英语小说选读.docx

英语小说选读.docx

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英语小说选读

文件编码（TTU-UITID-GGBKT-POIU-WUUI-0089）

英语小说选读

A&P

byJohnUpdike

Inwalksthesethreegirlsinnothingbutbathingsuits.I'minthethirdcheck-outslot,withmybacktothedoor,soIdon'tseethemuntilthey'reoverbythebread.Theonethatcaughtmyeyefirstwastheoneintheplaidgreentwo-piece.Shewasachunkykid,withagoodtanandasweetbroadsoft-lookingcanwiththosetwocrescentsofwhitejustunderit,wherethesunneverseemstohit,atthetopofthebacksofherlegs.IstoodtherewithmyhandonaboxofHiHocrackerstryingtorememberifIrangitupornot.Iringitupagainandthecustomerstartsgivingmehell.She'soneofthesecash-register-watchers,awitchaboutfiftywithrougeonhercheekbonesandnoeyebrows,andIknowitmadeherdaytotripmeup.She'dbeenwatchingcashregistersfortyyearsandprobablyneverseenamistakebefore.

BythetimeIgotherfeatherssmoothedandhergoodiesintoabag--shegivesmealittlesnortinpassing,ifshe'dbeenbornattherighttimetheywouldhaveburnedheroverinSalem--bythetimeIgetheronherwaythegirlshadcircledaroundthebreadandwerecomingback,withoutapushcart,backmywayalongthecounters,intheaislebetweenthecheck-outsandtheSpecialbins.Theydidn'tevenhaveshoeson.Therewasthischunkyone,withthetwo-piece--itwasbrightgreenandtheseamsonthebrawerestillsharpandherbellywasstillprettypalesoIguessedshejustgotit（thesuit）--therewasthisone,withoneofthosechubbyberry-faces,thelipsallbunchedtogetherunderhernose,thisone,andatallone,withblackhairthathadn'tquitefrizzed卷曲right,andoneofthesesunburnsrightacrossundertheeyes,andachinthatwastoolong--youknow,thekindofgirlothergirlsthinkisvery"striking"and"attractive"butneverquitemakesit,astheyverywellknow,whichiswhytheylikehersomuch--andthenthethirdone,thatwasn'tquitesotall.Shewasthequeen.Shekindofledthem,theothertwopeekingaroundandmakingtheirshouldersround.Shedidn'tlookaround,notthisqueen,shejustwalkedstraightonslowly,ontheselongwhiteprimadonna（Italian,firstlady）legs.Shecamedownalittlehardonherheels,asifshedidn'twalkinherbarefeetthatmuch,puttingdownherheelsandthenlettingtheweightmovealongtohertoesasifshewastestingthefloorwitheverystep,puttingalittledeliberateextraactionintoit.Youneverknowforsurehowgirls'mindswork（doyoureallythinkit'samindinthereorjustalittlebuzzlikeabeeinaglassjar）

butyougottheideashehadtalkedtheothertwointocominginherewithher,andnowshewasshowingthemhowtodoit,walkslowandholdyourselfstraight.

Shehadonakindofdirty-pink--beigemaybe,Idon'tknow--bathingsuitwithalittlenubblealloveritand,whatgotme,thestrapsweredown.Theywereoffhershouldersloopedloosearoundthecooltopsofherarms,andIguessasaresultthesuithadslippedalittleonher,soallaroundthetopofthecloththerewasthisshiningrim.Ifithadn'tbeenthereyouwouldn'thaveknowntherecouldhavebeenanythingwhiterthanthoseshoulders.Withthestrapspushedoff,therewasnothingbetweenthetopofthesuitandthetopofherheadexceptjusther,thiscleanbareplaneofthetopofherchestdownfromtheshoulderboneslikeadentedsheetofmetaltiltedinthelight.Imean,itwasmorethanpretty.

Shehadsortofoakyhairthatthesunandsalthadbleached,doneupinabunthatwasunravelling,andakindofprimface.WalkingintotheA&Pwithyourstrapsdown,Isupposeit'stheonlykindoffaceyoucanhave.Sheheldherheadsohighherneck,comingupoutofthosewhiteshoulders,lookedkindofstretched,butIdidn'tmind.Thelongerherneckwas,themoreofhertherewas.

ShemusthavefeltinthecornerofhereyemeandovermyshoulderStokesieinthesecondslotwatching,butshedidn'ttip.Notthisqueen.Shekepthereyesmovingacrosstheracks,andstopped,andturnedsoslowitmademystomachrubtheinsideofmyapron,andbuzzedtotheothertwo,whokindofhuddledagainstherforrelief,andtheyallthreeofthemwentupthecat-and-dog-food-breakfast-cereal-macaroni-rice-raisins-seasonings-spreads-spaghetti-softdrinks-rackers-and-cookiesaisle.FromthethirdslotIlookstraightupthisaisletothemeatcounter,andIwatchedthemalltheway.Thefatonewiththetansortoffumbledwiththecookies,butonsecondthoughtsheputthepackagesback.Thesheeppushingtheircartsdowntheaisle--thegirlswerewalkingagainsttheusualtraffic（notthatwehaveone-waysignsoranything）--wereprettyhilarious非常滑稽的.Youcouldseethem,whenQueenie'swhiteshouldersdawnedonthem,kindofjerk,orhop,orhiccup打嗝,buttheireyessnappedbacktotheirownbasketsandontheypushed.IbetyoucouldsetoffdynamiteinanA&Pandthepeoplewouldbyandlargekeepreachingandcheckingoatmealofftheirlistsandmuttering"Letmesee,therewasathirdthing,beganwithA,asparagus,no,ah,yes,applesauce!

