第四章: 1928年4月8日 |《喧哗与骚动》双语小说在线阅读

The day dawned bleak and chill, a moving wall of gray light out of the northeast which, instead of dissolving into moisture, seemed to disintegrate into minute and venomous particles, like dust that, when Dilsey opened the door of the cabin and emerged, needled laterally into her flesh, precipitating not so much a moisture as a substance partaking of the quality of thin, not quite congealed oil. She wore a stiff black straw hat perched upon her turban, and a maroon velvet cape with a border of mangy and anonymous fur above a dress of purple silk, and she stood in the door for a while with her myriad and sunken face lifted to the weather, and one gaunt hand flac-soled as the belly of a fish, then she moved the cape aside and examined the bosom of her gown.

这一天在萧瑟与寒冷中破晓了。一堵灰黯的光线组成的移动的墙从东北方向挨近过来，它没有稀释成为潮气，却象是分解成为坐埃似的细微。有毒的颗粒，当迪尔西打开小屋的门走出来时，这些颗粒象针似的横斜地射向她的皮肉，然后又往下沉淀，不象潮气倒象是某种稀薄的。不太肯凝聚的油星。迪尔西缠了头巾。还戴了一顶硬僵僵的黑草帽，穿了一条紫酱色的丝长裙，又披上一条褐红色的丝绒肩中，这肩中还有十条肮里肮脏说不出什么种类的毛皮镶边。迪尔西在门口站了一会儿，对着陰雨的天空仰赵她那张被皱纹划分成无数个小块的瘪陷的脸，又伸出一只掌心柔软有如鱼肚的枯槁的手，接着她把肩中撩开，细细审视他的长裙的前襟。

The gown fell gauntly from her shoulders, across her fallen breasts, then tightened upon her paunch and fell again, ballooning a little above the nether garments which she would remove layer by layer as the spring accomplished and the warm days, in color regal and moribund. She had been a big woman once but now her skeleton rose, draped loosely in unpadded skin that tightened again upon a paunch almost dropsical, as though muscle and tissue had been courage or fortitude which the days or the years had consumed until only the indomitable skeleton was left rising like a ruin or a landmark above the somnolent and impervious guts, and above that the collapsed face that gave the impression of the bones themselves being outside the flesh, lifted into the driving day with an expression at once fatalistic and of a child’s astonished disappointment, until she turned and entered the house again and closed the door.

那条长裙无精打采地从她双肩上耷拉下来，滑过她那对松垂的乳房，在她突出的腹部处绷紧。然后又松了开来，再往下又微微胀起，原来她在里面穿了好几条内裤。等春天过去，暖和的日子呈现出一派富丽堂皇、成熟丰收的色彩时，她会把内裤一条一条脱掉的。她原先是个又胖又大的女人，可是现在骨架都显露出来，上面松松地蒙着一层没有衬垫的皮，只是在肢胀似的肚子那里才重新绷紧，好象肌肉与组织都和勇气与毅力一样，会被岁月逐渐消磨殆尽似的。到如今只有那副百折不挠的骨架剩了下来，象一座废墟，也象一个里程碑，耸立在半死不活。麻木不仁的内脏之上，稍高处的那张脸让人感到仿佛骨头都翻到皮肉外面来了。那张脸如今仰向丽云在飞她的天空，脸上的表情既是听天由命的，又带有小孩子失望时的惊愕神情。最后，她终于转过身子，回进屋子，并且关上了门。

The earth immediately about the door was bare. It had a patina, as though from the soles of bare feet in generations, like old silver or the walls of Mexican houses which have been plastered by hand. Beside the house, shading it in summer, stood three mulberry trees, the fledged leaves that would later be broad and placid as the palms of hands streaming flatly undulant upon the driving air. A pair of jaybirds came up from nowhere, whirled up on the blast like gaudy scraps of cloth or paper and lodged in the mulberries, where they swung in raucous tilt and recover, screaming into the wind that ripped their harsh cries onward and away like scraps of paper or of cloth in turn. Then three more joined them and they swung and tilted in the wrung branches for a time, screaming. The door of the cabin opened and Dilsey emerged once more, this time in a man’s felt hat and an army overcoat, beneath the frayed skirts of which her blue gingham dress fell in uneven balloonings, streaming too about her as she crossed the yard and mounted the steps to the kitchen door.

紧挨着门的泥地光秃秃的。它有一层绿锈的色泽。仿佛是得自一代又一代人光脚板的蹭擦，古旧的银器和墨西哥人房屋用手抹上灰泥的墙壁上也有这样的色泽一小屋旁边有三棵夏季遮荫伪桑树。毛茸茸的嫩叶——它们日后会长得象巴掌般宽阔而稳重——展平在气流中，在一起一伏地飘浮着。不知从哪儿飞来了一对悭鸟，象鲜艳的布片或碎纸似的在急风中盘旋翻飞，最后停栖在桑树上，它们翘起了尾巴大声聒噪着，在枝头上下颠簸。它们对着大风尖叫，大风把这沙嘎的声音也象席卷布片、碎纸似地修地卷走。接着又有三只悭鸟参加进来，翘起了尾巴尖叫着，在扭曲的树枝上颠簸了好一阵。小屋的门打开了，迪尔西再次走了出来，这回头上扣了一顶男人戴的平顶呢帽，加了一件军大衣，在大衣破破烂烂的下摆下面，那件蓝格子布的裙子鼓鼓囊囊的，在她穿过院子登上厨房的台阶时，裙子的破衣边也在她身后飘荡。

A moment later she emerged, carrying an open umbrella now, which she slanted ahead into the wind, and crossed to the woodpile and laid the umbrella down, still open. Immediately she caught at it and arrested it and held to it for a while, looking about her. Then she closed it and laid it down and stacked stovewood into her crooked arm, against her breast, and picked up the umbrella and got it open at last and returned to the steps and held the wood precariously balanced while she contrived to close the umbrella, which she propped in the corner just within the door. She dumped the wood into the box behind the stove. Then she removed the overcoat and hat and took a soiled apron down from the wall and put it on and built a fire in the stove. While she was doing so, rattling the grate bars and clattering the lids, Mrs Compson began to call her from the head of the stairs.

过了一会儿她又出现了，这回拿了一把打开的伞。她迎风斜举着伞，穿过院子来到柴堆旁，把伞放下，伞答张着。马上她又朝伞扑去，抓住了伞，握在手里，朝四周望了一会儿。接着她把伞收拢，放下，将柴禾一根根放在弯着的臂弯里，堆在胸前，然后又拿起伞。好不容易才把伞打开，走回到台阶那儿，一边颤颤巍巍地平衡着不让柴禾掉下，同时费了不少劲把伞合上。最后她把伞支在门角落里。她让柴禾落进炉子后面的柴禾箱里，接着脱掉大衣和帽子，从墙上取下一条脏围裙，系在身上，这才开始生火。她把炉条通得嘎拉嘎拉直响，把护盖弄得啪哩啪啦直响。她这样干着的时候，康普生太太在楼梯口喊起她来了。

She wore a dressing gown of quilted black satin, holding it close under her chin. In the other hand she held a red rubber hot water bottle and she stood at the head of the back stairway, calling “Dilsey” at steady and inflectionless intervals into the quiet stairwell that descended into complete darkness, then opened again where a gray window fell across it.”Dilsey,” she called, without inflection or emphasis or haste, as though she were not listening for a reply at all.”Dilsey.”

康普生太太穿着一件黑缎面的棉睡袍，用手把衣服在下巴底下捏紧，另外那只手拿着一只红胶皮的热水袋。她站在后楼梯的顶上，很有规律。毫无变化地一声声呼唤着“迪尔西”。她的声音传下枯井般的楼道，这楼道落入一片漆黑中，接着遇上从一扇灰暗的窗户里透进来的微光。“迪尔西，”她喊道，没有抑扬顿挫，没有重音，也一点不着急，好象她压根儿不期待回答似的。“迪尔西。”

Dilsey reached the top of the stairs and took the water bottle.”I’ll fix hit in a minute,” she said.”Luster overslep dis mawnin, up half de night at dat show. I gwine build de fire myself. Go on now, so you won’t wake de others twell I ready.”

迪尔西来到楼梯口，接过热水袋。“我马上就冲，”她说。“勒斯特今儿早上睡过头了，昨儿晚上看戏一直看到半夜。我只好自己生火。您快回去吧，要不没等我准备舒齐全屋子的人都要给您吵醒了。”

“You put hit down and g’awn back to bed,” Dilsey said. She toiled painfully up the steps, shapeless, breathing heavily.”I’ll have de fire gwine in a minute, en de water hot in two mo.”

“您把它放下回去睡您的，”迪尔西说。她费力地爬上楼梯，气喘吁吁，身躯象一大团 不成形的东西。“我一分钟里就把人生好，两分钟里就把水烧热。”

“All right,” Dilsey said.”All right, here I is. I’ll fill hit soon ez I git some hot water.” She gathered up her skirts and mounted the stairs, wholly blotting the gray light.”Put hit down dar en g’awn back to bed.”

“行啦，”迪尔西说，“行啦，我来了。“有了热水我马上就给您灌。”她提起裙子登上楼梯，她那庞大的身躯把灰蒙蒙的光线全部挡掉了。“把热水袋放在那儿，回去睡吧。”

Dilsey answered and ceased clattering the stove, but before she could cross the kitchen Mrs Compson called her again, and before she crossed the diningroom and brought her head into relief against the gray splash of the window, still again.

迪尔西应了一声。手也停下来不再摆弄炉子了。可是还没等她穿过厨房，康普生太太又叫唤了，不等她穿过餐厅脑袋衬在窗口透进来的那片灰蒙蒙的光的前面，那声音又响起来了。

“I couldn’t understand what was the matter,” Mrs Compson said.”I’ve been lying awake for an hour at least, without hearing a sound from the kitchen.”

“我不明白这是怎么回事，”康普生太太说。“我醒了躺在床 上至少有一个钟头了，却听不见厨房里有一点点声音。”

“I’ve been lying there for an hour, at least,” Mrs Compson said.”I thought maybe you were waiting for me to come down and start the fire.”

“我在床 上躺了至少有一个钟头了，”康普生太太说。“我还以为也许你要等我下了楼才生火呢。”

“‘Twusn’t none of Jason’s money he went on,” Dilsey said.”Dat’s one thing sho.” She went on down the stairs. Mrs Compson returned to her room. As she got into bed again she could hear Dilsey yet descending the stairs with a sort of painful and terrific slowness that would have become maddening had it not presently ceased beyond the flapping diminishment of the pantry door.

“他去看戏又没花杰生的钱，”迪尔西说。“那一点不惺。”她继续往楼下走去。康普生太太口进自己的房间。等她重又在床 上躺下了，她还能听到迪尔西下楼的声音。她的动作迟缓得叫人难以忍受，难以置信，要不是一下子被食品间那扇门啪哩啪啦的响声盖过听不见了，真会叫人发疯的。

“If you permit Luster to do things that interfere with his work, you’ll have to suffer for it yourself,” Mrs Compson said.”Jason won’t like this if he hears about it. You know he won’t.”

“既然你答应让勒斯特去玩，那只好自己多受点罪啦，”康普生太太说。“杰生要是知道了会不高兴的。你知道他要不高兴的。”

She entered the kitchen and built up the fire and began to prepare breakfast. In the midst of this she ceased and went to the window and looked out toward her cabin, then she went to the door and opened it and shouted into the driving weather.

她走进厨房，生好火，开始准备早饭。干到一半，她放下手里的活儿，走到窗前朝自己的小屋望去，接着她来到门口，打开门，对着飞快流动的冷空气嚷了起来：

“Luster!” she shouted, standing to listen, tilting her face from the wind.”You, Luster!” She listened, then as she prepared to shout again Luster appeared around the corner of the kitchen.

“勒斯特！”她喊道，站定了谛听，侧着脸以避开风头，“你听见没有，勒斯特？”她倾听着，正准备张开嘴大声叫喊，看见勒斯特从厨房拐角处踅出来了。

“Ma’am?” he said innocently, so innocently that Dilsey looked down at him, for a moment motionless, with something more than mere surprise.

“姥姥？”他说，一副清白无辜的样子，也未免显得太清白无辜了，以致迪尔西好几分钟一动不动地站着低下头来端详他，她的感情已经不仅仅是惊讶了。

“Don’t you dare come in dis do widout a armful of wood,” she said.”Here I done had to tote yo wood en build yo fire bofe. Didn’t I tole you not to leave dis place last night befo dat woodbox wus full to de top?”

‘你敢不抱上一堆柴禾就进这扇门！”她说。“我已经替你搬了柴禾，生了火了。昨儿晚上我不是关照过你，不把一箱子柴禾装得满满登登的就别出去吗？”

“Whar you at?” she said.

“你上哪儿去啦？”她说。

“Ain’t doin nothin,” he said. He came up the steps.

“我啥也没干呀，”他说。他走上了台阶。

He loaded himself mountainously with stove wood. He could not see over it, and he staggered to the steps and up them and blundered crashing against the door, shedding billets. Then Dilsey came and opened the door for him and he blundered across the kitchen.”You, Luster!” she shouted, but he had already hurled the wood into the box with a thunderous crash.”Hah!” he said.

他抱了山那么高的一大堆柴禾。他看不见前面的路，跌跌撞撞地走致台阶前。跨上台阶，毛毛腾腾地撞在门上，柴禾一根根的掉了下来，这时迪尔西走过来给他开门，他跌跌撞撞地穿过厨房。“你啊，勒斯特！”她喊道，可是他已经哗地一下子把柴禾都扔到木箱里去了，发出了雷鸣般的轰隆声。“嗨！”他说了一声。

“Well, you git hit full up now,” she said.”And git on up dar en see bout Benjy.”

“哼，你这会儿去给我把箱子装满，”她说，“装满了就上楼去照看班吉。”

“Whut you doin in de cellar?” she said.”Don’t stand dar in de rain, fool,” she said.

“你去地窖干什么？”她说。“别站在雨头里，傻瓜，”她说。

“I don’t know’m. I ain’t teched hit.”

“那我不知道。我可没拿。”

“Whar hit gone to, den?”

“那么柴禾到哪儿去啦？”

“Nowhere,” he said.”Jes in de cellar.”

“没上哪儿呀，”他说。“就在地窖里呀。”

“I did,” Luster said.”I filled hit.”

“我装了，”勒斯特说，“我真的装满了。”

She shut the door. Luster went to the woodpile. The five jaybirds whirled over the house, screaming, and into the mulberries again. He watched them. He picked up a rock and threw it.”Whoo,” he said.”Git on back to hell, whar you belong at. ‘Taint Monday yit.”

“她关上门。勒斯特向柴堆走去。那五只悭鸟在屋子上空盘旋。尖叫，接着又在桑材上停栖下来。他瞅着它们。他捡起一块石子扔了过去府，”他说，“滚回到你们的老家去，回地狱去吧。还没到星期一哪。”

“I thought I better go round de house en in by de front, so I won’t wake up Miss Cahline en dem.”

“我想最好还是绕到屋前走大门进去，兔得吵醒卡罗琳小姐他们。”

“You go on up dem back stairs like I tole you en git Benjy’s clothes on him,” Dilsey said.”Go on, now.”

“你听我的，走后楼梯，上去给班吉穿好衣服，”迪尔西说。“好，去吧。”

“Whar you gwine?” Dilsey said.

“你上哪儿？”迪尔西说。

“Yessum,” he said. He went toward the outer door.

“好咧，您哪，”他说。他朝通向院子的那扇门走去。

“Is you tryin to wake up de whole house?” Dilsey said. She hit him on the back of his head with the flat of her hand.”Go on up dar and git Benjy dressed, now.”

“你想把整个宅子的人都吵醒还是怎么的？”迪尔西说。她给了他的后脑勺一巴掌。“快到楼上去给班吉穿衣服。”

“Yessum,” Luster said. He returned and left by the diningroom door. After a while it ceased to flap. Dilsey prepared to make biscuit. As she ground the sifter steadily above the bread board, she sang, to herself at first, something without particular tune or words, repetitive, mournful and plaintive, austere, as she ground a faint, steady snowing of flour onto the bread board. The stove had begun to heat the room and to fill it with murmurous minors of the fire, and presently she was singing louder, as if her voice too had been thawed out by the growing warmth, and then Mrs Compson called her name again from within the house. Dilsey raised her face as if her eyes could and did penetrate the walls and ceiling and saw the old woman in her quilted dressing gown at the head of the stairs, calling her name with machinelike regularity.

“好咧，您哪，”勒斯特说。他转回来从通往餐厅的门走出去。过了一会。门也不晃动了。迪粮西开始做饼干。她一面在和面的案板上来回抖动筛子，一面唱起歌来，先是小声乱哼哼，没有固定的曲调与歌词，是支重复、哀伤、悲切、质朴的歌子，这时候，细细的面粉象雪花似的纷纷扬扬地洒落在案板上。炉子已经使房间里有了一些暖意，并且让厨房里充满了火焰的呢喃声。过了一会儿，她的歌声响亮些了，好象她的声音也因温 度升高而解冻了，这时候，康普生太太又在宅子里叫唤她了。迪尔西仰起了脸，似乎她的目光能够而且确乎穿透了墙壁与天花板，看到了那个穿棉睡袍的老太太站在楼梯口，在机械地一声声叫着她的名字。

“Luster hasn’t been in the house. I’ve been lying here listening for him. I knew he would be late, but I did hope he’d come in time to keep Benjamin from disturbing Jason on Jason’s one day in the week to sleep in the morning.”

“勒斯特压根儿没进这幢楼。我一直躺在床 上等着听他的脚声。我知道他会晚来的，不过我希望他别太晚，免得让班吉明吵醒杰生，杰生一星期也只有一天能睡个懒觉。”

“Ain’t Luster up dar wid him?” she said.

“勒斯特没在楼上他房里？”她说。

It was not the bottle which Mrs Compson wanted, however, and clutching it by the neck like a dead hen Dilsey went to the foot of the stairs and looked upward.

不过，康普生太太这回倒不是要热水袋。迪尔西象拎着一只死鸡似的捏往热水袋的脖颈，来到楼梯口朝上张望。

“Oh, Lawd,” Dilsey said. She set the sifter down and swept up the hem of her apron and wiped her hands and caught up the bottle from the chair on which she had laid it and gathered her apron about the handle of the kettle which was now jetting faintly.”Jes a minute,” she called.”De water jes dis minute got hot.”

“哦，老天爷呀，”迪尔西说。她放下筛子，撩起围裙的下摆擦了擦手，从椅子上拿起她方才放在那儿的热水袋，又用围裙包皮在壶把上，水壶已经在微微喷出热气了，一会儿就得，”她大声喊道，“水这会儿刚有点热。”

“I don’t see how you expect anybody to sleep, wid you standin in de hall, holl’in at folks fum de crack of dawn,” Dilsey said. She began to mount the stairs, toiling heavily.”I sont dat boy up dar half an hour ago.”

“您自个儿一大早就站在楼厅喊这喊那，就不怕把别人吵醒？”迪尔西说。她开始步履艰难地往楼上爬。“半小时之前我就差那小子上楼了。”

Mrs Compson watched her, holding the dressing gown under her chin.”What are you going to do?” she said.

康普生太太瞧着她，一只手在下巴那儿捏紧了睡袍的领口。”你现在干什么去？”她说。

“I’ll tend to dat too,” Dilsey said.”You better git back in bed twell Luster make yo fire. Hit cold dis mawnin.”

“我一边儿对付着做吧，”迪尔西说。“您还是回床 上去等勒斯将来给你生火吧。今儿早上可冷呢。”

“Gwine git Benjy dressed en bring him down to de kitchen, whar he won’t wake Jason en Quentin,” Dilsey said.

“给班吉穿好衣服，带他下来到厨房去，在那儿他就吵不着杰生和昆丁了，”迪尔西说。

“Haven’t you started breakfast yet?”

“你早饭还没做吗？”

“I know it,” Mrs Compson said.”My feet are like ice. They were so cold they waked me up.” She watched Dilsey mount the stairs. It took her a long while.”You know how it frets Jason when breakfast is late,” Mrs Compson said.

“我知道，”康普生太太说，“我一双脚都冻冰了。就是因为脚冷才把我冻醒的。”她一直瞧着迪尔西上楼，这又花了她不少时间。“你知道要是早饭开晚了杰生会发火的，”康普生太太说。

“If you’re going to drop everything to dress Benjamin, I’d better come down and get breakfast. You know as well as I do how Jason acts when it’s late.”

“要是你为了给班吉明穿衣服而把别的事都撂下，那让我下楼来做早饭得了。你不是不知道，早饭开晚了杰生会怎么样。”

“I cant do but one thing at a time,” Dilsey said.”You git on back to bed, fo I has you on my hands dis mawnin too.”

“我可没法同时做两件事情，”迪尔西说。“您快回到床 上去吧，不然您又要给我添麻烦了。”

“En who gwine eat yo messin?” Dilsey said.”Tell me dat. Go on now,” she said, toiling upward. Mrs Compson stood watching her as she mounted, steadying herself against the wall with one hand, holding her skirts up with the other.

“您弄出来的东西有谁肯吃呢？’迪尔西说。“您倒说说看。回去吧，”她说，一边费劲地往上爬。康普生太太还站在那儿，望着迪尔西一只手扶着墙，另一只手提起裙子费力地往上爬。

“Are you going to wake him up just to dress him?” she said.

“你光是为了给他穿衣服就得把他叫醒吗？”她说。

Dilsey stopped. With her foot lifted to the next step she stood there, her hand against the wall and the gray splash of the window behind her, motionless and shapeless she loomed.

迪尔西停了下来。她一只脚搁在上一级楼梯上，手扶着墙，那大团 模模糊糊的身影一动不动，挡住了身后窗户里透进来的一片灰蒙蒙的光。

“He ain’t awake den?” she said.

“这么说他还没醒？”她说。

“He wasn’t when I looked in,” Mrs Compson said.”But it’s past his time. He never does sleep after half past seven. You know he doesn’t.”

“我方才在门口望了一眼，他还没醒，”康普生太太说。“可是他已经睡过头了。往常他一到七点半总会醒的。你也知道他从来不睡过头。”

“You’re not the one who has to bear it,” Mrs Compson said.”It’s not your responsibility. You can go away. You don’t have to bear the brunt of it day in and day out. You owe nothing to them, to Mr Compson’s memory. I know you have never had any tenderness for Jason. You’ve never tried to conceal it.”

“受罪的并不是你，”康普生太太说。“这不是你的责任。你可以离开。你不用一天又一天地背这副担子。你不欠他们什么情份，你对死去的康普生先生也没什么感情，我知道你从来没喜欢过杰生，而且你也根本不想掩盖。

Dilsey said nothing. She made no further move, but though she could not see her save as a blobby shape without depth, Mrs Compson knew that she had lowered her face a little and that she stood now like cows do in the rain, holding the empty water bottle by its neck.

迪尔西没有搭腔。她不再往上走，康普生太太虽然看不清楚，只是朦朦胧胧感到前面有一大团 扁而圆的东西，但他也觉得出来迪尔西已稍稍垂低了脸，此刻就象雨中的一头母牛那样地站着，手里还捏着空热水袋的脖颈。

Dilsey said nothing. She turned slowly and descended, lowering her body from step to step, as a small child does, her hand against the wall.”You go on and let him alone,” she said.”Don’t go in dar no mo, now. I’ll send Luster up soon as I find him. Let him alone, now.”

