死掉的小狗

One end of the great barn was piled high with new hay and over the pile hung the four-taloned Jackson fork suspended from its pulley.

大穀倉的一頭堆滿了新乾草，乾草堆上方，四爪的傑克遜乾草叉掛在滑輪上。

The hay came down like a mountain slope to the other end of the barn, and there was a level place as yet unfilled with the new crop.

乾草像山坡一樣往穀倉另一頭斜下去，那一頭還有一塊平地，還沒堆上新收的草。

At the sides the feeding racks were visible, and between the slats the heads of horses could be seen.

兩側可以看到飼料架，從木條之間可以看見馬頭。

It was Sunday afternoon.

那是週日下午。

The resting horses nibbled the remaining wisps of hay, and they stamped their feet and they bit the wood of the mangers and rattled the halter chains.

休息的馬匹啃著剩下的幾縷乾草，跺著腳，咬著馬槽的木頭，把韁繩鐵鏈弄得嘩啦響。

The afternoon sun sliced in through the cracks of the barn walls and lay in bright lines on the hay.

午後的陽光從穀倉牆壁的縫隙切進來，在乾草上鋪出一道道亮線。

There was the buzz of flies in the air, the lazy afternoon humming.

空氣中有蒼蠅嗡嗡地飛，那是慵懶的午後低鳴。

From outside came the clang of horseshoes on the playing peg and the shouts of men, playing, encouraging, jeering.

外面傳來馬蹄鐵撞上鐵樁的鏗鏘聲，還有男人們的吆喝，有人在玩、有人加油、有人起鬨。

But in the barn it was quiet and humming and lazy and warm.

可是穀倉裡安靜、嗡嗡作響、慵懶而溫暖。

Only Lennie was in the barn, and Lennie sat in the hay beside a packing case under a manger in the end of the barn that had not been filled with hay.

穀倉裡只有雷尼，他坐在還沒堆乾草的那一頭，一個馬槽底下的貨箱旁，坐在乾草上。

Lennie sat in the hay and looked at a little dead puppy that lay in front of him.

雷尼坐在乾草上，看著躺在他面前的一隻死掉的小狗。

Lennie looked at it for a long time, and then he put out his huge hand and stroked it, stroked it clear from one end to the other.

雷尼看了牠很久，然後伸出他巨大的手摸牠，從頭一路摸到尾。

And Lennie said softly to the puppy, “Why do you got to get killed?

雷尼輕聲對小狗說：「你為什麼要死掉？

You ain’t so little as mice.

你又沒有老鼠那麼小。

I didn’t bounce you hard.”

我又沒有很用力拍你。」

He bent the pup’s head up and looked in its face, and he said to it, “Now maybe George ain’t gonna let me tend no rabbits, if he fin’s out you got killed.”

他把小狗的頭扳起來，看著牠的臉，對牠說：「要是喬治發現你死掉了，說不定他就不讓我照顧兔子了。」

He scooped a little hollow and laid the puppy in it and covered it over with hay, out of sight; but he continued to stare at the mound he had made.

他挖了一個小坑，把小狗放進去，用乾草蓋起來，看不見了；可是他還是一直盯著自己堆起的那個小土堆。

He said, “This ain’t no bad thing like I got to go hide in the brush.

他說：「這不是那種我得去躲進灌木叢的壞事。

Oh! no. This ain’t.

喔！不是。這不是。

I’ll tell George I foun’ it dead.”

我就跟喬治說我撿到的時候牠就死了。」

He unburied the puppy and inspected it, and he stroked it from ears to tail.

他又把小狗挖出來看，從耳朵摸到尾巴。

He went on sorrowfully, “But he’ll know.

他難過地接著說：「可是他會知道。

George always knows.

喬治什麼都知道。

He’ll say, ‘You done it. Don’t try to put nothing over on me.’

他會說：『是你幹的。別想騙我。』

An’ he’ll say, ‘Now jus’ for that you don’t get to tend no rabbits!’ ”

然後他會說：『就因為這樣，你不准照顧兔子了！』」

Suddenly his anger arose.

