧院。

125

-

Then the houses were far apart from each other and there were yards with big trees in them and black shrubbery. She looked around and saw she was near this house where she had gone so many times in the summer.Her feet had just taken her here without her knowing.When she came to the house she waited to be sure no person could see.Then she went through the side yard.

126

-

跟往常一样，收音机开着。她在窗前站了一会儿，望着窗子里的人。那个秃顶的男人和头发花白的女人正在桌前玩牌。米克坐在地上。这是个非常好的私密之地，周围都是茂密的雪松，把她藏得严严实实。今晚收音机的节目不太好听——有人在唱流行歌曲，结尾都是一个样子。她的心里就像空了似的。她把手伸进口袋，用手指摸索了个遍。里面有葡萄干、一枚七叶树种，还有一串珠子——一根烟，还有火柴。她把烟点上，双臂抱着膝盖。她的心好像空了似的，没有感觉，也没有思想。

126

-

The radio was on as usual. For a second she stood by the window and watched the people inside.The bald-headed man and the gray-haired lady were playing cards at a table.Mick sat on the ground.This was a very fine and secret place.Close around were thick cedars so that she was completely hidden by herself.The radio was no good tonight—somebody sang popular songs that all ended in the same way.It was like she was empty.She reached in her pockets and felt around with her fingers.There were raisins and a buckeye and a string of beads—one cigarette with matches.She lighted the cigarette and put her arms around her knees.It was like she was so empty there wasn’t even a feeling or thought in her.

127

-

一个接一个的节目播放着，都很没意思，她不是特别喜欢。她抽着烟，抓起一小把草叶。过了一会儿，一个新播音员开始说话了，提到了贝多芬。她在图书馆看过关于这个音乐家的书——他的名字听起来有个“a”，但拼写时却是两个“e”。他跟莫扎特一样，是德国人，活着的时候说的是外语，也住在外国——她也想这样。播音员说，他们要播放他的第三交响曲。她漫不经心地听着，因为她还想再走走，并不太关心他们要播放什么音乐。然后，音乐开始了。米克抬起头，一只手握紧拳头放到了喉咙上。

127

-

One programme came on after another, and all of them were punk. She didn’t especially care.She smoked and picked a little bunch of grass blades.After a while a new announcer started talking.He mentioned Beethoven.She had read in the library about that musician—his name was pronounced with an a and spelled with double e.He was a German fellow like Mozart.When he was living he spoke in a foreign language and lived in a foreign place—like she wanted to do.The announcer said they were going to play his third symphony.She only half-way listened because she wanted to walk some more and she didn’t care much what they played.Then the music started.Mick raised her head and her fist went up to her throat.

128

-

这些音乐是怎么来的？有一会儿的时间，序曲像天平般从一边偏向另一边，像走路，又像行军，也像上帝在夜色中昂首阔步。她的身体突然僵住了，心里只有播放的第一部分音乐，令她的心炽热沸腾。她甚至听不见后面的乐声了，但她坐在那里，等待着，无法动弹，两只拳头紧紧攥着。过了一会儿，那段音乐又响了起来，这次更沉重，更响亮。这与上帝毫无关系。这就是她，米克·凯利，白天到处游走，夜晚形单影只。在炽热的阳光下和浓重的夜色里，想着所有的计划，带着所有的感情。这首曲子就是她——真实而又平常的她。

128

-

How did it come?For a minute the opening balanced from one side to the other. Like a walk or march.Like God strutting in the night.The outside of her was suddenly froze and only that first part of the music was hot inside her heart.She could not even hear what sounded after, but she sat there waiting and froze, with her fists tight.After a while the music came again, harder and loud.It didn’t have anything to do with God.This was her, Mick Kelly, walking in the daytime and by herself at night.In the hot sun and in the dark with all the plans and feelings.This music was her—the real plain her.

129

-

她再怎么努力听，都觉得无法听见全部的乐声。音乐在她体内沸腾着。该怎么听？牢牢抓住某些精彩的部分，反复思考，这样以后她就不会忘记了——或者她应该放手，先听完所有部分，并不仔细思考或试图记住？天哪！整个世界只剩下这首曲子，而她无论怎么听，都觉得不够认真。终于，序曲又来了，各种不同乐器的声音交织到一起，演奏着每一个音符，像一只结实、握紧的拳头，重重地击打着她的心脏。第一部分结束了。

129

-

She could not listen good enough to hear it all. The music boiled inside her.Which?To hang on to certain wonderful parts and think them over so that later she would not forget—or should she let go and listen to each part that came without thinking or trying to remember?Golly！The whole world was this music and she could not listen hard enough.Then at last the opening music came again, with all the different instruments bunched together for each note like a hard, tight fist that socked at her heart.And the first part was over.

