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【时间旅行者的妻子】72

时间:2017-03-28 08:08:06

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(单词翻译)

CLARE: I’ve been waiting all day for Henry. I’m so excited. I got my driver’s license1 yesterday, and Daddy said I could take the Fiat2 to Ruth’s party tonight. Mama doesn’t like this at all, but since Daddy has already said yes she can’t do much about it. I can hear them arguing in the library after dinner.
 “You could have asked me—”
 “It seemed harmless, Lucy....”
 I take my book and walk out to the Meadow. I lie down in the grass. The sun is beginning to set. It’s cool out here, and the grass is full of little white moths3. The sky is pink and orange over the trees in the west, and an arc of deepening blue over me. I am thinking about going back to the house and getting a sweater when I hear someone walking through the grass. Sure enough, it’s Henry. He enters the clearing and sits down on the rock. I spy on him from the grass. He looks fairly young, early thirties maybe. He’s wearing the plain black T-shirt and jeans and hi-tops. He’s just sitting quietly, waiting. I can’t wait a minute longer, myself, and I jump up and startle him.
 “Jesus, Clare, don’t give the geezer a heart attack.”
 “You’re not a geezer.”
 Henry smiles. He’s funny about being old.
 “Kiss,” I demand, and he kisses me.
 “What was that for?” he asks.
 “I got my driver’s license!”
 Henry looks alarmed. “Oh, no. I mean, congratulations.”
 I smile at him; nothing he says can ruin my mood. “You’re just jealous.”
 “I am, in fact. I love to drive, and I never do.”
 “How come?”
 “Too dangerous.”
 “Chicken.”
 “I mean for other people. Imagine what would happen if I was driving and I disappeared? The car would still be moving and kaboom! lots of dead people and blood. Not pretty.”
 I sit down on the rock next to Henry. He moves away. I ignore this. “I’m going to a party at Ruth’s tonight. Want to come?”
 He raises one eyebrow4. This usually means he’s going to quote from a book I’ve never heard of or lecture me about something. Instead he only says, “But Clare, that would involve meeting a whole bunch of your friends.”
 “Why not? I’m tired of being all secretive about this.”
 “Let’s see. You’re sixteen. I’m thirty-two right now, only twice your age. I’m sure no one would even notice, and your parents would never hear about it.”
 I sigh. “Well, I have to go to this party. Come with and sit in the car and I won’t stay in very long and then we can go somewhere.”
 
HENRY: We park about a block away from Ruth’s house. I can hear the music all the way down here; it’s Talking Heads’ Once In A Lifetime. I actually kind of wish I could go with Clare, but it would be unwise. She hops5 out of the car and says, “Stay!” as though I am a large, disobedient dog, and totters6 off in her heels and short skirt toward Ruth’s. I slump7 down and wait.
 
CLARE: AS soon as I walk in the door I know this party is a mistake. 
 
