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【荆棘鸟】第十一章 03

时间:2017-03-15 05:08:32

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(单词翻译)

 Then why didn’t you have the decency1 to tell me that beforehand?she wanted to snarl2, but she hadn’t the energy to utter thewords, she was too busy wanting to die. Not only because of thepain, but also from the discovery that she had possessed3 no identityfor him, only been an instrument.The second time hurt just as much, and the third; exasperated,expecting her discomfort4 (for so he deemed it) to disappear magicallyafter the first time and thus not understanding why she continuedto fight and cry out, Luke grew angry, turned his back on herand went to sleep. 

   The tears slipped sideways from Meggie’s eyesinto her hair; she lay on her back wishing for death, or else for herold life on Drogheda.Was that what Father Ralph had meant years ago, when he hadtold her of the hidden passageway to do with having children? Anice way to find out what he meant. No wonder he had preferrednot to explain it more clearly himself. Yet Luke had liked theactivity well enough to do it three times in quick succession. Obviouslyit didn’t hurt him. And for that she found herself hating him,hating it.Exhausted5, so sore moving was agony, Meggie inched herselfover onto her side with her back to Luke, and wept into the pillow.Sleep eluded6 her, though Luke slept so soundly her small timidmovements never caused so much as a change in the pattern of hisbreathing. 
   He was an economical sleeper7 and a quiet one, he neithersnored nor flopped8 about, and she thought while waiting for thelate dawn that if it had just been a matter of lying down together, she might have found him nice to be with.And the dawn came as quickly and joylessly as darkness had; itseemed strange not to hear roosters crowing, the other sounds ofa rousing Drogheda with its sheep and horses and pigs and dogs.Luke woke, and rolled over, she felt him kiss her on the shoulderand was so tired, so homesick that she forgot modesty9, didn’t careabout covering herself. 
   “Come on, Meghann, let’s have a look at you,” he commanded,his hand on her hip10.      “Turn over, like a good little girl.”Nothing mattered this morning; Meggie turned over, wincing,and lay looking up at him dully. “I don’t like Meghann,” she said,the only form of protest she could manage. 
   “I do wish you’d callme Meggie.” 
   “I don’t like Meggie. But if you really dislike Meghann so much,I’ll call you Meg.” His gaze roved her body dreamily. 
   “What a niceshape you’ve got.” 
   Meggiehad grown up with men who never removed a layer of their clothesin the presence of women, but open-necked shirts showed hairychests in hot weather. They were all fair men, and not offensive toher; this dark man was alien, repulsive11. Ralph had a head of hairjust as dark, but well she remembered that smooth, hairless brownchest. 
   “Do as you’re told, Meg! Kiss me.”Leaning over, she kissed him; he cupped her breasts in his palms and made her go on kissing him, took one of her handsand pushed it down to his groin. Startled, she took her unwillingmouth away from his to look at what lay under her hand, changingand growing. 
   “Oh, please, Luke, not again!” she cried. 
   “Please, not again!Please, please!”The blue eyes scanned her speculatively12
   “Hurts that much? Allright, we’ll do something different, but for God’s sake try to beenthusiastic!”Pulling her on top of him, he pushed her legs, apart, lifted hershoulders and attached himself to her breast, as he had done in thecar the night she committed herself to marrying him. There onlyin body, Meggie endured it; at least he didn’t put himself insideher, so it didn’t hurt any more than simply moving did. Whatstrange creatures men were, to go at this as if it was the mostpleasurable thing in the world. It was disgusting, a mockery of love.Had it not been for her hope that it would culminate13 in a baby,Meggie would have refused flatly to have anything more to do withit. 
   “I’ve got you a job,” Luke said over breakfast in the hotel diningroom. 
   “What? Before I’ve had a chance to make our home nice, Luke?Before we’ve even got a home?” 
   “There’s no point in our renting a house, Meg. I’m going to cutcane; it’s all arranged. The best gang of cutters in Queensland is agang of Swedes, Poles and Irish led by a bloke called Arne Swenson,and while you were sleeping off the journey I went to see him. He’sa man short and he’s willing to give me a trial. That means I’ll beliving in barracks with them. We cut six days a week, sunrise tosunset. Not only that, but we move around up and down the coast,wherever the next job takes us. How much I earn depends on howmuch sugar I cut, and if I’m good enough to cut with Arne’s gangI’ll be pulling in more than twenty quid a week. Twenty quid aweek! Can you imagine that?” 
   “Are you trying to tell me we won’t be living togther, Luke?” 
   “We can’t, Meg! The men won’t have a woman in the barracks,and what’s the use of your living alone in a house? You may aswell work, too; it’s all money toward our station.” 
