登陆注册
6106400000009

第9章 A Piece of News Eudora Welty

Introduction:When Ruby comes in out of the rain,bothshe and the package are soaking wet。After drying herself off a little by the fire,she spreads the wet newspaper on the floor and lies down。Soon,she looks at the newspaper and reads her name:“Mrs。Ruby Fisher had the misfortune to be shot in the leg by her husband this week”。Immediately,Ruby connects her husband,Clyde,to the crime,and she shouts out to him in the storm。

1.She had been out in the rain。She stood in front of the cabin fireplace,herlegs wide apart,bending over,shaking her wet yellow head crossly,like a cat reproaching itself for not knowing better。She was talking to herself—only a small fluttering sound,hard to lay hold of in the sparsity of the room。

2.“The pouring-downing rain,the pouring-down rain”—was that what she wassaying over and over,like a song?She stood turning in little quarter turns todry herself,her head bent forward and the yellow hair hanging out streaming and tangled。She was holding her skirt primly out to draw the warmth in。

3.Then,quite rosy,she walked over to the table and picked upa little bundle。It was a sack of coffee,marked“Sample”in red letters,which she unwrappedfrom a wet newspaper。But she handled it tenderly。

crossly:adv。生气地,愤怒地

reproach:v。责备,指责

lay hold of:听到,察觉

sparsity:n。少

tangled:adj。缠结的,乱的

primly:adv。一本正经地

bundle:n。捆,包

sample:n。样品

4.“Why,how come he wrapped it in a newspaper?”she said,catching her breath,looking from one hand to the other。She must have been lonesome and slow all her life,the way things would take her by surprise。

5.She set the coffee on the table,just in the center。Then she dragged the newspaper by one corner in a dreamy walk across the floor,spread it all out,and lay down full length on top of it in front of the fire。Her little song about the rain,her cries of surprise,had been only a preliminary,onlyplayful poutingwith which she amused herself when she was alone。She was pleased with herself now。As she sprawled close to the fire,her hair began to slide out of its damp tangles and hung all displayed down her back like a piece of bargain silk。She closed her eyes。Her mouth fell into a deepness,into a look of unconscious cunning。Yet in her very stillness and pleasure she seemed to be hiding there,all alone。And at moments when the fire stirred and tumbled in the grate,she would tremble,and her hand would start out as if in impatience or despair。

6.Presently she stirred and reached under her back for the newspaper。Then shesquatted there,touching the printed page as if it were fragile。She did not merely look at it—she watched it,as if it were unpredictable,like a young girl watching a baby。The paper was still wet in places where her body had lain。Crouching tensely and patting the creases away withsmall cracked red fingers,she frowned now and then at the blotched drawing of something and bigletters that spelled a word underneath。Her lips trembled,as if looking and spelling so slowlyhad stirred her heart。

7.All at once she laughed。

8.She looked up。

preliminary:n。序曲

pout:v。一阵愠怒

amuse oneself with:以……自娱自乐

sprawl:v。四肢展开地躺着

cunning:n。狡猾

tumble:v。滚动

grate:n。火炉,壁炉

squat:v。蹲下

fragile:adj。脆弱的

unpredictable:adj。无法预测的

crouch:v。蹲下,缩着

crease:n。折缝;皱痕

blotch:v。弄脏

9.“Ruby Fisher!”she whispered。

10.An expression of utter timidity came over her flat blue eyes and her soft mouth。Then a look of fright。She stared about……What eye in the world did shefeel looking in on her?She pulled her dress down tightly and began to spell through a dozen words in the newspaper。

11.The little item said:“Mrs。Ruby Fisher had the misfortune to be shot in the leg by her husband this week。”

12.As she passed from one word to the next she only whisperedshe left the long word“misfortune”,until the last,and came back to it,then she said it all over out loud,like conversation。

13.“That’s me。”she said softly,with deference,very formally。

14.The fire slipped and suddenly roared in the house already deafening with the rain which beat upon the roof and hung full of lightning and thunder outside。

评注:由14段可知小说中的女主人公是鲁比·费希尔太太。报纸上的一条关于她被丈夫射伤的新闻使她陷入了困惑和恐惧。作者在第15段对炉火和雷雨的描写,烘托出女主人公百感交集的心情。

15.“You Clyde!”screamed Ruby Fisher at last,jumping to her feet。“Where are you,Clyde Fisher?”