“迪尔西一句话也没说。她慢腾腾地转过身子在楼下走去，一级一级地往下挪动脚步，就象小小孩那样，手依旧扶着增。“您回去吧，先不用管他，”她说。“别再进他屋了。我找到了勒斯特就让这小子上来。这会儿，您不用管他。”

She returned to the kitchen. She looked into the stove, then she drew her apron over her head and donned the overcoat and opened the outer door and looked up and down the yard. The weather drove upon her flesh, harsh and minute, but the scene was empty of all else that moved. She descended the steps, gingerly, as if for silence, and went around the corner of the kitchen. As she did so Luster emerged quickly and innocently from the cellar door.

她回到了厨房。她看了看炉火，接着把围裙从头上脱下，穿上大衣，打开通院子的门，把院子四下打量了一遍。尖利的。无孔不入的潮气袭击着她的皮肤，可是院子里空荡荡的没有一样活物。她蹑手蹑脚地走下台阶，象是怕发出响声，接着绕过厨房的拐角。她正走着，忽见勒斯特带着一副天真的神情，匆匆地从地窖的门里走出来。

“Nothin,” Luster said.”Mr Jason say fer me to find out whar dat water leak in de cellar fum.”

“没干啥呀，”勒斯特说，“杰生先生关照过要我看看地窖里哪儿漏水。”

“En when wus hit he say fer you to do dat?” Dilsey said.”Last New Year’s day, wasn’t hit?”

“他是什么时候吩咐你的？”迪尔西说。“去年的大年初一，不是吗？”

“Huh,” Dilsey said. She looked at Luster again. He met her gaze blandly, innocent and open.”I don’t know whut you up to, but you ain’t got no business doin hit. You jes tryin me too dis mawnin cause de others is, ain’t you? You git on up dar en see to Benjy, you hear?”

“哼，”迪尔西说。她又打量起勒斯将来了。他温 顺地迎接着她的盯视，显得既清白无辜又胸襟坦白。“我不知道你在里面搞的什么鬼名堂，不过那里根本没有要你干的事。今天早上，人家折磨我，你也跟着凑热闹，是不是？你快给我上楼去伺候班吉，听见没有？”

Dilsey stopped.”Whut you up to?” she said.

迪尔西停住脚步。“你千啥去啦？”她说。

“I thought I jes be lookin whiles dey sleep,” Luster said. Dilsey went to the cellar door. He stood aside and she peered down into the obscurity odorous of dank earth and mold and rubber.

“我想在他们睡着的时候去看看比较好，”勒斯特说。迪尔西走到地窖门口。勒斯特让开一条路，她探下头去望，黑暗中一股湿土、霉菌和橡皮的气味迎面向她扑来。

“Jes thow hit at dat box again,” she said.”Jes thow hit.”

“你敢再往箱子里扔得震天响，”她说，“你敢再扔！”

“Yessum,” he said. He passed her on the steps and went to the woodpile. When he blundered again at the door a moment later, again invisible and blind within and beyond his wooden avatar, Dilsey opened the door and guided him across the kitchen with a firm hand.

“好咧，您哪。”他说。他在合阶上经过她的身边朝柴堆走去。片刻之后，他又跌跌冲冲地撞在门上了，那堆金字塔似的柴禾又挡住了他的视线，迪尔西眷他开了订。使劲拽着他，引导他穿过厨房。

“Yessum,” Luster said. He went on toward the kitchen steps, swiftly.

“听见了，您哪。”勒斯特说。他急急地朝厨房台阶走去。

“Here,” Dilsey said.”You git me another armful of wood while I got you.”

“回来，”迪尔西说，于趁这会儿你还没跑开去，再给我抱一烙柴未来。”

“I got to,” Luster said, panting.”I cant put hit down no other way.”

“我只好扔，”勒斯特说，一边在喘气，“我没有别的办法把柴禾放下来。”

“Den you stand dar en hold hit a while,” Dilsey said. She unloaded him a stick at a time.”Whut got into you dis mawnin? Here I sont you fer wood en you ain’t never brought mo’n six sticks at a time to save yo life twell today. Whut you fixin to ax me kin you do now? Ain’t dat show lef town yit?”

“那你忍着点，多站一会儿，”迪尔西说。她从他怀里一次拿下一根柴禾，你今儿早上到底是怎么的啦？我派你去抱柴禾，你呢，每回抱的都不超过六根。你今儿个倒真省力气呀。你这会又有什么事求我？那个戏班子不是已经走了吗？”

“Yessum. Hit done gone.”

“是的，姥姥。已经走了。

She put the last stick into the box.”Now you go on up dar wid Benjy, like I tole you befo,” she said.”And I don’t want nobody else yellin down dem stairs at me twell I rings de bell. You hear me.”

她把最后的一根柴禾放进箱子。“好，你现在照我说的那样，上楼到班吉那儿去，”她说。“在我摇吃饭铃之前我再也不想听见有人在楼梯口冲着我瞎嚷嚷了。你听见没有。”

“Yessum,” Luster said. He vanished through the swing door. Dilsey put some more wood in the stove and returned to the bread board. Presently she began to sing again.

“听见了，您哪，”勒斯特说。他消失在弹簧门后面。迪尔西往炉子里添了一些劈柴，回到案板那儿．不一会儿，她又唱起歌来了。

“Eight o’clock,” Dilsey said. She ceased and tilted her head upward, listening. But there was no sound save the clock and the fire. She opened the oven and looked at the pan of bread, then stooping she paused while someone descended the stairs. She heard the feet cross the diningroom, then the swing door opened and Luster entered, followed by a big man who appeared to have been shaped of some substance whose particles would not or did not cohere to one another or to the frame which supported it. His skin was dead looking and hairless; dropsical too, he moved with a shambling gait like a trained bear. His hair was pale and fine. It had been brushed smoothly down upon his brow like that of children in daguerrotypes. His eyes were clear, of the pale sweet blue of cornflowers, his thick mouth hung open, drooling a little.

“八点了，”迪尔西说。她停下手里的活，仰起了头在谛听。可是除了壁钟与炉火，一切都是沉寂无声的。她打开烤炉的门，看了看那一铁盘子面包皮。接着她腰弯着停住了动作，因为有人在下楼了。她听见有脚步声传过餐厅，接着弹簧门打开了，勒斯特走了进来，后面跟着一个大个子，这人身上的分子好象不愿或是不能粘聚在一起，也不愿或是不能与支撑身体的骨架粘聚似的。他的皮肤是死灰色的，光溜溜的不长胡 子；他还有点浮肿，走起路来趴手趴脚，象一只受过训练的熊。他的头发很细软，颜色很淡。头发平滑地从前额上披下，象早年的银版照片里小孩梳的童花头。他的眼睛很亮，是矢车菊那种讨人喜欢的浅蓝色。他的厚嘴唇张开着，稍稍有点淌口水。

The room grew warmer. Soon Dilsey’s skin had taken on a rich, lustrous quality as compared with that as of a faint dusting of wood ashes which both it and Luster’s had worn as she moved about the kitchen, gathering about her the raw materials of food, coordinating the meal. On the wall above a cupboard, invisible save at night, by lamp light and even then evincing an enigmatic profundity because it had but one hand, a cabinet clock ticked, then with a preliminary sound as if it had cleared its throat, struck five times.

房间里变得暖和些了。迪尔西在厨房里走来走去，取这取那，以配齐早餐的食物。过不多久，她的皮肤上开始泛出了一层鲜艳。滋润的光泽，这比起她和勒斯特两人皮肤上蒙着一层柴禾灰时可好看多了。碗柜木面的墙上。有只挂钟在发出嘀嗒嘀嗒的声音，这只钟只有晚上灯光照着时才看得见，即使在那时，它也具出一种谜样的深沉，因为它只有一根指针。现在，在发出了几声象嗽嗓子似的前奏之后，它敲了五下。

Luster went out. Ben sat beside the stove. He sat loosely, utterly motionless save for his head, which made a continual bobbing sort of movement as he watched Dilsey with his sweet vague gaze as she moved about. Luster returned.

勒斯特走了。班坐在炉灶旁。他松松垮垮地坐着，除了头部以外全身一动不动。他用快活而蒙陇的眼光瞧着迪尔西走来走去，脑袋上下一颠一颠的，勒斯特回来了。

“Ef he ain’t, I is,” Luster said.”Always cold Easter. Ain’t never seen hit fail. Miss Cahline say ef you ain’t got time to fix her hot water bottle to never mind about hit.”

“他不见得冷，我倒是真觉得冷，”勒斯特说。“一碰上复活节天气就冷，每年都是这样，卡罗琳小姐说，要是你没时间给她灌热水袋，那就算了。”

“Is he cold?” Dilsey said. She wiped her hands on her apron and touched his hand.

“他冷不冷？”迪尔西说。她在围裙上擦了擦手，伸出手去摸他的手。

“Oh, Lawd,” Dilsey said. She drew a chair into the corner between the woodbox and the stove. The man went obediently and sat in it.”Look in de dinin room and see whar I laid dat bottle down,” Dilsey said. Luster fetched the bottle from the diningroom and Dilsey filled it and gave it to him.”Hurry up, now,” she said.”See ef Jason wake now. Tell em hit’s all ready.”

“唉，老天爷呀，”迪尔西说。她拉过一把椅子，放在柴禾箱和炉子之间的墙角里。那个大个儿乖乖地走过去，在椅子上坐了下来。“到餐厅里去瞧瞧我把热水袋撂在哪儿了。”迪尔西说。勒斯特到餐厅去取来了热水袋，迪尔西往里灌上水，又交 还给他。“快给送去，”她说。“再看看杰生这会儿醒了没有。告诉他们早饭已经得了。”

“He up,” he said.”Miss Cahline say put hit on de table.” He came to the stove and spread his hands palm down above the firebox.”He up, too,” he said.”Gwine hit wid bofe feet dis mawnin.”

“他起来了，”他说，“卡罗琳小姐说把热水袋放在桌子上好了。”他走到炉子前）伸出双手，掌心对着柴禾箱。“他也起来了，”他说，“他今儿个准是柄只脚一块儿下地的①。”（注：①外国人的一种迷信，认为自己某只脚先落地可以示吉或凶，两只脚同时落地又表示什么。种种说法很多，各地也不一致。）

“Who could a broke hit, den?” Dilsey said.”He jes tryin hisself, to wake Quentin up,” she said, taking the pan of biscuits out of the stove.

“那又能是谁呢？”迪尔西说。“他这样做完全是跟自己过不去，还把昆丁给吵醒了，”她说。一边把一盘饼干从烤炉里取出来。

“Say I broke hit chunkin rocks at hit,” Luster said.

“说我往上扔石子打碎的，”勒斯特说。

“Is dey one broke?” Dilsey said.

“是破了吗？”迪尔西说。

“I never done hit,” Luster said.”Ask Benjy ef I did. I ain’t stud’in dat winder.”

“我根本没扔嘛，”勒斯特说。“不信你问班吉好了。我连瞅都没往那扇窗户瞅一眼。”

“Nome,” Luster said.

“根本没那回事，”勒斯特说。

“Dat’s whut he sayin,” Luster said.”Say I broke hit.”

“反正他是这么说的，”勒斯特说。“一口咬定是我打碎的。”

“En did you?”

“那你扔了没有？”

“Ain’t none of who?” Dilsey said.”Lemme tell you somethin, nigger boy, you got jes es much Compson devilment in you es any of em. Is you right sho you never broke dat window?”

“跟谁不一样于”迪尔西说。“你好好竖起耳朵听着，臭黑小子，你跟他们一模一样，身上也有康普生家的那股疯劲儿。你老实说，到底是不是你打的？”

“Don’t lie to me, boy,” Dilsey said.

“可别跟我说瞎话呀，小子。”迪尔西说。

“I cold,” Luster said.

“我冷嘛，”勒斯特说。

“Sayin me en Benjy broke dat winder in his room.”

“说我和班吉打破了他房里的玻璃窗。”

“How could you, when he keep hit locked all day en night?”

“他白天黑夜都紧锁房门，你怎么能打碎呢？”

“You ought to thought about dat whiles you wus down dar in dat cellar,” Dilsey said.”Whut de matter wid Jason?”

“你方才在地窖里就该想到冷的，”迪尔西说。“杰生怎么啦？”

“Reckin so,” Luster said.”Dese funny folks. Glad I ain’t none of em.”

“就是嘛，”勒斯特说。“这些人真古怪。亏得我跟他们不一样。”

“Whut’s de matter now?” Dilsey said.”Git away fum dar. How kin I do anything wid you standin over de stove?”

“又出什么事啦？”迪尔西说。“给我从那儿滚开。你站在炉前则我怎么干活？”

“Whut you do any of yo devilment fur?” Dilsey said.”Watch him now, so he cant burn his hand again twell I git de table set.”

“你鬼迷心窍时干的事莫非还有什么道理不成？”迪尔西说。“你留神看好他，别让他在我摆饭餐时把手给烫了。”

“All right, honey,” she said.”Here yo breakfast. Bring his chair, Luster.” Luster moved the chair up and Ben sat down, whimpering and slobbering. Dilsey tied a cloth about his neck and wiped his mouth with the end of it.”And see kin you keep fum messin up his clothes one time,” she said, handing Luster a spoon.

“好了，宝贝儿，”她说，“这是你的早饭。把他的椅子端过来，勒斯特。”勒斯特搬来了椅子，班坐下来，一边哼叫，一边淌口水。迪尔西在他脖颈下围了二块布，用布的一角擦了擦他的嘴。“倒要看看你能不能有一国不弄脏他的衣服，”她说，往勒斯特手里递去一把勺子。

“Whut I want to break hit fur?”

“我打碎它对我有什么好处？”

Ben ceased whimpering. He watched the spoon as it rose to his mouth. It was as if even eagerness were musclebound in him too, and hunger itself inarticulate, not knowing it is hunger. Luster fed him with skill and detachment. Now and then his attention would return long enough to enable him to feint the spoon and cause Ben to close his mouth upon the empty air, but it was apparent that Luster’s mind was elsewhere. His other hand lay on the back of the chair and upon that dead surface it moved tentatively, delicately, as if he were picking an inaudible tune out of the dead void, and once he even forgot to tease Ben with the spoon while his fingers teased out of the slain wood a soundless and involved arpeggio until Ben recalled him by whimpering again.

班停止了哼哼声。他盯看着一点点地伸到他嘴边来的勺子。对他来说，好象猴急也是由肌肉控制的，而饥饿本身倒是一种含混不清的感觉，自己也弄不大明白。勒斯特熟练而心不在焉地喂着他。隔上一阵，他的注意力也会短暂地回到手头的工作上来，这时候，他就给班喂一个空勺，让班的嘴在子虚乌有中合上，一口咬个空。不过，很显然，勒斯特的心思是在别的地方。他不拿勺子的那只手搁在椅背上，在那块毫无反应的木板上试探地。轻轻地抱过来想过去，象是从无声处寻觅一个听不见的乐曲，有一次他的手指在那块锯开的木板上拨出了一组无声的复杂极了的琶音，他竟忘了用勺子耍弄班，直到班重新哼叫起来，他才从幻梦中清醒过来。

She went to the diningroom, where they heard her moving about, then she returned and set a plate at the kitchen table and set food there. Ben watched her, slobbering, making a faint, eager sound.

她到餐厅去了。他们能听到她走过来走过去的声音，过了一会儿她回来了，在厨房桌子上放了只盘子，往里盛了一些吃的。班盯看着她，一面淌口水，一边发出猴急的哼哼声。

“Sure, I know they didn’t break it,” Jason said.”Sure, I know that. Maybe the change of weather broke it.”

“当然罗，我知道他们没打，”杰生说，“当然罗。我很清楚。说不定是天气变化使玻璃破裂的。”

In the diningroom Dilsey moved back and forth. Presently she rang a small clear bell, then in the kitchen Luster heard Mrs Compson and Jason descending, and Jason’s voice, and he rolled his eyes whitely with listening.

迪尔西在餐厅里来回走动。过了一会，她摇响一只清脆的小铃，接着，勒斯特在厨房里听见康普生太太与杰生下楼来的声查，还有杰生的说话声，他赶紧翻动着白眼用心谛听着。

“I don’t see how it could have,” Mrs Compson said.”Your room stays locked all day long, just as you leave it when you go to town. None of us ever go in there except Sunday, to clean it. I don’t want you to think that I would go where I’m not wanted, or that I would permit anyone else to.”

“我真不明白它怎么会破的，”康普生太太说，“你的房间一整天都是锁着的。你每回离开家进城时都是那样的。除了星期天打扫房间，别人从来不进去。我不希望你以为我会上人家不欢迎我去的地方，我当然也不会派谁进去。”

“Luster say he didn’t do hit,” Dilsey said.

“勒斯特说不是他打的，”迪尔西说。

“I never said you broke it, did I?” Jason said.

“我又没说是您打破的，是不是？”杰生说。

“I knew that without asking him,” Jason said.”Where’s Quentin?” he said.

“我不用问也知道不是他干的，”杰生说。“昆丁在哪儿？”他说。

“Yes,” Jason said.”I know your keys won’t fit. That’s why I had the lock changed. What I want to know is, how that window got broken.”

“不错，”杰生说，“我知道您的钥匙开不开。我就是为了这个。才把锁换掉的。我想知道的是，窗子到底是怎么会破的。”

“I don’t want to go in your room,” Mrs Compson said.”I respect anybody’s private affairs. I wouldn’t put my foot over the threshold, even if I had a key.”

“我根本不想进你的房间，”康普生太太说。“我尊重任何一个人的私人事务。我就算有钥匙，也不想跨进你的房间一步。”

“I hears you,” Dilsey said.”All I been hearin, when you in de house. Ef hit ain’t Quentin er yo maw, hit’s Luster en Benjy. Whut you let him go on dat way fer, Miss Cahline?”

“我听见了，”迪尔西说。“只要你在家，我没一刻不听见你在骂骂咧咧。不是冲着昆丁和你妈妈，就是对着勒斯特和班吉。你怎么这样由着他呢，卡罗琳小姐？”

“Well, we’re going to change all that,” Jason said.”Go up and tell her breakfast is ready.”

“那好，咱们要把这些老规矩统统都砸烂，”杰生说。“上楼去通知她早饭准备好了。”

“Where she is ev’y Sunday mawnin,” Dilsey said.”Whut got into you de last few days, anyhow?”

“她往常礼拜天早上在哪儿，这会儿也在哪儿，”迪尔西说。“你这几天究竟有什么不顺心的亭儿？”

“Did you hear me?” Jason said.

“我的话你听见没有？”杰生说。

“You leave her alone now, Jason,” Dilsey said.”She gits up fer breakfast ev’y week mawnin, en Miss Cahline lets her stay in bed ev’y Sunday. You knows dat.”

“你这会儿就别惹她了吧，杰生，”迪尔西说。“她平时都是准时起来吃早饭的，卡罗琳答应让她每星期天睡晚觉的。这你是知道的。”

“Ain’t nobody have to wait on her,” Dilsey said.”I puts her breakfast in de warmer en she”

“哪有人专门伺候她啊，”迪尔西说。“我把她那份早饭放在保温 灶里，等她——”

“I cant keep a kitchen full of niggers to wait on her pleasure, much as I’d like to,” Jason said.”Go and tell her to come down to breakfast.”

“我即使愿意，也养不起一屋子的黑人来伺候这位娇小姐，”杰生说。“去叫她下来吃早饭。”

“‘Taint no sense in him bein so bad tempered he got to make Quentin git up jes to suit him,” Dilsey said.”Maybe you think she broke dat window.”

“他脾气这么坏，硬要把昆丁叫起来，一点道理也没有，”迪尔西说。“说不定你还以为窗子是她打的呢。”

“You’d better do as he says,” Mrs Compson said.”He’s head of the house now. It’s his right to require us to respect his wishes. I try to do it, and if I can, you can too.”

“你就照他吩咐的去做吧，”康普生太太说，“他现在是一家之主，他有权要我们尊重他的意愿。我尽量这样做，如果我做得到，你也是可以做到的。”

“Hush, Dilsey,” Mrs Compson said.”It’s neither your place nor mine to tell Jason what to do. Sometimes I think he is wrong, but I try to obey his wishes for you all’s sakes. If I’m strong enough to come to the table, Quentin can too.”

“别说了，迪尔西，”康普生太太说，“由你或者我来告诉杰生该怎么干都是越出本分的，有时候我也觉得他不对，不过为了顾全大局我还是逼着自己听他的。既然我能拖着害病的身子下楼来吃饭，昆丁应该也是可以的。”

“En I wouldn’t blame her none ef she did,” Dilsey said, going toward the stairs.”Wid you naggin at her all de blessed time you in de house.”

“真是她干的我也不怪她，”迪尔西说，一面朝楼梯走曳“谁叫你一回家就唠唠叨叨没个完。”

“You’ve got a prize set of servants,” Jason said. He helped his mother and himself to food.”Did you ever have one that was worth killing? You must have had some before I was big enough to remember.”

“您用的佣人都是活宝，”杰生说。他给他母亲也给自己盘子里盛食物。“您用过一个象点人样的没有？在我记事以前您该还是用过几个的吧。”

“She would, if she happened to think of it,” Jason said.”You go and do what I told you.”

“她想干的话是干得出来的，”杰生说。“你快去，照我说的去做。”

“I have to humor them,” Mrs Compson said.”I have to depend on them so completely. It’s not as if I were strong. I wish I were. I wish I could do all the house work myself. I could at least take that much off your shoulders.”

“我不能不迁就他们点儿，”康普生太太说。“我什么事都得依靠他们呀。要是我身子骨好，那情况当然就不一样了。我真希望自己身体好些。那我就能把家务事全揽下来了。至少也可以给你减轻一些担子。”

Dilsey went out. They heard her mounting the stairs. They heard her a long while on the stairs.

迪尔西走出房间，他们听见她爬楼梯的声音。他们听见她在楼梯上爬呀爬呀，爬了很久。

“And a fine pigsty we’d live in, too,” Jason said.”Hurry up, Dilsey,” he shouted.

“咱们家都快成一个猪圈了，”杰生说，“快点，迪尔西。”他大声嚷道。

“Go where?” Jason said.”Hasn’t that damn show left yet?”

“上哪儿？”杰生说，“难道那个混蛋的戏班子还没走？”

“To church,” Mrs Compson said.”The darkies are having a special Easter service. I promised Dilsey two weeks ago that they could get off.”

“是上教堂，”康普生太太说。“黑人今天要举行一次特别的复活节礼拜。两个星期以前我就答应迪尔西让他们去了。”

“For what?” Jason said.”You never resurrected Christ, did you?”

“干吗怪您？”杰生说。“耶稣又不是您弄复活的，是不是？”

“I know you blame me,” Mrs Compson said,”for letting them off to go to church today.”

“我知道你又会责怪我的，”康普生太太说，“因为我答应让他们今天上教堂去。”

“Which means we’ll eat cold dinner,” Jason said,”or none at all.”

“那就是说咱们中午又得吃冷菜冷饭，”杰生说，“甚至什么也吃不上了。”

They heard Dilsey mount the final stair, then her slow feet overhead.

他们听见迪尔西登上最后一级楼梯，然后听到她在楼上慢慢挪动脚步的声音。

“I know it’s my fault,” Mrs Compson said.”I know you blame me.”

