【正文】 f her soiled clothes and flung them into the corner. And then she scrubbed herself with a little block of pumice, legs and thighs, loins and chest and arms, until her skin was scratched and red. When she had dried herself she stood in front of a mirror in her bedroom and looked at her body. She tightened her stomach and threw out her chest. She turned and looked over her shoulder at her back. 在廚房里，她把手伸到爐子后面，摸摸水箱。里面盛滿了熱水，是中午做飯時燒熱的。她走進浴室，脫掉臟衣服，扔到墻角；然后用一小塊浮石擦洗起身子來，腿、腰、胸、胳膊，直到皮膚擦得紅紅的，留下一道道擦痕。她把身上的水弄干，站在臥室里的鏡子前，端詳著自己的身體。她收腹挺胸，然后又轉(zhuǎn)過頭從肩膀上看自己的后背。After a while she began to dress, slowly. She put on her newest underclothing and her nicest stockings and the dress which was the symbol of her prettiness. She worked carefully on her hair, penciled her eyebrows and rouged her lips. Before she was finished she heard the little thunder of hoofs and the shouts of Henry and his helper as they drove the red steers into the corral. She heard the gate bang shut and set herself for Henry39。s arrival. His step sounded on the porch. He entered the house calling, Elisa, where are you? In my room, dressing. I39。m not ready. There39。s hot water for your bath. Hurry up. It39。s getting late.過了一會兒她開始穿衣服，穿得很慢。她穿上自己的新內(nèi)衣，最精致的長襪，還有那件象征她的美麗的裙子。她仔細地梳理著頭發(fā)，描眉，涂口紅。還沒等她收拾好，外面?zhèn)鱽砹笋R蹄的得得聲。亨利同他的伙計吆喝著往牲口圈里趕牛。聽到大門砰的一聲關(guān)上，她準備好，等著亨利過來。走廊上傳來亨利的腳步聲，他走到屋里喊道，“伊利莎，你在哪兒？”“在我屋里穿衣服呢，還沒好呢。你洗澡的熱水好了，快點兒洗，沒有時間了?！盬hen she heard him splashing in the tub, Elisa laid his dark suit on the bed, and shirt and socks and tie beside it. She stood his polished shoes on the floor beside the bed. Then she went to the porch and sat primly and stiffly down. She looked toward the river road where the willowline was still yellow with frosted leaves so that under the high grey fog they seemed a thin band of sunshine. This was the only color in the grey afternoon. She sat unmoving for a long time. Her eyes blinked rarely. Henry came banging out of the door, shoving his tie inside his vest as he came. Elisa stiffened and her face grew tight. Henry stopped short and looked at her. Why － why, Elisa. You look so nice! Nice? You think I look nice? What do you mean by 39。nice39。?伊利莎聽到亨利在浴盆里嘩啦嘩啦的洗澡聲，把他的黑西服放在床上，邊上是他的襯衫、襪子和領(lǐng)帶。她把擦亮的鞋子擺放在床邊的地板上，然后來到走廊上，一本正經(jīng)地坐在那兒，顯得有些呆滯。她朝河邊的路上看去，那兒的柳葉上掛著霜，依然泛著黃色，因而在半空的灰白色霧氣籠罩下，這一帶柳樹好象是道薄薄的陽光。這是整個灰色下午唯一的色彩。她一動不動地坐了很久，很少眨眼睛。亨利出來時砰的一聲關(guān)門，邊走邊往馬甲里塞領(lǐng)帶。伊利莎直起身子，臉也繃緊了。亨利驀地停下來盯著她?！昂伲晾?，你看起來真棒！”“棒？你覺得我很棒？‘很棒’是什么意思？”Henry blundered on. I don39。t know. I mean you look different, strong and happy.I am strong? Yes, strong. What do you mean 39。strong39。? He looked bewildered. You39。re playing some kind of a game, he said helplessly.It39。s a kind of a play. You look strong enough to break a calf over your knee, happy enough to eat it like a watermelon. For a second she lost her rigidity. Henry! Don39。t talk like that. You didn39。t know what you said. She grew plete again. I39。m strong, she boasted. I never knew before how strong. Henry looked down toward the tractor shed, and when he brought his eyes back to her, they were his own again. I39。