16.She ran straight to the door and pulled it open。A shudderof cold brushed over her in the heat,and she seemed striped with anger and bewilderment。There was a flash of lightning,and she stood waiting,as if she have thought that would bring him in,a gun leveled in his hand。

17.She said nothing more and,backing against the door,pushedit closed with her hip。

18.Her anger passed like a remote flare of elation。Neatly avoiding the table where the bag of coffee stood,she began to walk nervously about the room,as if a teasing indecision,an untouched mystery,led her by the hand。There was one window,and she paused now and then,waiting,looking out at the rain。When she was still,there was a passivity about her,or a deception of passivity,that was not really passive at all。There was something in her that never stopped。

utter:adj。彻底的

timidity:n。胆怯

deference:n。庄重

shudder:n。战栗

bewilderment:n。迷惑,困惑

flare:n。闪烁的火光

elation:n。兴奋

teasing:adj。让人烦恼的

passivity:n。消沉,服从

deception:n。欺骗

19.At last she flung herself onto the floor,back across the newspaper,and looked at length into the fire。It might have been a mirror in the cabin,into which she could look deeper and deeper as she pulled her fingers through her hair,trying to see herself and Clyde coming up behind her。

20.“Clyde?”

21.But of course her husband,Clyde,was still in the woods。He kept a thick brushwood roof over his whisky still,and he was mortally afraid of lightning like this,and would never go out in it for anything。

22.And then,almost in amazement,she began to comprehend her predicament:it was unlike Clyde to take up a gun and shoot her。

23.She bowed her head toward the heat,onto her rosy arms,andbegan to talk and talk to herself。She grew voluble。Even if he heard about the coffee man,with a Pontiac car,she did not think he would shoot her。When Clyde would make herblue,she would go out onto the road,some car would slow down,and if it had aTennessee license,the lucky kind,the chances were that she would spend the afternoon in the shed of the empty gin。(Here sherolled her head about on her arms and stretched her legs tiredly behind her,like a cat)And if Clyde got word,he would slap her。But the account in the paper was wrong。Clyde had never shother,even once。There had been a mistake made。

still:n。酒厂

amazement:n。惊讶

comprehend:v。理解

predicament:n。困境,穷境

voluble:adj。健谈的,多言的

blue:adj。(因受伤)皮肤呈青紫色的

the chances were that:很可能是……

shed:n。小屋

gin:n。杜松子酒

评注:由23段可以看出,鲁比·费希尔太太的恐惧来自于经常向她施暴的丈夫。她的幻想和自言自语是她内心压抑和孤独的表现。

24.A spark flew out and nearly caught the paper on fire。Almost in fright she beat it out with her fingers。Then she murmured and lay back more firmly upon the pages。

25.There she stretched,growing warmer and warmer,sleepier and sleepier。She began to wonder out loud how it would be if Clyde shot her in the leg……If hewere truly angry,might he shoot her through the heart?

26.At once she was imagining herself dying。She would have a nightgown to lie in,and a bullet in her heart。Anyone could tell,to see her lying there with that deep expression about her mouth,how strange and terrible that would be。Underneath a brand-new nightgown her heart would be hurting with every beat,many times more than her toughened skin when Clyde slapped at her。Ruby began to cry softly,the way she would be crying from the extremity of pain tears would run down in a little stream over the quilt。Clyde would be standing there above her,as he once looked,with his wild black hair hanging to his shoulders。He used to be very handsome and strong!

27.He would say,“Ruby,I done this to you。”

28.She would say—only a whisper—“That is the truth,Clyde,you done this tome。”

29.Then she would die her life would stop right there。

30.She lay silently for a moment,composing her face into a look which would be beautiful,desirable,and dead。

31.Clyde would have to buy her a dress to bury her in。He would have to dig a deep hole behind the house,under the cedar,a grave。He would have to nail her up a pine coffin and lay her inside。Then he would have to carryher to the grave,lay her down and cover her up。All the time he would be wild,shouting,and all distracted,to think he could never touch her one more time。

32.She moved slightly,and her eyes turned toward the window。The white rain splashed down。She could hardly breathe,for thinking that this was the way it was to fall on her grave,where Clyde would come and stand,looking down in the tears of some repentance。

33.A whole tree of lightning stood in the sky。She kept looking out of the window,suffused with the warmth from the fire and with the pity and beauty and power of her death。The thunder rolled。

