The Chrysanthemums 菊花--約翰?斯坦貝克（3）

Elisa, squatting on the ground, watched to see the crazy, loose-jointed wagon pass by. But it didn't pass. It turned into the farm road in front of her house, crooked old wheels skirling and squeaking. The rangy dog darted from between the wheels and ran ahead. Instantly the two ranch shepherds flew out at him. Then all three stopped, and with stiff and quivering tails, with taut straight legs, with ambassadorial dignity, they slowly circled, sniffing daintily. The caravan pulled up to Elisa's wire fence and stopped. Now the newcomer dog, feeling out-numbered, lowered his tail and retired under the wagon with raised hackles and bared teeth.

伊利莎蹲在地上，看著這輛怪模怪樣、松松垮垮的馬車(chē)駛過(guò)去。但它并沒(méi)有從她的眼前過(guò)去，而是彎上了經(jīng)過(guò)她家門(mén)前的農(nóng)場(chǎng)小路，破舊的車(chē)輪吱嘎吱嘎尖厲地響著。車(chē)下面輪子間的那條瘦骨嶙峋的長(zhǎng)腿狗沖到了馬車(chē)的前面，馬上，兩條牧羊犬朝著它沖了上去。于是，三條狗都站住了，尾巴直豎著、顫抖著，繃緊了腿，帶著外交官般的莊重神情。它們互相圍著打轉(zhuǎn)，挑剔地嗅著對(duì)方。大篷車(chē)在伊利莎家的鐵絲柵欄邊上停了下來(lái)。那條初來(lái)乍到的狗這時(shí)感覺(jué)到數(shù)量上的眾寡懸殊，垂下尾巴，退回到車(chē)下，脖子上的毛豎著，牙齒露在外面。

The man on the wagon seat called out, "That's a bad dog in a fight when he gets started." Elisa laughed. "I see he is. How soon does he generally get started?" The man caught up her laughter and echoed it heartily. "Sometimes not for weeks and weeks,” he said. He climbed stiffly down, over the wheel. The horse and the donkey drooped like unwatered flowers. Elisa saw that he was a very big man. Although his hair and beard were greying, he did not look old. His worn black suit was wrinkled and spotted with grease. The laughter had disappeared from his face and eyes the moment his laughing voice ceased. His eyes were dark, and they were full of the brooding that gets in the eyes of teamsters and of sailors. The calloused hands he rested on the wire fence were cracked, and every crack was a black line. He took off his battered hat.

坐在車(chē)上的男人喊道，“這條狗打架受驚時(shí)不是條好狗。”伊利莎笑道，“我看是的，它一般要多久就會(huì)受驚?”那人被伊利莎的笑聲感染，也大聲地笑了起來(lái)。“ 有時(shí)好幾周也不會(huì)，”他說(shuō)。說(shuō)著，他生硬地從車(chē)輪上爬下車(chē)。那匹馬和那頭毛驢耷拉著腦袋，象缺了水的花。伊利莎看得出他是個(gè)大塊頭，雖然頭發(fā)胡子都白了，卻并不顯老。襤褸的黑色西裝皺皺巴巴的，還有星星點(diǎn)點(diǎn)的油漬。笑聲一停，他眼角眉梢的笑容也頓時(shí)沒(méi)了。他雙眼烏黑，充滿(mǎn)憂(yōu)郁，這種眼神通常只出現(xiàn)在卡車(chē)司機(jī)或水手的眼里。他放在鐵絲柵欄上的手打滿(mǎn)了老繭，裂著一條條黑乎乎的口子。他脫下了那頂破爛的帽子。

"I'm off my general road, ma'am," he said. "Does this dirt road cut over across the river to the Los Angeles highway?" Elisa stood up and shoved the thick scissors in her apron pocket. "Well, yes, it does, but it winds around and then fords the river. I don't think your team could pull through the sand." He replied with some asperity, "It might surprise you what them beasts can pull through." "When they get started?" she asked. He smiled for a second. "Yes. When they get started." "Well," said Elisa, "I think you'll save time if you go back to the Salinas road and pick up the highway there." He drew a big finger down the chicken wire and made it sing. "I ain't in any hurry, ma'am. I go from Seattle to San Diego and back every year. Takes all my time. About six months each way. I aim to follow nice weather."