   “But where will I live? What sort of work can I do? There’s nostock to drove up here.” 
   “No, more’s the pity. That’s why I’ve got you a live-in job, Meg.You’ll get free board, I won’t have the expense of keeping you.You’re going to work as a housemaid on Himmelhoch, LudwigMueller’s place. He’s the biggest cane14 cocky in the district and hiswife’s an invalid15, can’t manage the house on her own. I’ll take youthere tomorrow morning.” 
   “But when will I see you, Luke?” 
   “On Sundays. Luddie understands you’re married; he doesn’tmind if you disappear on Sundays.” 
   “Well! You’ve certainly arranged things to your satisfaction,haven’t you?” 
   “I reckon. Oh, Meg, we’re going to be rich! We’ll work hard andsave every penny, and it won’t be long before we can buy ourselvesthe best station in Western Queensland. There’s the fourteenthousand I’ve got in the Gilly bank, the two thousand a year morecoming in there, and the thirteen hundred or more a year we canearn between us. It won’t be long, love, I promise. Grin and bearit for me, eh? Why be content with a rented house when the harderwe work now means the sooner you’ll be looking around your ownkitchen?” 
   “If it’s what you want.” She looked down at her purse. 
   “Luke,did you take my hundred pounds?”“I put it in the bank. You can’t carry money like that around,Meg.”“But you took every bit of it! I don’t have a penny! What aboutspending money?” 
   “Why on earth do you want spending money? You’ll be out atHimmelhoch in the morning, and you can’t spend anything there. I’ll take care of the hotel bill. It’s time yourealized you’ve married a workingman, Meg, that you’re not thepampered squatter’s daughter with money to burn. Mueller willpay your wages straight into my bank account, where they’ll stayalong with mine. I’m not spending the money on myself, Meg, youknow that. Neither of us is going to touch it, because it’s for ourfuture, our station.” 
   “Yes, I understand. You’re very sensible, Luke. But what if Ishould have a baby?”For a moment he was tempted16 to tell her the truth, that therewould be no baby until the station was a reality, but something inher face made him decide not to. 
   “Well, let’s cross that bridge when we come to it, eh? I’d ratherwe didn’t have one until we’ve got our station, so let’s just hopewe don’t.”No home, no money, no babies. No husband, for that matter.Meggie started to laugh. Luke joined her, his teacup lifted in a toast. 
   “Here’s to French letters,” he said.In the morning they went out to Himmelhoch on the local bus,an old Ford17 with no glass in its windows and room for twelvepeople. Meggie was feeling better, for Luke had left her alone whenshe offered him a breast, and seemed to like it quite as well as thatother awful thing. Much and all as she wanted babies, her couragehad failed her. The first Sunday that she wasn’t sore at all, she toldherself, she would be willing to try again. Perhaps there was a babyalready on the way, and she needn’t bother with it ever again unlessshe wanted more. Eyes brighter, she looked around her with interestas the bus chugged out along the red dirt road.It was breath-taking country, so different from Gilly; she had toadmit there was a grandeur18 and beauty here Gilly quite lacked.Easy to see there was never a shortage of water. The soil was thecolor of freshly spilled blood, brilliant scarlet19, and the cane in thefields not  fallow was a perfect contrast to the soil: long bright-green bladeswaving fifteen or twenty feet above claret-colored stalks as thick asLuke’s arm. 
   Nowhere in the world, raved20 Luke, did cane grow astall or as rich in sugar; its yield was the highest known. That brightredsoil was over a hundred feet deep, and so stuffed with exactlythe right nutrients21 the cane couldn’t help but be perfect, especiallyconsidering the rainfall. And nowhere else in the world was it cutby white men, at the white man’s driving, money-hungry pace. 
   “You look good on a soapbox, Luke,” said Meggie ironically.He glanced sideways at her, suspiciously, but refrained fromcomment because the bus had stopped on the side of the road tolet them off.Himmelhoch was a large white house on top of a hill, surroundedby coconut22 palms, banana palms and beautiful smaller palms whoseleaves splayed outward in great fans like the tails of peacocks. Agrove of bamboo forty feet high cut the house off from the worstof the northwest monsoonal23 winds; even with its hill elevation24 itwas still mounted on top of fifteen-foot piles.Luke carried her case; Meggie toiled25 up the red road beside him,gasping, still in correct shoes and stockings, her hat wilting26 aroundher face. The cane baron27 himself wasn’t in, but his wife came ontothe veranda28 as they mounted the steps, balancing herself betweentwo sticks. She was smiling; looking at her dear kind face, Meggiefelt better at once. 
