The Eggby Sherwood Anderson中英对照Word文档格式.docx

The Eggby Sherwood Anderson中英对照Word文档格式.docx

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[1876-1941]MYFATHERwas,Iamsure,intendedbynaturetobeacheerful,kindlyman.Untilhewasthirty-fouryearsoldheworkedasafarmhandforamannamedThomasButterworthwhoseplacelaynearthetownofBidwell,Ohio.HehadthenahorseofhisownandonSaturdayeveningsdroveintotowntospendafewhoursinsocialintercoursewithotherfarmhands.IntownhedrankseveralglassesofbeerandstoodaboutinBenHead'

ssaloon--crowdedonSaturdayeveningswithvisitingfarmhands.Songsweresungandglassesthumpedonthebar.Atteno'

clockfatherdrovehomealongalonelycountryroad,madehishorsecomfortableforthenightandhimselfwenttobed,quitehappyinhispositioninlife.Hehadatthattimenonotionoftryingtoriseintheworld.

Itwasinthespringofhisthirty-fifthyearthatfathermarriedmymother,thenacountryschoolteacher,andinthefollowingspringIcamewrigglingandcryingintotheworld.Somethinghappenedtothetwopeople.Theybecameambitious.TheAmericanpassionforgettingupintheworldtookpossessionofthem.

Itmayhavebeenthatmotherwasresponsible.Beingaschoolteachershehadnodoubtreadbooksandmagazines.Shehad,Ipresume,readofhowGarfield,Lincoln,andotherAmericansrosefrompovertytofameandgreatnessandasIlaybesideher--inthedaysofherlying-in--shemayhavedreamedthatIwouldsomedayrulemenandcities.Atanyratesheinducedfathertogiveuphisplaceasafarmhand,sellhishorseandembarkonanindependententerpriseofhisown.Shewasatallsilentwomanwithalongnoseandtroubledgreyeyes.Forherselfshewantednothing.Forfatherandmyselfshewasincurablyambitious.

Thefirstventureintowhichthetwopeoplewentturnedoutbadly.TheyrentedtenacresofpoorstonylandonGriggs'

sRoad,eightmilesfromBidwell,andlaunchedintochickenraising.Igrewintoboyhoodontheplaceandgotmyfirstimpressionsoflifethere.Fromthebeginningtheywereimpressionsofdisasterandif,inmyturn,Iamagloomymaninclinedtoseethedarkersideoflife,Iattributeittothefactthatwhatshouldhavebeenformethehappyjoyousdaysofchildhoodwerespentonachickenfarm.

Oneunversedinsuchmatterscanhavenonotionofthemanyandtragicthingsthatcanhappentoachicken.Itisbornoutofanegg,livesforafewweeksasatinyfluffythingsuchasyouwillseepicturedonEastercards,thenbecomeshideouslynaked,eatsquantitiesofcornandmealboughtbythesweatofyourfather'

sbrow,getsdiseasescalledpip,cholera,andothernames,standslookingwithstupideyesatthesun,becomessickanddies.Afewhensandnowandthenarooster,intendedtoserveGod'

smysteriousends,strugglethroughtomaturity.Thehenslayeggsoutofwhichcomeotherchickensandthedreadfulcycleisthusmadecomplete.Itisallunbelievablycomplex.Mostphilosophersmusthavebeenraisedonchickenfarms.Onehopesforsomuchfromachickenandissodreadfullydisillusioned.Smallchickens,justsettingoutonthejourneyoflife,looksobrightandalertandtheyareinfactsodreadfullystupid.Theyaresomuchlikepeopletheymixoneupinone'

sjudgmentsoflife.Ifdiseasedoesnotkillthemtheywaituntilyourexpectationsarethoroughlyarousedandthenwalkunderthewheelsofawagon--togosquashedanddeadbacktotheirmaker.Vermininfesttheiryouth,andfortunesmustbespentforcurativepowders.InlaterlifeIhaveseenhowaliteraturehasbeenbuiltuponthesubjectoffortunestobemadeoutoftheraisingofchickens.Itisintendedtobereadbythegodswhohavejusteatenofthetreeoftheknowledgeofgoodandevil.Itisahopefulliteratureanddeclaresthatmuchmaybedonebysimpleambitiouspeoplewhoownafewhens.Donotbeledastraybyit.Itwasnotwrittenforyou.GohuntforgoldonthefrozenhillsofAlaska,putyourfaithinthehonestyofapolitician,believeifyouwillthattheworldisdailygrowingbetterandthatgoodwilltriumphoverevil,butdonotreadandbelievetheliteraturethatiswrittenconcerningthehen.Itwasnotwrittenforyou.

I,however,digress.Mytaledoesnotprimarilyconcernitselfwiththehen.Ifcorrectlytolditwillcenterontheegg.Fortenyearsmyfatherandmotherstruggledtomakeourchickenfarmpayandthentheygaveupthatstruggleandbegananother.TheymovedintothetownofBidwell,Ohioandembarkedintherestaurantbusiness.Aftertenyearsofworrywithincubatorsthatdidnothatch,andwithtiny--andintheirownwaylovely--ballsoffluffthatpassedonintosemi-nakedpullerhoodandfromthatintodeadhenhood,wethrewallasideandpackingourbelongingsonawagondrovedownGriggs'

sRoadtowardBidwell,atinycaravanofhopelookingforanewplacefromwhichtostartonourupwardjourneythroughlife.

