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(diǎn)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(152)的精彩內(nèi)容吧!
He tapped the table with the pencil. “Despite your promise, I think I’ll live to regret this, but perhaps it’s just as well. I’m damned anyway. But if something can be done for Sohrab... I’ll tell you because I believe you. You have the look of a desperate man.” He was quiet for a long time. “There is a Talib official,” he muttered. “He visits once every month or two. He brings cash with him, not a lot, but better than nothing at all.” His shifty eyes fell on me, rolled away. “Usually he’ll take a girl. But not always.”
“And you allow this?” Farid said behind me. He was going around the table, closing in on Zaman. “What choice do I have?” Zaman shot back. He pushed himself away from the desk. “You’re the director here,” Farid said. “Your job is watch over these children.”“There’s nothing I can do to stop it.”“You’re selling children!” Farid barked.
“Farid, sit down! Let it go!” I said. But I was too late. Because suddenly Farid was leaping over the table. Zaman’s chair went flying as Farid fell on him and pinned him to the floor. The director thrashed beneath Farid and made muffled screaming sounds. His legs kicked a desk drawer free and sheets of paper spilled to the floor.I ran around the desk and saw why Zaman’s screaming was muffled: Farid was strangling him. I grasped Farid’s shoulders with both hands and pulled hard. He snatched away from me. “That’s enough!” I barked. But Farid’s face had flushed red, his lips pulled back in a snarl. “I’m killing him! You can’t stop me! I’m killing him,” he sneered.“Get off him!”“I’m killing him!” Something in his voice told me that if I didn’t do something quickly I’d witness my first murder.“The children are watching, Farid. They’re watching,” I said. His shoulder muscles tightened under my grip and, for a moment, I thought he’d keep squeezing Zaman’s neck anyway. Then he turned around, saw the children. They were standing silently by the door, holding hands, some of them crying. I felt Farid’s muscles slacken. He dropped his hands, rose to his feet. He looked down on Zaman and dropped a mouthful of spit on his face. Then he walked to the door and closed it.
Zaman struggled to his feet, blotted his bloody lips with his sleeve, wiped the spit off his cheek. Coughing and wheezing, he put on his skullcap, his glasses, saw both lenses had cracked, and took them off. He buried his face in his hands. None of us said anything for a long time.
“He took Sohrab a month ago,” Zaman finally croaked, hands still shielding his face.
他用鉛筆敲桌子,“盡管你答應(yīng)了,我想我也許會后悔一輩子,不過,也許那樣也好。反正我很該死。但如果能幫到索拉博什么……我會告訴你,因為我相信你??雌饋砟阆駛€負(fù)責(zé)任的人?!彼聊撕镁??!坝袀€塔利班官員,”他低聲說,“他每隔一兩個月就來一次,帶著錢,雖然不多,但總比什么也沒有好?!彼锪锏难劬粗遥洲D(zhuǎn)開,“通常他會帶走一個女孩,但不總是這樣?!?br />“你居然同意?”法里德在我身后說。他沖向桌子,接近察曼?!拔夷苡惺裁催x擇呢?”察曼回嘴說,他推著桌子站起來。“你是這里的負(fù)責(zé)人?!狈ɡ锏抡f,“你的工作是照料這些孩子?!薄拔腋緵]有能力阻止它發(fā)生?!薄澳阗u掉孩子!”法里德大怒。
“法里德,坐下!讓他說!”但已經(jīng)太遲了,因為突然間法里德跳上桌子。他縱身而下,將察曼的椅子踢飛,把他按倒在地。察曼在法里德身下?lián)]舞著手,發(fā)出聲聲悶叫。他的腳踢掉一個抽屜,紙片散落在地面。我跑到桌子那邊,這才發(fā)現(xiàn)察曼的叫聲為何悶?。悍ɡ锏露笞∷牟弊印N译p手抓住法里德的肩膀,使勁拉。他掙脫我?!皦蛄?!”我大喊。但法里德的臉漲得通紅,張口狂叫:“我要?dú)⒘怂?!你不能阻止我!我要?dú)⒘怂?!“他冷笑?!胺砰_他!”“我要?dú)⒘怂?!”他的叫聲讓我明白,如果我不盡快采取行動,就只好目睹有生以來見到的第一場謀殺了?!昂⒆觽冊诳粗ɡ锏?。他們在看著。”我說。他肩膀的肌肉在我手中縮緊,那當(dāng)頭,我以為他不管怎樣都會扼著察曼的脖子不放。然而他回頭,看到了孩子們。他們默默站在門外,手拉手,有的還哭起來。我覺得法里德的肌肉松弛了,他放手站起來,低頭看著察曼,在他臉上吐了一口口水。然后他走到門邊,把門關(guān)上。
察曼掙扎著站起身,用袖子去擦血淋淋的嘴唇,擦掉臉上的口水。他咳嗽,喘息,戴好便帽和眼鏡,看到兩塊鏡片都破了,又把眼鏡摘下。他雙手掩臉。好長一段時間,我們誰也沒說話。
“一個月前,他帶走了索拉博。”終于,察曼哽咽著說。手仍掩著臉。