他突然生起氣來。

“God damn you,” he cried.

「該死的你。」他大喊。

“Why do you got to get killed?

「你為什麼要死掉？

You ain’t so little as mice.”

你又沒有老鼠那麼小。」

He picked up the pup and hurled it from him.

他抓起小狗，一把扔了出去。

He turned his back on it.

他背對著牠。

He sat bent over his knees and he whispered, “Now I won’t get to tend the rabbits.

他彎著身子抱著膝蓋坐著，低聲說：「現在我不能照顧兔子了。

Now he won’t let me.”

現在他不會讓我照顧了。」

He rocked himself back and forth in his sorrow.

他難過地前後搖晃著身子。

From outside came the clang of horseshoes on the iron stake, and then a little chorus of cries.

外面傳來馬蹄鐵撞上鐵樁的鏗鏘聲，接著是一小陣齊聲的叫喊。

Lennie got up and brought the puppy back and laid it on the hay and sat down.

雷尼站起來，把小狗撿回來放在乾草上，又坐下。

He stroked the pup again.

他又摸起小狗。

“You wasn’t big enough,” he said.

「你不夠大。」他說。

“They tol’ me and tol’ me you wasn’t.

「他們一直跟我說、一直跟我說你還不夠大。

I di’n’t know you’d get killed so easy.”

我不知道你這麼容易就死掉。」

He worked his fingers on the pup’s limp ear.

他用手指撥弄著小狗軟塌塌的耳朵。

“Maybe George won’t care,” he said.

「也許喬治不會在乎。」他說。

“This here God damn little son-of-a-bitch wasn’t nothing to George.”

「這個該死的小狗娘養的，對喬治來說又不算什麼。」

Curley’s wife came around the end of the last stall.

柯利的老婆從最後一個馬欄的盡頭繞過來。

She came very quietly, so that Lennie didn’t see her.

她走得很輕，雷尼沒看到她。

She wore her bright cotton dress and the mules with the red ostrich feathers.

她穿著那件鮮豔的棉洋裝，和那雙綴著紅鴕鳥羽毛的拖鞋。

Her face was made up and the little sausage curls were all in place.

她化了妝，那些香腸似的小捲髮都整整齊齊。

She was quite near to him before Lennie looked up and saw her.

她已經走得很近了，雷尼才抬頭看到她。

In a panic he shoveled hay over the puppy with his fingers.

他慌忙用手指把乾草撥到小狗身上。

He looked sullenly up at her.

他悶悶不樂地抬頭看她。

She said, “What you got there, sonny boy?”

她說：「小傢伙，你那裡藏了什麼？」

Lennie glared at her.

雷尼瞪著她。

“George says I ain’t to have nothing to do with you—talk to you or nothing.”

「喬治說我不准跟你有任何關係——不准跟你講話，什麼都不准。」

She laughed.

她笑了。

“George giving you orders about everything?”

「什麼事都是喬治在命令你？」

Lennie looked down at the hay.

雷尼低頭看著乾草。

“Says I can’t tend no rabbits if I talk to you or anything.”

「他說我要是跟你講話什麼的，就不能照顧兔子。」

She said quietly, “He’s scared Curley’ll get mad.

她靜靜地說：「他是怕柯利生氣。

Well, Curley got his arm in a sling—an’ if Curley gets tough, you can break his other han’.

哼，柯利的手臂吊著三角巾——要是柯利敢兇，你可以把他另一隻手也捏碎。

You didn’t put nothing over on me about gettin’ it caught in no machine.”

什麼被機器夾到的，你們騙不了我。」

But Lennie was not to be drawn.

可是雷尼不上鉤。

“No, sir. I ain’t gonna talk to you or nothing.”

「不，先生。我不要跟你講話，什麼都不要。」

She knelt in the hay beside him.

她跪到他旁邊的乾草上。

“Listen,” she said.

「聽我說。」她說。

“All the guys got a horseshoe tenement goin’ on.

「那些人都在比擲馬蹄鐵。

It’s on’y about four o’clock.

現在才四點左右。

None of them guys is goin’ to leave that tenement.