“我知道这都是我的错儿，”康普生太太说，“我知道你会怪我的。”

“Quentin,” she said. When she called the first time Jason laid his knife and fork down and he and his mother appeared to wait across the table from one another in identical attitudes; the one cold and shrewd, with closethatched brown hair curled into two stubborn hooks, one on either side of his forehead like a bartender in caricature, and hazel eyes with black-ringed irises like marbles, the other cold and querulous, with perfectly white hair and eyes pouched and baffled and so dark as to appear to be all pupil or all iris.

“昆丁，”她说。她叫这第一声时，杰生放下刀叉，他和他母亲隔着餐桌对坐着，姿势一模一样，仿佛都在等待对方；这一个冷酷。精明，压得扁扁的棕发在前额的左右各自弯成一个难以驭服的发卷，模样就象漫画里的酒保，榛子色的眼珠配有镶黑边的虹膜，活象两颗弹子；另一个冷酷、唠叨，满头银发，眼睛底下的泪囊松垂，眼神惶惑，眼眶里黑黑的，仿佛那儿全是瞳孔，全是虹膜。

“Quentin,” Dilsey said.”Get up, honey. Dey waitin breakfast on you.”

“昆丁，”迪尔西说，“起来呀，好宝贝。他们在等你吃早饭呢。”

“I cant understand how that window got broken,” Mrs Compson said.”Are you sure it was done yesterday? It could have been like that a long time, with the warm weather. The upper sash, behind the shade like that.”

“我真的不明白那个窗子怎么会打破的，”康普生太太说，“你真的能肯定是昨天打破的吗？没准是早就打破了，前一阵天气暖和，又是上面的半扇，所以被窗帘遮住了没发觉。”

“Quentin. Don’t play wid me, honey. Come on to breakfast, honey. Dey waitin fer you.”

“昆丁。别跟我逗闹了，好宝贝。快去吃早饭吧，宝贝儿，他们在等你呢。”

“I cant understand it,” Mrs Compson said.”It’s just as if somebody had tried to break into the house.” Jason sprang up. His chair crashed over backward.

“我真是弄不懂，”康普生太太说，“好象是有人想硬要进人这幢房子——”杰生跳了起来。他的椅子哗拉一声朝后倒去。

“I’ve told you for the last time that it happened yesterday,” Jason said.”Don’t you reckon I know the room I live in? Do you reckon I could have lived in it a week with a hole in the window you could stick your hand…” his voice ceased, ebbed, left him staring at his mother with eyes that for an instant were quite empty of anything. It was as though his eyes were holding their breath, while his mother looked at him, her face flaccid and querulous, interminable, clairvoyant yet obtuse. As they sat so Dilsey said,

“我告诉过您多少遍了，就是昨天打的。”杰生说。“您难道以为我连自己的房间里的事都弄不清楚吗？您以为我在那里面睡了一个星期，连窗子上有一个连手都伸得进的大洞——”说着说着，他的声音停住了，逐渐听不见了，只见他呆愣愣地瞪看着他的母亲。有一瞬间。他的眼睛里什么表情都没有，好象连他的眼睛也在屏气止息似的。与此同时，他的母亲也注视着他，那张脸显得憔悴、乖戾、爱唠叨、狡桧却又相当愚钝。他们这样对坐着，楼上的迪尔西又开腔了。

‘S h e s u l l i n. Y o m a w a i n t unlocked.” But Jason ran on past her and along the corridor to a door. He didn’t call. He grasped the knob and tried it, then he stood with the knob in his hand and his head bent a little, as if he were listening to something much further away than the dimensioned room beyond the door, and which he already heard. His attitude was that of one who goes through the motions of listening in order to deceive himself as to what he already hears. Behind him Mrs Compson mounted the stairs, calling his name. Then she saw Dilsey and she quit calling him and began to call Dilsey instead.

“她不高兴呢。你妈还没打开她房门的锁——”杰生理也不理她，冲过她身边，来到走廊里一扇门前。他没敲门。他抓住门球，试了试，接着他站在那儿，身子微微前怄，捏住门球，仿佛在谛听门里那个不大的房间之外的什么声音，而且真的听到了。杰生的姿态象一个装出一副谛听的样子的人，他装模作样，哄骗自己，使自己相信他所听见的声音确实是真的。在杰生身后，康普生太太上面登上楼梯，一面喊叫他的名字。接着，她看见了迪尔西，便不再叫他，而改成叫迪尔西了。

“What?” Mrs Compson said, staring at him as he ran past her and went jumping up the stairs, where he met Dilsey. His face was now in shadow, and Dilsey said,

“什么事——”康普生太太说，呆呆地瞪着他，只见他从她身边跑开，三步两步地跳上楼梯，在那儿遇到了迪尔西，迪尔西没看见他隐藏在黑暗里的脸，只对他说：

When she spoke he turned and ran toward her, but his voice was quiet, matter of fact.”She carry the key with her?” he said.”Has she got it now, I mean, or will she have?”

她说话时，杰生转过身子朝她跑来，不过他的声音倒是平静的、不动感情的。“她身上带着钥匙吗？”他说。“她这会儿身上有钥匙鸣。我是说：她是不是？”

“Dilsey,” Mrs Compson said on the stairs.

“迪尔西，”康普生太太在楼梯上喊道。

“I told you she ain’t unlocked dat do yit,” Dilsey said.

“我告诉你了，她还没开那扇门的锁呢，”迪尔西说。

“Is which?” Dilsey said.”Whyn’t you let?”

“什么钥匙？”迪尔西说，“你干吗不让？”

“The key,” Jason said.”To that room. Does she carry it with her all the time. Mother.” Then he saw Mrs Compson and he went down the stairs and met her.”Give me the key,” he said. He fell to pawing at the pockets of the rusty black dressing sacque she wore. She resisted.

“钥匙，”杰生说，“开那扇门的钥匙。她是不是身上老揣着钥匙。母亲。”这时候他看见了康普生太太，便走下楼去会他。“把钥匙给我，”他说。他动手去掏她穿的锈黑色的睡袍的几只口袋，她抗拒地扭动着身子。

“Jason,” she said.”Jason! Are you and Dilsey trying to put me to bed again?” she said, trying to fend him off.”Cant you even let me have Sunday in peace?”

“杰生，”她说，“杰生！你和迪尔西想让我再病倒吗？”她说，使劲要把他挡开，“你连大礼拜天也不让我安安生生地过一天吗？”

“The key,” Jason said, pawing at her.”Give it here.” He looked back at the door, as if he expected it to fly open before he could get back to it with the key he did not yet have.

“钥匙呢，”杰生说，还在她身上摸来摸去。“马上给我。”他回过头去看看那扇门，象是怕在他拿到钥匙去开之前门会砰地飞开来似的。

“You, Dilsey!” Mrs Compson said, clutching her sacque about her.

“你来呀，迪尔西！”康普生太太说，把睡袍抱紧在自己身上。

“Give me the key, you old fool!” Jason cried suddenly. From her pocket he tugged a huge bunch of rusted keys on an iron ring like a mediaeval jailer’s and ran back up the hall with the two women behind him.

“把钥匙给我，你这傻老婆子！”杰生突然大声嚷叫起来。他从她口袋里生拉硬拽地取出一大串生锈的钥匙，串钥匙的大铁环跟中世纪狱卒用的那种样子差不多。接着他穿过楼厅往走廊里回去，两个老太婆踉在他的后面。

“You, Jason!” Mrs Compson said.”He will never find the right one,” she said.”You know I never let anyone take my keys, Dilsey,” she said. She began to wail.

“你，杰生！”康普生太太说。“他是绝对找不到该用的那把的，”他说，“你知道我还从来没有让别人把我的钥匙拿走过，迪尔西，”他说。她抽抽噎噎地哭起来了。

“But on Sunday morning, in my own house,” Mrs Compson said.”When I’ve tried so hard to raise them Christians. Let me find the right key, Jason,” she said. She put her hand on his arm. Then she began to struggle with him, but he flung her aside with a motion of his elbow and looked around at her for a moment, his eyes cold and harried, then he turned to the door again and the unwieldy keys.

“可是在星期天的早晨，又是在我自己家里，”康普生太太说，“在我辛辛苦普按基督教徒的标准把他们养大之后，让我来给你找吧，杰生，”他说。她把手搭在他的胳膊上，接着又和他争夺起来。但他胳肪时一甩，就把她甩在一边，扭过头来看了她一眼，眼光冷冰冰的，很恼火，接着他重新转身向着那扇门，拨弄起那串难以对付的钥匙来。

“Something terrible has happened,” Mrs Compson said, wailing again.”I know it has. You, Jason,” she said, grasping at him again.”He won’t even let me find the key to a room in my own house!”

“大事不好啦，”康普生太太说，又哭起来了，“我知道出了事啦。你呀，杰生，”她说，又去抱住杰生。“在我自己家里，他连让我我一个房间的钥匙都不允许！”

“Hush,” Dilsey said.”You, Jason!”

“别哭了。”迪尔西说，“嗨，杰生！”

“Hush,” Dilsey said.”He ain’t gwine do nothin to her. I ain’t gwine let him.”

“别哭，”迪尔西说，“他不会把她怎么样的。我不会让他这么干的。”

“Now, now,” Dilsey said.”Whut kin happen? I right here. I ain’t gwine let him hurt her. Quentin,” she said, raising her voice,”don’t you be skeered, honey, I’se right here.”

“算了，算了，”迪尔西说，“会出什么事呢？还有我哪。我是不会让他动昆丁一根毫毛的，昆丁，”她抬高了嗓子喊道。“你不用害怕，好宝贝，这儿有我呢。”

The door opened, swung inward. He stood in it for a moment, hiding the room, then he stepped aside.”Go in,” he said in a thick, light voice. They went in. It was not a girl’s room. It was not anybody’s room, and the faint scent of cheap cosmetics and the few feminine objects and the other evidences of crude and hopeless efforts to feminise it but added to its anonymity, giving it that dead and stereotyped transience of rooms in assignation houses. The bed had not been disturbed. On the floor lay a soiled undergarment of cheap silk a little too pink, from a half open bureau drawer dangled a single stocking. The window was open. A pear tree grew there, close against the house. It was in bloom and the branches scraped and rasped against the house and the myriad air, driving in the window, brought into the room the forlorn scent of the blossoms.

门打开了，朝里转过去了。他在门洞里站了一会儿，挡住了门口，接着他动了动身子，让在一边，“进去吧。”他用沉滞的声音轻轻地说。她们走了进去。这不象是一个姑娘家的闺房。也说不上象什么人的房间。那股淡淡的廉价化妆品的香味。几件妇女用品的存在以及其它想使房间显得女性化些的租疏的并不成功的措施，只是适得其反，使房间变得不伦不类。有一种出租给人家幽会的房间的那种没有人味的、公式化的临时气氛。床 并没有睡乱。地板上扔着一件穿脏的内衣，是便宜的丝织品，粉红颜色显得俗里俗气；一只长统袜子从衣柜半开的抽屉里挂下来。窗子开着。窗外有一棵梨树，与屋子挨得很近。梨花盛开着，树枝刮擦着房屋，发出沙沙的响声，从窗外涌进来一股又一般的空气，把怪凄凉的花香带进屋来。

“You come on and lay down, now,” she said.”I find her in ten minutes.”

“您快回去给我躺下，”她说。“我十分钟内就把她我回来。”

“All right?” Mrs Compson said. Dilsey followed her into the room and touched her.

“没事儿吗？”康普生太太说。迪尔西跟在她后面走进房间，拉了拉她。

Mrs Compson shook her off.”Find the note,” she said.”Quentin left a note when he did it.”

康普生太太甩开了她。“快找字条。”她说。“昆丁那次是留下字条的①。”（注：①指她的大儿子自杀时的情况。）

“Dar now,” Dilsey said.”Didn’t I told you she all right?”

“瞧嘛，”迪尔西说，“我不是说了她没事儿吗？”

“All right,” Dilsey said.”I’ll find hit. You come on to yo room, now.”

“好吧，”迪尔西说，“我来找字条。您先回自己房去，走吧。”

“I is,” Dilsey said.”You come on, now. Me and Jason’ll find hit. You come on to yo room.”

“俺正在找呢，”迪尔西说。“您快走吧。我和杰生会找到字条的。您先回您屋里去吧。”

“I knew the minute they named her Quentin this would happen,” Mrs Compson said. She went to the bureau and began to turn over the scattered objects there — scent bottles, a box of powder, a chewed pencil, a pair of scissors with one broken blade lying upon a darned scarf dusted with powder and stained with rouge.”Find the note,” she said.

“他们给她赵名为昆丁的那一分钟，我就知道肯定会出这样的事，”康普生太太说。她走到衣柜前，翻起里面的乱七八糟的东西来——一只香水瓶、一盒粉、一支咬得残缺不全的铅笔、一把断了头的剪刀，剪刀是搁在一块补过的头巾上的，那条头巾上又有香粉，又有口红印。“快找字条呀，”她说。

“Jason,” Mrs Compson said.”Where is he?” She went to the door. Dilsey followed her on down the hall, to another door. It was closed.”Jason,” she called through the door. There was no answer. She tried the knob, then she called him again. But there was still no answer, for he was hurling things backward out of the closet, garments, shoes, a suitcase. Then he emerged carrying a sawn section of tongue-andgroove planking and laid it down and entered the closet again and emerged with a metal box. He set it on the bed and stood looking at the broken lock while he dug a keyring from his pocket and selected a key, and for a time longer he stood with the selected key in his hand, looking at the broken lock. Then he put the keys back in his pocket and carefully tilted the contents of the box out upon the bed. Still carefully he sorted the papers, taking them up one at a time and shaking them. Then he upended the box and shook it too and slowly replaced the papers and stood again, looking at the broken lock, with the box in his hands and his head bent. Outside the window he heard some jaybirds swirl shrieking past and away, their cries whipping away along the wind, and an automobile passed somewhere and died away also. His mother spoke his name again beyond the door, but he didn’t move. He heard Dilsey lead her away up the hall, and then a door closed. Then he replaced the box in the closet and flung the garments back into it and went down stairs to the telephone. While he stood there with the receiver to his ear waiting Dilsey came down the stairs. She looked at him, without stopping, and went on.

“杰生，”康普生太太喊道，“他在哪儿呢？”她走到门口。迪尔西跟着她走过楼厅，来到另一扇门的前面。门关着。“杰生，”她隔着门喊道。投人回答。她扭了扭门球，又重新喊起他来。仍然没有回答，原来他正在把东西从壁橱里拖出来扔到身后去呢：外衣。皮鞋，还有一只箱子。接着他拉出一截企口板，把它放下，又重新进入壁橱，捧了一只小铁箱出来。他把箱子放在床 上，站在那儿打量那扭坏的锁，同时从自己兜里摸出一串钥匙，从里面挑出一把。他呆愣愣地握着那把钥匙，站了好一会儿，瞪着那把破锁，这才又把那串钥匙揣因到兜里，小心翼翼地把箱子里的东西全倒在床 上。他更加细心地把一张张纸片归类，一次只拿起一张，还都抖了抖。接着他把箱子竖起来，也抖了它几下，然后慢条斯理地把纸片放回去。他又愣愣地站住不动了，手里托着箱子，头俯垂着，瞪视着给扭坏的锁。他听见窗外有几只挫鸟尖叫着掠过窗子，飞了开去，它们的叫声被风撕碎、飘散，不知哪儿驶过一辆汽车，声音也逐渐消失。他的母亲又隔着门在叫他了，可是他一动也不动。他听见迪尔西把母亲领向楼厅，接着一扇门关上了。这以后他把箱子放口壁橱，把一件件衣服扔了进去，下楼走到电话边。他站在删L把听筒搁在耳朵上等待时，迪尔西下楼来了。她瞧瞧他，没有停步，继续往前走去。

“Ain’t you going to eat no breakfast?” Dilsey said. He paid her no attention.”Go on en eat yo breakfast, Jason.” He went on. The outer door banged behind him. Luster rose and went to the window and looked out.

“你早饭一点也不吃吗？”迪尔西说。他理也不理她。“去吃一点吧，杰生。”他还在往前走。通院子的那扇门砰的一声在他多后关上了。勒斯特站起身走到窗前朝外面张望。

The wire opened.”This is Jason Compson,” he said, his voice so harsh and thick that he had to repeat himself.”Jason Compson,” he said, controlling his voice.”Have a car ready, with a deputy, if you cant go, in ten minutes. I’ll be there — What? — Robbery. My house. I know who it — Robbery, I say. Have a car read — What? Aren’t you a paid law enforcement — Yes, I’ll be there in five minutes. Have that car ready to leave at once. If you don’t, I’ll report it to the governor.”

电话通了。“我是杰生·康普生，”他说，他的声音既刺耳又沙嘎，他只得重复一遍。“是杰生·康普生啊，”他说，使劲地控制着自己的声音。“准备好一辆汽车，一位副曹长，如果你自己抽不出身的话，十分钟内我就到——你问是什么事？——是抢劫。我家里。我知道是谁——抢劫，一点不错。快准备车吧——什么？你难道不是个拿zheng府薪水的执法者——好吧，我五分钟之内就到。让车子准备好可以马上出发。要是你不干，我要向州长报告。”

He clapped the receiver back and crossed the diningroom, where the scarce broken meal lay cold now on the table, and entered the kitchen. Dilsey was filling the hot water bottle. Ben sat, tranquil and empty. Beside him Luster looked like a fice dog, brightly watchful. He was eating something. Jason went on across the kitchen.

他把听筒啪的摔回到座架上去，穿过餐厅，餐桌上那顿几乎没有动过的早饭已经凉了，又走进厨房。迪尔西正在灌热水袋。班静静地、茫然地坐着。在他身边，勒斯特显得又机灵又警觉石只杂种小狗，勒斯特不知在吃什么。杰生穿过厨房还往前走。

“Whoo,” he said.”Whut happenin up dar? He been beatin Miss Quentin?”

“嚯，”他说，“楼上怎么啦？是他揍了昆丁小姐了吗？”

“You hush yo mouf,” Dilsey said.”You git Benjy started now en I beat yo head off. You keep him quiet es you kin twell I git back, now.” She screwed the cap on the bottle and went out. They heard her go up the stairs, then they heard Jason pass the house in his car. Then there was no sound in the kitchen save the simmering murmur of the kettle and the clock.

“你给我闭嘴，”迪尔西说。“你要是这会儿惹得班吉吵起来：瞧我不把你的脑袋揍扁。你好好哄他，我一会儿就回来，听见没有。”她拧紧热水袋的塞子，走了出去。他们听见她上楼的声音接着又听见杰生开汽车经过屋子的声音。这以后，除了水壶的咝咝声和持钟的嘀嗒声外，厨房里再没有别的声音了。

“You know whut I bet?” Luster said.”I bet he beat her. I bet he knock her in de head en now he gone fer de doctor. Dat’s whut I bet.” The clock ticktocked, solemn and profound. It might have been the dry pulse of the decaying house itself, after a while it whirred and cleared its throat and struck six times. Ben looked up at it, then he looked at the bulletlike silhouette of Luster’s head in the window and he begun to bob his head again, drooling. He whimpered.

“你知道我敢打陷这是怎么一回事吗？”勒斯特说，“我敢肯定他准是揍她了。我敢肯定他把她的脑袋打开瓢了，现在去请医生了。这些都是明接着的。”钟嘀嗒嘀嗒地晌着，显得庄严而又深沉。没准这就是这座颓败的大房子本身有气无力的脉搏声。过了一会儿，钟嘎啦啦一阵响，清了清嗓子，然后打了六下。班抬起头来看了一眼，接着瞧了瞧窗前勒斯特那颗子弹般的脑袋的黑影，他又开始把脑袋一颠一颠，嘴里淌着口水。他又哀号起来。

“Hush up, looney,” Luster said without turning.”Look like we ain’t gwine git to go to no church today.” But Ben sat in the chair, his big soft hands dangling between his knees, moaning faintly. Suddenly he wept, a slow bellowing sound, meaningless and sustained.”Hush,” Luster said. He turned and lifted his hand.”You want me to whup you?” But Ben looked at him, bellowing slowly with each expiration. Luster came and shook him.”You hush dis minute!” he shouted.”Here,” he said. He hauled Ben out of the chair and dragged the chair around facing the stove and opened the door to the firebox and shoved Ben into the chair. They looked like a tug nudging at a clumsy tanker in a narrow dock. Ben sat down again facing the rosy door. He hushed. Then they heard the clock again, and Dilsey slow on the stairs. When she entered he began to whimper again. Then he lifted his voice.

“闭嘴，大傻子，”勒斯特说了一声，连头也没有口。“看样子咱们今儿个教堂去不成了。”可是班还是在轻轻地哼哼，他坐在椅子上，那双又大又软的手耷拉在两膝之间。突然，他哭起来了，那是一种无意识的、持续不断的吼叫声。“别吵了，”勒斯特说，他扭过头来，扬起了手。“你是不是要我抽你一顿？”可是班光是瞅着他，每出一次气便馒悠悠地哼上一声。勒斯特走过去摇晃他。你马上就给我住嘴！”他嚷道。“过来，”他说。他一下子把班从椅子里拽起来，把椅子拖到炉火前，打开炉门，然后把班往椅子里一推。他们的样子很象是一只小拖船要把一艘笨重的大油轮拖进狭窄的船坞。班坐了下来，面对着玫瑰色的炉膛。他不吵了。接着他们又能听见钟的嘀答声了，也能听见迪尔西慢腾腾下楼的声音了。她走进厨房时班又哼哼了。接着他又提高了嗓门。

“Whut you done to him?” Dilsey said.”Why cant you let him lone dis mawnin, of all times?”

“你又把他怎么的啦？”迪尔西说。“你什么时候不可以，干吗非得在今儿早上弄得他不能安生？”

“Yessum,” Luster said.”Quit long time ago.”

“是的，姥姥，”勒斯特说。“早就不下了。”

“Hush, Benjy,” Dilsey said. He hushed. She went to the window and looked out.”Is it quit rainin?” she said.

“别哭了，班吉，”迪尔西说。班真的不出声了。她走到窗前，朝外面望了望。“不下雨了吧？”他说，

“Ain’t done nothin to her. You all git on outen here.”

“啥也没有干，你们都给我快点出去。”

“Dat’s some mo of yo business, ain’t it?” Dilsey said. She began to clear the table.”Hush, Benjy. Luster gwine take you out to play.”

“你又多管闲事了，对不对？”迪尔西说。她开始收拾桌子了。“不要闹，班吉。勒斯特马 上就带你出去玩。”

“I ain’t doin nothin to him,” Luster said.”Mr Jason skeered him, dat’s whut hit is. He ain’t kilt Miss Quentin, is he?”

“我一根毫毛也没动他的呀，”勒斯特说。“是杰生先生吓着他了，就是这么回事。他没杀死昆丁小姐吧，有没有？”

“Is we gwine to church?” Luster said.

“咱们还去教堂吗？”勒斯特说。

“Yessum,” Luster said.”Whar Mr Jason gone, mammy?”

“好咧，您哪，”勒斯特说。“杰生先生去哪儿啦，姥姥？”

“I bet she ain’t here,” Luster said.

“我敢说她准是不在家里，”勒斯特说。

“I let you know bout dat when de time come. You keep him away fum de house twell I calls you.”

