她像魚一樣撲騰

Lennie sighed deeply.

雷尼深深嘆了口氣。

From outside came the clang of a horseshoe on metal, and then a chorus of cheers.

外面傳來馬蹄鐵撞上金屬的鏗鏘聲，接著是一陣齊聲歡呼。

“Somebody made a ringer,” said Curley’s wife.

「有人套中了。」柯利的老婆說。

Now the light was lifting as the sun went down, and the sun streaks climbed up the wall and fell over the feeding racks and over the heads of the horses.

太陽西沉，光線漸漸往上升，一道道陽光爬上牆壁，落在飼料架上，落在馬頭上。

Lennie said, “Maybe if I took this pup out and throwed him away George wouldn’t never know.

雷尼說：「也許我把這隻小狗拿出去丟掉，喬治就永遠不會知道。

An’ then I could tend the rabbits without no trouble.”

這樣我就可以照顧兔子，不會有麻煩。」

Curley’s wife said angrily, “Don’t you think of nothing but rabbits?”

柯利的老婆生氣地說：「你腦子裡除了兔子就沒別的了嗎？」

“We gonna have a little place,” Lennie explained patiently.

「我們會有一塊小地方。」雷尼耐心地解釋。

“We gonna have a house an’ a garden and a place for alfalfa, an’ that alfalfa is for the rabbits, an’ I take a sack and get it all fulla alfalfa and then I take it to the rabbits.”

「我們會有一棟房子、一個菜園，還有一塊種苜蓿的地，那些苜蓿是給兔子吃的，我會拿一個袋子裝滿苜蓿，然後拿去給兔子。」

She asked, “What makes you so nuts about rabbits?”

她問：「你為什麼那麼迷兔子？」

Lennie had to think carefully before he could come to a conclusion.

雷尼得仔細想一想，才能得出結論。

He moved cautiously close to her, until he was right against her.

他小心翼翼地靠近她，一直靠到緊貼著她。

“I like to pet nice things.

「我喜歡摸好東西。

Once at a fair I seen some of them long-hair rabbits.

有一次在市集，我看到那種長毛兔。

An’ they was nice, you bet.

牠們好好摸，真的。

Sometimes I’ve even pet mice, but not when I could get nothing better.”

有時候我甚至會摸老鼠，可是那是在找不到更好的東西的時候。」

Curley’s wife moved away from him a little.

柯利的老婆稍微挪開一點。

“I think you’re nuts,” she said.

「我覺得你瘋了。」她說。

“No I ain’t,” Lennie explained earnestly.

「我沒有。」雷尼認真地解釋。

“George says I ain’t.

「喬治說我沒有。

I like to pet nice things with my fingers, sof’ things.”

我喜歡用手指摸好東西，軟軟的東西。」

She was a little bit reassured.

她稍微放心了一點。

“Well, who don’t?” she said.

「嗯，誰不喜歡？」她說。

“Ever’body likes that.

「每個人都喜歡。

I like to feel silk an’ velvet.

我喜歡摸絲綢和天鵝絨。

Do you like to feel velvet?”

你喜歡摸天鵝絨嗎？」

Lennie chuckled with pleasure.

雷尼高興地咯咯笑。

“You bet, by God,” he cried happily.

「當然喜歡，老天在上。」他開心地大叫。

“An’ I had some, too.

「我還有過一塊呢。

A lady give me some, an’ that lady was—my own Aunt Clara.

有一位太太給我的，那位太太是——我自己的克拉拉姑媽。

She give it right to me—’bout this big a piece.

她直接給我的——大概這麼大一塊。

I wisht I had that velvet right now.”

真希望我現在就有那塊天鵝絨。」

A frown came over his face.

他的臉皺了起來。

“I lost it,” he said.

「我弄丟了。」他說。

“I ain’t seen it for a long time.”

「我很久沒看到它了。」

Curley’s wife laughed at him.

柯利的老婆對著他笑。

“You’re nuts,” she said.

「你瘋了。」她說。

“But you’re a kinda nice fella.

「可是你人還不錯。

Jus’ like a big baby.

就像一個大嬰兒。

But a person can see kinda what you mean.

不過我大概懂你的意思。

When I’m doin’ my hair sometimes I jus’ set an’ stroke it ’cause it’s so soft.”

我梳頭髮的時候，有時候就坐著一直摸，因為它好軟。」

To show how she did it, she ran her fingers over the top of her head.

為了示範，她用手指撫過頭頂。

“Some people got kinda coarse hair,” she said complacently.

「有些人的頭髮很粗。」她得意地說。

“Take Curley.

「像柯利。

His hair is jus’ like wire.

他的頭髮硬得像鐵絲。

But mine is soft and fine.

可是我的又軟又細。

’Course I brush it a lot.

當然，我常常梳。

That makes it fine.

梳多了就會變細。

Here—feel right here.”

來——摸摸這裡。」

She took Lennie’s hand and put it on her head.