“夫人，我走岔路了，”他說(shuō)，“沿這條土路過(guò)河上得了去洛山磯的公路嗎?”伊利莎站了起來(lái)，把那把大剪子放到圍裙口袋里。“啊，上得了。不過(guò)，這條路要繞很遠(yuǎn)，然后還要從水中蹚過(guò)河，我想你很難走過(guò)那片沙灘。”他粗暴地回答，“要是你知道這些家伙都走過(guò)什么樣的地方，或許會(huì)吃驚的。”“一旦它們受驚嗎?” 她問(wèn)。他笑了一笑。“是的，一旦它們受驚。”“嗯，”伊利莎說(shuō)，“我想，要是你拐回去到薩利納斯的路，再?gòu)哪莾荷瞎?，?huì)省些時(shí)間。”他用一個(gè)大手指彈了一下柵欄，它響了起來(lái)。“我一點(diǎn)兒都不著急，夫人。我每年從西雅圖走到圣地亞哥，再回來(lái)，總是不慌不忙。一趟大概半年光景，哪兒的天氣好我就往哪兒走。”

Elisa took off her gloves and stuffed them in the apron pocket with the scissors. She touched the under edge of her man's hat, searching for fugitive hairs. "That sounds like a nice kind of a way to live," she said. He leaned confidentially over the fence. "Maybe you noticed the writing on my wagon. I mend pots and sharpen knives and scissors. You got any of them things to do?" "Oh, no," she said quickly. "Nothing like that." Her eyes hardened with resistance. "Scissors is the worst thing," he explained. "Most people just ruin scissors trying to sharpen ‘em, but I know how. I got a special tool. It's a little bobbit kind of thing, and patented. But it sure does the trick." "No. My scissors are all sharp." "All right, then. Take a pot," he continued earnestly, "a bent pot, or a pot with a hole. I can make it like new so you don't have to buy no new ones. That's a saving for you." "No," she said shortly. "I tell you I have nothing like that for you to do."

伊利莎脫下手套，把它們放在裝著剪子的圍裙口袋里。她碰了碰自己那頂男式帽子的底沿，看有沒(méi)有頭發(fā)從里面跑出來(lái)。“聽(tīng)起來(lái)很不錯(cuò)的活法，”她說(shuō)。他把身子彎向柵欄里面，顯出很親密的樣子，說(shuō)，“或許你看到了我馬車(chē)上的那些字，我修理鍋，磨剪子磨菜刀。你有什么東西要修嗎?”“哦，沒(méi)有，”她忙說(shuō)。“沒(méi)什么要修的。”她的眼神堅(jiān)定起來(lái)，透出拒絕的神情。“剪子是最難對(duì)付的東西，”他解釋說(shuō)。“大部分人只知道拼命磨它，結(jié)果卻糟蹋了它，可我知道怎么能把剪子磨快又不糟蹋它。我有專(zhuān)門(mén)的工具，是一件小玩意兒，還取得了專(zhuān)利，好用得很。”“不過(guò)，我的剪子都很快。”“那好吧。”他繼續(xù)勸說(shuō)著，“拿口鍋修修吧，不管是癟了的還是有洞的，我都能修得象新的一樣，這樣你就不用買(mǎi)新鍋了。這你不是省錢(qián)了嗎?”“不用，”她簡(jiǎn)短地答道。“我告訴過(guò)你我沒(méi)什么要修的東西。”

His face fell to an exaggerated sadness. His voice took on a whining undertone. "I ain't had a thing to do today. Maybe I won't have no supper tonight. You see I'm off my regular road. I know folks on the highway clear from Seattle to San Diego. They save their things for me to sharpen up because they know I do it so good and save them money." "I'm sorry," Elisa said irritably. "I haven't anything for you to do." His eyes left her face and fell to searching the ground. They roamed about until they came to the chrysanthemum bed where she had been working. "What's them plants, ma'am?" The irritation and resistance melted from Elisa's face. "Oh, those are chrysanthemums, giant whites and yellows. I raise them every year, bigger than anybody around here." "Kind of a long-stemmed flower? Looks like a quick puff of colored smoke?" he asked. "That's it. What a nice way to describe them." "They smell kind of nasty till you get used to them," he said. "It's a good bitter smell," she retorted, "not nasty at all." He changed his tone quickly. "I like the smell myself." "I had ten-inch blooms this year," she said.