“到时候我会让你知道的，我不叫你你别带他回来。”

“All right. Only you keep him away fum de house. I done stood all I kin.”

“行啊。反正想办法别让他回来。我算是受够了。”

“Den y’all go out do’s a while,” she said.”I jes got Miss Cahline quiet now.”

“那你们俩出去待一会儿，”他说，“我好不容易刚让卡罗琳小姐安静下来。”

“Whut he done to Miss Quentin, mammy?” Luster said.

“他到底把昆丁小姐怎么样啦，姥姥？”勒斯特说。

“Kin we go to de pastuh?” Luster said.

“我们能上牧场那边去吗？”勒斯特说。

“We sees her doin hit ev’y night,” Luster said.”Clamb right down dat pear tree.”

“我们每天晚上都看见她爬的，”勒斯特说，“就顺着那棵梨树溜下来。”

“‘Twarn’t none o my business,” Luster said.”I ain’t gwine git mixed up in white folks’ business. Come on here, Benjy, les go out do’s.”

“这又不管我什么事，”勒斯特说。“我可不愿搅和到白人的事儿里去。走吧，班吉，咱们上外面玩儿去。”

“You did?” Dilsey said, looking at him.

“你真的看见了？”迪尔西说，紧紧地盯看着他。

“Whyn’t you say somethin about it, den?”

“你以前干吗一声也不吭，嗯？”

“Me and Benjy seed her clamb out de window last night. Didn’t us, Benjy?”

“我和班吉昨晚看见她从窗子里爬出去的，是不是啊，班？”

Dilsey looked at him.”How you know she ain’t here?”

迪尔西盯着他看。“你怎么知道她不在家里的？”

“Don’t you lie to me, nigger boy,” Dilsey said.

“你可别跟我说瞎话，黑小子，”迪尔西说。

“I ain’t lyin. Ask Benjy ef I is.”

“我没说瞎话。你问班吉我说的是不是真的。”

They went out. Dilsey stood for a while at the table, then she went and cleared the breakfast things from the diningroom and ate her breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen. Then she removed her apron and hung it up and went to the foot of the stairs and listened for a moment. There was no sound. She donned the overcoat and the hat and went across to her cabin.

他们走出去了。迪尔西在桌子边站了一会儿，接着也走出厨房，去收掉餐厅里的早饭，然后自己吃了早饭，又收拾厨房。接着她解下围裙，把它挂好，走到楼梯口，倾听了一会儿。楼上没有声音。她穿上大衣，戴好帽子，穿过院子回到自己的小屋去。

The rain had stopped. The air now drove out of the southeast, broken overhead into blue patches. Upon the crest of a hill beyond the trees and roofs and spires of town sunlight lay like a pale scrap of cloth, was blotted away. Upon the air a bell came, then as if at a signal, other bells took up the sound and repeated it.

雨已经住了。清新的风从东南方吹来，使上空露出了一小块一小块青天。越过小镇的树顶。屋顶与尖增，可以看见陽光斜躺在小山顶上，象一小块灰白的布，正在一点点消隐掉。风头里传来了一下钟声，接着其它的钟象收到了什么信号似的，也紧接着纷纷响应。

The cabin door opened and Dilsey emerged, again in the maroon cape and the purple gown, and wearing soiled white elbow-length gloves and minus her headcloth now. She came into the yard and called Luster. She waited a while, then she went to the house and around it to the cellar door, moving close to the wall, and looked into the door. Ben sat on the steps. Before him Luster squatted on the damp floor. He held a saw in his left hand, the blade sprung a little by pressure of his hand, and he was in the act of striking the blade with the worn wooden mallet with which she had been making beaten biscuit for more than thirty years. The saw gave forth a single sluggish twang that ceased with lifeless alacrity, leaving the blade in a thin clean curve between Luster’s hand and the floor. Still, inscrutable, it bellied.

小屋的门打开了，迪尔西出现在门口，又换上了那件紫色长裙和褐红色肩中，她戴了一双长及时弯的脏稀稀的白手套，这一回总算摘去了头巾。她走进院子，呼唤勒斯特。她等了一阵，接着便走到大宅子跟前，绕过屋角来到地窖门口，她紧挨着墙走，朝门里望进去。班坐在台阶上。在他前面，勒斯特正在潮滋滋的地上。他左手拿着一把锯，由于手往下压锯片有点弯曲，他正在用一把旧木锤敲打锯片，这木锤是迪尔西用来做饼干的，用了都有三十多年了。每敲一下，锯片便有气无力地发出一声颤音，随即便冥然而止，死气沉沉。只见锯片在勒斯特的手掌与地板之间形成一道微微弯曲的弧线。它默不作声，莫测高深地鼓起了肚子。

“Dat’s de way he done hit,” Luster said.”I jes ain’t foun de right thing to hit it wid.”

“那人也就是这么干的，”勒斯特说。“我不过是没找到合适的东西来敲罢了。”

“Dat’s whut you doin, is it?” Dilsey said.”Bring me dat mallet,” she said.

“原来你在这儿干这样的事，好嘛l”迪尔西说。“快把那只小木锤还给我，”她说。

“I ain’t hurt hit,” Luster said.

“我又没有弄坏罗，”勒斯特说。

“Bring hit here,” Dilsey said.”Put dat saw whar you got hit first.”

“快还给我，”迪尔西说。“锯子你哪儿拿的还是放回到哪儿去。”

“Bring him here,” Dilsey said.

“叫他上来，”迪尔西说。

“She gwine hear him anyhow, ef you don’t stop him,” Luster said.

“要是你不想法让他停住，她肯定会听见他吼叫的，”勒斯特说。

“Come on, Benjy,” Luster said. He went back down the steps and took Ben’s arm. He came obediently, wailing, that slow hoarse sound that ships make, that seems to begin before the sound itself has started, seems to cease before the sound itself has stopped.

“走呀，班吉，”勒斯特说，他走下几步去拉住班的胳膊。他驯顺地走了上来，还在哀号着，声音里夹杂着一丝船舶常发出的那种迟缓的嘶嘎声；这嘎声在哀号发出以前即已开始，哀号还没结束它便已经消失。

He put the saw away and brought the mallet to her. Then Ben wailed again, hopeless and prolonged. It was nothing. Just sound. It might have been all time and injustice and sorrow become vocal for an instant by a conjunction of planets.

他放下锯子，把小木锤递给她。这时候班又哀号起来了，绝望地、拖声拖气地哀号着。它什么也不是，仅仅是一种声音，这哀伤的不平之鸣很可能自古以来就存在于空间，仅仅由于行星的会会而在一刹那间形之于声。

“Listen at him,” Luster said.”He been gwine on dat way ev’y since you sont us outen de house. I don’t know whut got in to him dis mawnin.”

“你听他呀，”勒斯特说，“从您叫我们出来他就一直是这样。我不明白他今儿早上是中了邪还是怎么的。”

“Run and git his cap,” Dilsey said.”Don’t make no noise Miss Cahline kin hear. Hurry, now. We already late.”

“你跑一趟去把他的便帽取来，”迪尔西说。“别弄出声音来让卡箩琳小姐听见。快点，去吧，咱们已经晚了。

“He stop when we git off de place,” Dilsey said.”He smellin hit. Dat’s whut hit is.”

“只要咱们一走出大门，他就会不叫的，”迪尔西说。“他闻见了①。就是这么回事。”（注：①这是迪尔西的一种迷信，她认为家里出了凶险、倒霉的事，傻子能凭其超自然的感官觉察出来。）

“Smell whut, mammy?” Luster said.

“闻见什么啦，姥姥？”勒斯特说。

“You go git dat cap,” Dilsey said. Luster went on. They stood in the cellar door, Ben one step below her. The sky was broken now into scudding patches that dragged their swift shadows up out of the shabby garden, over the broken fence and across the yard. Dilsey stroked Ben’s head, slowly and steadily, smoothing the bang upon his brow. He wailed quietly, unhurriedly.”Hush,” Dilsey said.”Hush, now. We be gone in a minute. Hush, now.” He wailed quietly and steadily.

“你快去取帽子，”迪尔西说。勒斯特走开了。剩下的两人站在地窖门口，班站在她下面的一级台阶上。天空现在已经分裂成一团 团 迅飞的灰云，云团 拖着它们的陰影，在肮脏的花园。破损的栅栏和院子上飞快地掠过。迪尔西一下又一下慢慢地、均衡地抚摸着班的脑袋，抚平他前额上的刘海。他的号哭变得平静和不慌不忙的了。“不哭罗，”迪尔西说，“咱们不哭罗。咱们这就去。好了，咱们不哭了。”他安静。平稳地哼哼着。

“Come on,” Dilsey said.”Dey kin ketch up wid us. We gwine to hear de singin.” They went around the house, toward the gate.”Hush,” Dilsey said from time to time as they went down the drive. They reached the gate. Dilsey opened it. Luster was coming down the drive behind them, carrying the umbrella. A woman was with him.”Here dey come,” Dilsey said. They passed out the gate.”Now, den,” she said. Ben ceased. Luster and his mother overtook them. Frony wore a dress of bright blue silk and a flowered hat. She was a thin woman, with a flat, pleasant face.

“咱们走吧，”迪尔西说，“他们会赶上来的。咱们要去听唱诗呢。”他们绕过屋角，朝大门口走去。“不要哭了，”他们走在车道上，迪尔西过一会儿就说上一声。他们来到大门口。迪尔西去打开大门。勒斯特拿着伞在车道上赶上来了，和他走在一起的是一个女的。“他们来了，”迪尔西说。他们走出大门。“好了，该不哭了，”她说。班收住了声音。勒斯特和他妈妈赶上来了。弗洛尼穿的是一件浅蓝色的绸衣，帽子上插着花。她瘦瘦小小的，长着一张扁扁的。和气可亲的脸。

“Aw, mammy.”

“噢，姥姥。”

“Couldn’t find hit,” Luster said.

“我找不到了，”勒斯特说。

“Aw, mammy,” Luster said.”Hit ain’t gwine rain.”

“哦，姥姥，”勒斯特说。“天不会下雨的。”

“How you know? You go git dat old hat en put dat new un away.”

“你怎么知道的？你还是去拿那顶旧帽子，把这顶新的放好。”

“Whyn’t you wear yo old hat?” she said.

“你干吗不戴你那顶旧帽子？”她说。

Luster returned, wearing a stiff new straw hat with a colored band and carrying a cloth cap. The hat seemed to isolate Luster’s skull, in the beholder’s eye as a spotlight would, in all its individual planes and angles. So peculiarly individual was its shape that at first glance the hat appeared to be on the head of someone standing immediately behind Luster. Dilsey looked at the hat.

勒斯特回来了，他自己戴了顶围着一圈花饰带的挺括的新草帽，手里拿了顶布便帽。那顶草帽这儿弯曲那儿展平，模样奇特，戴在勒斯特头上就象打了聚光灯似的，能让别人侧目而视。这草帽真是特里特别，初初一看，真象是戴在紧贴在勒斯特身后的另一个人的头上。迪尔西打量着那顶草帽。

“I bet you couldn’t. I bet you fixed hit last night so you couldn’t find hit. You fixin to ruin dat un.”

“你当然找不到。你肯定昨儿晚上就安排好不让自己找到它了。你是想要把这顶新帽子毁掉。”

“Den you go git de umbreller.”

“那你去拿把伞来。”

“Take yo choice,” Dilsey said.”Git yo old hat, er de umbreller. I don’t keer which.”

“随你的便，”迪尔西说。“要就是戴旧帽子，要就是去取伞。我不管你挑哪一样。”

Luster went to the cabin. Ben wailed quietly.

勒斯特朝小屋走去。班轻轻地哼哭着。

“Aw, mammy.”

“哦，姥姥。”

“Mammy always talkin bout hit gwine rain,” Luster said.

“姥姥老是念叨着要下雨，”勒斯特说。

“You got six weeks’ work right dar on yo back,” Dilsey said.”Whut you gwine do ef hit rain?”

“你身上穿的是你六个星期的工资，”迪尔西说。“要是下雨瞧你怎么办？”

“Ef I don’t worry bout y’all, I don’t know who is,” Dilsey said.”Come on, we already late.”

“要没有我给大家操心，我还不知道有谁会操心呢，”迪尔西说。“快走吧，咱们已经晚了，”

“Rev’un Shegog gwine preach today,” Frony said.

“今儿个要由希谷克牧师给我们布道，”弗洛尼说。

“He fum Saint Looey,” Frony said.”Dat big preacher.”

“是从圣路易来的，”弗洛尼说，“是个大牧师。”

“Whut folks?” Dilsey said.

“什么人议论？”迪尔西说。

They went on along the street. Along its quiet length white people in bright clumps moved churchward, under the windy bells, walking now and then in the random and tentative sun. The wind was gusty, out of the southeast, chill and raw after the warm days.

他们顺着街往前走，在这条背静的长街上，穿得花园锦簇的一群群白人在飘荡着钟声的风中往教堂走去，他们时不时走进试探性地粲然露一面的陽光之中。风从东南方一阵阵涌来，让人觉得又冷又硬，这都是因为前几天太暖和了。

“I wish you wouldn’t keep on bringin him to church, mammy,” Frony said.”Folks talkin.”

“我真愿你别老是带了他上教堂去，妈咪，”弗洛尼说。“人家都在议论呢。”

“Git wet, I reckon,” Frony said.”I ain’t never stopped no rain yit.”

“淋湿就是了呗，那还怎的，”弗洛尼说。“老天爷要下雨我哪里禁得住。”

“And I knows whut kind of folks,” Dilsey said.”Trash white folks. Dat’s who it is. Thinks he ain’t good enough fer white church, but nigger church ain’t good enough fer him.”

“我可知道是什么样的人，”迪尔西说，”没出息的穷白人。就是这种人。他们认为他不够格上白人教堂，又认为黑人教堂不够格，不配让他去。”

“I hears em,” Frony said.

“我都听见了，”弗洛尼说。

“Is?” Dilsey said.”Who him?”

“是吗？”迪尔西说，“他是谁？”

“Rev’un Shegog kin do dat,” Frony said.”So dey tells.”

“今儿个由希谷克牧师布道，”弗洛尼说。“大伙儿都这么说。”

“Huh,” Dilsey said.”Whut dey needs is a man kin put de fear of God into dese here triflin young niggers.”

“嗯，”迪尔西说，“眼下就需要有个能人，好让这些不成器的黑小子心里对上帝敬畏起来。”

“Dey talks, jes de same,” Frony said.

“不管怎么说，反正人家都在议论。”弗洛尼说。

“Den you send um to me,” Dilsey said.”Tell um de good Lawd don’t keer whether he bright er not. Don’t nobody but white trash keer dat.”

“你叫他们来当画跟我说，”迪尔西说。“告诉他们慈悲的上帝才不管他的信徒机灵还是愚鲁呢。除了穷白人，再没别人在乎这个。”

A street turned off at right angles, descending, and became a dirt road. On either hand the land dropped more sharply; a broad flat dotted with small cabins whose weathered roofs were on a level with the crown of the road. They were set in small grassless plots littered with broken things, bricks, planks, crockery, things of a once utilitarian value. What growth there was consisted of rank weeds and the trees were mulberries and locusts and sycamores — trees that partook also of the foul desiccation which surrounded the houses; trees whose very burgeoning seemed to be the sad and stubborn remnant of September, as if even spring had passed them by, leaving them to feed upon the rich and unmistakable smell of negroes in which they grew.

有条小路和大街直角相交，顺着它走，地势一点点往下落，到后来成了一条土路。土路两边的地势陡斜得更厉害了，出现了一块宽阔的平地，上面分布着一些小木屋，那些饱经风霜的屋顶和路面一般高。小木屋都座落在一块块不长草的院落中，地上乱堆着破烂，都是砖啊、木板啊、瓦罐啊这类一度是有用的什物。那儿能长出来的也无非是些死不了的杂草和桑、刺槐、梧桐这类不娇气的树木——它们对屋子周围散发着的那股干臭味儿也是作出了一份贡献的；这些树即使赶上发芽时节也象是在九月后凄凉、萧索的秋天，好象连春天也是从它们身边一掠而过，扔下它们，把它们交 给与它们休戚相关的黑人贫民区，让它们在这刺鼻、独特的气味中吸取营养。

From the doors negroes spoke to them as they passed, to Dilsey usually:

他们经过时，站在门口的黑人都跟他附了打招呼，一般都是和迪尔西说话。

“Sis’ Gibson! How you dis mawnin?”

“吉卜生大姐，您今儿早上可好？”

“How come I won’t?”

“你怎么知道我不敢？”

“Dat’s too bad. But Rev’un Shegog’ll kyo dat. He’ll give her de comfort en de unburdenin.”

“太糟糕了。不过希谷克牧师会给她治好的。他会安慰她，给她解除精神负担的。”

“I’m well. Is you well?”

“俺挺好的。您也好？”

“I bet you won’t go up en tech him.”

“我打赌你准不敢走上前去碰他。”

“How come a looney won’t hurt folks?”

“呆子就不伤人啦？”

“I bet you won’t. I bet you skeered to.”

“你肯定不敢。我看准你是个孬种。”

“He don’t hurt folks. He des a looney.”

“他不会伤人的。他不过是个呆子。”

“You won’t no ways.”

“她不在你也不敢。”

“I’m right well, I thank you.”

“俺也好，谢谢。”

The road rose again, to a scene like a painted backdrop. Notched into a cut of red clay crowned with oaks the road appeared to stop short off, like a cut ribbon. Beside it a weathered church lifted its crazy steeple like a painted church, and the whole scene was as flat and without perspective as a painted cardboard set upon the ultimate edge of the flat earth, against the windy sunlight of space and April and a midmorning filled with bells. Toward the church they thronged with slow sabbath deliberation, the women and children went on in, the men stopped outside and talked in quiet groups until the bell ceased ringing. Then they too entered.

土路的地势一点点升高了，来到一处地方，这儿的景色象画出来的布景。土路通向一个从红土小山上挖出的缺口，山顶上长满橡树，土路到这儿象是给掐断了，有如一条给剪断的丝带。路旁有一座饱经风霜雨露的教堂，教堂的奇形怪状的尖顶象画里的教堂那样，刺向天空，整个景象都如同是支在万丈深渊之前一块平坦的空地上的硬纸板，上面画着平平的没有景深的风景，可是周围呢，又是四月辽阔的晴空，是刮风天，是荡漾着各种钟声的小晌午。人们以缓慢的、安息日的、一本正经的步姿涌向教堂。妇女和孩子们径直走了进去，男人们却在门口停了下来，一堆堆轻声交 谈着，直到钟声不响了，这以后他们也进去了。

“I bet you won’t now.”

“你这会儿肯定不敢。”

And steadily the older people speaking to Dilsey, though, unless they were quite old, Dilsey permitted Frony to respond.

不断的有年纪比较大的人走上来跟迪尔西讲话，但除非是相当老的人，一般的迪尔西都让弗洛尼来应酬。

“He won’t hurt folks. He des a looney.”

“他不伤人。他只不过是个大呆子。”

“Case Miss Dilsey lookin.”

“因为有迪尔西小姐在看着。”

“Mammy ain’t feelin well dis mawnin.”

“妈咪今儿早上身体不大舒服。”

They emerged from the cabins and struggled up the shaling levee to the road — men in staid, hard brown or black, with gold watch chains and now and then a stick; young men in cheap violent blues or stripes and swaggering hats; women a little stiffly sibilant, and children in garments bought second hand of white people, who looked at Ben with the covertness of nocturnal animals:

黑人们从小木屋里走出来，费劲地爬上有树荫的路堤，来到路上——男人穿的是式样古板、沉闷的黑色或褐色的衣服，戴着金表链，有几个人还拿着手杖；小伙子们穿的是俗气、刺眼的蓝色成条坟的衣服，戴的是新颖、时髦的帽子；妇女们的衣服浆上得大多，硬绷绷的沙沙作响；孩子们穿的是白人卖出来的二手货，他们以昼伏夜出的动物那种偷偷摸摸的神情窥探着。

“Dat un won’t. I teched him.”

“这一个不伤人。我以前碰过他。”

Most of the women were gathered on one side of the room. They were talking. Then the bell struck one time and they dispersed to their seats and the congregation sat for an instant, expectant. The bell struck again one time. The choir rose and began to sing and the congregation turned its head as one as six small children — four girls with tight pigtails bound with small scraps of cloth like butterflies, and two boys with close napped heads — entered and marched up the aisle, strung together in a harness of white ribbons and flowers, and followed by two men in single file. The second man was huge, of a light coffee color, imposing in a frock coat and white tie. His head was magisterial and profound, his neck rolled above his collar in rich folds. But he was familiar to them, and so the heads were still reverted when he had passed, and it was not until the choir ceased singing that they realised that the visiting clergyman had already entered, and when they saw the man who had preceded their minister enter the pulpit still ahead of him an indescribable sound went up, a sigh, a sound of astonishment and disappointment.

绝大多数的妇女都聚集在堂内的一边，在嘁嘁喳喳地交 谈。这时钟敲了一下，妇女们散开，各自坐到自己的座位上去。会众们坐了一会，静静地等待着。钟再次响了一下。唱诗班站了起来，开始唱赞美诗。会众们一齐把头扭过来，动作整齐得象一个人，因为这时候有六个小小孩走了进来——四个细得象耗子尾巴的小辫上系着花蝴蝶结的小丫头和两个满头短鬃发的小小子——他们穿过中央走道向讲坛走去，白色的绸带与鲜花把六个孩子连成一个整体，跟在后面鱼贯而行的是两个男子。第二个身躯魁伟，皮肤是淡咖啡色的，穿着礼眼，系着白领带，神态威严庄重。他的头都也显得威严。很有思想，他的下巴一迭迭很神气地露出在衣领之上。会众们对他很熟悉，所以他走过去后，大家的脖颈仍然扭着，一直到唱诗班停住了歌声，大家才理会到原来客席牧师已经进来了。他们定睛看了看方才走在他们自己的牧师前面现在仍然领前走上讲坛的那个人，一阵难以形容的音浪升了起来，这是叹息，也是惊讶的声音与失望的声音。

The church had been decorated, with sparse flowers from kitchen gardens and hedgerows, and with streamers of colored crepe paper. Above the pulpit hung a battered Christmas bell, the accordion sort that collapses. The pulpit was empty, though the choir was already in place, fanning themselves although it was not warm.

教堂内部修饰一新，稀稀落落地摆了一些从厨房后菜园和树篱边采集来的鲜花，还悬挂着一绺绺彩色绉纸饰带。布道的讲坛上空吊着一只瘪陷的圣诞节的纸钟①，是象手风琴那样可以收拢来的那种。讲坛上空无一人，唱诗班倒已经站好位置。天气不热，歇手们却都在扇扇子。（注：①这是一种圣诞节用的装饰品，一般为红色，用硬纸粘成，有皱折，张开时成钟形。）

“En dey brung dat all de way fum Saint Looey,” Frony whispered.

“他们还这么老远的把他从圣路易请来呢，”弗洛尼悄没声他说道。

“I’ve knowed de Lawd to use cuiser tools dan dat,” Dilsey said.”Hush, now,” she said to Ben.”Dey fixin to sing again in a minute.”