她拉起雷尼的手，放到自己頭上。

“Feel right aroun’ there an’ see how soft it is.”

「摸摸這附近，看有多軟。」

Lennie’s big fingers fell to stroking her hair.

雷尼的大手指開始撫摸她的頭髮。

“Don’t you muss it up,” she said.

「別把它弄亂了。」她說。

Lennie said, “Oh! That’s nice,” and he stroked harder.

雷尼說：「喔！好好摸。」他摸得更用力。

“Oh, that’s nice.”

「喔，好好摸。」

“Look out, now, you’ll muss it.”

「小心點，你會把它弄亂。」

And then she cried angrily, “You stop it now, you’ll mess it all up.”

接著她生氣地大喊：「你現在給我停下來，你會把它全弄亂。」

She jerked her head sideways, and Lennie’s fingers closed on her hair and hung on.

她猛地把頭往旁邊一扯，雷尼的手指收緊，抓住她的頭髮不放。

“Let go,” she cried.

「放手！」她大喊。

“You let go!”

「你給我放手！」

Lennie was in a panic.

雷尼慌了。

His face was contorted.

他的臉扭曲了。

She screamed then, and Lennie’s other hand closed over her mouth and nose.

她這時尖叫起來，雷尼另一隻手摀住了她的嘴和鼻子。

“Please don’t,” he begged.

「拜託不要。」他哀求。

“Oh! Please don’t do that.

「喔！拜託不要那樣。

George’ll be mad.”

喬治會生氣。」

She struggled violently under his hands.

她在他的手底下拚命掙扎。

Her feet battered on the hay and she writhed to be free; and from under Lennie’s hand came a muffled screaming.

她的腳在乾草上亂踢，扭動著想掙脫；雷尼的手底下傳出悶住的尖叫。

Lennie began to cry with fright.

雷尼嚇得哭了起來。

“Oh! Please don’t do none of that,” he begged.

「喔！拜託不要這樣。」他哀求。

“George gonna say I done a bad thing.

「喬治會說我做了壞事。

He ain’t gonna let me tend no rabbits.”

他不會讓我照顧兔子了。」

He moved his hand a little and her hoarse cry came out.

他的手稍微移開一點，她沙啞的叫聲就衝了出來。

Then Lennie grew angry.

雷尼生氣了。

“Now don’t,” he said.

「不要這樣。」他說。

“I don’t want you to yell.

「我不要你叫。

You gonna get me in trouble jus’ like George says you will.

你會害我惹上麻煩，就像喬治說的那樣。

Now don’t you do that.”

不准你那樣。」

And she continued to struggle, and her eyes were wild with terror.

她繼續掙扎，眼睛因為恐懼而發狂。

He shook her then, and he was angry with her.

他就搖她，他在生她的氣。

“Don’t you go yellin’,” he said, and he shook her; and her body flopped like a fish.

「不准叫。」他說，然後搖她；她的身體像魚一樣撲騰。

And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck.

然後她不動了，因為雷尼折斷了她的脖子。

He looked down at her, and carefully he removed his hand from over her mouth, and she lay still.

他低頭看著她，小心地把手從她嘴上移開，她靜靜地躺著。

“I don’t want ta hurt you,” he said, “but George’ll be mad if you yell.”

「我不想傷害你，」他說，「可是你要是叫，喬治會生氣。」

When she didn’t answer nor move he bent closely over her.

她既不回答也不動，他就彎下身湊近她。

He lifted her arm and let it drop.

他抬起她的手臂，又讓它掉下去。

For a moment he seemed bewildered.

有一會兒他好像很困惑。

And then he whispered in fright, “I done a bad thing.

然後他驚恐地低聲說：「我做了壞事。

I done another bad thing.”

我又做了一件壞事。」

He pawed up the hay until it partly covered her.

他用手扒起乾草，把她蓋住一部分。

From outside the barn came a cry of men and the double clang of shoes on metal.

穀倉外面傳來男人們的叫喊，和馬蹄鐵撞上金屬的兩聲鏗鏘。

For the first time Lennie became conscious of the outside.

雷尼這才第一次意識到外面的世界。

He crouched down in the hay and listened.

他蹲在乾草裡聽。

“I done a real bad thing,” he said.

「我做了很壞很壞的事。」他說。

“I shouldn’t of did that.

「我不應該那樣做。

George’ll be mad.

喬治會生氣。

An’ . . . he said . . . an’ hide in the brush till he come.

還有……他說……要躲進灌木叢，等他來。

He’s gonna be mad.

他會生氣。

In the brush till he come.

躲在灌木叢裡等他來。

Tha’s what he said.”

他就是這樣說的。」

Lennie went back and looked at the dead girl.

雷尼走回去看那個死掉的女孩。

The puppy lay close to her.

小狗就躺在她旁邊。

Lennie picked it up.

雷尼把牠撿起來。

“I’ll throw him away,” he said.

「我把牠丟掉。」他說。

“It’s bad enough like it is.”