他的臉頓時(shí)變得一種夸張的痛苦，就連聲音也變得嗚咽了。“我今天一件活兒都沒(méi)干成，或許今晚飯都吃不上。你看我走錯(cuò)了路，我認(rèn)識(shí)從西雅圖到圣地亞歌沿途所有的人，他們都把那些壞的家伙放起來(lái)等我來(lái)修，因?yàn)樗麄冎牢一顑焊傻煤?，給他們省錢(qián)。”“對(duì)不起，”伊利莎有些著惱。“我沒(méi)什么東西好讓你修。”他的目光離開(kāi)了她的臉，落到了地上，四處瞥了瞥，最后停到伊利莎忙碌著的那片菊花地上。“夫人，那些是什么呀?”聽(tīng)到這話(huà)，伊利莎臉上的惱怒和拒絕緩和了。“ 啊，那是菊花，巨白菊和黃菊。我每年都種，開(kāi)起來(lái)比方圓左近的人種的都大。”“是一種長(zhǎng)莖花嗎?看起來(lái)象是一朵彩色煙霧?”他問(wèn)。“正是，你這樣比喻太恰當(dāng)了。”“要是不習(xí)慣它的香味，聞起來(lái)有點(diǎn)兒難受，”他說(shuō)。“那是一種好聞的苦香，”她反駁道，“一點(diǎn)兒也不難受。”他馬上改了口。“我就很喜歡那種香味。”“我今年有直徑十英寸那么大的花，”她說(shuō)。

The man leaned farther over the fence. "Look. I know a lady down the road a piece, has got the nicest garden you ever seen. Got nearly every kind of flower but no chrysanthemums. Last time I was mending a copper-bottom washtub for her (that's a hard job but I do it good), she said to me, 'If you ever run across some nice chrysanthemums I wish you'd try to get me a few seeds.' That's what she told me.”Elisa's eyes grew alert and eager. "She couldn't have known much about chrysanthemums. You can raise them from seed, but it's much easier to root the little sprouts you see there." "Oh," he said. "I s'pose I can't take none to her, then." "Why yes you can," Elisa cried. "I can put some in damp sand, and you can carry them right along with you. They'll take root in the pot if you keep them damp. And then she can transplant them." "She'd sure like to have some, ma'am. You say they're nice ones?" "Beautiful," she said. "Oh, beautiful." Her eyes shone. She tore off the battered hat and shook out her dark pretty hair. "I'll put them in a flower pot, and you can take them right with you. Come into the yard."

那人又朝柵欄里邊靠了靠。“喂，我認(rèn)識(shí)下面離這兒不遠(yuǎn)的一位太太，從沒(méi)見(jiàn)過(guò)那么好的花園，里面幾乎什么花兒都有，就是沒(méi)有菊花。我上次給她修了一個(gè)銅底洗衣盆。那可是件棘手的活兒，不過(guò)我干得很好。她跟我說(shuō)，‘如果你能碰上什么好的菊花，希望你能給我?guī)c(diǎn)兒種子來(lái)。’她這么跟我說(shuō)。”伊利莎眼睛一亮，變得熱切起來(lái)。"她不可能知道很多關(guān)于菊花的知識(shí)。你可以下種，但插幼苗的方法更容易，就是你在那邊看到的那些。”“啊，”他叫道。“這樣的話(huà)，我估計(jì)一棵也給她帶不去了。” “為什么不能?你可以，”伊利莎大聲說(shuō)，“我可以把幼苗種在濕的沙土里，你就可以隨身帶著了。只要保持沙土不干，這些幼苗就會(huì)在花盆里生根，然后她就可以移栽它們了。”“她肯定很高興有這些菊花，夫人。它們是很漂亮的菊花，對(duì)吧?”“漂亮，”她說(shuō)，“啊，非常漂亮。”她的雙眼這會(huì)兒炯炯有神。她一把拉下了那頂破舊的帽子，烏黑漂亮的頭發(fā)散了開(kāi)來(lái)。“我把它們?cè)缘揭粋€(gè)花盆里，你再帶走。到院里來(lái)吧。”

While the man came through the picket gate Elisa ran excitedly along the geranium-bordered path to the back of the house. And she returned carrying a big red flower pot. The gloves were forgotten now. she kneeled on the ground by the starting bed and dug up the sandy soil with her fingers and scooped it into the bright new flower pot. Then she picked up the little pile of shoots she had prepared. With her strong fingers she pressed them into the sand and tamped around them with her knuckles. The man stood over her. "I'll tell you what to do," she said. "You remember so you can tell the lady." "Yes, I'll try to remember." "Well, look. These will take root in about a month. Then she must set them out, about a foot apart in good rich earth like this, see?" She lifted a handful of dark soil for him to look at. "They'll grow fast and tall. Now remember this: In July tell her to cut them down, about eight inches from the ground." "Before they bloom?" he asked. "Yes, before they bloom." Her face was tight with eagerness. "They'll grow right up again. About the last of September the buds will start."