评注:从第26段到第33段,作者细致地描写了女主人公的幻想:想象丈夫打死了她,将她安葬了,并如何悔恨交加。这使她觉得自己的死有一种感化粗鲁的丈夫的力量和美感。

34.Then Clyde was standing there,with dark streams flowing over the floor where he had walked。He poked at Ruby with the butt of his gun,as if she were asleep。

35.“What’s keepin’supper?”he growled。

36.She jumped up and darted away from him。Then,quicker thanlightning,she put away the paper。The room was dark,except for the firelight。From the long shadow of his steamy presence she spoke to him glibly and lighted the lamp。

37.He stood there with a stunned,yet rather good-humored look of delay and patience in his face,and kept on standing there。He stamped his mud-red boots,and his enormous hands seemed weighted with the rain that fell from him and dripped down the barrel of the gun。Presently he sat down with dignityin the chair atthe table,making a little tumult of his rightful wetness and hunger。Small streams began to flow from him everywhere。

cedar:n。杉木

coffin:n。棺材

distracted:adj。心烦意乱的,精神不集中的

splash:v。泼,溅

repentance:n。悔恨

suffuse:v。布满

poke:v。戳,刺

growl:v。咆哮,号叫

dart away:飞快地跑开了

glibly:adv。流利地,善辩地

stunned:adj。惊讶的

barrel:n。枪管,圆筒

tumult:n。骚动

38.Ruby was going through the preparations for the meal gently。She stood almost on tiptoe in her bare,warm feet。Once as she knelt at the safe,getting out the biscuits,she saw Clyde looking at her and she smiled and bent her head tenderly。There was some way she began to move her arms that was mysteriously sweet and yet abrupt and tentative,a delicate and vulnerable manner,as though her breasts gave her pain。She made many unnecessary trips back and forth across the floor,circling Clyde where he sat in his steamy silence,a knife and fork in hisfists。

39.“Well,where you been,anyway?”he grumbled at last,as she set the first dish on the table。

40.“Nowheres special。”

41.“Don’t you talk back to me。You been HITCHHIKIN’again,ain’t you?”He almost chuckled。

42.She gave him a quick look straight into his eyes。She had not even heard him。She was filled with happiness。Her hand trembled when she poured the coffee。Some of it splashed on his wrist。

43.At that he let his hand drop heavily down upon the table and made the platesjump。

44.“Some day I’m goin’to smack the livin’devil outa you,”he said。

45.Ruby dodged mechanically。She let him eat。Then,when he had crossed his knife and fork over his plate,she brought him the newspaper。Again she looked at him in delight。It excited her even to touch the paper with her hand,to hear its quiet secret noise when she carried it,the rustle of surprise。

46.“A newspaper!”Clyde snatched it roughly and with a grabbing disparagement。“Where’d you git that?Hussy。”

abrupt:adj。意外的

tentative:adj。短暂的

vulnerable:adj。脆弱的

grumble:v。嘟囔地说

chuckle:v。咯咯而笑

smack:v。(用掌)掴

dodge:v。躲开

disparagement:n。轻蔑

hussy:n。贱妇47“Look at this-here,”said Ruby in her small singsong voice。She opened the paper while he held it and pointed gravely to the paragraph。

48.Reluctantly,Clyde began to read it。She watched his damp bald head slowly bend and turn。

49.Then he made a sound in his throat and said,“It’s a lie。”

50.“That’s what’s in the newspaper about me,”said Ruby,standing up straight。She took up his plate and gave him that look of joy。

51.He put his big crooked finger on the paragraph and poked atit。

52.“Well,I’d just like to see the place I shot you!”he cried explosively。He looked up,his face black and bold。

53.But she drew herself in,still holding the empty plate,faced him straightened and hard,and they looked at each other。The moment filled full with their helplessness。Slowly they both flushed,as though with a double shame and a double pleasure。It was as though Clyde might really have killed Ruby,and as though Ruby might really have been dead at his hand。Rare and wavering,some possibility stood timidly like a stranger between them and made them hang their heads。

54.Then Clyde walked over in his water-soaked boots and laid the paper on thedying fire。It floated there a moment and then burst into flame。They stood still and watched it burn。The whole room was bright。

55.“Look,”said Clyde suddenly。“It’s a Tennessee paper。See‘Tennessee’?That wasn’t none of you it wrote about。”He laughed,to show that he had been right all the time。

56.“It was Ruby Fisher!”cried Ruby。“My name is Ruby Fisher!”she declared passionately to Clyde。

