12歲的阿富汗富家少爺阿米爾與仆人哈桑情同手足。然而,在一場風(fēng)箏比賽后,發(fā)生了一件悲慘不堪的事,阿米爾為自己的懦弱感到自責(zé)和痛苦,逼走了哈桑,不久,自己也跟隨父親逃往美國。
成年后的阿米爾始終無法原諒自己當(dāng)年對哈桑的背叛。為了贖罪,阿米爾再度踏上暌違二十多年的故鄉(xiāng),希望能為不幸的好友盡最后一點心力,卻發(fā)現(xiàn)一個驚天謊言,兒時的噩夢再度重演,阿米爾該如何抉擇?
故事如此殘忍而又美麗,作者以溫暖細(xì)膩的筆法勾勒人性的本質(zhì)與救贖,讀來令人蕩氣回腸。
下面就跟小編一起來欣賞雙語名著·追風(fēng)箏的人 The Kite Runner(139)的精彩內(nèi)容吧!
“Oh,” Wahid said, nodding and blushing a bit. "You know best, of course. It’s not for me to suggest...
Just then, Maryam and the other woman came into the room with a pair of cups and a teapot on a small platter. I stood up in respect, pressed my hand to my chest, and bowed my head. “Salaam alaykum,” I said.
The woman, who had now wrapped her hijab to conceal her lower face, bowed her head too. “Sataam,” she replied in a barely audible voice. We never made eye contact. She poured the tea while I stood.The woman placed the steaming cup of tea before me and exited the room, her bare feet making no sound at all as she disappeared. I sat down and sipped the strong black tea. Wahid finally broke the uneasy silence that followed.“So what brings you back to Afghanistan?”“What brings them all back to Afghanistan, dear brother?” Farid said, speaking to Wahid but fixing me with a contemptuous gaze.“Bas!” Wahid snapped.“It’s always the same thing,” Farid said. “Sell this land, sell that house, collect the money, and run away like a mouse. Go back to America, spend the money on a family vacation to Mexico.”“Farid!” Wahid roared. His children, and even Farid, flinched. “Have you forgotten your-manners? This is my house! Amir agha is my guest tonight and I will not allow you to dishonor me like this!”Farid opened his mouth, almost said something, reconsidered and said nothing. He slumped against the wall, muttered some thing under his breath, and crossed his mutilated foot over the good one. His accusing eyes never left me.“Forgive us, Amir agha,” Wahid said. “Since childhood, my brother’s mouth has been two steps ahead of his head.”
“It’s my fault, really,” I said, trying to smile under Farid’s intense gaze. “I am not offended. I should have explained to him my business here in Afghanistan. I am not here to sell property. I’m going to Kabul to find a boy.”
“A boy,” Wahid repeated.
“Yes.” I fished the Polaroid from the pocket of my shirt. Seeing Hassan’s picture again tore the fresh scab off his death. I had to turn my eyes away from it. I handed it to Wahid. He studied the photo. Looked from me to the photo and back again. “This boy?”
I nodded.
“哦,”瓦希德說,點點頭,有點臉紅,“你知道得最清楚,當(dāng)然。我不該建議你……”
就在那時,瑪麗亞和另一個婦女走進來,端著一個小盤子,上面有茶壺和兩個茶杯。我畢恭畢敬地站起來,雙手交叉放在胸前,彎身鞠躬。 “你好?!蔽艺f。
那婦女放下面紗,遮住下半邊臉,也鞠躬。 “你好?!彼穆曇艏?xì)不可聞。我們不看對方的眼睛。她倒茶水的時候我站立著。那婦人將熱氣騰騰的茶杯放在我面前,退出房間。離開的時候,她赤裸的雙腳沒有發(fā)出任何聲音。我坐下,喝起那杯濃濃的紅茶。瓦希德終于打破那之后令人不安的沉默?!笆鞘裁醋屇慊氐桨⒏缓鼓兀俊笔鞘裁醋屗麄冞@些人回到阿富汗呢,親愛的哥哥?”法里德說,他在跟瓦希德說話,鄙夷的眼光卻一直看著我。 “住口!”瓦希德怒道。 “總是同樣的事情?!狈ɡ锏抡f,“賣掉土地,賣掉房子,收錢,像老鼠那樣跑開?;氐矫绹ィ媚枪P錢帶上家人去墨西哥度假?!?“法里德!”瓦希德咆哮。他的孩子,甚至還有法里德都害怕起來?!澳愕亩Y貌哪里去了?這是我的房子!阿米爾老爺今晚是我的客人,我不容許你這樣給我丟臉!”法里德張開口,幾乎就要說出些什么,想了想又沒說出來。他頹然倚著墻,無聲說著些什么,將那只殘廢的腳放在完好的腳上面,鄙薄的眼光一直盯著我?!霸徫覀?,阿米爾老爺。”瓦希德說,“打小時候起,我弟弟的嘴巴就比腦袋快兩步。”
“那是我的錯,真的?!蔽艺f,試圖在法里德的逼視之下露出笑臉?!拔覜]覺得被冒犯了。我應(yīng)該把我到阿富汗來的任務(wù)跟他說。我不是來賣田產(chǎn)的,我要去喀布爾找個小男孩?!?br />“小男孩?”瓦希德重復(fù)說。
“是的?!蔽覐囊r衣的口袋掏出寶麗萊照片。再次看到哈桑的照片,再次讓我的心因為他的死揪痛起來。我不得不將眼光移開,把它遞給瓦希德。他端詳著那張照片,抬眼望望我,又看回去?!斑@個男孩?”
我點點頭。