沒有一個人會離開那場比賽。

Why can’t I talk to you?

為什麼我不能跟你講話？

I never get to talk to nobody.

我從來沒有人可以說話。

I get awful lonely.”

我好寂寞。」

Lennie said, “Well, I ain’t supposed to talk to you or nothing.”

雷尼說：「可是我不應該跟你講話，什麼都不應該。」

“I get lonely,” she said.

「我很寂寞。」她說。

“You can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley.

「你可以跟人說話，可是我除了柯利，誰都不能說。

Else he gets mad.

不然他會生氣。

How’d you like not to talk to anybody?”

要是你不能跟任何人說話，你會怎麼想？」

Lennie said, “Well, I ain’t supposed to.

雷尼說：「可是我不應該。

George’s scared I’ll get in trouble.”

喬治怕我惹麻煩。」

She changed the subject.

她換了個話題。

“What you got covered up there?”

「你那裡蓋著什麼？」

Then all of Lennie’s woe came back on him.

這下雷尼所有的悲傷又湧了回來。

“Jus’ my pup,” he said sadly.

「只是我的小狗。」他難過地說。

“Jus’ my little pup.”

「只是我的小小狗。」

And he swept the hay from on top of it.

他把蓋在上面的乾草撥開。

“Why, he’s dead,” she cried.

「哎呀，牠死了。」她叫起來。

“He was so little,” said Lennie.

「牠好小。」雷尼說。

“I was jus’ playin’ with him . . . an’ he made like he’s gonna bite me . . . an’ I made like I was gonna smack him . . . an’ . . . an’ I done it.

「我只是在跟牠玩……然後牠假裝要咬我……然後我假裝要打牠……然後……然後我就真的打了。

An’ then he was dead.”

然後牠就死了。」

She consoled him.

她安慰他。

“Don’t you worry none.

「別擔心。

He was jus’ a mutt.

牠只是一隻雜種狗。

You can get another one easy.

你很容易就能再弄一隻。

The whole country is fulla mutts.”

全國到處都是雜種狗。」

“It ain’t that so much,” Lennie explained miserably.

「不全是因為那個。」雷尼可憐兮兮地解釋。

“George ain’t gonna let me tend no rabbits now.”

「喬治現在不會讓我照顧兔子了。」

“Why don’t he?”

「他為什麼不讓？」

“Well, he said if I done any more bad things he ain’t gonna let me tend the rabbits.”

「因為他說要是我再做壞事，他就不讓我照顧兔子。」

She moved closer to him and she spoke soothingly.

她靠近他，溫柔地說。

“Don’t you worry about talkin’ to me.

「別擔心跟我講話的事。

Listen to the guys yell out there.

你聽外面那些人在叫。

They got four dollars bet in that tenement.

他們在那場比賽押了四塊錢。

None of them ain’t gonna leave till it’s over.”

比完之前沒有人會離開。」

“If George sees me talkin’ to you he’ll give me hell,” Lennie said cautiously.

「要是喬治看到我跟你講話，他會罵死我。」雷尼小心地說。

“He tol’ me so.”

「他跟我說過。」

Her face grew angry.

她的臉生氣起來。

“Wha’s the matter with me?” she cried.

「我到底哪裡不對？」她大喊。

“Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody?

「我就沒有權利跟人說話嗎？

Whatta they think I am, anyways?

他們到底把我當成什麼？

You’re a nice guy.

你是個好人。

I don’t know why I can’t talk to you.

我不懂為什麼我不能跟你講話。

I ain’t doin’ no harm to you.”

我又沒有傷害你。」

“Well, George says you’ll get us in a mess.”

「可是喬治說你會害我們惹上麻煩。」

“Aw, nuts!” she said.

「呸，胡說！」她說。

“What kinda harm am I doin’ to you?

「我對你造成什麼傷害了？

Seems like they ain’t none of them cares how I gotta live.

好像他們沒有一個人在乎我得怎麼過日子。

I tell you I ain’t used to livin’ like this.

我跟你說，我不習慣這樣過日子。

I coulda made somethin’ of myself.”