57.“Oho,it was another Ruby Fisher—in Tennessee,”cried her husband。“Fool me,huh?Where’d you get that paper?”He spanked her good-humoredly across her backside。

58.Ruby folded her still trembling hands into her skirt。She stood stooping bythe window until everything,outside and in,was quiet before she went to hersupper。

59.It was dark and vague outside。The storm had rolled away tofaintness like a wagon crossing a bridge。

评注:从鲁比丈夫的言谈和举动可以看出他是一个非常粗鲁的人。鲁比的婚姻生活就是一味地顺从粗鲁的丈夫。让鲁比感到更为痛苦的是夫妻间缺乏正常、平等的交流。引起鲁比恐惧的一条新闻在丈夫眼里只是一个笑话。他并没有意识到他对妻子的暴力行为是给妻子带来恐惧的真正原因。

flush:v。脸红

waver:v。摇摆,犹豫不决

passionately:adv。激动地

spank:v。打,拍打(在屁股上)

vague:adj。模糊的,含糊的

Comprehension Exercises:

1.Why is the description of the fire and rain referred to more than once?

2.Do you think the husband really loves the wife?Try to find the details in the text。

3.Do you think it is hard for people to communicate with each other?Try to find some evidence in text。

尤多拉·韦尔蒂(1909—2001):美国最受欢迎和重视的作家之一,一直以擅长心理描写著称。她一生著作颇丰,获奖无数。在她的作品中,最具有代表性的是她的短篇小说。她的笔触细致,灵活多变,主题风格却蕴涵着浓厚的乡土气息。她既用无限同情的笔触描写穷苦平民的窘迫处境,也以高超的讽刺手法批判了一些粗俗、无聊的小市民。在她的小说中,平淡无奇的人物常常挂着含泪的微笑,发人深省的事件却出自日复一日的琐事。她的笔下,既有令人忍俊不禁的场景,又有让人不忍回顾的哀痛。她就是这样用朴实、幽默的手法讲述了一个个动人的悲喜剧,向读者展示了一个真实的南方社会。她的作品有《绿帘》、《金色苹果》、《巡回推销员之死》、《乐观者的女儿》、《一名作家的开端》等。

同类推荐
  • 珠江,东方的觉醒

    珠江,东方的觉醒

    以珠江三角洲作为艺术焦点,按照历史时序,全景式地追溯中华民族100多年来的强国之梦和不懈探索的伟大历程。作品所叙写的,都是中国近、现代史上的重大事件,如戊戌变法、辛亥革命一直到改革开放和现代化建设。面对这样富于历史意蕴的大题材,要求作者有开阔的视野和历史眼光,要求作品配以大的结构框架来容纳和消化极其丰富的内容。而这一方面,正是作者所长。面对“百年鸟瞰,卅载观照”,作者以时间流程为经线,以人物活动为纬线,勾勒、交织出一幅中华民族舍死忘生、百折不挠地求生存求发展的百年历史画卷。
  • 文学经典导读

    文学经典导读

    本书精选了古今中外的经典名篇,辅以作家介绍、注释、阅读提示,以方便学生学习。在篇目选择上既立足经典,同时又考虑到当代大学生的文化需求。在“阅读提示”上,力求点到为止,不做全面分析,留给学生更多的思考空间。本书不仅可以作为“大学语文”课程教材使用,也可以作为文学爱好者学习的教科书。
  • 橡皮:中国先锋文学.3

    橡皮:中国先锋文学.3

    这是中国当前最有写作才华的作者队伍,每一个人都那样特立独行、不拘常规、又敏锐多情。 翻开《橡皮:中国先锋文学》,您将由他们带领,走进中国先锋文学大本营,领略目前中国文学最前沿的动态,关于当下中国先锋文学,无论是题材、文本结构,还是语言才华和思想张力,您都将有一个全新的认识,获得一次丰富的精神滋养。
  • 驻外记者手记

    驻外记者手记

    点击从世界各地发来的书稿,阅读着一篇篇从火热的实践中诞生,蕴涵着真知灼见的文字,编者时时感受到作者们投身国际新闻事业的激情和勇气,也处处领略到他们智慧和汗水的闪光。在他们笔下,描绘出一个色彩斑谰的世界,也诠释了关于和平、合作、友爱等人类共同的价值追求,而他们的身影,也成为其中令人瞩目的亮点。
  • 生命的歌哭