“我可见过主使用过比这更加古怪的工具，”迪尔西说。“好了，别吵了，”她又对班说，“他们马上又要唱歌了。”

The visitor was undersized, in a shabby alpaca coat. He had a wizened black face like a small, aged monkey. And all the while that the choir sang again and while the six children rose and sang in thin, frightened, tuneless whispers, they watched the insignificant looking man sitting dwarfed and countrified by the minister’s imposing bulk, with something like consternation. They were still looking at him with consternation and unbelief when the minister rose and introduced him in rich, rolling tones whose very unction served to increase the visitor’s insignificance.

客席牧师的身材特别矮小，穿的是一件破旧的羊驼呢外套。他有一张瘦小的老猴子那样的皱缩的黑脸。在唱诗班重新开腔，那六个孩子也立起来用尖细、胆怯、不成音调的气声参加进合唱时，会众一直注视着这个不起眼的小老头，他们有点愕然地打量着这个坐在魁梧伟岸的本地牧师身边的人，相形之下，他更象是个侏儒，更显得土里土气了。当本地牧师站起来用深沉、有共鸣的声调介绍他时，会众仍然用惊愕与不信任的目光打量着他，本地牧师的介绍越是热情，客席牧师的形象就越显得猥琐鄙俗。

When the visitor rose to speak he sounded like a white man. His voice was level and cold. It sounded too big to have come from him and they listened at first through curiosity, as they would have to a monkey talking. They began to watch him as they would a man on a tight rope. They even forgot his insignificant appearance in the virtuosity with which he ran and poised and swooped upon the cold inflectionless wire of his voice, so that at last, when with a sort of swooping glide he came to rest again beside the reading desk with one arm resting upon it at shoulder height and his monkey body as reft of all motion as a mummy or an emptied vessel, the congregation sighed as if it waked from a collective dream and moved a little in its seats. Behind the pulpit the choir fanned steadily. Dilsey whispered,”Hush, now. Dey fixin to sing in a minute.”

那客席牧师站起来讲话了，他的口音听起来象是个白人。他的声音平平的、冷冷的、口气很大，好象不是从他嘴里讲出来的。起初，大家好奇地听着，就象是在听一只猴子讲话。他们先是以看一个人走钢丝的那种眼光瞧着他，看他如何在他那冷漠、没有变化的声音的钢丝上来回奔跑，做出种种姿势，还翻空心筋斗，使出了浑身解数。他们的眼睛里已经看不见他那卑微猥琐的形象了。到最后，当他颓然倒在讲台上，一只胳膊搁在齐他胸高的讲经桌上，他那猴子似的身躯象一具木乃伊或是一只空船那样一动不动时，会众这才舒了口气，才在座位上挪动一下身子，仿佛刚从一场集体一起做的大梦中醒来。讲坛后面，唱诗班不停地挥动着扇子。迪尔西悄没声他说了一句：“快别吵了。他们肯定马上就要唱歌了。”

Then a voice said,”Brethren.”

这时候，一个声音响了起来：“弟兄们。”

The preacher had not moved. His arm lay yet across the desk, and he still held that pose while the voice died in sonorous echoes between the walls. It was as different as day and dark from his former tone, with a sad, timbrous quality like an alto horn, sinking into their hearts and speaking there again when it had ceased in fading and cumulate echoes.

牧师没有动弹。他的胳膊仍然横搁在桌子上，当这个宏亮的声音的回声在四壁之间逐渐消失时，他仍然保持着这样的姿势。这声音与他方才的声音相比，不啻有霄壤之别，它象一只中音喇叭，悲哀、沉郁，深深地嵌进他们的心里，当愈来愈轻的口音终于消逝后，这声音还在他们的心里回荡。

“Brethren and sisteren,” it said again. The preacher removed his arm and he began to walk back and forth before the desk, his hands clasped behind him, a meagre figure, hunched over upon itself like that of one long immured in striving with the implacable earth,”I got the recollection and the blood of the Lamb!” He tramped steadily back and forth beneath the twisted paper and the Christmas bell, hunched, his hands clasped behind him. He was like a worn small rock whelmed by the successive waves of his voice. With his body he seemed to feed the voice that, succubus like, had fleshed its teeth in him. And the congregation seemed to watch with its own eyes while the voice consumed him, until he was nothing and they were nothing and there was not even a voice but instead their hearts were speaking to one another in chanting measures beyond the need for words, so that when he came to rest against the reading desk, his monkey face lifted and his whole attitude that of a serene, tortured crucifix that transcended its shabbiness and insignificance and made it of no moment, a long moaning expulsion of breath rose from them, and a woman’s single soprano:”Yes, Jesus!”

“弟兄们，姐妹们，”这声音又响起来了。牧师抽回手臂，开始在讲经桌前走来走去，双手反剪在背后，益发显得瘦小了，他身子低伛，象是个长期与这残酷的土地苦苦搏斗而被拴住在土地上的人。“我把羔羊①鲜血的事迹铭记在心！”他在扭成绞花形的彩纸和圣诞纸钟下面踏着重重的步子走来走去，低伛着身于，双手倒扣在背后。他很象一块被自己连续不断的声浪冲击得磨去了棱角的小石头。他也很象是在用肉身喂自己的声音，这声音象个魔女似的狰狩地咬啮着他的内心。会众们仿佛亲眼见到那声音在吞噬他，到后来他消失了，他们也消失了，甚至连他的声音也化为子虚乌有，只剩下他们的心在相互交 谈，用的是吟唱的节奏，无需借助活语，因此，当他终于又靠在讲经桌上喘口气时，他那张猴脸往上仰着，他的整个身姿很象十字架上那个圣洁、受苦的形象，脱去了原本的卑微猥琐的气质，好象那是一件完全无足轻重的事，这时，会众长长的出了一口气，发出了一阵呻吟，此外，还有一个妇女用尖细的声音喊了一句：“是的，耶稣！”（注：①《圣经·新约》中把耶稣称为“上帝的羔羊”；并认为可用”羊羊的血”把人的罪恶涤洗干净。）

As the scudding day passed overhead the dingy windows glowed and faded in ghostly retrograde. A car passed along the road outside, laboring in the sand, died away. Dilsey sat bolt upright, her hand on Ben’s knee. Two tears slid down her fallen cheeks, in and out of the myriad coruscations of immolation and abnegation and time.

随着时光在头顶上疾驰，那些昏暗的窗子明亮了一阵之后又退回到陰森森的昏暗里去。外面路上有一辆汽车驶过，在沙地上费劲地挣扎着前进，声音逐渐消失。迪尔西背脊挺得笔直地坐着，一只手按在班的膝盖上。两颗泪珠顺着凹陷的脸颊往下流，在牺牲、克已和时光所造成的千百个反光的皱折里进进出。

“Yes, Jesus!” the woman’s voice said, hushed yet.

“是的，耶稣。”那个女人的声音喊道，不过已经压低一些了。

“Brethren,” the minister said in a harsh whisper, without moving.

“弟兄们，”牧师用嘶哑的耳语说道，身体一动不动。

“Breddren en sistuhn!” His voice rang again, with the horns. He removed his arm and stood erect and raised his hands.”I got de ricklickshun en de blood of de Lamb!” They did not mark just when his intonation, his pronunciation, became negroid, they just sat swaying a little in their seats as the voice took them into itself.

“弟兄们，姐妹们！”牧师的嗓子又响了起来，这回用的是中音喇叭的声音，他把手臂从讲台上挪开，站得笔直，举起了双手。“我把羔羊鲜血的事迹铭记在心！”会众没有注意他的口音与语调是从什么时候变成黑人的，不过，他的声音把他们摄住了，他们不由自主地在座位上轻轻地摇晃起来。

“When de long, cold — Oh, I tells you, breddren, when de long, cold… I sees de light en I sees de word, po sinner! Dey passed away in Egypt, de swingin chariots; de generations passed away. Wus a rich man: whar he now, O breddren? Wus a po man: whar he now, O sistuhn? Oh I tells you, ef you ain’t got de milk en de dew of de old salvation when de long, cold years rolls away!”

“漫长。寒冷的岁月——哦，我告诉你们，弟兄们，漫长、寒冷的岁月——我见到了光明，我见到了神谕，可怜的罪人啊！它们穿过了埃及，那一辆辆摇摇晃晃的马车；从那时起已经过去了一代又一代。以前的富人，而今安在，弟兄们啊？过去的穷人，而今又安在，姐妹们啊？哦，我告诉你们，漫长。寒冷的岁月流逝了，如果你们没有救命的牛乳和甘露，那将如何呢！”

“Breddren! Look at dem little chillen settin dar. Jesus wus like dat once. He mammy suffered de glory en de pangs. Sometime maybe she helt him at de nightfall, whilst de angels singin him to sleep; maybe she look out de do en see de Roman police passin.” He tramped back and forth, mopping his face.”Listen, breddren! I sees de day. Ma’y settin in de do wid Jesus on her lap, de little Jesus. Like dem chillen dar, de little Jesus. I hears de angels singin de peaceful songs en de glory; I sees de closin eyes; sees Mary jump up, sees de sojer face: We gwine to kill! We gwine to kill! We gwine to kill yo little Jesus! I hears de weepin en de lamentation of de po mammy widout de salvation en de word of God!”

“弟兄们！你们看看坐在那儿的那些小孩子。耶稣有一度也是这副模样的。他的妈咪经受了荣耀与痛苦。也许，有时候，在天快黑下来的时候，她抱着耶稣，天使们唱着歌催他入眠；也许她朝外面张望，看见罗马的巡警在门前经过。”他一面擦脸，一面踩着重重的步子走来走去。“听我说，弟兄们！我看见了那一天。玛丽亚坐在门口，膝头上躺着耶稣，小时候的耶稣。就跟坐在那边的小孩子一样，是小时候的耶稣。我听见天使们歌唱和平，歌唱荣耀；我看见闺上了的眼睛，看见玛丽亚跳起身来，看见那兵士的脸，他在说：我们要系人！我们要杀人！我们要杀死你的小耶稣！我听见了这可怜的妈咪的哭泣声和哀诉声，因为她得不到主的拯救，主的神谕！”

He fumbled in his coat and took out a handkerchief and mopped his face. A low concerted sound rose from the congregation:”Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!” The woman’s voice said,”Yes, Jesus! Jesus!”

他在外套里摸了半天，摸出一块手帕，擦了擦脸。会众异口同声地发出了一片低沉的呻吟：“（口母）——————：”那个女人又在叫了：“是的，耶稣啊！耶稣！”

“I tells you, breddren, en I tells you, sistuhn, dey’ll come a time. Po sinner sayin Let me lay down wid de Lawd, lemme lay down my load. Den whut Jesus gwine say, O breddren? O sistuhn? Is you got de ricklickshun en de Blood of de Lamb? Case I ain’t gwine load down heaven!”

“我告诉你们，弟兄们，我也要告诉你们，姐妹们，这样的一天总会来临的。可怜的罪人说：让我躺在主的身边吧，让我放下我沉重的负担吧。到那时，耶稣又会怎么说呢？弟兄们啊？姐妹们啊？你们把羔羊鲜血的事迹铭记在心了吗？因为我并不想使天堂承受过重的负担！”

“Yes, Jesus!”

“是的，耶稣！”

“Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Jesus! Little Jesus!” and another voice, rising:

“（口母）—————————！耶稣啊！小耶稣啊！”这时，另一个声音尖厉地喊道：

“I sees, O Jesus! Oh I sees!” and still another, without words, like bubbles rising in water.

“我看见了，耶稣啊！哦，我看见了！”另一个声音也响了起来，光是声音，没有词句，就象是从水里冒出来的气泡似的。

“Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. Jesus! I sees, O Jesus!”

“（口母）————————！耶稣啊！我看见了，耶稣啊！”

“I sees hit, breddren! I sees hit! Sees de blastin, blindin sight! I sees Calvary, wid de sacred trees, sees de thief en de murderer en de least of dese; I hears de boastin en de braggin: Ef you be Jesus, lif up yo tree en walk! I hears de wailin of women en de evenin lamentations; I hears de weepin en de cryin en de turntaway face of God: dey done kilt Jesus; dey done kilt my Son!”

“我看见了，弟兄们！我看见这景象了！看见这令人震惊、令人昏聩的景象了！我见到了髑髅地①，那儿有圣树，看见了小偷、强盗和最最卑鄙下流的人；我听见了那些大话，那些狂言：如果你是耶稣，干吗不把十字架扛起来走呀！我听见妇人们在哭泣和夜间的哀悼声；我听见了啜泣声、号哭声，听见上帝把脸掉过去说：他们真的杀死了耶稣；他们真的杀死了我的儿子！”（注：①耶稣被钉死在十字架上的地方。）

“O blind sinner! Breddren, I tells you; sistuhn, I says to you, when de Lawd did turn His mighty face, say, Ain’t gwine overload heaven! I can see de widowed God shet His do; I sees de whelmin flood roll between; I sees de darkness en de death everlastin upon de generations. Den, lo! Breddren! Yes, breddren! Whut I see? Whut I see, O sinner? I sees de resurrection en de light; sees de meek Jesus sayin Dey kilt me dat ye shall live again; I died dat dem whut sees en believes shall never die. Breddren, O breddren! I sees de doom crack en de golden horns shoutin down de glory, en de arisen dead whut got de blood en de ricklickshun of de Lamb!”

“盲目的罪人啊！弟兄们，我告诉你们；姐妹们，我对你们说，当上帝掉过他那无所不能的脸去时，他说：我不想使天堂承受过重的负担！我可以看见鳏居的上帝关上了他的门；我看见洪水在天地间泛滥；我看见一代又一代始终存在的黑暗与死亡。接下去呢，看啊！弟兄们！是的，弟兄们！我看见了什么呢？我看见了什么，罪人们啊？我看见了复活和光明；看见温 顺的耶稣说：正是因为他们杀死了我，你们才能复活；我死去，为的是使看见辣相憎奇违的人永远不死。弟兄们啊，弟兄们！我见到了末日的霹雳，也听见了金色的号角欢响了天国至福的音调，那些铭记羔羊鲜血的事迹的死者纷纷复活。”

Before they reached the street though she stopped and lifted her skirt and dried her eyes on the hem of her topmost underskirt. Then they went on. Ben shambled along beside Dilsey, watching Luster who anticked along ahead, the umbrella in his hand and his new straw hat slanted viciously in the sunlight, like a big foolish dog watching a small clever one. They reached the gate and entered. Immediately Ben began to whimper again, and for a while all of them looked up the drive at the square, paintless house with its rotting portico.

可是，在她们来到大街之前，她还是停住了脚步，撩起裙子，用最外面那条衬裙的裾边擦干自己的眼泪。接着他们继续往前走。班践瞒珊珊地走在迪尔西的身边，望着勒斯特在前面做出种种怪模样，活象一只傻笨的大狗在看着一只机伶的小狗。勒斯特一只手拿着伞，那顶新草帽斜戴在头上，在太陽光底下显得狠相毕露。他们来到家门口，拐了进去。班马上又呜咽起来了。有一阵子，他们都朝车道尽头的大宅望去，这幢房子方方正正的，已经好久没有上漆粉刷，有柱廊的门面摇摇欲坠。

“First en last whut?” Frony said.

“什么初什么终的？”弗洛尼说。”

“Never you mind,” Dilsey said.”I seed de beginnin, en now I sees de endin.”

“你别管。”迪尔西说。“我原先看见了开初，现在我看见了终结。”

Dilsey made no sound, her face did not quiver as the tears took their sunken and devious courses, walking with her head up, making no effort to dry them away even.

迪尔西没有出声，泪水顺着凹陷、迂回的渠道往下流淌，她脸上的肌肉却连颤动都不颤动一下包皮她昂起了头走着，甚至也不设法去擦干眼泪。

As they walked through the bright noon, up the sandy road with the dispersing congregation talking easily again group to group, she continued to weep, unmindful of the talk.

一直到他们走在中午明亮的陽光下，走在沙砾面的土路上，分散的会众形成一个个小圈子在轻松地聊天时，迪尔西还在哭泣，无心参加别人的聊天。

“Yes, suh. He seed hit. Face to face he seed hit.”

“是的，一点不错。他真看见了。面对着面亲眼看见了。”

“He seed de power en de glory.”

“他看见了权柄和荣耀。”

“He sho a preacher, mon! He didn’t look like much at first, but hush!”

“他真是一个顶呱呱的牧师，我的天！他起先好象不怎么起眼，可是后来真够味儿！”

“Whyn’t you quit dat, mammy?” Frony said.”Wid all dese people lookin. We be passin white folks soon.”

“您这是干吗，妈咪？”弗洛尼说。“这么多人都在瞧着您。我们快要走到有白人的地段了。”

“I’ve seed de first en de last,” Dilsey said.”Never you mind me.”

“我看见了初，也看见了终①，”迪尔西说。“你不要管我。”（注：①参见《圣经·启示录》第二十二章第十三节：”我是阿拉法，我是俄梅戛，我是首先的，我是末后的，我是初，我是终。”）

In the midst of the voices and the hands Ben sat, rapt in his sweet blue gaze. Dilsey sat bolt upright beside, crying rigidly and quietly in the annealment and the blood of the remembered Lamb.

在会众的声浪与举起的手的树林当中，班坐着，心醉神迷地瞪大着他那双温 柔的蓝眼睛。迪尔西在他旁边坐得笔直，呆呆地安静地哭泣着，心里还在为人们记忆中的蒜羊的受难与鲜血难过。

“Nothin,” Dilsey said.”You tend to yo business en let de whitefolks tend to deir’n.”

“没出什么事。”迪尔西说。“你管好自己的事就行了，白人的事，让他们自己去操心。”

“Somethin is,” Frony said.”I heard him first thing dis mawnin. ‘Taint none of my business, dough.”

“反正是出了事，”弗洛尼说。“今儿一大早我就听见他①在哼哼。当然，这一点也不于我的事。”（注：①指班吉。）

“Whut’s gwine on up dar today?” Frony said.”Somethin is.”

“今儿个大宅子里出了什么事啦？”弗洛尼说。“反正是出事了。”

“You knows mo dan you got any use fer,” Dilsey said.”Ain’t you jes heard Frony say hit ain’t none of yo business? You take Benjy on to de back and keep him quiet twell I put dinner on.”

“你不该知道的事情知道得太多了，”迪尔西说。“你没听见弗洛尼刚说过这跟你一点也不相干吗？你把班吉带到后院去，别让他闹，等我准备好午饭就叫你。”

“En I knows whut, too,” Luster said.

“我可知道是什么事儿，”勒斯特说。

“I knows whar Miss Quentin is,” Luster said.

“我可知道昆丁小姐在哪儿，”勒斯特说。

“Den jes keep hit,” Dilsey said.”Soon es Quentin need any of yo egvice, I’ll let you know. Y’all g’awn en play in de back, now.”

“那你就给我闭嘴，”迪尔西说。“什么时候昆丁需要你的忠告，我会通知你的。现在你们快给我走，到后院玩儿去。”

“You know whut gwine happen soon es dey start playin dat ball over yonder,” Luster said.

“您难道不知道他们在牧场上一开始打球，情形会怎么样吗？”

“Dey won’t start fer a while yit. By dat time T. P. be here to take him ridin. Here, you gimme dat new hat.”

“他们一时半刻还不会开始呢。到那时，T·P·就会回来带他去坐马车了。来，把那顶新帽子摘下来交 给我。”

Luster gave her the hat and he and Ben went on across the back yard. Ben was still whimpering, though not loud. Dilsey and Frony went to the cabin. After a while Dilsey emerged, again in the faded calico dress, and went to the kitchen. The fire had died down. There was no sound in the house. She put on the apron and went up stairs. There was no sound anywhere. Quentin’s room was as they had left it. She entered and picked up the undergarment and put the stocking back in the drawer and closed it. Mrs Compson’s door was closed. Dilsey stood beside it for a moment, listening. Then she opened it and entered, entered a pervading reek of camphor. The shades were drawn, the room in halflight, and the bed, so that at first she thought Mrs Compson was asleep and was about to close the door when the other spoke.

勒斯特把帽子给了她，然后和班穿过后院。班还在哼哼，只是声音不算大。迪尔西和弗洛尼走进小木屋去，过了一会儿迪尔西出来了，又穿上了那件褪色的印花布裙子，她走进厨房。炉火已经熄灭了。整幢房子没有一点声音。她系上围裙，朝楼上走去。哪儿都没有一点声音。昆丁的房间还和他们离开时一个样。她走进去，捡起内衣，把长统袜塞口到拍展里，关严抽屉。康普生太太的房门关着。迪尔西在门边站了一会儿，倾听着。接着她推开房门走了进去，房间里一股浓烈的樟脑气味。百叶窗关着，房间里半明半暗的，那张床 也隐没在昏暗中，所以起先她还以为康普生太太睡着了呢。她正要关上门，床 上的那位开口了。

“He ain’t come back yit,” Dilsey said.”Whut you want?”

“他还没回来呢，”迪尔西说。“您需要什么吗？”

“Well?” she said.”What is it?”

“嗯？”她说，“是谁呀？”

“Hit’s me,” Dilsey said.”You want anything?”

“是我，”迪尔西说。“您需要什么吗？”

Mrs Compson didn’t answer. After a while, without moving her head at all, she said:”Where’s Jason?”

康普生太太没有回答。她的头一动不动，过了好一会，她才说：“杰生在哪儿呢？”

“The note. At least she would have enough consideration to leave a note. Even Quentin did that.”

“字条。至少她应该考虑得周到一些，给我们留下一张字条的吧。连昆丁①也是留了的。”（注：①指她的大儿子。）

“Find whut? Whut you talkin about?”

“找到啥？您说的是啥？”

Mrs Compson said nothing. Like so many cold, weak people, when faced at last by the incontrovertible disaster she exhumed from somewhere a sort of fortitude, strength. In her case it was an unshakable conviction regarding the yet unplumbed event.”Well,” she said presently.”Did you find it?’

康普生太太一声也不吭。象许多冷漠、虚弱的人一样，当她终于面临一场不可逆转的灾祸时，她倒总能从某个地方挖掘出一种坚忍不拔的精神、一股力量。在现在的情况下，她的力量来自对那个真相尚未大白的事件的一个不可动摇的信念。“哦，”她终于开口了，“你找到那样东西了码？”

“Whut you talkin about?” Dilsey said.”Don’t you know she all right? I bet she be walkin right in dis do befo dark.”

“您说的是什么呀？”迪尔西说，“您不知道她什么事也没有吗？”我敢打赌，不到天黑她就会从这个门里走进来。”

“Fiddlesticks,” Mrs Compson said.”It’s in the blood. Like uncle, like niece. Or mother. I don’t know which would be worse. I don’t seem to care.”

“胡说八道，”康普生太太说，“这种事情是遗传的。有什么样的舅舅，就有什么样的外甥女。或者说，有其母必有其女，我不知过她象谁更加不好，都好象是不在乎了。”

“Whut you keep on talkin that way fur?” Dilsey said.”Whut she want to do anything like that fur?”

“您老是这么说又有什么意思呢？”迪尔西说。“再说她又何必想不开要走那样一条路呢？”

“Well,” Mrs Compson said.”What do you want? Are you going to fix some dinner for Jason and Benjamin, or not?”

“好吧，”康谷生太太说。“你还有什么事？你要给杰生和班吉明弄点午饭，还是就此算了？”

“You des wait en see,” Dilsey said.”She be here by night, right dar in her bed.” Mrs Compson said nothing. The camphor soaked cloth lay upon her brow. The black robe lay across the foot of the bed. Dilsey stood with her hand on the door knob.