130

-

这首曲子持续的时间不是很长，也不是很短。其实，跟时间的流逝毫无关系。她坐在那里，双臂紧抱着双腿，使劲咬着自己咸咸的膝盖。她或许听了五分钟，或许是半个晚上。第二部分很凝重——一支缓慢的进行曲。不是悲伤，但就像整个世界都死去了，都黑了，根本无法想象出世界以前的样子。一种类似号角的乐器演奏出一种悲怆、清脆的曲调。然后，音乐突然升高，宛如愤怒起来，背后还带着兴奋。最后，又是凝重的进行曲。

130

-

This music did not take a long time or a short time. It did not have anything to do with time going by at all.She sat with her arms held tight around her legs, biting her salty knee very hard.It might have been five minutes she listened or half the night.The second part was black-colored—a slow march.Not sad, but like the whole world was dead and black and there was no use thinking back how it was before.One of those horn kind of instruments played a sad and silver tune.Then the music rose up angry and with excitement underneath.And finally the black march again.

131

-

然而，交响乐的最后一部分也许才是她最爱的部分——快乐，就像世界上最伟大的那些人都在奔跑，在跳跃，艰难而自由。如此美妙的音乐是这个世界上最大的伤痛。整个世界都融入这首交响乐里，她怎么都听不过来。

131

-

But maybe the last part of the symphony was the music she loved the best—glad and like the greatest people in the world running and springing up in a hard, free way. Wonderful music nice this was the worst hurt there could be.The whole world was this symphony, and there was not enough of her to listen.

132

-

音乐停止了。她坐着一动不动，双臂还抱着双膝。收音机里播起另一个节目，她用手指堵上耳朵。这首曲子留给她的只是这种巨大的伤害，还有一种空虚。听过的那首交响乐，她一点都想不起来了，连最后几个音符都已经记不起来了。她拼命地想，但脑子里想不起任何声音。音乐播完了，只剩下她心里如脱兔乱撞，疼痛不已。

132

-

It was over, and she sat very stiff with her arms around her knees. Another program came on the radio and she put her fingers in her ears.The music left only this bad hurt in her, and a blankness.She could not remember any of the symphony, not even the last few notes.She tried to remember, but no sound at all came to her.Now that it was over there was only her heart like a rabbit and this terrible hurt.

133

-

房间里，收音机关了，灯也关了。夜晚漆黑一片。突然，米克开始用拳头捶打自己的大腿。她拼尽全力打着同一个地方的肌肉，最后，眼泪顺着脸颊流了下来。但她觉得还不够痛。灌木丛底下的石块非常锐利，她抓起一把石块，用它们在同一个地方来回刮擦着，直到她的手上鲜血直流。然后，她向后倒在地上，躺在那里望着夜空。腿上的伤口剧烈地疼痛着，让她感觉好多了。她无力地躺在湿漉漉的草地上，过了一会儿，呼吸重新变得缓慢而平静。

133

-

The radio and the lights in the house were turned off. The night was very dark.Suddenly Mick began hitting her thigh with her fists.She pounded the same muscle with all her strength until the tears came down her face.But she could not feel this hard enough.The rocks under the bush were sharp.She grabbed a handful of them and began scraping them up and down on the same spot until her hand was bloody.Then she fell back to the ground and lay looking up at the night.With the fiery hurt in her leg she felt better.She was limp on the wet grass, and after a while her breath came slow and easy again.

134

-

那些探险家为什么不能仰望下天空，然后以此判断出地球是圆的呢？天空是有弧度的，像个巨大玻璃球的内侧，呈现一种深蓝色，其中散落着明亮的星星。夜晚一片寂静，有雪松温暖的味道。她不再努力去想那首曲子，就在这时，音乐突然闪现在她的脑海中，回响着第一部分乐章，与播放的一模一样。她静静地、慢慢地听着，想着那些音符，就像解一道几何题，这样她便可以记住了。她能够清晰地看见那些声音的形状，不会再忘记它们。

134

-

Why hadn’t the explorers known by looking at the sky that the world was round?The sky was curved, like the inside of a huge glass ball, very dark blue with the sprinkles of bright stars. The night was quiet.There was the smell of warm cedars.She was not trying to think of the music at all when it came back to her.The first part happened in her mind just as it had been played.She listened in a quiet, slow way and thought the notes out like a problem in geometry so she would remember.She could see the shape of the sounds very clear and she would not forget them.

