他越來越恨波培了。一個人能夠笑呀笑呀卻仍然是個惡棍。
Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindlessvillain. What did the words exactly mean?
一個不肯悔改的、欺詐的?;囊?、狠毒的惡棍。那話究竟是什么意思?
He only half knew.
他似懂非懂。
But their magic was strong and went on rumbling in his head, and somehow it was as thoughhe had never really hated Popé before; never really hated him because he had never been ableto say how much he hated him.
但卻很有魅力,老在他腦袋里轟隆隆震響。不知道為什么,他覺得他以前好像從來沒有真正恨過波培;沒有真正恨過他,因為他從來說不清對他的恨有多深。
But now he had these words, these words like drums and singing and magic.
可現(xiàn)在他聽見了這些咒語,它們像鼓點,像歌聲,像魔法。
These words and the strange, strange story out of which they were taken (he couldn't makehead or tail of it, but it was wonderful, wonderful all the same) –they gave him a reason forhating Popé; and they made his hatred more real; they even made Popé himself more real.
這些咒語和包含咒語的那個非常奇怪的故事(那故事他雖不大清楚,但照樣覺得非常非常精彩),它們給了他仇恨波培的理由,使他的仇恨更真實,甚至使波培也更真實了。
One day, when he came in from playing, the door of the inner room was open, and he saw themlying together on the bed, asleep–white Linda and Popé almost black beside her, with one armunder her shoulders and the other dark hand on her breast, and one of the plaits of his longhair lying across her throat, like a black snake trying to strangle her.
有一天他玩?;貋?,內室的門開著,看見他倆一起躺在床上睡著了——雪白的琳妲和她身邊的幾乎是黑色的波培。波培一只胳臂在她脖子底下,另外一只黑手放在她的乳房上,他的一根長辮子纏在她的喉頭,好像是條黑蛇要想纏死她。
Popé's gourd and a cup were standing on the floor near the bed. Linda was snoring.
波培的葫蘆和一個杯子放在床邊的地面上。琳妲在打鼾。
His heart seemed to have disappeared and left a hole.
他的心仿佛不見了,只剩下了一個空洞。
He was empty. Empty, and cold, and rather sick, and giddy.
他被掏空了,空而且冷,感到很惡心,很暈眩。
He leaned against the wall to steady himself.
他靠在墻上穩(wěn)住了自己。
Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous …
不肯悔改的、欺詐的、荒淫的……
Like drums, like the men singing for the corn, like magic, the words repeated and repeatedthemselves in his head.
這話在他的腦袋里重復著,重復著,像嘭嘭的鼓聲,像謳歌玉米的歌聲,像咒語。
From being cold he was suddenly hot.
他突然從渾身冰涼變得滿身燥熱。
His cheeks burnt with the rush of blood, the room swam and darkened before his eyes.
他的血液在奔流,面頰在燃燒,屋子在他面前旋轉著,陰暗了。
He ground his teeth.
他咬牙切齒。
"I'll kill him, I'll kill him, I'll kill him," he kept saying.
“我要殺死他。我要殺死他,”他不斷地說。
And suddenly there were more words.
突然更多的話出現(xiàn)了:
When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed …
等他在酗酒昏睡,或怒不可遏的時候,等他躺在建亂的貪歡的床上的時候……
The magic was on his side, the magic explained and gave orders.
咒語在為他說話,咒語解釋了命令,發(fā)出了命令。
He stepped back in the outer room.
他退回到外面的屋子。
When he is drunk asleep …
在他酗酒昏睡的時候……
The knife for the meat was lying on the floor near the fireplace.
切肉的刀子就在火爐邊的地上。
He picked it up and tiptoed to the door again.
他揀起刀子踮起腳尖回到了門邊。
"When he is drunk asleep, drunk asleep …" He ran across the room and stabbed–oh, the blood!
“在他酗酒昏睡的時候,酗酒昏睡的時候……”他沖過房間,一刀刺去,啊,血!
—stabbed again, as Popé heaved out of his sleep, lifted his hand to stab once more, but foundhis wrist caught, held and–oh, oh!
——又是一刀,波培驚醒了。他舉起手又是一刀,手卻被抓住了——哦,哦!
—twisted. He couldn't move, he was trapped, and there were Popé's small black eyes, veryclose, staring into his own.
——被扭開了。他不能動了,逃不掉了。波培的那雙黑黑的小眼睛非常逼近地盯著他的眼睛。
He looked away. There were two cuts on Popé's left shoulder.
他把眼睛扭到了一邊。波培的左肩上有兩個傷口。
"Oh, look at the blood!" Linda was crying.
“啊,看那血!琳妲在叫喊,
"Look at the blood!" She had never been able to bear the sight of blood.
“看那血!”流血的景象從來就叫她受不了。
Popé lifted his other hand–to strike him, he thought.
波培舉起了他另一只手——約翰以為他要打他,
He stiffened to receive the blow.
便僵直了身子,準備挨打。