那男人進(jìn)了尖木樁做的大門(mén)，而伊利莎興奮地沿著兩邊都是天竺葵的小路跑到房子后面，回來(lái)的時(shí)候抱著一個(gè)大個(gè)兒的紅花盆。手套已經(jīng)不知道扔哪兒去了。她跪在苗床旁的地上，用手指挖些沙土，然后捧到那個(gè)新的紅花盆里。接著她撿起準(zhǔn)備好的一小捆苗，用自己有力的手指將它們插到沙子里，然后再用指節(jié)在周?chē)牧伺摹Ｄ腥说皖^看著她。“我會(huì)告訴你怎么做的，”她說(shuō)。“你得記著，好告訴那位太太。”“好的，我盡力記住。”“那好，記著，這些幼苗會(huì)在一個(gè)月左右扎根。然后她就得把它們移栽出來(lái)，移到象這樣肥沃的土壤里，每隔一英尺種一棵，你明白嗎?”她抓起一滿(mǎn)把黑色的土壤讓他看。“它們會(huì)長(zhǎng)得很快很高。你記著：告訴她七月的時(shí)候把它們剪短，剪到距地面大概八英寸高。”“在它們開(kāi)花前嗎?”他問(wèn)。“是的，在開(kāi)花前。”她的臉因?yàn)榕d奮繃得緊緊的。“它們很快就會(huì)長(zhǎng)起來(lái);九月末就開(kāi)始打花骨朵了。”

She stopped and seemed perplexed. "It's the budding that takes the most care," she said hesitantly. "I don't know how to tell you." She looked deep into his eyes, searchingly. Her mouth opened a little, and she seemed to be listening. "I'll try to tell you,” she said. “Did you ever hear of planting hands?" "Can't say I have, ma'am." "Well, I can only tell you what it feels like. It's when you're picking off the buds you don't want. Everything goes right down into your fingertips. You watch your fingers work. They do it themselves. You can feel how it is. They pick and pick the buds. They never make a mistake. They're with the plant. Do you see? Your fingers and the plant. You can feel that, right up your arm. They know. They never make a mistake. You can feel it. When you're like that you can't do anything wrong. Do you see that? Can you understand that?" She was kneeling on the ground looking up at him. Her breast swelled passionately. The man's eyes narrowed. He looked away self-consciously. "Maybe I know," he said. "Sometimes in the night in the wagon there -"

她停了下來(lái)，好像有點(diǎn)兒不知所措。“打苞的時(shí)候最需要好好照看，”她欲言又止地說(shuō)。“我不知道該怎么對(duì)你說(shuō)。”她凝視著他的眼睛，好像在尋找什么。她的嘴微微張著，象是傾聽(tīng)什么回答。“我給你講講看，”她說(shuō)。“你聽(tīng)說(shuō)過(guò)莊稼里手嗎?”“我想沒(méi)有，夫人。”“那么，我只能給你說(shuō)說(shuō)那是什么感覺(jué)。那是在你摘掉那些多余花蕾的時(shí)候。一切都聚集到你的手指里，你看著自己手指的活計(jì)。它們?cè)谧约焊芍顑?，你能感覺(jué)到那是怎么一回事兒。它們?cè)诓煌５卣?，摘著，不出一點(diǎn)兒差錯(cuò)。它們與莊稼是天生的搭檔，你明白嗎?莊稼和手指間。你可以感覺(jué)到，一直到你的手臂。它們知道該怎么做，從不出錯(cuò)。你可以感覺(jué)到。只要這樣，你就不會(huì)出什么錯(cuò)。你明白嗎?你聽(tīng)懂了嗎?”她跪在那里，朝上看著他，胸脯激動(dòng)得漲了來(lái)。那個(gè)男人瞇起了眼。好像自己意識(shí)到什么，朝遠(yuǎn)處看了看。“或許我理解，”他說(shuō)。“有時(shí)候，晚上，在馬車(chē)?yán)?hellip;…”