“您就等着瞧吧，”迪尔西说。“天一黑她准回到家里来，乖乖的在她那张床 上躺下，”康普生太太不说话了。那块浸透了樟脑的布镇在她的前额上。那件黑睡袍横撂在床 脚处，迪尔西站在门口，一只手搭在门把上。

“Jason ain’t come yit,” Dilsey said.”I gwine fix somethin. You sho you don’t want nothin? Yo bottle still hot enough?”

“杰生还没回来，”迪尔西说。“我是要做午饭的。您真的什么也不要啦？您的热水袋还热吗？”

“I don’t know. What reason did Quentin have? Under God’s heaven what reason did he have? It cant be simply to flout and hurt me. Whoever God is, He would not permit that. I’m a lady. You might not believe that from my offspring, but I am.”

“也不知道，昆丁当时那样做又有什么理由呢？他究竟有什么必要呢？不可能光是为了嘲弄我、伤我的心吧。这种事常是上帝不容的，不管谁当上帝也好。我是个大家闺秀。人家看到我的子孙这么样也许不会相信，可是我的确是的。”

“You laid it on the edge of the bed. How long did you expect it to stay there?”

“你是放在床 沿上的。它还能老在那儿不掉下去吗？”

“I give hit to you dis mawnin, befo I left.”

“我今儿早上出去以前就拿给您了。”

Dilsey crossed to the bed and groped among the shadows beneath the edge of it and found the bible, face down. She smoothed the bent pages and laid the book on the bed again. Mrs Compson didn’t open her eyes. Her hair and the pillow were the same color, beneath the wimple of the medicated cloth she looked like an old nun praying.”Don’t put it there again,” she said, without opening her eyes.”That’s where you put it before. Do you want me to have to get out of bed to pick it up?”

迪西穿过房间来到床 边、在床 底下陰影星摸了摸，找到了那本封面合扑在地上的《圣经》。她抚平了窝了角的书页，把那本书放回到床 上。康普生太太连眼睛都没有睁开。她的头发和枕头的颜色是一样的，她的头给浸了药水的布包皮着，看上去很象一个在祈祷的老尼。“别再放在那儿了，”她说，眼睛仍然没有睁开。“你早先就是放在那儿的，你要我爬下床 把它捡起来不成？”

“You might hand me my bible.”

“就把我的《圣经》拿给我吧。”

Dilsey went out. She closed the door and returned to the kitchen. The stove was almost cold. While she stood there the clock above the cupboard struck ten times.”One o’clock,” she said aloud.”Jason ain’t comin home. Ise seed de first en de last,” she said, looking at the cold stove.”I seed de first en de last.” She set out some cold food on a table. As she moved back and forth she sang, a hymn. She sang the first two lines over and over to the complete tune. She arranged the meal and went to the door and called Luster, and after a time Luster and Ben entered. Ben was still moaning a little, as to himself.

迪尔西走出去了。她关上门，回到厨房里。炉子几乎是冷的。她站在那儿时，碗柜上面的挂钟敲响了十下，“一点了，”她说出声来。“杰生还没回来。我看见了初，也看见了终，”她说，一面看着那冰凉的炉灶，“我看见了初，也看见了终。”她在桌子上放了一些冷食。她走来走去，嘴里唱着一支赞美诗。整个曲调她唱的都是头两句的歌词。她摆好饭食，便走到门回去叫勒斯特，过了一会儿，勒斯特和班进来了。班还在轻轻地哼着，仿佛是哼给自己听似的。

“He ain’t never quit,” Luster said.

“他一刻儿也不停，”勒斯特说。

“No. Let them alone. Go on and fix Jason something to eat.”

“不要。让它去得了，你去给杰生弄点吃的吧，”

Dilsey reached the book across her and laid it on the broad side of the bed.”You cant see to read, noways,” she said.”You want me to raise de shade a little?”

迪尔西伸手越过她的身体，把那本书放在另一边宽阔些的床 沿上，“您看不出，没法读呀，”她说。一要不要我把百叶窗拉开一些？”

“Y’all come on en eat,” Dilsey said.”Jason ain’t comin to dinner.” They sat down at the table. Ben could manage solid food pretty well for himself, though even now, with cold food before him, Dilsey tied a cloth about his neck.

“你们都先吃吧，”迪尔西说。“杰生不会回来吃午饭了。”他们在桌子边坐了下来。班自己吃干的东西完全不成问题，但是，虽然这会儿在他面前的都是冷的饭食，迪尔西还是在他下巴底下系了一块布。

He was twenty miles away at that time. When he left the house he drove rapidly to town, overreaching the slow sabbath groups and the peremptory bells along the broken air. He crossed the empty square and turned into a narrow street that was abruptly quieter even yet, and stopped before a frame house and went up the flower bordered walk to the porch.

杰生这时候正在二十英里以外的地方。早上，他出了家门，便飞快地往镇上驰去，一路上超越了去做礼拜的缓慢行进的人群，超越了断续刮来的风中夹带着的专横的钟声。他穿过空荡荡的广场，拐进一条狭窄的小街，汽车进来后小街陡然变得更加闻寂了。他在一幢木框架的房子前面停了下来，下车沿着两边栽了花的小道向门廊走去。

He and Luster ate. Dilsey moved about the kitchen, singing the two lines of the hymn which she remembered.”Y’all kin g’awn en eat,” she said.”Jason ain’t comin home.”

他和勒斯特吃了起来。迪尔西在厨房里走过来走过去，反复地唱她记得的那两句赞美诗。“你们尽管吃吧，”她说，“杰生不会回来了。”

“Walk right in,” the other said, propelling him by the elbow into a room where a man and a woman sat.”You know Myrtle’s husband, don’t you? Jason Compson, Vernon.”

“快快进去，”那人说，一边推着杰生的胳膊肘让他往里走，来到一个房间，里面坐着一个男人和一个女人。“你认得默特尔①的丈夫的吧，是不是？这是杰生·康普生，这是弗农。””（注：①默特尔是警长的女儿。）

“You ready to go now?” Jason said.

“你准备好可以动身了吗？”杰生说。

Beyond the screen door people were talking. As he lifted his hand to knock he heard steps, so he withheld his hand until a big man in black broadcloth trousers and a stiff bosomed white shirt without collar opened the door. He had vigorous untidy iron-gray hair and his gray eyes were round and shiny like a little boy’s. He took Jason’s hand and drew him into the house, still shaking it.

纱门里有人在讲话。他正要举手敲门，忽然听见有脚步声，便把手缩了回来。接着一个穿黑呢裤和无领硬胸白衬衫的大个子走出来把门打开。这人有一头又粗又硬的铁灰色乱发，三欢灰眼睛又圆又亮，象小男孩的眼睛。他握住杰生的手，把杰生拉进屋子，手一直握着没有松开。

“Come right in,” he said.”Come right in.”

“快请进，”他说，“快请进。”

“Keep your seat,” the sheriff said.”Me and Jason will go out on the porch.”

“坐你们的，”警长说，“我和杰生到外面门廊里谈去。”

“No, no,” the sheriff said.”You folks keep your seat. I reckon it ain’t that serious, Jason? Have a seat.”

“不用，不用，”警长说，“你们只管坐你们的。我想事情还不至于就那么严重吧，杰生？你坐呀。”

“I’ll tell you as we go along,” Jason said.”Get your hat and coat.”

“咱们一面走一面说吧，”杰生说，“拿上帽子和外衣。”

“Yes,” Jason said. He did not even look at the man, and as the sheriff drew a chair across the room the man said,

“认识的，”杰生说。他连看也不着那人一眼。这时警长从房间另一端拉过来一把椅子，那人说。

“We’ll go out,” the man said, rising.

“我们要走了，”那个男的说，一边站起身来。

“We’ll go out so you can talk. Come on, Myrtle.”

“咱们走吧，好让你们谈话。来吧，默特尔。”

“You get your hat and coat,” Jason said.”They’ve already got a twelve hour start.” The sheriff led the way back to the porch. A man and a woman passing spoke to him. He responded with a hearty florid gesture. Bells were still ringing, from the direction of the section known as Nigger Hollow.

“你带上帽子和外农，”杰生说。“他们已经先走了十二个小时啦。”警长带他回到门廊里。一个男人和一个女人刚好经过门口，和警长说了几句，警长热情地、动作夸张地回答了他们。钟声还在鸣响，是从所谓“黑人山谷”那个方向传来的。”

“Get your hat, Sheriff,” Jason said. The sheriff drew up two chairs.

“你戴上帽子呀，警长，”杰生说。警长拖过来两把椅子。

“Have a seat and tell me what the trouble is.”

“坐下来，告诉我到底出了什么事。”

“You sit down and tell me about it,” the sheriff said.”I’ll take care of you all right.”

“你先坐下，把情况跟我说一说，”警长说。“我会保障你的利益的。”

“I told you over the phone,” Jason said, standing.”I did that to save time. Am I going to have to go to law to compel you to do your sworn duty?”

“我在电话里已经告诉你了，”杰生说，他站着不坐。“我那样做是为了节约时间。是不是得让我通过法庭来迫使你执行你宣誓过要履行的义务呢？”

“You’re the one that’s holding us up,” the sheriff said.”You sit down and tell me about it.”

“现在是你在妨碍我们采取行动，”警长说。“你坐下来把情况说一说嘛。”

“Care, hell,” Jason said.”Is this what you call taking care of me?”

“保障，算了吧，”杰生说。“你就管这叫保障利益？”

“That show’s in Mottson this week,” the sheriff said.

“戏班子这个星期是在莫特生①演出，”警官说。（注：①在福克纳虚构的约克纳帕塔法县里，莫特生在杰弗生西南二十五英里，也是一个小镇。）

“But you don’t know they done it,” he said.”You just think so.”

“不过你并不真的知道是他们干的，”他说，“你只是认为是他们干的。”

“Don’t know?” Jason said.”When I spent two damn days chasing her through alleys, trying to keep her away from him, after I told her what I’d do to her if I ever caught her with him, and you say I don’t know that that little b.”

“不知道？”杰生说。“我整整花了两天工夫尾随着她在大街小巷钻进钻出，想把她跟他拆开，我后来还跟她说过要是再让我碰到他们在一起我会怎样做。在发生了这些事情以后，你还居然说我不知道是那小娼——”

“And when I come to you, a commissioned officer of the law,” Jason said.

“在我来到你这一位正式委任的执法官吏的西前时，你却……”杰生说。

Jason told him, his sense of injury and impotence feeding upon its own sound, so that after a time he forgot his haste in the violent cumulation of his self justification and his outrage. The sheriff watched him steadily with his cold shiny eyes.

杰生跟他说了，他一肚子气没地方出，嗓门说着说着就大了起来。片刻之后，他为自己辩护的急躁心情与火气越来越厉害，已经把他的当务之急抛诸脑后了。警长用那双冷静闪光的眼睛一动不动地盯着他。

“Now, then,” the sheriff said.”That’ll do. That’s enough of that.” He looked out across the street, his hands in his pockets.

“好，行了，”警长说，“清楚了。说这些也就够了。”他把头扭开去，望着街对面，双手插在口袋里。

“Yes,” Jason said. “And if I could find a law officer that gave a solitary damn about protecting the people that elected him to office, I’d be there too by now.” He repeated his story, harshly recapitulant, seeming to get an actual pleasure out of his outrage and impotence. The sheriff did not appear to be listening at all.

“是的，”杰生说，“如果在我面前的执法官吏对选他上台的人民的利益多少有一点责任心，那我这会儿也在莫特生了。”他又将他的故事的要点粗粗的说了一遍，好象能从自己的发怒与无可奈何中得到一种真正的乐趣似的。警长好象根本没在听他。

“What?” Jason said.”That’s my business where I keep my money. Your business is to help me get it back.”

“什么？”杰生说；“我将钱放在那儿是我自己的事。你的任务是帮我把钱我回来。”

“Jason,” he said.”What were you doing with three thousand dollars hid in the house?”

“杰生，”他说，“你干吗把三千块钱藏在家里呢？”

“Look here,” Jason said.”My house has been robbed. I know who did it and I know where they are. I come to you as the commissioned officer of the law, and I ask you once more, are you going to make any effort to recover my property, or not?”

“嗨，我说，”杰生说，“我家里边抢劫了，我知道这是谁干的，也知道他们在什么地方。我到这来是找你正式委任的执法官吏的，我要再一次问你，你到底是出力帮我把钱找回来呢，还是不干？”

“Did your mother know you had that much on the place?”

“你母亲知不知道你有这么多钱放在家里？”

“You drove that girl into running off, Jason,” the sheriff said.

“这姑娘的出走是你逼出来的，杰生。”那警长说。

“What do you aim to do with that girl, if you catch them?”

“如果你找到了他们，你打算把那姑娘怎么办？”

“Nothing,” Jason said.”Not anything. I wouldn’t lay my hand on her. The bitch that cost me a job, the one chance I ever had to get ahead, that killed my father and is shortening my mother’s life every day and made my name a laughing stock in the town. I won’t do anything to her,” he said.”Not anything.”

“不怎么办，”杰生说，“我不把她怎么样。我连碰也不会碰她一下，这小娼妇，她弄丢了我的差事，葬送了我的前程，害死了我的父亲，每日每时都在缩短我母亲的寿命，还使得我在全镇人面前抬不起头来。我是不会把她怎么样的，”他说。“我连毫毛也不动她一根。”

“How I conduct my family is no business of yours,” Jason said.”Are you going to help me or not?”

“我怎么管家，这可是我个人的事，”杰生说。“你到底肯不肯为我出力？”

“You drove her away from home,” the sheriff said.”And I have some suspicions about who that money belongs to that I don’t reckon I’ll ever know for certain.”

“你把她逼得离开了家，”警长说。“而且我还有点怀疑，这笔钱到底是应谈属于谁的，这桩公案我琢磨我是一辈子也弄不清的。”

Jason stood, slowly wringing the brim of his hat in his hands. He said quietly:”You’re not going to make any effort to catch them for me?”

杰生站着，双手在慢慢地绞扭他捏着的那顶帽子的帽沿。他轻轻地说：“那么，你是不准备出一点力来帮我逮住他们了？”

“That’s your answer, is it?” Jason said.”Think well, now.”

“这就是你的回答，是吗？”杰生说。“你趁现在还来得及，再好好想想。”

“That’s not any of my business, Jason. If you had any actual proof, I’d have to act. But without that I don’t figger it’s any of my business.”

“这事与我毫不相干，杰生，要是你有什么确凿的证据，我当然得采取行动。可是既然没有证据，那我只好认为这事不在我职权范围之内。”

“That’s it, Jason.”

“没什么好想的，杰生。”

“All right,” Jason said. He put his hat on.”You’ll regret this. I won’t be helpless. This is not Russia, where just because he wears a little metal badge, a man is immune to law.” He went down the steps and got in his car and started the engine. The sheriff watched him drive away, turn, and rush past the house toward town.

“那好吧，”杰生说。他戴上帽子，“你会后悔莫及的。我也不是没人帮忙的。这儿可不是俄国，要是在那儿，谁戴了一只小小的铁皮徽章，就可以无法无天了。”他走下台阶，钻进汽车，发动引擎。警长看着他启动，拐弯，飞快地驶离这所房子，朝镇上开去。

“Gwine on a trip, is you?” the negro asked him. He didn’t answer.”Look like hit gwine fair off, after all,” the negro said.

“要走远路，是吗？”加油站的黑人问他。他睬也不睬。“看样子总算要转晴了。”那黑人说。

The bells were ringing again, high in the scudding sunlight in bright disorderly tatters of sound. He stopped at a filling station and had his tires examined and the tank filled.

钟声又响起来了，高高地飘荡在飞掠过去的陽光中，被撕裂成一绺绺明亮的、杂乱的声浪。杰生在一个加油站前面停了下来，让人检查一下轮胎，把油加足。

“Fair off, hell,” Jason said.”It’ll be raining like hell by twelve o’clock.” He looked at the sky, thinking about rain, about the slick clay roads, himself stalled somewhere miles from town. He thought about it with a sort of triumph, of the fact that he was going to miss dinner, that by starting now and so serving his compulsion of haste, he would be at the greatest possible distance from both towns when noon came. It seemed to him that in this circumstance was giving him a break, so he said to the negro:

“转晴？见你的鬼去吧，”杰生说，“到十二点准下倾盆大雨。”他瞧瞧天空，想到了下雨、泥泞的土路，想到自己陷在离城好几英里的一个破地方进退两难。他甚至还幸灾乐祸地想，他肯定要措过午餐了，他现在匆匆忙忙动身，中午时分肯定是在离两个镇子都同样远的地方，前不着村，后不着店。他还觉得现在这个时刻倒是个天然的喘息机会，因此，他对黑人说：

“Hit up now,” the negro said, rising.”You kin ride now.”

“现在鼓起来了。”黑人一边站起来一边说道。“您可以走了。”

“What the hell are you doing? Has somebody paid you to keep this car standing here as long as you can?”

“你他妈的是怎么回事？是不是有人给了你钱，让你尽量阻挠这辆汽车往前走。”

“Then get the hell away from there and let me have that tube,” Jason said.

“那你给我滚开，把气筒给我，”杰生说。

“Dis here ti’ ain’t got no air a-tall in hit,” the negro said.

“这只轮胎里可是一点点气儿也没有了，”那黑人说。

Jason got in and started the engine and drove off. He went into second gear, the engine spluttering and gasping, and he raced the engine, jamming the throttle down and snapping the choker in and out savagely.”It’s going to rain,” he said.”Get me half way there, and rain like hell.” And he drove on out of the bells and out of town, thinking of himself slogging through the mud, hunting a team.”And every damn one of them will be at church.” He thought of how he’d find a church at last and take a team and of the owner coming out, shouting at him and of himself striking the man down.”I’m Jason Compson. See if you can stop me. See if you can elect a man to office that can stop me,” he said, thinking of himself entering the courthouse with a file of soldiers and dragging the sheriff out.”Thinks he can sit with his hands folded and see me lose my job. I’ll show him about jobs.” Of his niece he did not think at all, nor of the arbitrary valuation of the money. Neither of them had had entity or individuality for him for ten years; together they merely symbolised the job in the bank of which he had been deprived before he ever got it.

杰生钻进汽车，发动引擎，把车子开走了。他椎到第二档，引擎劈劈啪啪地响，直喘气。接着他把引擎开到最大限度，把油门狠狠地往下踩，粗暴地把气门拉出推进。“马上就要下雨了，”他说，“等我走到半路，肯定会来一场瓢泼大雨。”他驱车离开能听见钟声的地方，离开小镇，脑子里却出现了一幅自己陷在泥潭里千方百计要找两匹马来把汽车拖出去的情景。“可是那些马儿又是全都在教堂门口。”他又设想自己如何终于找到了一座教堂，他正要把一对马儿拉走，牲口的主人却从教堂里走出来，对他又吼又叫，他又怎样挥起拳头把那人打倒在地。“我是杰生·康普生，看谁敢阻拦我。看你们选出来的当官儿的敢阻拦我。”他说，仿佛见到自己领着一队士兵走进法院去把那个警长押出来。“这家伙还以为他能两手交 叉地坐着看我丢掉差事。我会让他看看我会得到什么样的差事。”他一点儿也没想起他的外甥女，也设想起自己对那笔钱的武断的评价。十年来，这二者在他眼里早已失去了实体感和个体感；它们合并了起来，仅仅成为他在得到之前即已失去的那份银行里的差事的一个象征。

The air brightened, the running shadow patches were now the obverse, and it seemed to him that the fact that the day was clearing was another cunning stroke on the part of the foe, the fresh battle toward which he was carrying ancient wounds. From time to time he passed churches, unpainted frame buildings with sheet iron steeples, surrounded by tethered teams and shabby motorcars, and it seemed to him that each of them was a picketpost where the rear guards of Circumstance peeped fleetingly back at him.”And damn You, too,” he said.”See if You can stop me,” thinking of himself, his file of soldiers with the manacled sheriff in the rear, dragging Omnipotence down from his throne, if necessary; of the embattled legions of both hell and heaven through which he tore his way and put his hands at last on his fleeing niece.

天气变得晴朗起来，现在飞快地掠过地面的不是陽光而是一块块的云影了。在他看来，天气变晴这回事是敌人对他的又一次恶毒的打击，是又一场要他带着累累伤痕去应付的战斗；他过不了一阵便经过一个教堂，都是些没有上漆的木结构建筑，有着铁皮尖顶，周围拴着些马儿，停着些破烂的汽车、在他看来，每一个教堂都是一个岗亭，里面部站有“命运”的后卫，他们都扭过头来偷偷地瞅他一眼。“你们也全都是混蜜，”他说，“看你们能阻拦得了我！”他想起自己如何带了一队士兵拖着上了手铐的警长往前走，他还要把全能的上帝也从他的宝座上拉下来，如果有必要的话，他还想起天上的天兵天将和地狱里的鬼兵鬼卒都对他严阵以待，他又怎样从他们当中杀出一条血路，终于抓住了逃窜在外的外甥女。

The wind was out of the southeast. It blew steadily upon his cheek. It seemed that he could feel the prolonged blow of it sinking through his skull, and suddenly with an old premonition he clapped the brakes on and stopped and sat perfectly still. Then he lifted his hand to his neck and began to curse, and sat there, cursing in a harsh whisper. When it was necessary for him to drive for any length of time he fortified himself with a handkerchief soaked in camphor, which he would tie about his throat when clear of town, thus inhaling the fumes, and he got out and lifted the seat cushion on the chance that there might be a forgotten one there. He looked beneath both seats and stood again for a while, cursing, seeing himself mocked by his own triumphing. He closed his eyes, leaning on the door. He could return and get the forgotten camphor, or he could go on. In either case, his head would be splitting, but at home he could be sure of finding camphor on Sunday, while if he went on he could not be sure. But if he went back, he would be an hour and a half later in reaching Mottson.”Maybe I can drive slow,” he said.”Maybe I can drive slow, thinking of something else…”

风从东南方吹来，不断地吹在他的面颊上，他仿佛感到这连绵不断的风在往他的头颅深处灌，突然，一种古老的预感使他紧扳车闸，煞住车子，一动不动地坐在那儿。接着他伸出手来摸着脖子诅咒起来，他坐在车子里用沙嘎的气声狠狠地诅咒。往昔，每当他要开车走远路时，为了防止头疼，他总要带上一块浸了樟脑水的手帕，等车子出了镇，就把手帕围在脖子上，这样好把药味儿吸进去。现在，他爬出汽车，翻起坐垫，希望有一条这样的手帕侥幸落在里面。他在前后座的底下都找遍了，又站直身子，诅咒着，眼看胜利快要到手，却又受到它的嘲弄。他闭上眼睛，斜靠着车门。他回去取忘了带的樟脑水也好，继续往前也好，不管怎么做，他都会头痛欲裂。如果回家，今天是星期天，他肯定能找到樟脑，如果继续往前开，那可就说不准了。不过要是他回去一趟，他到莫特生的时间就要晚一个半小时了。“要不我车子开得慢些，”他说。“我车子开慢些，再想想别的事，说不定不要紧——”

He got in and started.”I’ll think of something else,” he said, so he thought about Lorraine. He imagined himself in bed with her, only he was just lying beside her, pleading with her to help him, then he thought of the money again, and that he had been outwitted by a woman, a girl. If he could just believe it was the man who had robbed him. But to have been robbed of that which was to have compensated him for the lost job, which he had acquired through so much effort and risk, by the very symbol of the lost job itself, and worst of all, by a bitch of a girl. He drove on, shielding his face from the steady wind with the corner of his coat.