ll get out the car. You can put on your coat while I39。m starting. Elisa went into the house. She heard him drive to the gate and idle down his motor, and then she took a long time to put on her hat. She pulled it here and pressed it there. When Henry turned the motor off she slipped into her coat and went out.“我不知道。我是說你看起來有些不一樣，強壯、快活?！焙嗬Y(jié)結(jié)巴巴地說?！皬妷眩渴堑?，我很強壯。這又是什么意思？”他顯得有些迷惑不解?！澳阍谕鎯菏裁从螒?，”他無可奈何地說?！澳阍谕嬗螒?。你顯得很強壯，可以在你的膝蓋上劈死一頭小牛；又很高興，能象吃個大西瓜那樣把它吃掉?！币粫r間她僵硬的神情沒了?！昂嗬?！別那樣說。你不知道你在說什么?！彼只謴?fù)了原來的樣子?！拔液軓妷眩彼湟卣f?！拔乙郧皬牟恢雷约河卸嗝唇Y(jié)實?！焙嗬驴戳丝赐侠瓩C棚。當他收回目光再看她時，那眼神又變成他以前的那種了?！拔胰グ衍囬_出來，趁這當兒，你把大衣穿好?！币晾哌M了屋。她聽到亨利把車開到了門口，馬達空轉(zhuǎn)著。她磨磨蹭蹭地戴上帽子，按按這兒扯扯那兒。這時亨利熄了馬達，她很快穿上大衣，走了出去。The little roadster bounced along on the dirt road by the river, raising the birds and driving the rabbits into the brush. Two cranes flapped heavily over the willowline and dropped into the riverbed. Far ahead on the road Elisa saw a dark speck. She knew. She tried not to look as they passed it, but her eyes would not obey. She whispered to herself sadly, He might have thrown them off the road. That wouldn39。t have been much trouble, not very much. But he kept the pot, she explained. He had to keep the pot. That39。s why he couldn39。t get them off the road. The roadster turned a bend and she saw the caravan ahead. She swung full around toward her husband so she could not see the little covered wagon and the mismatched team as the car passed them. In a moment it was over. The thing was done. She did not look back. She said loudly, to be heard above the motor, It will be good, tonight, a good dinner.小敞篷車沿著河在土路上顛簸前行，驚起一群鳥，野兔也被驚得鉆進了樹叢。兩只鶴重重地拍打著翅膀，越過路邊的柳樹，然后落到河岸上。遠遠的，伊利莎看到路上有個黑點。她知道那是什么。當他們經(jīng)過那個黑點時，她盡量不去看它，可眼睛不聽她的話。她傷心地小聲對自己說，“他可以把它們?nèi)拥铰废逻叺?。那不會給他增加什么麻煩的，一點兒也不會。不過他留著花盆呢，”她自己解釋說?！八隙ǖ昧糁ㄅ?，所以沒能把它們?nèi)拥铰废逻??！彼麄兊男〕ㄅ褴囖D(zhuǎn)了個彎，她看到了前面的大篷車。她急忙轉(zhuǎn)向自己的丈夫，以免汽車超過時看見那輛小小的篷車，那怪模怪樣的隊伍。事情一會兒就過去了，一切都結(jié)束了。她沒有往后看。她大聲說，甚至蓋過了馬達的聲音，“今晚會很好，一頓美餐?！盢ow you39。re changed again, Henry plained. He took one hand from the wheel and patted her knee. I ought to take you in to dinner oftener. It would be good for both of us. We get so heavy out on the ranch. Henry, she asked, could we have wine at dinner? Sure we could. Say! That will be fine. She was silent for a while。 then she said, Henry, at those prize fights, do the men hurt each other very much? Sometimes a little, not often. Why? Well, I39。ve read how they break noses, and blood runs down their chests. I39。ve read how the fighting gloves get heavy and soggy with blood. He looked around at her. What39。s the matter, Elisa? I didn39。t know you read things like that. He brought the car to a stop, then turned to the right over the Salinas River bridge. Do any women ever go to the fights? she asked. Oh, sure, some. What39。s the matter, Elisa? Do you want to go? I don39。t think you39。d like it, but I39。ll take you if you really want to go. She relaxed limply in the seat. Oh, no. No. I don39。t want to go. I39。m sure I don39。t. Her face was turned away from him.