Elisa's voice grew husky. She broke in on him, "I've never lived as you do, but I know what you mean. When the night is dark - why, the stars are sharp-pointed, and there's quiet. Why, you rise up and up! Every pointed star gets driven into your body. It's like that. Hot and sharp and - lovely." Kneeling there, her hand went out toward his legs in the greasy black trousers. Her hesitant fingers almost touched the cloth. Then her hand dropped to the ground. She crouched low like a fawning dog. He said, "it's nice, just like you say. Only when you don't have no dinner, it ain't." She stood up then, very straight, and her face was ashamed. She held the flower pot out to him and placed it gently in his arms. "Here. Put it in your wagon, on the seat, where you can watch it. Maybe I can find something for you to do." At the back of the house she dug in the can pile and found two old and battered aluminum saucepans. She carried them back and gave them to him. "Here, maybe you can fix these."

伊利莎的聲音變得有些沙啞，她打斷他說(shuō)，“我從沒(méi)象你那樣生活過(guò)，但我知道你的意思。天黑的時(shí)候——啊，群星亮閃閃的，周遭一片寂靜。你覺(jué)得自己愈來(lái)愈高，每一顆亮閃閃的星星都融入自己身體里。就是那樣。熱熱的，亮亮的——美極了。”她跪在那兒，她的手朝他穿著臟兮兮的黑褲子的腿伸了去。她遲疑不決的手指幾乎碰到了他的褲子。接著她的手垂了下去。她蜷縮在地上,象只搖尾乞憐的狗。他說(shuō)，“對(duì)，就象你說(shuō)的，那很美。只要不是沒(méi)有晚飯吃。”聽(tīng)到這些她站了起來(lái)。腰挺得很直，臉上有些羞愧。她將花盆抱出來(lái)，輕輕地放在他的懷里。“好，放在你的車(chē)上，放到座位上，這樣你就可以看著它。或許我能找些東西來(lái)你修一下。”她在屋后的罐子堆里很找了一通，找到了兩個(gè)破舊的鋁燉鍋。她拿著它們回來(lái)交給他。“喂，或許你可以把這些東西修一下。”

She stopped and seemed perplexed. "It's the budding that takes the most care," she said hesitantly. "I don't know how to tell you." She looked deep into his eyes, searchingly. Her mouth opened a little, and she seemed to be listening. "I'll try to tell you,” she said. “Did you ever hear of planting hands?" "Can't say I have, ma'am." "Well, I can only tell you what it feels like. It's when you're picking off the buds you don't want. Everything goes right down into your fingertips. You watch your fingers work. They do it themselves. You can feel how it is. They pick and pick the buds. They never make a mistake. They're with the plant. Do you see? Your fingers and the plant. You can feel that, right up your arm. They know. They never make a mistake. You can feel it. When you're like that you can't do anything wrong. Do you see that? Can you understand that?" She was kneeling on the ground looking up at him. Her breast swelled passionately. The man's eyes narrowed. He looked away self-consciously. "Maybe I know," he said. "Sometimes in the night in the wagon there -"

她停了下來(lái)，好像有點(diǎn)兒不知所措。“打苞的時(shí)候最需要好好照看，”她欲言又止地說(shuō)。“我不知道該怎么對(duì)你說(shuō)。”她凝視著他的眼睛，好像在尋找什么。她的嘴微微張著，象是傾聽(tīng)什么回答。“我給你講講看，”她說(shuō)。“你聽(tīng)說(shuō)過(guò)莊稼里手嗎?”“我想沒(méi)有，夫人。”“那么，我只能給你說(shuō)說(shuō)那是什么感覺(jué)。那是在你摘掉那些多余花蕾的時(shí)候。一切都聚集到你的手指里，你看著自己手指的活計(jì)。它們?cè)谧约焊芍顑?，你能感覺(jué)到那是怎么一回事兒。它們?cè)诓煌５卣?，摘著，不出一點(diǎn)兒差錯(cuò)。它們與莊稼是天生的搭檔，你明白嗎?莊稼和手指間。你可以感覺(jué)到，一直到你的手臂。它們知道該怎么做，從不出錯(cuò)。你可以感覺(jué)到。只要這樣，你就不會(huì)出什么錯(cuò)。你明白嗎?你聽(tīng)懂了嗎?”她跪在那里，朝上看著他，胸脯激動(dòng)得漲了來(lái)。那個(gè)男人瞇起了眼。好像自己意識(shí)到什么，朝遠(yuǎn)處看了看。“或許我理解，”他說(shuō)。“有時(shí)候，晚上，在馬車(chē)?yán)?hellip;…”

