美丽新世界Brave New World 第8章(3)

 　　"But why did they want to hurt you, Linda?'' he asked that night.

　　“可她们为什么要伤害你，琳妲？”那天晚上他问道。

　　He was crying, because the red marks of the whip¹ on his back still hurt so terribly. But he was also crying because people were so beastly and unfair, and because he was only a little boy and couldn't do anything against them.

　　他哭着，因为自己背上那些红色的鞭痕还痛得厉害；也因为人们太野蛮，太不公平；也因为他自己是个孩子，无法反抗。

　　Linda was crying too. She was grown up, but she wasn't big enough to fight against three of them.

　　琳妲也在哭。她倒是成年人，可她只有一个人，打不过她们三个。

　　It wasn't fair for her either. "Why did they want to hurt you, Linda?"

　　那对她也不公平。“她们为什么要欺负你，琳妲？”

　　I don't know. How should I know?

　　我不知道，我怎么会知道？

　　It was difficult to hear what she said, because she was lying on her stomach and her face was in the pillow².

　　她的话听不清，因为她趴在床上，脸埋在枕头里。

　　"They say those men are their men," she went on; and she did not seem to be talking to him at all; she seemed to be talking with some one inside herself.

　　“她们说那些男人是她们的，”她说下去，好像根本不是在对他讲话；而是在跟她内心的什么人讲话。

　　A long talk which she didn't understand; and in the end she started crying louder than ever.

　　她的话很长，他听不懂；最后她开始哭了，哭声比任何时候都大。

　　Oh, don't cry, Linda. Don't cry.

　　啊，别哭，琳妲，别哭。

　　He pressed himself against her. He put his arm round her neck. Linda cried out. "Oh, be careful. My shoulder! Oh!" and she pushed him away, hard.

　　他靠过去，靠得紧紧的，伸手搂住她的脖子。琳姐叫了起来，“哦，别碰，我的肩膀！哦！”她使劲推开了他。

　　His head banged³ against the wall. "Little idiot⁴!" she shouted; and then, suddenly, she began to slap⁵ him. Slap, slap …

　　他的脑袋撞在了墙上。“小白痴！”她叫道；然后她开始打他耳光。叭！叭！……

　　"Linda," he cried out. "Oh, mother, don't!"

　　“琳妲，”他叫了出来，“哦，妈妈。别打了！”

　　I'm not your mother. I won't be your mother.

　　我不是你妈妈。我不要做你妈妈。

　　"But, Linda … Oh!" She slapped⁶ him on the cheek.

　　“可是琳妲……哦！”她又给了他一耳光。

　　"Turned into a savage," she shouted. "Having young ones like an animal …"

　　“变成了野蛮人，”她大叫。"像野兽一样下崽……"

　　If it hadn't been for you, I might have gone to the Inspector⁷, I might have got away.

　　要不是因为你我就可能去找探长，就有可能走掉。

　　But not with a baby. That would have been too shameful⁸.

　　可带着孩子是不行的。那太丢脸。

　　He saw that she was going to hit him again, and lifted his arm to guard his face.

　　他见她又要打他，举起手臂想遮住脸。

　　Oh, don't, Linda, please don't.

　　哦，琳妲，别打，求你别打。

　　"Little beast!" She pulled down his arm; his face was uncovered⁹.

　　“小野兽！”她拉下了他的胳臂，脸露了出来。

　　"Don't, Linda." He shut his eyes, expecting the blow.

　　“别打了，琳妲。”他闭上眼睛，等着挨打。

　　But she didn't hit him. After a little time, he opened his eyes again and saw that she was looking at him.

　　可是她没有打。过了一会儿他睁开了眼睛，看见她正望着他。

　　He tried to smile at her. Suddenly she put her arms round him and kissed him again and again.

　　他勉强对她笑了笑。她突然双手搂住了他，亲他，亲了又亲。

　　Sometimes, for several days, Linda didn't get up at all. She lay in bed and was sad.

　　有时琳妲几天不起床，躺在床上伤心。

　　Or else she drank the stuff¹⁰ that Popé brought and laughed a great deal and went to sleep.

　　或者又喝波培带来的东西，然后就老笑，又睡觉。

　　Sometimes she was sick. Often she forgot to wash him, and there was nothing to eat except cold tortillas.

　　有时她生病了，常常忘记给他洗脸洗澡，他除了冷玉米摊饼没有别的东西哈。

　　He remembered the first time she found those little animals in his hair, how she screamed and screamed.

　　他记得她第一次在他的头发里发现那些小动物时，大惊小怪地叫个没有完。

　　The happiest times were when she told him ahout the Other Place.

　　他们最快活的时候是在她向他讲述那个地方时。

　　And you really can go flying, whenever you like?

　　任何时候你想飞，你都可以飞，真的吗？

　　Whenever you like.

　　任何时候你想飞都可以的。

1 whip   

n.鞭子，鞭打，奶油甜食，车夫，组织秘书；vt.抽出，鞭打，捆扎，搅拌，打败；vi.突然移动，飘浮

参考例句：

• The cruel man lashed the horse with his whip.那个粗暴的人用鞭子抽马。
• The cruel master beat his slaves with a whip.残酷的主人鞭打他的奴隶。

2 pillow   

n.枕头；枕垫；vt.作…的枕头；垫；枕于；vi.靠在枕上

参考例句：

• He fell asleep as soon as he touched the pillow.他脑袋一碰枕头就睡着了。
• She was found asleep on a pillow of leaves.有人看见她枕着树叶睡着了。

3 banged   

vt.猛击，猛撞（bang的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Two days after the accident she still looked pretty banged up. 事故过去两天后她看上去伤势仍然很重。
• I've banged into the doorpost and hurt my arm. 我撞着了门柱，把臂伤了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 idiot   

n.白痴，傻子，笨蛋

参考例句：

• Only an idiot would make such a thoughtless remark.只有草包才会说出这样没有头脑的话来。
• You are behaving like a perfect idiot.你表现得像个十足的白痴。

5 slap   

n.掴，侮辱，拍击声；vt.拍击，侮辱，惩罚，申斥；adv.正面地，直接地，突然地

参考例句：

• He sent the horse forward with a slap on its rump.他拍了一下马尾，马便向前跑去。
• He gave her a slap on the cheek.他打了她一耳光。

6 slapped   

v.掌击，拍打( slap的过去式和过去分词 )；制止；镇压；（尤指生气地）啪的一声放下

参考例句：

• She slapped his face hard. 她狠狠给了他一个耳光。
• They slapped the workers who had gone on strike. 他们对参加罢工的工人大加镇压。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

8 shameful   

adj.可耻的，不道德的

参考例句：

• It is very shameful of him to show off.他向人炫耀自己，真不害臊。
• We must expose this shameful activity to the newspapers.我们一定要向报社揭露这一无耻行径。

9 uncovered   

adj.无盖的，未保险的v.揭开…的盖子( uncover的过去式和过去分词 )；揭露，发现

参考例句：

• His head was uncovered. 他光着头。
• A plot to assassinate the banker has been uncovered by the police. 暗杀银行家的密谋被警方侦破了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 stuff   

n.原料，材料，东西；vt.填满；吃饱

参考例句：

• We could supply you with the stuff in the raw tomorrow.明天我们可以供应你原材料。
• He is not the stuff.他不是这个材料。