我本來可以有點出息的。」

She said darkly, “Maybe I will yet.”

她陰沉地說：「也許我還是會有。」

And then her words tumbled out in a passion of communication, as though she hurried before her listener could be taken away.

接著她的話一股腦兒湧出來，帶著傾訴的熱切，好像要趕在聽的人被帶走之前說完。

“I lived right in Salinas,” she said.

「我就住在薩利納斯。」她說。

“Come there when I was a kid.

「小時候就搬去那裡。

Well, a show come through, an’ I met one of the actors.

有一次一個劇團經過，我認識了其中一個演員。

He says I could go with that show.

他說我可以跟著劇團走。

But my ol’ lady wouldn’ let me.

可是我媽不讓我去。

She says because I was on’y fifteen.

她說因為我才十五歲。

But the guy says I coulda.

可是那個人說我可以的。

If I’d went, I wouldn’t be livin’ like this, you bet.”

要是我去了，我才不會過這種日子，我保證。」

Lennie stroked the pup back and forth.

雷尼來來回回地摸著小狗。

“We gonna have a little place—an’ rabbits,” he explained.

「我們會有一塊小地方——還有兔子。」他解釋。

She went on with her story quickly, before she should be interrupted.

她很快地接著講她的故事，免得被打斷。

“ ’Nother time I met a guy, an’ he was in pitchers.

「還有一次我認識一個人，他是拍電影的。

Went out to the Riverside Dance Palace with him.

我跟他去了河濱舞廳。

He says he was gonna put me in the movies.

他說他要讓我演電影。

Says I was a natural.

說我是天生的明星。

Soon’s he got back to Hollywood he was gonna write to me about it.”

他說一回好萊塢就會寫信跟我說這件事。」

She looked closely at Lennie to see whether she was impressing him.

她仔細看著雷尼，看自己有沒有讓他佩服。

“I never got that letter,” she said.

「我一直沒收到那封信。」她說。

“I always thought my ol’ lady stole it.

「我一直覺得是我媽偷了。

Well, I wasn’t gonna stay no place where I couldn’t get nowhere or make something of myself, an’ where they stole your letters.

哼，我才不要待在一個沒有前途、不能出人頭地，還有人偷你信的地方。

I ast her if she stole it, too, an’ she says no.

我也問過她有沒有偷，她說沒有。

So I married Curley.

所以我就嫁給了柯利。

Met him out to the Riverside Dance Palace that same night.”

就是同一天晚上在河濱舞廳認識他的。」

She demanded, “You listenin’?”

她追問：「你有在聽嗎？」

“Me? Sure.”

「我？有啊。」

“Well, I ain’t told this to nobody before.

「我從來沒跟任何人說過這些。

Maybe I ought’n to.

也許我不該說。

I don’ like Curley.

我不喜歡柯利。

He ain’t a nice fella.”

他不是好人。」

And because she had confided in him, she moved closer to Lennie and sat beside him.

因為她已經對他吐露了心事，她就靠得更近，坐到雷尼身邊。

“Coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes—all them nice clothes like they wear.

「我本來可以演電影，有漂亮的衣服——就是她們穿的那些漂亮衣服。

An’ I coulda sat in them big hotels, an’ had pitchers took of me.

我本來可以坐在那些大飯店裡，讓人幫我拍照。

When they had them previews I coulda went to them, an’ spoke in the radio, an’ it wouldn’ta cost me a cent because I was in the pitcher.

他們辦首映會的時候我可以去參加，還可以上電台講話，一毛錢都不用花，因為我在電影裡演出。

An’ all them nice clothes like they wear.

還有她們穿的那些漂亮衣服。

Because this guy says I was a natural.”

因為那個人說我是天生的明星。」

She looked up at Lennie, and she made a small grand gesture with her arm and hand to show that she could act.

她抬頭看著雷尼，用手臂和手做了一個小小的、誇張的動作，證明她會演戲。

The fingers trailed after her leading wrist, and her little finger stuck out grandly from the rest.

手指跟在帶頭的手腕後面拖曳而過，小指神氣地翹在其他手指外面。