Wemusthavebeenasadlookinglot,not,Ifancy,unlikerefugeesfleeingfromabattlefield.MotherandIwalkedintheroad.ThewagonthatcontainedourgoodshadbeenborrowedforthedayfromMr.AlbertGriggs,aneighbor.Outofitssidesstuckthelegsofcheapchairsandatthebackofthepileofbeds,tables,andboxesfilledwithkitchenutensilswasacrateoflivechickens,andontopofthatthebabycarriageinwhichIhadbeenwheeledaboutinmyinfancy.WhywestucktothebabycarriageIdon'

tknow.Itwasunlikelyotherchildrenwouldbebornandthewheelswerebroken.Peoplewhohavefewpossessionsclingtightlytothosetheyhave.Thatisoneofthefactsthatmakelifesodiscouraging.

Fatherrodeontopofthewagon.Hewasthenabald-headedmanofforty-five,alittlefatandfromlongassociationwithmotherandthechickenshehadbecomehabituallysilentanddiscouraged.Allduringourtenyearsonthechickenfarmhehadworkedasalaboreronneighboringfarmsandmostofthemoneyhehadearnedhadbeenspentforremediestocurechickendiseases,onWilmer'

sWhiteWonderCholeraCureorProfessorBidlow'

sEggProducerorsomeotherpreparationsthatmotherfoundadvertisedinthepoultrypapers.Thereweretwolittlepatchesofhaironfather'

sheadjustabovehisears.IrememberthatasachildIusedtositlookingathimwhenhehadgonetosleepinachairbeforethestoveonSundayafternoonsinthewinter.Ihadatthatrimealreadybeguntoreadbooksandhavenotionsofmyownandthebaldpaththatledoverthetopofhisheadwas,Ifancied,somethinglikeabroadroad,sucharoadasCaesarmighthavemadeonwhichtoleadhislegionsoutofRomeandintothewondersofanunknownworld.Thetuftsofhairthatgrewabovefather'

searswere,Ithought,likeforests.Ifellintoahalf-sleeping,half-wakingstateanddreamedIwasatinythinggoingalongtheroadintoafarbeautifulplacewheretherewerenochickenfarmsandwherelifewasahappyegglessaffair.

Onemightwriteabookconcerningourflightfromthechickenfarmintotown.MotherandIwalkedtheentireeightmiles--shetobesurethatnothingfellfromthewagonandItoseethewondersoftheworld.Ontheseatofthewagonbesidefatherwashisgreatesttreasure.Iwilltellyouofthat.

Onachickenfarmwherehundredsandeventhousandsofchickenscomeoutofeggs,surprisingthingssometimeshappen.Grotesquesarebornoutofeggsasoutofpeople.Theaccidentdoesnotoftenoccur--perhapsonceinathousandbirths.Achickenis,yousee,bornthathasfourlegs,twopairsofwings,twoheadsorwhatnot.Thethingsdonotlive.Theygoquickiybacktothehandoftheirmakerthathasforamomenttrembled.Thefactthatthepoorlittlethingscouldnotlivewasoneofthetragediesoflifetofather.Hehadsomesortofnotionthatifhecouldbutbringintohenhoodorroosterhoodafive-leggedhenoratwo-headedroosterhisfortunewouldbemade.Hedreamedoftakingthewonderabouttocountyfairsandofgrowingrichbyexhibitingittootherfarmhands.

Atanyratehesavedallthelittlemonstrousthingsthathadbeenbornonourchickenfarm.Theywerepreservedinalcoholandputeachinitsownglassbottle.Thesehehadcarefullyputintoaboxandonourjourneyintotownitwascarriedonthewagonseatbesidehim.Hedrovethehorseswithonehandandwiththeotherclungtothebox.Whenwegottoourdestinationtheboxwastakendownatonceandthebottlesremoved.AllduringourdaysaskeepersofarestaurantinthetownofBidwell,Ohio,thegrotesquesintheirlittleglassbottlessatonashelfbackofthecounter.Mothersometimesprotestedbutfatherwasarockonthesubjectofhistreasure.Thegrotesqueswere,hedeclared,valuable.People,hesaid,likedtolookatstrangeandwonderfulthings.

DidIsaythatweembarkedintherestaurantbusinessinthetownofBidwell,Ohio?

Iexaggeratedalittle.Thetownitselflayatthefootofalowhillandontheshoreofasmallriver.TherailroaddidnotrunthroughthetownandthestationwasamileawaytothenorthataplacecalledPickleville.Therehadbeenacidermillandpicklefactoryatthestation,butbeforethetimeofourcomingtheyhadbothgoneoutofbusiness.InthemorningandintheeveningbussescamedowntothestationalongaroadcalledTurner'

sPikefromthehotelonthemainstreetofBidwell.Ourgoingtotheout-of-the-wayplacetoembarkintherestaurantbusinesswasmother'

sidea.Shetalkedofitforayearandthenonedaywentoffandrentedanemptystorebuildingoppositetherailroadstation.Itwasherideathattherestaurantwouldbeprofitable.Travellingmen,shesaid,wouldbealwayswaitingaroundtotaketrainsoutoftownandtownpeoplewouldcometothestationtoawaitincomingtrains.Theywouldcometotherestauranttobuypiecesofpieanddrinkcoffee.