135

-

现在，她感觉好多了。她低声说道：“上帝宽恕我吧，我也不知道自己做了什么。”她怎么想到这句话的？过去几年中，大家都知道并不存在真正的上帝。她想到以前自己想象上帝的模样时，只会想到辛格先生裹着长长的白床单的样子。上帝是沉默的——也许，这就是她为什么会想到辛格先生。她又重复了一遍那句话，就像跟辛格先生说话那样。“上帝宽恕我吧，我也不知道自己做了什么。”

135

-

Now she felt good. She whispered some words out loud：“Lord forgiveth me, for I knoweth not what I do.”Why did she think of that?Everybody in the past few years knew there wasn’t any real God.When she thought of what she used to imagine was God she could only see Mister Singer with a long, white sheet around him.God was silent—maybe that was why she was reminded.She said the words again, just as she would speak them to Mister Singer：“Lord forgiveth me, for I knoweth not what I do.”

136

-

这段音乐美妙而清晰。现在，她可以随心所欲地把它唱出来了。以后，也许她哪天早晨醒来时，脑子里会想起更多曲子。也许，如果她能再听一次这首交响乐，她能记住更多部分。也许，如果她能再听四次，只再听四次，这首曲子她便可以全部记下来。也许。

136

-

This part of the music was beautiful and clear. She could sing it now whenever she wanted to.Maybe later on, when she had just waked up some morning, more of the music would come back to her.If ever she heard the symphony again there would be other parts to add to what was already in her mind.And maybe if she could hear it four more times, just four more times, she would know it all.Maybe.

137

-

她又一次聆听着这首音乐的序曲部分。接着，音符变得越来越慢，越来越柔和，就像她正慢慢掉进黑暗的地下。

137

-

Once again she listened to this opening part of the music. Then the notes grew slower and soft and it was like she was sinking down slowly into the dark ground.

138

-

米克猛地一下醒了过来。空气中已经有了寒意，她刚才梦见老埃特·凯利抢走了所有的被子，逐渐从睡意中清醒过来。“给我点毯子——”她拼命想说出来。然后，她睁开了眼睛。天空一片漆黑，一颗星星都没有，草地很湿。她赶紧站起来，因为爸爸会着急的。然后，她想起了那首曲子。她不知道这会儿是午夜还是凌晨三点，急忙往家跑去。空气里有种秋天一样的味道，脑海里的音乐声很大，节奏很快，她在人行道上越跑越快，一路朝家的方向跑去。

138

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Mick awoke with a jerk. The air had turned chilly, and as she was coming up out of the sleep she dreamed old Etta Kelly was taking all the cover.“Gimme some blanket—”she tried to say.Then she opened her eyes.The sky was very black and all the stars were gone.The grass was wet.She got up in a hurry because her Dad would be worried.Then she remembered the music.She couldn’t tell whether the time was midnight or three in the morning, so she started beating it for home in a rush.The air had a smell in it like autumn.The music was loud and quick in her mind, and she ran faster and faster on the sidewalks leading to the home block.