Elisa's voice grew husky. She broke in on him, "I've never lived as you do, but I know what you mean. When the night is dark - why, the stars are sharp-pointed, and there's quiet. Why, you rise up and up! Every pointed star gets driven into your body. It's like that. Hot and sharp and - lovely." Kneeling there, her hand went out toward his legs in the greasy black trousers. Her hesitant fingers almost touched the cloth. Then her hand dropped to the ground. She crouched low like a fawning dog. He said, "it's nice, just like you say. Only when you don't have no dinner, it ain't." She stood up then, very straight, and her face was ashamed. She held the flower pot out to him and placed it gently in his arms. "Here. Put it in your wagon, on the seat, where you can watch it. Maybe I can find something for you to do." At the back of the house she dug in the can pile and found two old and battered aluminum saucepans. She carried them back and gave them to him. "Here, maybe you can fix these."

伊利莎的聲音變得有些沙啞，她打斷他說(shuō)，“我從沒(méi)象你那樣生活過(guò)，但我知道你的意思。天黑的時(shí)候——啊，群星亮閃閃的，周遭一片寂靜。你覺(jué)得自己愈來(lái)愈高，每一顆亮閃閃的星星都融入自己身體里。就是那樣。熱熱的，亮亮的——美極了。”她跪在那兒，她的手朝他穿著臟兮兮的黑褲子的腿伸了去。她遲疑不決的手指幾乎碰到了他的褲子。接著她的手垂了下去。她蜷縮在地上,象只搖尾乞憐的狗。他說(shuō)，“對(duì)，就象你說(shuō)的，那很美。只要不是沒(méi)有晚飯吃。”聽(tīng)到這些她站了起來(lái)。腰挺得很直，臉上有些羞愧。她將花盆抱出來(lái)，輕輕地放在他的懷里。“好，放在你的車(chē)上，放到座位上，這樣你就可以看著它?；蛟S我能找些東西來(lái)你修一下。”她在屋后的罐子堆里很找了一通，找到了兩個(gè)破舊的鋁燉鍋。她拿著它們回來(lái)交給他。“喂，或許你可以把這些東西修一下。”

After a while she began to dress, slowly. She put on her newest underclothing and her nicest stockings and the dress which was the symbol of her prettiness. She worked carefully on her hair, penciled her eyebrows and rouged her lips. Before she was finished she heard the little thunder of hoofs and the shouts of Henry and his helper as they drove the red steers into the corral. She heard the gate bang shut and set herself for Henry's arrival. His step sounded on the porch. He entered the house calling, "Elisa, where are you?" "In my room, dressing. I'm not ready. There's hot water for your bath. Hurry up. It's getting late."

過(guò)了一會(huì)兒她開(kāi)始穿衣服，穿得很慢。她穿上自己的新內(nèi)衣，最精致的長(zhǎng)襪，還有那件象征她的美麗的裙子。她仔細(xì)地梳理著頭發(fā)，描眉，涂口紅。還沒(méi)等她收拾好，外面?zhèn)鱽?lái)了馬蹄的得得聲。亨利同他的伙計(jì)吆喝著往牲口圈里趕牛。聽(tīng)到大門(mén)砰的一聲關(guān)上，她準(zhǔn)備好，等著亨利過(guò)來(lái)。走廊上傳來(lái)亨利的腳步聲，他走到屋里喊道，“伊利莎，你在哪兒?”“在我屋里穿衣服呢，還沒(méi)好呢。你洗澡的熱水好了，快點(diǎn)兒洗，沒(méi)有時(shí)間了。”

When she heard him splashing in the tub, Elisa laid his dark suit on the bed, and shirt and socks and tie beside it. She stood his polished shoes on the floor beside the bed. Then she went to the porch and sat primly and stiffly down. She looked toward the river road where the willow-line was still yellow with frosted leaves so that under the high grey fog they seemed a thin band of sunshine. This was the only color in the grey afternoon. She sat unmoving for a long time. Her eyes blinked rarely. Henry came banging out of the door, shoving his tie inside his vest as he came. Elisa stiffened and her face grew tight. Henry stopped short and looked at her. "Why - why, Elisa. You look so nice!" "Nice? You think I look nice? What do you mean by 'nice'?"