「現在已經夠糟了。」

He put the pup under his coat, and he crept to the barn wall and peered out between the cracks, toward the horseshoe game.

他把小狗塞進外套底下，爬到穀倉牆邊，從縫隙往外看擲馬蹄鐵的那邊。

And then he crept around the end of the last manger and disappeared.

然後他繞過最後一個馬槽的盡頭，消失了。

The sun streaks were high on the wall by now, and the light was growing soft in the barn.

這時陽光的光帶已經爬到牆的高處，穀倉裡的光線變得柔和。

Curley’s wife lay on her back, and she was half covered with hay.

柯利的老婆仰躺著，身上蓋了一半的乾草。

It was very quiet in the barn, and the quiet of the afternoon was on the ranch.

穀倉裡非常安靜，午後的寧靜籠罩著整個農場。

Even the clang of the pitched shoes, even the voices of the men in the game seemed to grow more quiet.

連擲出的馬蹄鐵的鏗鏘聲，連比賽中男人們的聲音，好像都變得更安靜了。

The air in the barn was dusky in advance of the outside day.

穀倉裡的空氣比外面的天色更早暗了下來。

A pigeon flew in through the open hay door and circled and flew out again.

一隻鴿子從敞開的乾草門飛進來，繞了一圈，又飛出去。

Around the last stall came a shepherd bitch, lean and long, with heavy, hanging dugs.

最後一個馬欄那邊走來一隻母牧羊犬，又瘦又長，沉甸甸的乳房垂著。

Halfway to the packing box where the puppies were she caught the dead scent of Curley’s wife, and the hair rose along her spine.

走到裝小狗的貨箱半路，她聞到柯利的老婆身上死亡的氣味，背上的毛一路豎了起來。

She whimpered and cringed to the packing box, and jumped in among the puppies.

她嗚咽著，畏縮地挨到貨箱邊，跳進小狗堆裡。

Curley’s wife lay with a half-covering of yellow hay.

柯利的老婆躺著，身上半蓋著黃色的乾草。

And the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face.

她臉上的刻薄、算計、不滿，和渴望被注意的痛楚，全都不見了。

She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young.

她非常漂亮、單純，臉龐甜美而年輕。

Now her rouged cheeks and her reddened lips made her seem alive and sleeping very lightly.

此刻她塗了胭脂的臉頰和塗紅的嘴唇，讓她看起來像是活著，只是睡得很淺。

The curls, tiny little sausages, were spread on the hay behind her head, and her lips were parted.

那些捲髮，一條條小香腸似的，散在她腦後的乾草上，她的嘴唇微微張開。

As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment.

就像有時會發生的那樣，一個瞬間停了下來，盤旋著，留住了，遠遠超過一個瞬間。

And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment.

聲音停止了，動作停止了，遠遠、遠遠超過一個瞬間。

Then gradually time awakened again and moved sluggishly on.

然後時間漸漸又醒了過來，遲緩地往前走。

The horses stamped on the other side of the feeding racks and the halter chains clinked.

飼料架另一邊的馬匹跺著腳，韁繩鐵鏈叮噹作響。

Outside, the men’s voices became louder and clearer.

外面，男人們的聲音變得更響、更清楚。

From around the end of the last stall old Candy’s voice came.

最後一個馬欄的盡頭傳來老坎迪的聲音。

“Lennie,” he called.

「雷尼。」他喊。

“Oh, Lennie! You in here?

「喂，雷尼！你在裡面嗎？

I been figuring some more.

我又算了一些。

Tell you what we can do, Lennie.”

我跟你說我們可以怎麼做，雷尼。」

Old Candy appeared around the end of the last stall.

老坎迪從最後一個馬欄的盡頭繞了出來。

“Oh, Lennie!” he called again; and then he stopped, and his body stiffened.

「喂，雷尼！」他又喊；然後他停住，全身僵硬。

He rubbed his smooth wrist on his white stubble whiskers.

他用光滑的斷腕搓著白色的鬍渣。

“I di’n’t know you was here,” he said to Curley’s wife.

「我不知道你在這裡。」他對柯利的老婆說。

When she didn’t answer, he stepped nearer.

她沒有回答，他走近一點。

“You oughten to sleep out here,” he said disapprovingly; and then he was beside her and—“Oh, Jesus Christ!”

「你不該睡在這裡。」他不以為然地說；然後他走到她身邊——「喔，老天爺！」

He looked about helplessly, and he rubbed his beard.

他無助地四下張望，搓著鬍子。

And then he jumped up and went quickly out of the barn.

然後他跳起來，匆匆跑出穀倉。

But the barn was alive now.

可是穀倉這時活了過來。

The horses stamped and snorted, and they chewed the straw of their bedding and they clashed the chains of their halters.

馬匹跺腳、噴鼻息，嚼著墊草，把韁繩鐵鏈撞得叮噹響。

In a moment Candy came back, and George was with him.

一會兒，坎迪回來了，喬治跟他一起。