    生命的歌哭

    一双温暖的大手握住;一双微微颤抖的小手;小手刚从地震的废墟里抽出;有惊惶和肿痛;在指缝间传递;可她终于握住了阳光生命等。
热门推荐
  • 青春年华之校园生活

    青春年华之校园生活

    青春,每个人的必经之路。在这个世界上,不同的人有着自己独特的个性,so,每个人会遇见不一样的他。当一个富家千金与富家大少爷在青春的路上会擦出什么样的火花呢?他们会遇到哪些困难呢?
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 谈情说案:首席盛宠无下限

    谈情说案:首席盛宠无下限

    第一眼见到他,洛雨夕每天都嚷着,“做我的男人吧。做我的男人吧……”洛雨夕很美,此等女子乃人间极品,可惜黎泽川不能做她的男人。因为,她竟然开出这样苛刻的条件,“做我男人吧,跳过牵手,接吻,shang床。”“那做你男人有什么福利?”“没有……福利……”做她男人后,他虽然答应了不去亲她,摸她,吻她,上她。但不代表不能yin诱她自动来pu他。洛雨夕做他女人后,发现很多事情脱轨了,谈恋爱真的能跳过牵手,接吻,上chuang?……答案让她来揭晓吧。拍拖前她可真的很忙,忙着破案,捉鬼,拍拖后她更加的忙了,还有赶走他身边的浪蝶,吃醋,闹情绪,吵架,冷战……真的很忙很忙……
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 装神弄诡

    装神弄诡

    据说我脑电波是常人的几十倍,还是几百倍来着?忘了,总之因此我被一群科学怪人赋予了一个异能……方圆十里之内,但凡有人玩灵异游戏,例如笔仙、碟仙、吃粮等等,召唤过去的不是鬼神,而是在下!因为这个异能,我被我的神婆发小拉去装神弄鬼,骗人钱财,在行骗的过程中,遭遇各种稀奇古怪的恐怖事件,但这世上本就没什么鬼神,一切所谓的“灵异事件”背后,都隐藏着各种不可告人的秘密。
  • 心理常识速读

    心理常识速读

    心理是指生物对客观物质世界的主观反应,心理现象包括心理过程和人格,人的心理活动都有一个发生,发展,消失的过程。人们在活动的时候,通常各种感官认识外部世界事物,通过头脑的活动思考着事物的因果关系,并伴随着喜,怒,哀,乐等情感体验等。关于心理的一些小常识你了解吗?《心理常识速读》这本书从“感官生理心理”、“感官神经特殊能力”、“心灵不可知”等等方面来向大家介绍心理的常识;快来了解这些关于心理的常识吧!
  • 王妃太轻佻

    王妃太轻佻

    她是二十一世纪的全能型人才,高智商,并且可以运用塔罗牌作为武器攻击,唯一的一次失误,让她来到异世。他是异世的王者,冷酷的帝君,紫色妖艳的双眸似会催眠一般,瞬间就能让人动弹不得。因他身上久医未愈的内伤,让她卷入一次又有一次的危险中,两人萌生的爱意,惊天动地,越是在险象环生的危机中,爱意就迈进一点点,爱情,强大的足以毁天灭地。
  • 阎怪

    阎怪

    这世界,怪力横行,强者霸道,谁才是第一?不是第一者,必是他人案上俎肉。
  • 破晓剑歌

    破晓剑歌

    云起风环月满山,花开清羽霜未寒。天纵才兮振九韬,人却沉庭闻鸣蝉。自开天辟地以来世界分为四界,神仙们所在的仙界;人死后轮回转世魑魅魍魉所处的幽冥界;神秘的灵界;和人类所在的人界。在人类所处的这块晓之大陆上,数千年来皆是太平盛世。谁也不曾想到乌云正悄悄逼近。少年萧辰月,天资聪颖、不世之材,不知不觉走向了漩涡的中心。手持宝剑白昼的他,是否能书写属于自己的篇章……
  • 魔舞红尘

    魔舞红尘

    历尽人世沧桑,尽尝百般滋味;任他人千夫所指,我自横眉冷对。大丈夫立世,上无愧于天,下对得起百姓,中间无憾于自家良心。他一届文弱书生如何从处处碰壁的书呆子,变为醒掌天下事的封疆大吏;又是如何从一届凡人,踏上武道征途,追寻武道根源,成就不死之身。