“那为什么你要说以前?”
  “不为什么,露西尔一切都很好,别再担心了。”他在说谎。我的胃一阵收缩,双手抱住膝盖,垂下头。
  亨利:我都不敢相信我如此严重地说漏了嘴。我轻抚着克莱尔的头发,迫切盼望能回到我的真实时空里,一分钟也好,就足够让我请教那个时候的克莱尔,让我知道面对年仅十五岁的她,该如何谈论她母亲的死。我没有睡觉,只要睡过一会,大脑就会转得快一些,至少可以把谎圆得更巧妙些。可是克莱尔,我认识的最真诚的人,哪怕一丁点的小谎,她都异常敏感。现在惟一补救的办法,或者闭口不言,那会急死她;或者继续说谎,她也绝对不会相信;或者就说真话,她更会惶恐不安,做出什么奇怪的事情影响到母女之间的关系。克莱尔看着我,说:“告诉我。”
  克莱尔:亨利看上去一脸的痛苦,说,“我不能,克莱尔。”
  “为什么不能?”
  “不能提前告诉你还没到来的事情,那会搅乱你的生活。”
  “是,可你也不能只说一半啊。”
  “确实没有什么可说的。”
  我真的惊慌起来。“她自杀了。”这个预感如潮水般涌入我的心头。这一直是我最担心的事情。
  “不,不,绝对不是。”
  我盯着他,亨利看上去只是非常不开心,我也不能确定他是否在说谎。假如我能读懂他的想法,生活会多么简单啊!妈妈,哦!妈妈!
  亨利:太可怕了。我不能把克莱尔就这么丢下不管。“是卵巢癌。”我轻声说。
  “感谢上帝。”她说完,便放声大哭。
  一九八七年六月五日,星期五 (克莱尔十六岁,亨利三十二岁)
  克莱尔:我一整天都在等着亨利。我兴奋极了,昨天我拿到了驾驶执照,爸爸说今晚我可以开那辆菲亚特去参加鲁思的晚会。妈妈一点也不赞成,不过爸爸有话在先,她也不能再改变什么了。晚饭后我听见他们在书房里争论个不停。
  “你应该事先问问我——”
  “不会怎么样的,露西……”
  我带上书,来到草坪上。我躺在草堆里,太阳开始落山,这里格外凉爽,草上满是白色的蛾子。西边树梢上的天空呈现出粉红、橘黄两种色彩,不断加深的蓝色天幕笼罩着我。我正打算回屋拿件毛衣,突然听到草丛中有脚步声。没错,肯定是亨利。他来到空地,坐在那块岩石上。我从草里偷看他,他看上去挺年轻的,也许刚三十出头吧。他穿一身简洁的黑色T恤衫、牛仔裤和一双高帮帆布球鞋,他静静地坐着等待。我一刻也忍不住了,于是一跃而起,吓了他一跳。
  “天啊,克莱尔,别让我这怪老头得心脏病啊。”
  “你不是怪老头。”
  亨利笑了。想到变老,他觉得很有趣吧。
  “亲我。”我命令他,他亲了我。
  “为什么要我亲你?”他问。
  “我拿到驾照了!”
  亨利看上去很警觉。“哦,不。我是想说,祝贺你。”
  我朝他微笑,他说什么都破坏不了我的情绪,“你嫉妒我了。”
  “说实话,我是嫉妒了。我很喜欢开车,可我永远也不能开。”
  “怎么会呢?”
  “太危险了。”
  “胆小鬼!”
  “我是说,对其他人来说太危险。想象一下,如果我在开车的时候突然消失了呢?汽车一直向前冲,然后就‘嘣’的一声!死了很多人,到处都是血。这不是开玩笑的。”
  我在石头上靠近亨利的地方坐下,他却挪开了。我假装没看见,“我今晚要去参加鲁思的聚会,一起去吗?”
  他抬起一根眉毛,这通常预示着他要从我没有看过的书中引用一句话,或是对我进行一番说教。出人意料地,这次他却说:“可是克莱尔,这可意味着我会见到你那一群朋友啊。”
  “那有什么关系?整天保密太累了。”
  “我想想,你十六岁,我现在三十二岁,只比你大一倍。反正谁都看不出来,他们也不会告诉你爸爸妈妈。”
  我叹了口气,“我是一定得去的。你来就坐在车上,我不会待很长时间的,然后我们就去别的地方。”
  亨利:我们把车停在鲁思家旁边的一个街区外,从这里我能听到音乐声。那是①传声头(Talking Heads),20世纪70年代至90年代纽约朋克的四大重要支柱之一,它的曲风糅合了朋克摇滚、克里普芬克曲风、学院派知性主义,以及后来的世界音乐流的元素。的《一生只有一次》,我突然想和克莱尔一起去,但还是觉得不妥。她跳出车外,对我说:“乖乖地待在里面!”好像我是一条不安分的大狗。克莱尔穿着迷你裙踩着高跟鞋,身姿摇曳的向鲁思家走去。我倒向车后座,开始等待。
  克莱尔:刚踏进门,我就觉得这场聚会完全是个错误。

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 license B9TzU     
n.执照,许可证,特许;v.许可,特许
参考例句:
  • The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
  • The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。
2 fiat EkYx2     
n.命令,法令,批准;vt.批准,颁布
参考例句:
  • The opening of a market stall is governed by municipal fiat.开设市场摊位受市政法令管制。
  • He has tried to impose solutions to the country's problems by fiat.他试图下令强行解决该国的问题。
3 moths de674306a310c87ab410232ea1555cbb     
n.蛾( moth的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The moths have eaten holes in my wool coat. 蛀虫将我的羊毛衫蛀蚀了几个小洞。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The moths tapped and blurred at the window screen. 飞蛾在窗帘上跳来跳去,弄上了许多污点。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
4 eyebrow vlOxk     
n.眉毛,眉
参考例句:
  • Her eyebrow is well penciled.她的眉毛画得很好。
  • With an eyebrow raised,he seemed divided between surprise and amusement.他一只眉毛扬了扬,似乎既感到吃惊,又觉有趣。
5 hops a6b9236bf6c7a3dfafdbc0709208acc0     
跳上[下]( hop的第三人称单数 ); 单足蹦跳; 齐足(或双足)跳行; 摘葎草花
参考例句:
  • The sparrow crossed the lawn in a series of hops. 那麻雀一蹦一跳地穿过草坪。
  • It is brewed from malt and hops. 它用麦精和蛇麻草酿成。
6 totters 6d285dcd5ddacf0a476b8f75908f401b     
v.走得或动得不稳( totter的第三人称单数 );踉跄;蹒跚;摇摇欲坠
参考例句:
  • Everywhere religious authority totters as the peasant movement develops. 神权的动摇,也是跟着农民运动的发展而普遍。 来自互联网
  • It totters when she licks it with her tongue. 当她用舌头舔它时他还在摇晃。 来自互联网
7 slump 4E8zU     
n.暴跌,意气消沉,(土地)下沉;vi.猛然掉落,坍塌,大幅度下跌
参考例句:
  • She is in a slump in her career.她处在事业的低谷。
  • Economists are forecasting a slump.经济学家们预言将发生经济衰退。

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