	Mick [mɪk]	n. 爱尔兰佬
	excite [ɪk'saɪt]	vt.使兴奋;使激动;刺激;激起
	roam [rəʊm]	v.漫游;闲逛;徜徉
	Bill [bɪl]	①帐单；清单;
	stretchable [stretʃəbl]	可伸展的;可延伸的
	blaze [bleɪz]	n. 火；火焰;
	glare [ɡleə(r)]	n.闪耀光;刺眼
	Switzerland ['swɪtsələnd]	n.瑞士
	skating ['skeɪtɪŋ]	n.溜冰,
	dive [daɪv]	n.潜水;跳水
	peril ['perəl]	n.危险;冒险
	Ralph [rælf]	n.拉尔夫(男子名)
	holler ['hɒlə(r)]	v.叫喊;发牢骚
	Geographic [ˌdʒiːə'ɡræfɪk]	adj.地理的;地理学的
	dope [dəʊp]	n.毒品;涂料
	nickel ['nɪkl]	n.镍;镍币;五分镍币
	cent [sent]	n.分
	hum [hʌm]	vi. (蜜蜂等)作嗡嗡声;
	supper ['sʌpə(r)]	n.晚饭
	kindly ['kaɪndli]	adj.和蔼的;温和的;爽快的
	felted ['feltɪd]	v. 把 ... 制成毡(使 ... 粘结)
	slump [slʌmp]	v.大幅度下跌;猛然瘫坐;使倒下
	fiddle ['fɪdl]	n.小提琴;骗局
	jeweler ['dʒuːələ]	n.珠宝商;宝石匠
	bald [bɔːld]	adj.秃头的;单调的;无装饰的
	fumble ['fʌmbl]	vi.摸索;笨手笨脚地做
	dime [daɪm]	n.一角硬币
	slit [slɪt]	n.裂缝;狭长的切口
	bedtime ['bedtaɪm]	n.就寝时间
	lick [lɪk]	v.舔;轻拍;击败;掠过
	quietness ['kwaɪətnəs]	n.平静;安定;安静
	lonesome ['ləʊnsəm]	adj.寂寞的;偏僻的;孤单的
	queer [kwɪə(r)]	a. 古怪的，奇怪的;
	pick [pɪkt]	采摘，挑选；
	shirt-sleeve ['ʃɜːtsl'iːv]	n.衬衫袖子
	orchestra ['ɔːkɪstrə]	n.管弦乐队
	comeback ['kʌmbæk]	n.恢复;东山再起;机智的回答;反唇相讥
	stump [stʌmp]	n.残株;烟蒂;讲演台
	autumn ['ɔːtəm]	n.秋季
	vine [vaɪn]	n.藤;蔓;攀爬植物
	fringe [frɪndʒ]	n.流苏;边缘;次要;额外补贴
	squint [skwɪnt]	n. 斜视；斜视眼;
	to-do [tə'duː]	n. 骚动; 喧闹
	Grammar ['ɡræmə(r)]	n.语法
	Algebra ['ældʒɪbrə]	n.代数学
	Johnson [ˈʤɒnsən]	n.约翰逊(人名)
	loaf [ləʊf]	n.(一条)面包;块
	squelch [skweltʃ]	v.发出嘎吱声;压扁;镇压
	eyeglass ['aɪɡlɑːs]	n.眼镜;单片眼镜;目镜;洗眼杯(复)eyeglasses：眼镜.
	erase [ɪ'reɪz]	v.抹去;擦掉;【计算机】擦除
	peep [piːp]	n.瞥见;偷看;初现
	gorgeous ['ɡɔːdʒəs]	adj.华丽的;灿烂的;极好的
	scrub [skrʌb]	n.用力擦洗;矮树;渺小之物
	heck [hek]	int. (hell的委婉语)见鬼
	liftable [lɪftəbl]	a.1. 可以举起的
	triangle ['traɪæŋɡl]	n.三角(形)
	hatrack ['hætræk]	n.帽架
	prom [prɒm]	Programmable Read only Memory 可编程序只读存储器
	marvelous ['mɑːvɪləs]	adj.令人惊异的;非凡的
	Scotch [skɒtʃ]	n.伤口;刻痕
	jittery ['dʒɪtəri]	adj.神经过敏的;紧张不安的;战战兢兢的
	knickers ['nɪkəz]	n.女式短衬裤;灯笼裤
	Harry ['hæri]	vt.不断骚扰;打扰;侵扰;侵掠
	stunt [stʌnt]	n.特技;阻碍成长
	handkerchief ['hæŋkətʃɪf]	n.手帕;方巾;围巾
	specs [speks]	n.【口】1. 眼镜(=spectacles),2. 说明书;工程设计书(=specifications)
	sissy ['sɪsi]	n.女孩子;胆小无用的男子
	Mozart ['məʊtsɑːt]	n.莫扎特
	boxer ['bɒksə(r)]	n.拳击手;拳师狗(复数)boxers: 拳击短裤.
	Fascist ['fæʃɪst]	n.法西斯
	Nazi ['nɑːtsi]	n.纳粹党人
	fascist ['fæʃɪst]	n.法西斯
	Gosh [ɡɒʃ]	int.唉;糟了
	commotion [kə'məʊʃn]	n.骚动;混乱;喧闹
	tuck [tʌk]	v.打摺;卷起;收拢;藏起;大吃
	Alabama [ˌælə'bæmə]	n.亚拉巴马州;亚拉巴马人;亚拉巴马语
	sash [sæʃ]	n.饰带;肩带;腰带;窗框
	sop [sɒp]	n. 利诱；贿赂性礼品;
	Vocational [vəʊ'keɪʃənl]	adj.职业的
	Ouch [aʊtʃ]	int.哎唷
	sticker ['stɪkə(r)]	n.贴纸;粘附物;固执的人;尖刺
	wavy ['weɪvi]	adj.波浪形的;起伏的
	Halloween [ˌhæləʊ'iːn]	n.万圣节前夕;《月光光心慌慌》(一部经典的美国恐怖电影)
	tiara [ti'ɑːrə]	n.冠状头饰;(罗马教皇戴的)三重冠
	bead [biːd]	n.珠子
	daytime ['deɪtaɪm]	n.白天;日间
	Golly ['ɡɒli]	int.天哪!(表示惊奇)
	salty ['sɔːlti]	adj.咸的
	symphony ['sɪmfəni]	n.交响乐
	limp [lɪmp]	n.跛行
	geometry [dʒi'ɒmətri]	n.几何学
	Mister ['mɪstə(r)]	n.先生(=Mr.)
	grind [ɡraɪnd]	v.磨;压迫;碾碎;磨得吱吱响;逐渐停顿