伊利莎聽(tīng)到亨利在浴盆里嘩啦嘩啦的洗澡聲，把他的黑西服放在床上，邊上是他的襯衫、襪子和領(lǐng)帶。她把擦亮的鞋子擺放在床邊的地板上，然后來(lái)到走廊上，一本正經(jīng)地坐在那兒，顯得有些呆滯。她朝河邊的路上看去，那兒的柳葉上掛著霜，依然泛著黃色，因而在半空的灰白色霧氣籠罩下，這一帶柳樹(shù)好象是道薄薄的陽(yáng)光。這是整個(gè)灰色下午唯一的色彩。她一動(dòng)不動(dòng)地坐了很久，很少眨眼睛。亨利出來(lái)時(shí)砰的一聲關(guān)門(mén)，邊走邊往馬甲里塞領(lǐng)帶。伊利莎直起身子，臉也繃緊了。亨利驀地停下來(lái)盯著她。“嘿，伊利莎，你看起來(lái)真棒!”“棒?你覺(jué)得我很棒?‘很棒’是什么意思?”

Henry blundered on. "I don't know. I mean you look different, strong and happy."

"I am strong? Yes, strong. What do you mean 'strong'?" He looked bewildered. "You're playing some kind of a game," he said helplessly."It's a kind of a play. You look strong enough to break a calf over your knee, happy enough to eat it like a watermelon." For a second she lost her rigidity. "Henry! Don't talk like that. You didn't know what you said." She grew complete again. "I'm strong," she boasted. "I never knew before how strong." Henry looked down toward the tractor shed, and when he brought his eyes back to her, they were his own again. "I'll get out the car. You can put on your coat while I'm starting." Elisa went into the house. She heard him drive to the gate and idle down his motor, and then she took a long time to put on her hat. She pulled it here and pressed it there. When Henry turned the motor off she slipped into her coat and went out.

“我不知道。我是說(shuō)你看起來(lái)有些不一樣，強(qiáng)壯、快活。”亨利結(jié)結(jié)巴巴地說(shuō)。“強(qiáng)壯?是的，我很強(qiáng)壯。這又是什么意思?”他顯得有些迷惑不解。“你在玩兒什么游戲，”他無(wú)可奈何地說(shuō)。“你在玩游戲。你顯得很強(qiáng)壯，可以在你的膝蓋上劈死一頭小牛;又很高興，能象吃個(gè)大西瓜那樣把它吃掉。”一時(shí)間她僵硬的神情沒(méi)了。“亨利!別那樣說(shuō)。你不知道你在說(shuō)什么。”她又恢復(fù)了原來(lái)的樣子。“我很強(qiáng)壯，”她夸耀地說(shuō)。“我以前從不知道自己有多么結(jié)實(shí)。”亨利朝下看了看拖拉機(jī)棚。當(dāng)他收回目光再看她時(shí)，那眼神又變成他以前的那種了。“我去把車(chē)開(kāi)出來(lái)，趁這當(dāng)兒，你把大衣穿好。”伊利莎走進(jìn)了屋。她聽(tīng)到亨利把車(chē)開(kāi)到了門(mén)口，馬達(dá)空轉(zhuǎn)著。她磨磨蹭蹭地戴上帽子，按按這兒扯扯那兒。這時(shí)亨利熄了馬達(dá)，她很快穿上大衣，走了出去。

The little roadster bounced along on the dirt road by the river, raising the birds and driving the rabbits into the brush. Two cranes flapped heavily over the willow-line and dropped into the river-bed. Far ahead on the road Elisa saw a dark speck. She knew. She tried not to look as they passed it, but her eyes would not obey. She whispered to herself sadly, "He might have thrown them off the road. That wouldn't have been much trouble, not very much. But he kept the pot," she explained. "He had to keep the pot. That's why he couldn't get them off the road." The roadster turned a bend and she saw the caravan ahead. She swung full around toward her husband so she could not see the little covered wagon and the mismatched team as the car passed them. In a moment it was over. The thing was done. She did not look back. She said loudly, to be heard above the motor, "It will be good, tonight, a good dinner."

