麥琪的禮物：Chapter 4

So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a garment for her. And then she did it up again nervously and quickly. Once she faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the worn red carpet.

此時此刻,德拉的秀發(fā)潑撒在她的周圍,微波起伏,閃耀光芒,有如那褐色的瀑布。她的美發(fā)長及膝下,仿佛是她的一件長袍。接著,她又神經(jīng)質(zhì)地趕緊把頭發(fā)梳好。躊躇了一分鐘,一動不動地立在那兒,破舊的紅地毯上濺落了一兩滴眼淚。

On went her old brown jacket; on went her old brown hat. With a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant sparkle still in her eyes, she fluttered out the door and down the stairs to the street.

她穿上那件褐色的舊外衣,戴上褐色的舊帽子,眼睛里殘留著晶瑩的淚花,裙子一擺,便飄出房門,下樓來到街上。

Where she stopped the sign read: "Mne. Sofronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds." One flight up Della ran, and collected herself, panting. Madame, large, too white, chilly, hardly looked the "Sofronie."

她走到一塊招牌前停下來,上寫著:“索弗羅妮夫人——專營各式頭

"Will you buy my hair?" asked Della.

發(fā)"。德拉奔上樓梯,氣喘吁吁地定了定神。那位夫人身軀肥大,過于蒼白,冷若冰霜,同“索弗羅妮"的雅號簡直牛頭不對馬嘴。

"I buy hair," said Madame. "Take yer hat off and let's have a sight at the looks of it."

“你要買我的頭發(fā)嗎?"德拉問。

Down rippled the brown cascade.

“我買頭發(fā),"夫人說。“揭掉帽子,讓我看看發(fā)樣。"

"Twenty dollars," said Madame, lifting the mass with a practised hand.

那褐色的瀑布潑撒了下來。

"Give it to me quick," said Della.

“二十美元,"夫人一邊說,一邊內(nèi)行似地抓起頭發(fā)。

Oh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings. Forget the hashed metaphor. She was ransacking the stores for Jim's present.

“快給我錢,"德拉說。