他钻进汽车，把车子发动了。“我来想想别的事情吧，”他说，于是就想起了洛仑。他想象自己和她睡在一张床 上，不过他还只是躺在她身边，正在央求她帮忙，可是接着他又想起了那笔钱，想到他居然在一个女的，尤其是一个小丫头片子手里栽了筋斗。如果他能让自己相信抢走他钱的是那个男的就好了。这笔给抢走的钱，是他用来补偿自己没到手的那份差事的损失的，是他花了好大心思；冒了很多风险才弄到手的，这笔钱象征着他丢失的那个差事，最最糟糕的是，使他失风的不是别人，而是一个下贱的丫头片子。他继续赶路，翻起了一角翻领来抵挡不断袭来的凉风。

He could see the opposed forces of his destiny and his will drawing swiftly together now, toward a junction that would be irrevocable; he became cunning. I cant make a blunder, he told himself. There would be just one right thing, without alternatives: he must do that. He believed that both of them would know him on sight, while he’d have to trust to seeing her first, unless the man still wore the red tie. And the fact that he must depend on that red tie seemed to be the sum of the impending disaster; he could almost smell it, feel it above the throbbing of his head.

他好象可以看见与他的命运和意志相对抗的各路力量正迅速地向一个会合点集结，这地方要是被占领，那么局势就再也不能扭转了，他变得狡猾起来了。我可不能冒冒失失地犯错误啊，他告诫自己。正确的做法只能有一个，别的变通办法都不存在，他必须采取这种做法，他相信这对狗男女一见到他都会把他认出来，可他却只能把希望寄托在先看到她上，除非那个男的仍然打着那根红领带。他必须靠那根红领带来辨认这件事仿佛成了即将来临的那场灾祸的总和；他几乎能嗅闻到这场灾祸，能透过阵阵头痛感到它。

Two gaudily painted pullman cars stood on the track. He reconnoitred them before he got out. He was trying to breathe shallowly, so that the blood would not beat so in his skull. He got out and went along the station wall, watching the cars. A few garments hung out of the windows, limp and crinkled, as though they had been recently laundered. On the earth beside the steps of one sat three canvas chairs. But he saw no sign of life at all until a man in a dirty apron came to the door and emptied a pan of dishwater with a broad gesture, the sunlight glinting on the metal belly of the pan, then entered the car again.

有两节漆得花里胡 哨的普尔曼式卧车停靠在一条铁轨上。他走出汽车之前先把它们打量了一番。他努力使自己的呼吸浅一些，好让血液不在他的头颅里搏击得那么猛烈。他钻出汽车，沿着车站的围墙走着，一边观察着那些卧车。车窗外挂着几件外农，软疲疲、皱巴巴的，象是最近刚刚洗过。一节车厢的踏脚板旁的地上放着三张帆布折椅。可是他没见到有人的迹象，过了一会，才看见有一个系着条脏围裙的汉子走到车门口，大大咧咧地把一锅脏水往外泼去，使金属的锅肚子反射出太陽光，接着，那汉子又回进车厢去了。

He crested the final hill. Smoke lay in the valley, and roofs, a spire or two above trees. He drove down the hill and into the town, slowing, telling himself again of the need for caution, to find where the tent was located first. He could not see very well now, and he knew that it was the disaster which kept telling him to go directly and get something for his head. At a filling station they told him that the tent was not up yet, but that the show cars were on a siding at the station. He drove there.

他爬上了最后的一个小山包皮。烟雾弥漫在山谷、屋顶和树丛里露出来的一两个尖塔之间。他朝山下驶去，开进了镇子，放慢速度，一边再次告诫自己千万要小心，首先是要找到那座大帐篷揩在何处。他的眼睛现在看不大清、他知道是那场灾祸在不断命令他径直地往前冲，同时给自己的脑袋找点什么治一治。在一处加油站上，人家告诉他演戏的帐篷还没有支起来，不过那几辆戏班子的专车正停靠在车站的旁轨上。于是他便朝那儿驶去。

“Hey?” the man said, stopping his song.

“嗨？”那人说，停住了歌声。

He reconnoitred again. Then he went to the car and mounted the steps, swiftly and quietly, and paused at the door. The galley was dark, rank with stale food. The man was a white blur, singing in a cracked, shaky tenor. An old man, he thought, and not as big as I am. He entered the car as the man looked up.

他又重新侦察起来。接着他走到车厢前，迅速地轻轻地登上踏脚，在车门口停住脚步。车上的厨房里很黑，有一股馊腐食物的气味。那汉子仅仅是一团 朦朦胧胧的白影子，正用嘶嘎、发颤的尖声在唱一支歌。原来是个老头儿，他想，而且个子还没我高。他走进车厢，那人正好抬起眼睛来看他。

Now I’ll have to take him by surprise, before he can warn them, he thought. It never occurred to him that they might not be there, in the car. That they should not be there, that the whole result should not hinge on whether he saw them first or they saw him first, would be opposed to all nature and contrary to the whole rhythm of events. And more than that: he must see them first, get the money back, then what they did would be of no importance to him, while otherwise the whole world would know that he, Jason Compson, had been robbed by Quentin, his niece, a bitch.

我可得在他向他们发出警告之前给他一个措手不及，把他打倒，他想。他压根儿没想过他们可能不在这儿，不在这车厢里，在他看来，他们不在这里，并且整个事情的结局并不取决于他先见到他们还是他们先见到他，这两点倒是极不自然而违反常规的。而且在他看来最最重要的是：必须是他先见到他们，把钱要回来，这以后，他们爱怎么干就怎么干，与他不相干、否则，整个世界都会知道，他，杰生·康普生居然让人给抢了，而且是让昆丁，他的外甥女，一个小娼妇给抢了！

“Where’s who?” the man said.

“谁在哪儿？”那人说。

“Where are they?” Jason said.”Quick, now. In the sleeping car?”

“他们在哪儿？”杰生说。“快点，说，是在卧车里吗？”

“Don’t lie to me,” Jason said. He blundered on in the cluttered obscurity.

“别诓骗我了，”杰生说。他在放满什物的昏暗中跌跌撞撞地往前走。

“What’s that?” the other said.”Who you calling a liar?” and when Jason grasped his shoulder he exclaimed,”Look out, fellow!”

“这是怎么回事？”那人说，“你说谁诓骗你了？”这时杰生一把抓住了他的肩膀，那人喊了起来：“当心点，伙计！”

“Don’t lie,” Jason said.”Where are they?”

“别诓骗我了，”杰生说，“他们在哪儿？”

“Why, you bastard,” the man said. His arm was frail and thin in Jason’s grasp. He tried to wrench free, then he turned and fell to scrabbling on the littered table behind him.

“怎么搞的，你这愣头青，”那人说。他那只又瘦又细的胳膊被杰生抓得紧紧的，他使劲地想挣脱，扭回身去，开始在身后堆满什物的桌子上乱摸。

“You bastard,” the other shrieked, scrabbling at the table. Jason tried to grasp him in both arms, trying to prison the puny fury of him. The man’s body felt so old, so frail, yet so fatally singlepurposed that for the first time Jason saw clear and unshadowed the disaster toward which he rushed.

“你这混蛋，”那人尖声叫道，一面在桌子上乱摸。杰生想用两只胳膊搂住他，不让他那微不足道的无名怒火发作出来。那老头的身于是这么衰老、孱弱，然而又是这么死命地不顾一切，杰生这才毫厘不爽地看清楚，他一头扎进去的原来是一场灾祸。

“Quit it!” he said.”Here. Here! I’ll get out. Give me time, and I’ll get out.”

“别骂人了！”他说，“好了，好了！我会走的。你别着急，我这就走。”

“Come on,” Jason said.”Where are they?”

“快说，”杰生说，“他们在哪儿？”

“Here,” Jason said, trying to hold the other.”I’m just asking you a question.”

“好了，”杰生说，想抓住对方，“我只不过是想跟你打听一件事。”

“I’ll tell you where they are,” the man shrieked.”Lemme find my butcher knife.”

“等我拿到了我那把宰猪的刀，”那人尖声叫道，“我会告诉你的。”

“Call me a liar,” the other wailed.”Lemme go. Lemme go just one minute. I’ll show you.”

“说我诓骗人，”那人哭号道。“放开我。放开我一会儿，我让你瞧瞧我的厉害。”

Jason glared wildly about, holding the other. Outside it was now bright and sunny, swift and bright and empty, and he thought of the people soon to be going quietly home to Sunday dinner, decorously festive, and of himself trying to hold the fatal, furious little old man whom he dared not release long enough to turn his back and run.

杰生一面抱住这人，一面狂乱地朝四面瞪看。车厢外现在陽光灿烂，风急，天高，寥廓，空旷，他想起人们很快都要安宁地回到家中去享受星期天的午餐，那顿气派十足的节日盛宴，可他呢，却在费劲地抱住这个不顾死活、脾气暴躁的小老头，他甚至不敢把手松开一会儿，以便扭过身子拔腿逃走。

He grasped at the hatchet, feeling no shock but knowing that he was falling, thinking So this is how it’ll end, and he believed that he was about to die and when something crashed against the back of his head he thought How did he hit me there? Only maybe he hit me a long time ago, he thought, And I just now felt it, and he thought Hurry. Hurry. Get it over with, and then a furious desire not to die seized him and he struggled, hearing the old man wailing and cursing in his cracked voice.

他赶紧抓住那把斧子，并不感到受到了打击，却知道自己是在往后跌倒，心想原来事情就要这样结束了，他相信自己快要死了，这时候不知什么东西在他的后脑勺上沉沉地憧击了一下，他想老头儿怎么能打我这个地方呢，也许是方才他就给了我一下子吧，他想，只不过我这会儿才感觉到就是了，他又想快点儿吧。快点儿吧。赶快把这件事了结了吧，可是接着，他心头又涌起了一股忿忿不平的求生的强烈欲望，他就奋力挣扎，耳朵里还能听见老头儿用沙哑的嗓子哭喊咒骂的声音。

“Will you quit long enough for me to get out?” he said.”Will you?” But the other still struggled, and Jason freed one hand and struck him on the head. A clumsy, hurried blow, and not hard, but the other slumped immediately and slid clattering among pans and buckets to the floor. Jason stood above him, panting, listening. Then he turned and ran from the car. At the door he restrained himself and descended more slowly and stood there again. His breath made a hah hah hah sound and he stood there trying to repress it, darting his gaze this way and that, when at a scuffling sound behind him he turned in time to see the little old man leaping awkwardly and furiously from the vestibule, a rusty hatchet high in his hand.

“你先别动，让我下去，怎么样？”他说，“干不干？”可是那人还在死命挣扎，杰生只好腾出一只手，朝他头上捶了一拳。这一拳打得笨笨拙拙，匆匆忙忙，不算太重，可是对方已经一下子瘫倒下去，倒在一大堆锅碗瓢盆之间，发出了好一阵磐铃哐啷的响声。杰生气喘吁吁地俯身在他的上面，谛听着。接着他转过身子匆匆朝车厢外跑去。跑到车门伺，他抑制住自己，放慢了速度爬下蹬梯，在那儿又站了一会儿。他的呼吸变成了一种哈哧、哈哧、哈哧的声音，他站住了想让自己气儿出得顺当些，一面眼光朝这边那边扫来扫去。这时一阵杂乱的脚步声从他背后传来，他赶紧扭过头去，看见那小老头趔趔趄趄、火冒三丈地从车厢回过道里蹦跳下来，手里高高的举着一把生锈的斧子。

“Am I bleeding much?” he said.”The back of my head. Am I bleeding?” He was still saying that while he felt himself being propelled rapidly away, heard the old man’s thin furious voice dying away behind him.”Look at my head,” he said.”Wait, I –“

“我血流得多吗？”他说，“我后脑勺上。流血没有？”他还在说个不停，却感到正被人急急地推着往外走，听到老头那尖细愤怒的声音在他后面逐渐消失。“快看我的头呀，”他说，“等一等，我——”

“Wait, hell,” the man who held him said.”That damn little wasp’ll kill you. Keep going. You ain’t hurt.”

“再等个啥，”揪住他的那人说，“那只小黄蜂会鳖死你的。快走你的吧。你没有受伤。”

He still struggled when they hauled him to his feet, but they held him and he ceased.

这时有人把他从地上拖起来，他还在挣扎，但他们抓住了他，他就不动了。

“He hit me,” Jason said.”Am I bleeding?”

“他打了我，”杰生说。“我有没有流血？”

“Keep going,” the other said. He led Jason on around the corner of the station, to the empty platform where an express truck stood, where grass grew rigidly in a plot bordered with rigid flowers and a sign in electric lights: Keep your on Mottson, the gap filled by a human eye with an electric pupil. The man released him.

“快走你的。”那人说。他带领杰生绕过车站的拐角，来到空荡荡的月台上，那儿停着一节捷运平板车，月台边一块空地上呆呆板板地长满着青草，四周呆呆板板地镶着一圈花，当中树着一块装了电灯的广告牌。上画写道“用你的眼好好看看莫特生。”在本该画上人的眼珠子的地方安了一只电灯泡。那个人松开了他。

“I was looking for two people,” Jason said.”I just asked him where they were.”

“我方才是想找两个人，”杰生说。“我不过是跟他打听他们在哪儿。”

“Now,” he said.”You get on out of here and stay out. What were you trying to do? commit suicide?”

“听着，”他说，“你快离开这儿，再别回来。你想干什么？要自杀吗？”

“Who you looking for?”

“你找什么人？”

“It’s a girl,” Jason said.”And a man. He had on a red tie in Jefferson yesterday. With this show. They robbed me.”

“找一个姑娘，”杰生说。“还有一个男的。昨天在杰弗生他打着一条红领带。他是你们这个戏班子里的。他们俩抢走了我的钱。”

“No,” Jason said.”It don’t matter. I just wanted to see them. You sure he didn’t hit me? No blood, I mean.”

“不是的，”杰生说。“这不相干的。我只不过是想找到他们。你真的肯定他没打破我脑袋吗？真的没有流血，我是说。”

“There would have been blood if I hadn’t got there when I did. You stay away from here, now. That little bastard’ll kill you. That your car yonder?”

“要不是我及时赶到，你就会挂彩了。你还是快走吧。那个矮杂种会把你宰了的。那边的是你的车子吗？”

“You hit your head on the rail,” the man said.”You better go on. They ain’t here.”

“是你的后脑勺撞在铁轨上了，”那人说。“你还是走吧。他们不在这儿。”

“Yes,” Jason said.”You don’t know where they went?”

“是的，”杰生说，“你不知道他们上哪儿去了吧？”

“I told him to get the hell out of there, both of them,” the man said.”I won’t have nothing like that in my show. I run a respectable show, with a respectable troupe.”

“我告诉他叫他滚，两个都一起给我滚，”那人说。“我不允许我的戏班子里出这样的事。我的戏班子可是规规矩矩的，我们的演员都是规规矩矩的正派人士。”

“Oh,” the man said.”You’re the one, are you. Well, they ain’t here.”

“哦，”那人说。“原来就是你，可不。好吧，他们不在这儿。”

“I reckon so,” Jason said. He leaned against the wall and put his hand to the back of his head and looked at his palm.”I thought I was bleeding,” he said.”I thought he hit me with that hatchet.”

“我料想他们也不会在这儿，”杰生说。他靠在墙上，用手摸了一把后脑勺，然后看看自己的手心，“我还以为我在流血呢。”他说。“我以为他用那把斧子打中我了。”

“No. And I don’t want to know. No member of my show can pull a stunt like that. You her¡­ brother?”

“不知道，我也不想知道。在我的戏班子里，谁也不许搞出这样的花样来，你是她的——哥哥吗？”

“Yes. He said they were not here. I thought he was lying.”

“好吧，他也说他们不在这儿。我还以为他是骗我呢。”

“Do you think I’m lying?” the man said.

“你以为我也在骗你吗？”那人说。

“No,” Jason said.”I know they’re not here.”

“不，”杰生说。“我知道他们不在这儿。”

“No,” Jason said.”It don’t make any difference.” He went to the car and got in. What is it I must do? he thought. Then he remembered. He started the engine and drove slowly up the street until he found a drugstore. The door was locked. He stood for a while with his hand on the knob and his head bent a little. Then he turned away and when a man came along after a while he asked if there was a drugstore open anywhere, but there was not. Then he asked when the northbound train ran, and the man told him at two thirty. He crossed the pavement and got in the car again and sat there. After a while two negro lads passed. He called to them.

“不是的，”杰生说。“这件事关系不大。”他走到汽车旁钻了进去。我现在该干什么呢？他想。接着他记起来了。他发动了引擎，顺着街慢慢驶行，直到他找到了一家药房。药房的门锁着。他一只手按在门把上，头稍稍俯伛地站了一会儿。他只好转开身去，过了一会，街上走来了一个人，他问那过路的什么地方有开门营业的药房，那人说哪儿也没有。他又问，北上的火车什么时候开，那人告诉他是两点三十分。他走下人行道，重又钻进汽车，在车里坐了一会儿。过来了两个黑人小青年。他叫住了他们。

“Yes.”

“是的。”

“Well, you get in it and go back to Jefferson. If you find them, it won’t be in my show. I run a respectable show. You say they robbed you?”

“好，快坐进去开回到杰弗生去吧。你要是真的能找到他们，也不会是在我的戏班子里。我这个戏班子可是规规矩矩的。你说你遭到他们的抢劫？”

“What’ll you charge to drive me to Jefferson right away?”

“现在就开车送我到杰弗生去，要多少钱？”

“Yes, suh.”

“会呀，先生。”

“Can either of you boys drive a car?”

“你们有人会开车吧，小伙子？”

They looked at one another, murmuring.

他们对看了一眼，嘴里在嘀嘀咕咕。

“I’ll pay a dollar,” Jason said.

“我给一块钱，”杰生说。

They murmured again.”Couldn’t go fer dat,” one said.

他们又嘀咕了一阵。“一块钱不成，”有一个小伙子说。

“All right,” Jason said.”Get in.”

“好吧，”杰生说，“上车吧。”

“I cant git off,” the other said.”Whyn’t you drive him up dar? You ain’t got nothin to do.”

“我走不开，”另外那个说。“你送他去不行吗？你又没事儿。”

“Give you two.”

“给你两块。”

“Yes,” Jason said.”What’ll you charge me?”

“是的，”杰生说。“你想要多少钱？”

“All right,” Jason said.”Go on.”

“那好，”杰生说。“走你们的吧。”

“Fo dollars.”

“四块钱。”

They murmured again, laughing.

他们又嘀嘀咕咕起来，还嘻嘻哈哈的笑。

“Is you de one wants to go to Jefferson?” he said.

“是你要去杰弗生吗？”他说。

“Kin you go?” one said.

“你能去吗？”一个小伙子说。

“What will you go for?”

“那你要多少？”

“Whut you got to do?”

“你有啥了不起的事儿？”

“Cant go fer no less’n fo.” The man in the car sat quietly. He wasn’t even looking at him. The negro said,”You want me er not?”

“四块，少了不去，”坐在车子里的那位一声不吭。他连看也不看那黑人一眼。黑人又说，“你到底要不要？”

“I cant git away neither,” the first said.

“我也走不开，”第一个小伙子说。

He sat there for some time. He heard a clock strike the half hour, then people began to pass, in Sunday and easter clothes. Some looked at him as they passed, at the man sitting quietly behind the wheel of a small car, with his invisible life ravelled out about him like a wornout sock, and went on. After a while a negro in overalls came up.

他在车子里坐了一阵子。他听见一只大钟敲了一下，也不知是几点半，接着穿着星期天和复活节衣服的人开始经过了。有几个人走过时还瞧了瞧他，瞧这个坐在小汽车驾驶盘前一声也不吭的人，他那无形的生命有如一只破袜子那样，线头正在一点点松开来。过了一会儿有个穿工装裤的黑人走了过来。

“I’ll give you two dollars,” Jason said.”Either of you.”

“我给两块钱，”杰生说。“谁去都成。”

“Yes I is.”

“不，我有事儿。”

He moved over and the negro took the wheel. Jason closed his eyes. I can get something for it at Jefferson, he told himself, easing himself to the jolting, I can get something there. They drove on, along the streets where people were turning peacefully into houses and Sunday dinners, and on out of town. He thought that. He wasn’t thinking of home, where Ben and Luster were eating cold dinner at the kitchen table. Something — the absence of disaster, threat, in any constant evil — permitted him to forget Jefferson as any place which he had ever seen before, where his life must resume itself.

他挪到一边去，让那黑人接过驾驶盘。杰生闭上了眼睛。我回到杰弗生后可得用点药治一治了，他喃喃自语，一面使自己尽量适应车子的颠簸。我回去后可得用点药了。他们往前驶去，穿过一条条街，街上的人们正安详地走进家门去享用星期天的午餐。接着他们一直开出了镇子。他在想他的头疼。他没有想家，在家里，班和勒斯特正坐在厨房桌子边吃冷餐。某种东西——在每一种经常性的罪恶中，灾难与威胁是根本不存在的——使他得以忘记杰弗生，仿佛它仅仅是他以前见过的某一个小镇，而不是他必须在那儿重新过他那老一套的生活的地方。

“Yessum,” Luster said. They went out. Dilsey ate her dinner and cleared up the kitchen. Then she went to the foot of the stairs and listened, but there was no sound. She returned through the kitchen and out the outer door and stopped on the steps. Ben and Luster were not in sight, but while she stood there she heard another sluggish twang from the direction of the cellar door and she went to the door and looked down upon a repetition of the morning’s scene.

“好咧，您哪，”勒斯特说。他们走出去了。迪尔西自己吃了饭，把厨房收拾干净。她然后来到楼梯口，谛听了一会儿，可是听不见什么声音、她又回来，穿过厨房，走出通院子的门，站停在台阶上。哪儿也没有班和勒斯特的影子，可是她站在那几时她听到从地窖的方向又传来一阵发闷的铮纵声。她来到地窖门口，朝下面张望，又看见了早上那一幕的重演。

“En you ain’t gwine find hit down here, neither,” Dilsey said.”You take him on out in de sun. You bofe get pneumonia down here on dis wet flo.”

“在下面地窖里你是怎么也找不到的，”迪尔西说。“你把他带出来，带到太陽底下来。地这么潮，你们俩都会得肺炎的。”

“He done hit jes dat way,” Luster said. He contemplated the motionless saw with a kind of hopeful dejection.”I ain’t got de right thing to hit it wid yit,” he said.

“那人也是这么干的，”勒斯特说。他带着尚有一丝希望的沮丧神情打量着那把一动不动的锯子。“我还是找不到合适的东西来敲它，”他说。

She waited and watched them cross the yard toward a clump of cedar trees near the fence. Then she went on to her cabin.