小敞篷車(chē)沿著河在土路上顛簸前行，驚起一群鳥(niǎo)，野兔也被驚得鉆進(jìn)了樹(shù)叢。兩只鶴重重地拍打著翅膀，越過(guò)路邊的柳樹(shù)，然后落到河岸上。遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)的，伊利莎看到路上有個(gè)黑點(diǎn)。她知道那是什么。當(dāng)他們經(jīng)過(guò)那個(gè)黑點(diǎn)時(shí)，她盡量不去看它，可眼睛不聽(tīng)她的話(huà)。她傷心地小聲對(duì)自己說(shuō)，“他可以把它們?nèi)拥铰废逻叺?。那不?huì)給他增加什么麻煩的，一點(diǎn)兒也不會(huì)。不過(guò)他留著花盆呢，”她自己解釋說(shuō)。“他肯定得留著花盆，所以沒(méi)能把它們?nèi)拥铰废逻叀?rdquo;他們的小敞篷車(chē)轉(zhuǎn)了個(gè)彎，她看到了前面的大篷車(chē)。她急忙轉(zhuǎn)向自己的丈夫，以免汽車(chē)超過(guò)時(shí)看見(jiàn)那輛小小的篷車(chē)，那怪模怪樣的隊(duì)伍。事情一會(huì)兒就過(guò)去了，一切都結(jié)束了。她沒(méi)有往后看。她大聲說(shuō)，甚至蓋過(guò)了馬達(dá)的聲音，“今晚會(huì)很好，一頓美餐。”

"Now you're changed again," Henry complained. He took one hand from the wheel and patted her knee. "I ought to take you in to dinner oftener. It would be good for both of us. We get so heavy out on the ranch." "Henry," she asked, "could we have wine at dinner?" "Sure we could. Say! That will be fine." She was silent for a while; then she said, "Henry, at those prize fights, do the men hurt each other very much?" "Sometimes a little, not often. Why?" "Well, I've read how they break noses, and blood runs down their chests. I've read how the fighting gloves get heavy and soggy with blood." He looked around at her. "What's the matter, Elisa? I didn't know you read things like that." He brought the car to a stop, then turned to the right over the Salinas River bridge. "Do any women ever go to the fights?" she asked. "Oh, sure, some. What's the matter, Elisa? Do you want to go? I don't think you'd like it, but I'll take you if you really want to go." She relaxed limply in the seat. "Oh, no. No. I don't want to go. I'm sure I don't." Her face was turned away from him. "It will be enough if we can have wine. It will be plenty." She turned up her coat collar so he could not see that she was crying weakly - like an old woman.

“你又變了，”亨利抱怨說(shuō)。他一只手離開(kāi)了方向盤(pán)，拍了拍她的膝蓋。“我應(yīng)該經(jīng)常帶你到城里去吃飯。這對(duì)我們都有好處，農(nóng)場(chǎng)上的生活太沉悶了。“亨利，” 她問(wèn)，“我們吃飯時(shí)可以喝一杯嗎?”“當(dāng)然可以。啊，真是太好了!” 她沉默了一會(huì)兒，又說(shuō)，“亨利，拳擊賽時(shí)雙方會(huì)不會(huì)傷得很厲害?”“有時(shí)有一點(diǎn)，不過(guò)不常。怎么了?”“嗯，我從書(shū)上看到，他們有的把鼻子都打斷了，鮮血順著胸往下流。拳擊手套浸滿(mǎn)了血，濕漉漉地很沉。” 他回過(guò)頭來(lái)看著她。“伊利莎，你怎么了?我不知道你還看這些東西。” 他把車(chē)停了下來(lái)，然后向右轉(zhuǎn)，開(kāi)上薩利納斯橋。“看拳擊的有女人嗎?” 她問(wèn)。“啊，當(dāng)然了，有一些。怎么了，伊利莎?你也想看嗎?我覺(jué)得你不會(huì)喜歡的。不過(guò)，要是你真想去看我會(huì)帶你去的。”她無(wú)精打采地坐在座位上。“哦，不，不，我不想，真不想。” 她把臉轉(zhuǎn)向了另一面。“只要有酒，就夠了。就很高興了。” 她把大衣的領(lǐng)子豎了起來(lái)，以免他看到自己在輕輕啜泣——象是一位老太太。