   “Come in, come in!” she said in a strong Australian accent.Expecting a German voice, Meggie was immeasurably cheered.Luke put her case down, shook hands when the lady took her rightone off its stick, then pounded away down the steps in a hurry tocatch the bus on its return journey. Arne Swenson was picking himup outside the pub at ten o’clock. 
   “What’s your first name, Mrs. O’Neill?”
   “Meggie.” 
   “Oh, that’s nice. Mine is Anne, and I’d rather you called meAnne. It’s been so lonely up here since my girl left me a monthago, but it’s not easy to get good house help, so I’ve been battlingon my own. There’s only Luddie and me to look after; we have nochildren. I hope you’re going to like living with us, Meggie.” 
   “I’m sure I will, Mrs. Mueller—Anne.” 
   “Let me show you to your room. Can you manage the case? I’mnot much good at carrying things, I’m afraid.”The room was austerely29 furnished, like the rest of the house, butit looked out on the only side of the house where the view wasunimpeded by some sort of wind-break, and shared the same stretchof veranda as the living room, which seemed very bare to Meggiewith its cane furniture and lack of fabric30
   “It’s just too hot up here for velvet31 or chintz,” Anne explained. 
   “We live with wicker, and as little on ourselves as decency allows.I’ll have to educate you, or you’ll die. You’re hopelessly overclothed.”She herself was in a sleeveless, low-necked vest and a pair ofshort shorts, out of which her poor twisted legs poked doddering

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 decency Jxzxs     
n.体面,得体,合宜,正派,庄重
参考例句:
  • His sense of decency and fair play made him refuse the offer.他的正直感和公平竞争意识使他拒绝了这一提议。
  • Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。
2 snarl 8FAzv     
v.吼叫,怒骂,纠缠,混乱;n.混乱,缠结,咆哮
参考例句:
  • At the seaside we could hear the snarl of the waves.在海边我们可以听见波涛的咆哮。
  • The traffic was all in a snarl near the accident.事故发生处附近交通一片混乱。
3 possessed xuyyQ     
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的
参考例句:
  • He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
  • He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。
4 discomfort cuvxN     
n.不舒服,不安,难过,困难,不方便
参考例句:
  • One has to bear a little discomfort while travelling.旅行中总要忍受一点不便。
  • She turned red with discomfort when the teacher spoke.老师讲话时她不好意思地红着脸。
5 exhausted 7taz4r     
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的
参考例句:
  • It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长,到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
  • Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。
6 eluded 8afea5b7a29fab905a2d34ae6f94a05f     
v.(尤指机敏地)避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 );逃避;躲避;使达不到
参考例句:
  • The sly fox nimbly eluded the dogs. 那只狡猾的狐狸灵活地躲避开那群狗。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The criminal eluded the police. 那个罪犯甩掉了警察的追捕。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
7 sleeper gETyT     
n.睡眠者,卧车,卧铺
参考例句:
  • I usually go up to London on the sleeper. 我一般都乘卧车去伦敦。
  • But first he explained that he was a very heavy sleeper. 但首先他解释说自己睡觉很沉。
8 flopped e5b342a0b376036c32e5cd7aa560c15e     
v.(指书、戏剧等)彻底失败( flop的过去式和过去分词 );(因疲惫而)猛然坐下;(笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地)移动或落下;砸锅
参考例句:
  • Exhausted, he flopped down into a chair. 他筋疲力尽,一屁股坐到椅子上。
  • It was a surprise to us when his play flopped. 他那出戏一败涂地,出乎我们的预料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 modesty REmxo     
n.谦逊,虚心,端庄,稳重,羞怯,朴素
参考例句:
  • Industry and modesty are the chief factors of his success.勤奋和谦虚是他成功的主要因素。
  • As conceit makes one lag behind,so modesty helps one make progress.骄傲使人落后,谦虚使人进步。
10 hip 1dOxX     
n.臀部,髋;屋脊
参考例句:
  • The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
  • The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。
11 repulsive RsNyx     
adj.排斥的,使人反感的
参考例句:
  • She found the idea deeply repulsive.她发现这个想法很恶心。
  • The repulsive force within the nucleus is enormous.核子内部的斥力是巨大的。
12 speculatively 6f786a35f4960ebbc2f576c1f51f84a4     
adv.思考地,思索地;投机地
参考例句:
  • He looked at her speculatively. 他若有所思的看着她。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She eyed It'speculatively as a cruel smile appeared on her black lips. 她若有所思地审视它,黑色的嘴角浮起一丝残酷的微笑。 来自互联网
13 culminate Zyixr     
v.到绝顶,达于极点,达到高潮
参考例句:
  • The celebration of the centenary will culminate with a dinner.百年庆典活动将以宴会作为高潮。
  • Everyone feared that the boundary dispute between these two countries would culminate in a war.人人都担心,这两国间的边境争端将以一场战争到达顶点。
14 cane RsNzT     
n.手杖,细长的茎,藤条;v.以杖击,以藤编制的
参考例句:
  • This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
  • English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。
15 invalid V4Oxh     
n.病人,伤残人;adj.有病的,伤残的;无效的
参考例句:
  • He will visit an invalid.他将要去看望一个病人。
  • A passport that is out of date is invalid.护照过期是无效的。
16 tempted b0182e969d369add1b9ce2353d3c6ad6     
v.怂恿(某人)干不正当的事;冒…的险(tempt的过去分词)
参考例句:
  • I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚,但还是没开口。
  • I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。
17 Ford KiIxx     
n.浅滩,水浅可涉处;v.涉水,涉过
参考例句:
  • They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上,所以我们只能涉水过河。
  • If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪,必须极度小心。
18 grandeur hejz9     
n.伟大,崇高,宏伟,庄严,豪华
参考例句:
  • The grandeur of the Great Wall is unmatched.长城的壮观是独一无二的。
  • These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place.这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。
19 scarlet zD8zv     
n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的
参考例句:
  • The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
  • The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了,深红的颜色变成了绯红,绯红又变为浅红。
20 raved 0cece3dcf1e171c33dc9f8e0bfca3318     
v.胡言乱语( rave的过去式和过去分词 );愤怒地说;咆哮;痴心地说
参考例句:
  • Andrew raved all night in his fever. 安德鲁发烧时整夜地说胡话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They raved about her beauty. 他们过分称赞她的美。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
21 nutrients 6a1e1ed248a3ac49744c39cc962fb607     
n.(食品或化学品)营养物,营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
  • Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》
22 coconut VwCzNM     
n.椰子
参考例句:
  • The husk of this coconut is particularly strong.椰子的外壳很明显非常坚固。
  • The falling coconut gave him a terrific bang on the head.那只掉下的椰子砰地击中他的脑袋。
23 monsoonal 34b8423fee06608ace5ac6556e86d20d     
季风的
参考例句:
  • In the east, the water is mainly oceanic with relatively minor dilution from direct monsoonal rainfall and runoff from small streams. 东部水域主要为海水,而直接的季候雨及小溪溢流,把海水稍为冲淡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • China has a marked continental monsoonal climate characterized by great variety. 中国有明显的大陆性季风气候的特点是种类繁多。 来自互联网
24 elevation bqsxH     
n.高度;海拔;高地;上升;提高
参考例句:
  • The house is at an elevation of 2,000 metres.那幢房子位于海拔两千米的高处。
  • His elevation to the position of General Manager was announced yesterday.昨天宣布他晋升总经理职位。
25 toiled 599622ddec16892278f7d146935604a3     
长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 ); 艰难缓慢地移动,跋涉
参考例句:
  • They toiled up the hill in the blazing sun. 他们冒着炎炎烈日艰难地一步一步爬上山冈。
  • He toiled all day long but earned very little. 他整天劳碌但挣得很少。
26 wilting e91c5c26d67851ee6c19ef7cf1fd8ef9     
萎蔫
参考例句:
  • The spectators were wilting visibly in the hot sun. 看得出观众在炎热的阳光下快支撑不住了。
  • The petunias were already wilting in the hot sun. 在烈日下矮牵牛花已经开始枯萎了。
27 baron XdSyp     
n.男爵;(商业界等)巨头,大王
参考例句:
  • Henry Ford was an automobile baron.亨利·福特是一位汽车业巨头。
  • The baron lived in a strong castle.男爵住在一座坚固的城堡中。
28 veranda XfczWG     
n.走廊;阳台
参考例句:
  • She sat in the shade on the veranda.她坐在阳台上的遮荫处。
  • They were strolling up and down the veranda.他们在走廊上来回徜徉。
29 austerely 81fb68ad1e216c3806c4e926b2516000     
adv.严格地,朴质地
参考例句:
  • The austerely lighted garage was quiet. 灯光黯淡的车库静悄悄的。 来自辞典例句
  • Door of Ministry of Agriculture and produce will be challenged austerely. 农业部门及农产品将受到严重的挑战。 来自互联网
30 fabric 3hezG     
n.织物,织品,布;构造,结构,组织
参考例句:
  • The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
  • I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。
31 velvet 5gqyO     
n.丝绒,天鹅绒;adj.丝绒制的,柔软的
参考例句:
  • This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。
  • The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。

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