她伫立着，看他们穿过院子去到栅栏边的一丛雪松那里。这以后，她往自己的小木屋走去。

“Now, don’t you git started,” Luster said.”I had enough trouble wid you today.” There was a hammock made of barrel staves slatted into woven wires. Luster lay down in the swing, but Ben went on vaguely and purposelessly. He began to whimper again.”Hush, now,” Luster said.”I fixin to whup you.” He lay back in the swing. Ben had stopped moving, but Luster could hear him whimpering.”Is you gwine hush, er ain’t you?” Luster said. He got up and followed and came upon Ben squatting before a small mound of earth. At either end of it an empty bottle of blue glass that once contained poison was fixed in the ground. In one was a withered stalk of jimson weed. Ben squatted before it, moaning, a slow, inarticulate sound. Still moaning he sought vaguely about and found a twig and put it in the other bottle.”Whyn’t you hush?” Luster said.”You want me to give you somethin to sho nough moan about? Sposin I does dis.” He knelt and swept the bottle suddenly up and behind him. Ben ceased moaning. He squatted, looking at the small depression where the bottle had sat, then as he drew his lungs full Luster brought the bottle back into view.”Hush!” he hissed.”Don’t you dast to beller! Don’t you. Dar hit is. See? Here. You fixin to start ef you stays here. Come on, les go see ef dey started knockin ball yit.” He took Ben’s arm and drew him up and they went to the fence and stood side by side there, peering between the matted honeysuckle not yet in bloom.

“好了，别又开始哼哼了，”勒斯特说，“你今天给我惹的麻烦已经够多的了。”这儿有一张吊床，是把一块块桶板插在编织的绳网里做成的。勒斯特躺在吊床 上，班却呆呆地、毫无目的地朝前走去。他又开始哼哼了。“行了，快别出声了，”勒斯特说，“我可真的要抽你啦。”他躺回到吊床 上。班站住不动了，可是勒斯特仍能听见他在哼哼。“你到底给我住嘴不住嘴？”勒斯特说。他爬下吊床，循声赶过去，看见班蹲在一个小土墩的前面。土墩的左右方都埋着一只蓝玻璃的小瓶，这种瓶子以前是用来放毒药的，一只瓶子里插着一根枯萎的吉姆生草。班蹲在它前面，呻吟着，发出一种拖长的、含糊不清的声音。他一边哼哼，一边在四下茫然地寻找着什么。他终于找来了一根小树枝，把它插在另外的那个小瓶子里。“你干吗不给我往嘴，”勒斯特说，“你是要我给你来点真格儿的，好让你想不哭也办不到，是吗？好，我干脆给称来这一下。”他跪了下来，一把拔起瓶子往身后一藏。班止住了呻吟声。他蹲在那里，察看方才埋瓶子的那个小坑，吸进了一大口气，正准备大哭，这时勒斯特把瓶子重新拿了出来。“别叫！”他压俩了声音嘶嘶地说，“瞧你敢喊出一下声来！你敢不敢。瓶子就在这里。看见啦？给。你呆在这里总是要叫的。走吧，咱们去看看他们开始打球没有。”他拽住班的胳膊，把他拖起来，两人来到栅栏跟前，肩并肩地站在那儿，透过密密的一层还未开花的忍冬，朝牧场上望去。

When Ben and Luster were done Dilsey sent them outdoors.”And see kin you let him alone twell fo o’clock. T. P. be here den.”

班和勒斯特吃完冷餐后，迪尔西把他们支了出去。“你尽力使他安安静静地呆到四点钟。到那时T．P．也该回来了。”

“Hush, Benjy,” Luster said, but Ben went on at his shambling trot, clinging to the fence, wailing in his hoarse, hopeless voice. The man played and went on, Ben keeping pace with him until the fence turned at right angles, and he clung to the fence, watching the people move on and away.

“别吵，班吉，”勒斯特说，可班还是把住了栅栏，蹒蹒跚跚地小跑着，一边用嘶哑、绝望的声音哭喊着。那人打了一下球，朝前走去。班亦步亦趋地跟着，直到栅栏拐了一个直角，他就只好紧抓住了栅栏，瞧着那人一点点远去了。

They watched the foursome play onto the green and out, and move to the tee and drive. Ben watched, whimpering, slobbering. When the foursome went on he followed along the fence, bobbing and moaning. One said,

他们瞧着那四个打球的把球打到小草坪上，打进小洞，接着走到开球处重新开球。班一边看一边哼哼唧唧，嘟嘟哝哝。有一个打球的喊道：

A moment later, in the slow intervals of Ben’s voice, Luster heard Dilsey calling. He took Ben by the arm and they crossed the yard toward her.

一分钟之后，透过班一声声拖长的叫唤，勒斯特听到了迪尔西的叫声。他拉住班的胳膊，把班拖到院子另一头迪尔西的面前。

“Dar,” Luster said.”Dar come some. See um?”

“瞧，”勒斯特说，“有几个人走过来了。看见了吗？”

“Will you hush now?” Luster said.”Will you hush now?” He shook Ben’s arm. Ben clung to the fence, wailing steadily and hoarsely.”Ain’t you gwine stop?” Luster said.”Or is you?” Ben gazed through the fence.”All right, den,” Luster said.”You want somethin to beller about?” He looked over his shoulder, toward the house. Then he whispered:”Caddy! Beller now. Caddy! Caddy! Caddy!”

“你给我住嘴行不行？”勒斯特说，“你快给我住嘴行不行？”他摇晃班的胳膊。班攥紧了栅栏，不停地嘎声嚎叫。“你住嘴不住嘴？”勒斯特说，“到底住嘴不住嘴？”班呆呆地透过栅栏朝外张望。“那好吧，”勒斯特说，“我给个理由让你叫。”他扭过头朝屋子的方向着了一眼，接着便轻声地说：“凯蒂！你现在吼吧。凯蒂！凯蒂！凯蒂！”

“Here, caddie. Bring the bag.”

“球在这里，开弟。把球棒袋拿过来。”

“You vilyun!” Dilsey said.”Whut you done to him?”

“你这坏蛋！”迪尔西说，“你把他怎么样啦？”

“I tole you he warn’t gwine stay quiet,” Luster said.

“我早就跟您说过他不肯安静，”勒斯特说。

But he wouldn’t hush. They crossed the yard quickly and went to the cabin and entered.”Run git dat shoe,” Dilsey said.”Don’t you sturb Miss Cahline, now. Ef she say anything, tell her I got him. Go on, now; you kin sho do dat right, I reckon.” Luster went out. Dilsey led Ben to the bed and drew him down beside her and she held him, rocking back and forth, wiping his drooling mouth upon the hem of her skirt.”Hush, now,” she said, stroking his head.”Hush. Dilsey got you.” But he bellowed slowly, abjectly, without tears; the grave hopeless sound of all voiceless misery under the sun. Luster returned, carrying a white satin slipper. It was yellow now, and cracked, and soiled, and when they gave it into Ben’s hand he hushed for a while. But he still whimpered, and soon he lifted his voice again.

可是他还是不肯停。他们急急地穿过院子，来到小木屋，走了进去。“快跑去把那只拖鞋拿来，”迪尔西说。“只是别吵醒卡罗琳小姐，听见没有。要是她说什么，你就说是我在看着他呢。好，去吧，这件事你总不至于办槽吧，我想。”勒斯特走了出去。迪尔西把班领到床 边，让他在自己身边坐下，抱住他，一前一后地摇着，用裙子边擦干他那淌口水的嘴。“好啦，不哭了，”她说，抚摸着他的头，“不哭了。有迪尔西在看着你呢。”可他还是在慢腾腾地、可怜巴巴地干嚎着；那真是世界上所有无言的痛苦中最最严肃、最最绝望的声音了。勒斯特回来了，拿来了一只白缎子的拖鞋。这只拖鞋如今已发黄、脆裂了，弄脏了。他们把它放在班的手里，他就暂时收住了声音。可是他仍然在哼哼，过不多久，他的声音又大起来了。

“You come on here,” Dilsey said.”Hush, Benjy. Hush, now.”

“你们上这儿来，”迪尔西说。“不哭了，班吉。好了，不哭了。”

“I ain’t done nothin. I tole you when dem folks start playin, he git started up.”

“我啥也没干呀。我早就跟您说了，只要人家一打球，他就来劲儿了。”

Dilsey rocked back and forth, stroking Ben’s head.

迪尔西抚摸着班的头，一前一后地摇晃他。

“He say yistiddy he gwine out to St John’s today. Say he be back at fo.”

“他昨儿个说今天要上圣约翰堂去。说好四点钟回来的。”

“You reckon you kin find T. P.?” Dilsey said.

“你看能我得到T．P．吗？”迪尔西说。

“I kin drive dat surrey, mammy,” Luster said.

“我也会赶那辆马车的，姥姥，”勒斯特说。

“Dis long time, O Jesus,” she said.”Dis long time.”

“要这么久，耶稣啊，”她说，“要这么久。”

“Hush, honey,” Dilsey said, stroking Ben’s head.”Luster, honey,” she said.”Will you think about yo ole mammy en drive dat surrey right?”

“别哭了，宝贝儿，”迪尔西说，一边摸摸班的脑袋。“勒斯特，好孩子，”她说，“你能不能听姥姥的话，当心点儿赶马车？”

“Yessum,” Luster said.”I drive hit jes like T. P.”

“可以啊，您哪，”勒斯特说，“我赶车跟T．P．一样好。”

“You kill bofe y’all,” Dilsey said.”You do hit fer devilment. I knows you got plenty sense to. But I cant trust you. Hush, now,” she said.”Hush. Hush.”

“你会把你们俩都摔死的，”迪尔西说，“你是要淘气才想赶车的。我知道你聪明是够聪明的，可我就是对你不放心。不哭了，好了，”她说，“不哭了。不哭了。”

“Nome I won’t,” Luster said.”I drives wid T. P.” Dilsey rocked back and forth, holding Ben.”Miss Cahline say ef you cant quiet him, she gwine git up en come down en do hit.”

“不，我不会出事的。”勒斯特说，“我和T·P·一起赶过车。”迪尔西抱着班摇来摇去。“卡罗琳小姐说，要是你设法让他安静，她就要起床 下楼自己来哄他了。”

Dilsey stroked Ben’s head, rocking back and forth.”I does de bes I kin,” she said.”Lawd knows dat. Go git it, den,” she said, rising. Luster scuttled out. Ben held the slipper, crying.”Hush, now. Luster gone to git de surrey en take you to de graveyard. We ain’t gwine risk gittin yo cap,” she said. She went to a closet contrived of a calico curtain hung across a corner of the room and got the felt hat she had worn.”We’s down to worse’n dis, ef folks jes knowed,” she said.”You’s de Lawd’s chile, anyway. En I be His’n too, fo long, praise Jesus. Here.” She put the hat on his head and buttoned his coat. He wailed steadily. She took the slipper from him and put it away and they went out. Luster came up, with an ancient white horse in a battered and lopsided surrey.

迪尔西抚摸着班的头，前后摇晃着。“我已经尽了心了，”她说，“主是知道的。那你去套车吧，”她说，一边站了起来。勒斯特一阵风似的跑了出去。班捏着那只拖鞋在哭喊。“快别哭了。勒斯特去赶马车来带你上墓地去。咱们也不必多事去取你的便帽了，”她说。她走到屋角用花布帘隔开的一个小间那里，取来那顶她戴过的毡帽。“咱们家有一阵比现在还倒霉呢，这事也不用瞒人了，”她说。“不管怎么说，你是主的孩子。我也快要做主的孩子了，赞美耶稣。哪，戴上吧。”她把毡帽扣在他头上，又给他扣上外套的钮扣。他还在不住地哼哭。她把他手里的拖鞋拿掉，放在一边，接着他们走了出去。这时勒斯特赶了一匹拖着辆破破歪歪的马车的老白马来了。

“Hit de onliest one I could find,” Luster said.”Y’all took all of um Friday to dec’rate de church. Wait, I’ll fix hit.” So while Dilsey held the horse Luster put a splint on the flower stalk with a twig and two bits of string and gave it to Ben. Then he mounted and took the reins. Dilsey still held the bridle.

“只能找到这支嘛，”勒斯特说。“你们星期五把花摘得一干二净，都拿去打扮教堂了。等等，我来想个办法。”迪尔西拉住了马，勒斯特找来一根小树枝和两段细绳，给花茎做了副“夹板”，然后递给班。接着他爬上马车，拿起僵绳。迪尔西仍然抓住马勒不放。

“Hum up, Queenie,” Luster said.

“走罗，‘小王后’。”勒斯特说。

“Dat un broke,” Dilsey said.”Whyn’t you git him a good un?”

“这支是断了的，”迪尔西说，“干吗你不给他摘支好一点的？”

“You knows de way now?” she said.”Up de street, round de square, to de graveyard, den straight back home.”

“你现在认识路了吧。”她说，“先顺着大街走，在广场那儿拐弯，去墓地，然后就直接回家。”

“Hit’s his flower,” Luster said.”Wait, I’ll git him one.”

“他是要他的花呢，”勒斯特说。“等着，我去给他摘一支。”

“You set right dar,” Dilsey said. She went and took the cheekstrap.”Now, hurry en git him one.” Luster ran around the house, toward the garden. He came back with a single narcissus.

“你先别动，”迪尔西说，她走上去拉住马儿口勒边的一根绳子。“好，快去给他摘吧。”勒斯特飞奔着绕过屋角，朝花园跑去。他回来时只拿着一支水仙花。

“Yessum.” Dilsey released the bridle.

“知道了，您哪。”于是迪尔西放开了马勒。

“You gwine be careful, now?”

“你得小心哟，嗯？”

“Yessum,” Luster said.”Hum up, Queenie.”

“知道了，姥姥。”勒斯特说，“走起来，‘小王后’。”

“Yessum,” Luster said. She helped Ben into the back seat. He had ceased crying, but now he began to whimper again.

“没错儿，姥姥，”勒斯特说。她扶班坐进后面的座位，他刚才不哭了，可是现在又开始在哼哼唧唧了。

“You gwine be careful, Luster?” she said.

“你会小心的吧，勒斯特？”她说。

“Give hit here,” Dilsey said, approaching the wheel. Luster gave it to her reluctantly.

“快点给我，”迪尔西说，朝车轱辘走去。勒斯特老大不情愿地把鞭子给了她。

“Den you do de same thing dis Sunday.”

“那你今天就依葫芦画瓢走一遭吧。”

“You, Luster!” Dilsey said.

“当心啊，勒斯特！”迪尔西说。

“Never you mind about dat,” Dilsey said.”Queenie know mo bout whar she gwine dan you does. All you got to do es set dar en hold dem reins. You knows de way, now?”

“这你放心好了，”迪尔西说。“该怎么走’小王后’比你清楚得多。你只消捏住缰绳，坐稳在座上就得，别的都不用操心。你现在认得路了吧？”

“Aw, mammy,” Luster said.

“哦，姥姥，”勒斯特说。

He flapped the lines on Queenie’s broad back and the surrey lurched into motion.

他在“小王后”宽阔的背上甩了甩僵绳，那辆马车晃了一下，往前走了。

“Yessum,” Luster said.”Hum up, Queenie.”

“好咧，您哪，”勒斯特说。“打起精神来，‘小王后’。”

“Hum up, dar!” Luster said. He flapped the lines again. With subterranean rumblings Queenie jogged slowly down the drive and turned into the street, where Luster exhorted her into a gait resembling a prolonged and suspended fall in a forward direction.

“走哟，老马！”勒斯特说。他又甩了甩缰绳，在一阵隐隐约约的隆隆声中，“小王后”慢腾腾地走下车道，拐上大街，来到这里以后，勒斯特催迫它走一种不断慢腾腾地往下摔跤似的向前挪的步姿。

“Den do hit again,” Dilsey said.”G’awn, now. En ef you hurts Benjy, nigger boy, I don’t know whut I do. You bound fer de chain gang, but I’ll send you dar fo even chain gang ready fer you.”

“那好，你再替他一次，”迪尔西说，“好，走吧。不过要是你让班受了伤，黑小子，那我自己都不知道该怎么来对付你了。反正苦役队是一定要进的，不过不等苦役队来找你，我就先把你送进去。”

“Cose I is. Ain’t I drove fer T. P. mo’n a hund’ed times?”

“那还用说。其实我早就替T·P·赶过车了，一百次都不止了。”

“Yessum. Same way T. P. goes ev’y Sunday.”

“认得，姥姥，不就是T·P·每个星期天赶的路线吗？”

“I won’t never git Queenie started now.”

“那我可没法让‘小王后’挪腿了。”

“Here,” Dilsey said.”You han me dat whup.”

“嗨，”迪尔西说，“你把鞭子给我。”

They approached the square, where the Confederate soldier gazed with empty eyes beneath his marble hand in wind and weather. Luster took still another notch in himself and gave the impervious Queenie a cut with the switch, casting his glance about the square.”Dar Mr Jason car,” he said, then he spied another group of negroes.”Les show dem niggers how quality does, Benjy,” he said.”Whut you say?” He looked back. Ben sat, holding the flower in his fist, his gaze empty and untroubled. Luster hit Queenie again and swung her to the left at the monument.

他们接近广场了，那儿有一尊南方联盟士兵的石像，在那只饱经风霜的大理石的手掌下，他那双空无眼珠的眼睛在瞪视着前方。勒斯特更来劲儿了，他往麻木不仁的“小王后”身上狠狠地拍了一下，同对朝广场上瞥了一眼。“杰生先生的汽车在这儿呢，”他说，同时眼角里也扫到了走过来的另一伙黑人。“让那些黑小子看看咱的气派，班吉，”他说，“你说怎么样？”他扭过头去一望。班端坐着，手里紧紧地攥着那支花，眼光茫茫然的毫无反应。勒斯特又拍了“小王后”一下，驶到纪念碑前，把马头呼的朝左边拐去。

“Hi,” Luster said.”Ain’t de same boneyard y’all headed fer. Hum up, elefump.”

“嘻，”勒斯特说，“你们不也都在往埋骨头的地方走吗。打起精神来，我的大象。”

“Dar Luster. Whar you gwine, Luster? To de boneyard?”

“哦，勒斯特。你上哪儿啊，勒斯特？是去埋骨头的地方吧？”

Ben quit whimpering. He sat in the middle of the seat, holding the repaired flower upright in his fist, his eyes serene and ineffable. Directly before him Luster’s bullet head turned backward continually until the house passed from view, then he pulled to the side of the street and while Ben watched him he descended and broke a switch from a hedge. Queenie lowered her head and fell to cropping the grass until Luster mounted and hauled her head up and harried her into motion again, then he squared his elbows and with the switch and the reins held high he assumed a swaggering attitude out of all proportion to the sedate clopping of Queenie’s hooves and the organlike basso of her internal accompaniment. Motors passed them, and pedestrians; once a group of half grown negroes:

班现在不再哼哼了。他坐在后座正当中，端端正正地举着那支经过修整的花，他的目光宁静安详、难以猫摹、正对着他的是勒斯特那颗象子弹般的头，在大房子看不见之前，这颗脑袋老是扭过来朝后面张望。这以后，勒斯特让马车在路边停下，他跳下来，从树篱上折下一根枝条。班呢，眼睁睁地看着他。“小王后”低下了头在啃啮地上的青草，勒斯特登上马车，把它的脑袋拉起来，催它继续前进。然后勒斯特支出双肘，高举树枝和缰绳，屁股一颠一颠的，跟“小王后”疏疏落落的蹄声和腹内发出的风琴般的低音全然合不上拍。一辆辆汽车以及行人从他们身边经过，他们还遇到了一群半大不小的黑小伙儿。

With a backhanded blow he hurled Luster aside and caught the reins and sawed Queenie about and doubled the reins back and slashed her across the hips. He cut her again and again, into a plunging gallop, while Ben’s hoarse agony roared about them, and swung her about to the right of the monument. Then he struck Luster over the head with his fist.

他手背一挥，把勒斯特推到一边去，一把抓住缰绳，把它一收一放，又把缰绳弯进一段，用它来抽“小王后”的屁股。他抽了一下又一下，它一颠一颠地飞跑起来，这时班的吼叫声还在他们耳边直晌，他就驾着马让它从纪念碑的右面拐弯。这以后他朝勒斯特头上揍了一拳。

For an instant Ben sat in an utter hiatus. Then he bellowed. Bellow on bellow, his voice mounted, with scarce interval for breath. There was more than astonishment in it, it was horror; shock; agony eyeless, tongueless; just sound, and Luster’s eyes backrolling for a white instant.”Gret God,” he said.”Hush! Hush! Gret God!” He whirled again and struck Queenie with the switch. It broke and he cast it away and with Ben’s voice mounting toward its unbelievable crescendo Luster caught up the end of the reins and leaned forward as Jason came jumping across the square and onto the step.

起先，班一动不动地坐在马车上，仿佛是一片空白。接着，他大声地吼叫起来。①一声紧接一声，声音越来越响，而且简直不留喘气的间隙。声音里所包皮含的不仅仅是惊愕，而且也有恐怖、震惊，是一种没有外形、不可言状的痛苦，它只是一种声音，于是勒斯特眼珠乱转，有一瞬间眼眶里全部是眼白。“老天爷呀，”他说，“别叫了，别叫了！好老天！”他扭回身去，用树枝抽了“小王后”一下。树枝断了，他把它扔掉，这时班的声音越来越大，越来越高，到了令人难以置信的地步。勒斯特干脆身体前俯，勒紧缰绳，这时杰生边跳边跑地穿过广场，踩上了马车的蹬级。（注：①据喀尔文·布朗的《福克纳的南方词汇》一书解释，南方每一个县城都有一座南方联盟纪念碑。福克纳的故乡奥克斯福的那座是一个南方联盟士兵的雕像，座落在法院前的广场上。小说中，班吉每星期坐T．P．赶的马车上墓地去，都从雕像右边拐弯。这一次勒斯特驾车从雕像左面转弯，故而引起班的情绪激动。）

“Don’t you know any better than to take him to the left?” he said. He reached back and struck Ben, breaking the flower stalk again.”Shut up!” he said.”Shut up!” He jerked Queenie back and jumped down.”Get to hell on home with him. If you ever cross that gate with him again, I’ll kill you!”

“你怎么这么傻，让班吉从左边走？”他说。他弯过身去打班，把班的花茎又弄折了。“闭嘴！”他说，“给我闭嘴！”他勒住“小王后”跳下车来。“快带了他滚回去。要是你再带他走出大门，瞧我不宰了你！”

THE END

（完）

“Yes, suh!” Luster said. He took the reins and hit Queenie with the end of them.”Git up! Git up, dar! Benjy, fer God’s sake!”

“是，老爷！”勒斯特说。他拿起缰绳用它的一端抽打“小王后”，“走呀！走呀，快点儿！班吉，看在老天的面上，别叫了！”

Ben’s voice roared and roared. Queenie moved again, her feet began to clop-clop steadily again, and at once Ben hushed. Luster looked quickly back over his shoulder, then he drove on. The broken flower drooped over Ben’s fist and his eyes were empty and blue and serene again as cornice and facade flowed smoothly once more from left to right, post and tree, window and doorway and signboard each in its ordered place.

班的声音吼了又吼。“小王后”又移动了，得得的蹄声又均匀地响了起来。班马上就不叫了。勒斯特很快地扭过头来看了一眼，又接着赶路了。那支折断的花耷拉在班的拳头上，建筑物的飞檐和门面再次从左到右平稳地滑到后面去，这时，班的蓝色的眼睛又是茫然与安详的了：电杆、树木、窗子、门廊和招牌，每样东西又都是井井有条的了。