"orwhateveritistheydomutter.Buttherewasnodoubt,thisjiggledthem.Afewhouse-slavesinpincurlers卷发夹子evenlookedaroundafterpushingtheircartspasttomakesurewhattheyhadseenwascorrect.

Youknow,it'sonethingtohaveagirlinabathingsuitdownonthebeach,wherewhatwiththeglarenobodycanlookateachothermuchanyway,andanotherthinginthecooloftheA&P,underthefluorescentlights,againstallthosestackedpackages,withherfeetpaddlingalongnakedoverourcheckerboardgreen-and-creamrubber-tilefloor.

"OhDaddy,"Stokesiesaidbesideme."Ifeelsofaint."

"Darling,"Isaid."Holdmetight."Stokesie'smarried,withtwobabieschalkeduponhisfuselagealready,butasfarasIcantellthat'stheonlydifference.He'stwenty-two,andIwasnineteenthisApril.

"Isitdone"heasks,theresponsiblemarriedmanfindinghisvoice.Iforgottosayhethinkshe'sgoingtobemanagersomesunnyday,maybein1990whenit'scalledtheGreatAlexandrovandPetrooshkiTeaCompanyorsomething.

Whathemeantwas,ourtownisfivemilesfromabeach,withabigsummercolonyoutonthePoint,butwe'rerightinthemiddleoftown,andthewomengenerallyputonashirtorshortsorsomethingbeforetheygetoutofthecarintothestreet.Andanywaytheseareusuallywomenwithsixchildrenandvaricoseveinsmappingtheirlegsandnobody,includingthem,couldcareless.AsIsay,we'rerightinthemiddleoftown,andifyoustandatourfrontdoorsyoucanseetwobanksandtheCongregationalchurchandthenewspaperstoreandthreereal-estateofficesandabouttwenty-sevenoldfree-loaders食客tearingupCentralStreetbecausethesewerbrokeagain.It'snotasifwe'reontheCape;we'renorthofBostonandthere'speopleinthistownhaven'tseentheoceanfortwentyyears.

ThegirlshadreachedthemeatcounterandwereaskingMcMahonsomething.Hepointed,theypointed,andtheyshuffledoutofsightbehindapyramidofDietDelightpeaches.AllthatwasleftforustoseewasoldMcMahonpattinghismouthandlookingafterthemsizinguptheirjoints.Poorkids,Ibegantofeelsorryforthem,theycouldn'thelpit.

Nowherecomesthesadpartofthestory,atleastmyfamilysaysit'ssadbutIdon'tthinkit'ssadmyself.Thestore'sprettyempty,itbeingThursdayafternoon,sotherewasnothingmuchtodoexceptleanontheregisterandwaitforthegirlstoshowupagain.ThewholestorewaslikeapinballmachineandIdidn'tknowwhichtunnelthey'dcomeoutof.Afterawhiletheycomearoundoutofthefaraisle,aroundthelightbulbs,recordsatdiscountoftheCaribbeanSixorTonyMartinSingsorsomesuchgunkyouwondertheywastethewaxon,sixpacksofcandybars,andplastictoysdoneupincellophanethatfallapartwhenakidlooksatthemanyway.Aroundtheycome,Queeniestillleadingtheway,andholdingalittlegrayjarinherhand.SlotsThreethroughSevenareunmannedandIcouldseeherwonderingbetweenStokesandme,butStokesiewithhisusualluckdrawsanoldpartyinbaggygraypantswhostumblesupwithfourgiantcansofpineapplejuice（whatdothesebumsdowithallthatpineapplejuice'I'veoftenaskedmyself）sothegirlscometome.QueenieputsdownthejarandItakeitintomyfingersicycold.KingfishFancyHerringSnacksinPureSourCream:

49￠.Nowherhandsareempty,notaringorabracelet,bareasGodmadethem,andIwonderwherethemoney'scomingfrom.Stillwiththatprimlooksheliftsafoldeddollarbilloutofthehollowatthecenterofhernubbledpinktop.Thejarwentheavyinmyhand.Really,Ithoughtthatwassocute.

Theneverybody'sluckbeginstorunout.LengelcomesinfromhagglingwithatruckfullofcabbagesonthelotandisabouttoscuttleintothatdoormarkedMANAGERbehindwhichhehidesalldaywhenthegirlstouchhiseye.Lengel'sprettydreary,teachesSundayschoolandtherest,buthedoesn'tmissthatmuch.Hecomesoverandsays,"Girls,thisisn'tthebeach."

Queenieblushes,thoughmaybeit'sjustabrushofsunburnIwasnoticingforthefirsttime,nowthatshewassoclose."Mymotheraskedmetopickupajarofherringsnacks."Hervoicekindofstartledme,thewayvoicesdowhenyouseethepeoplefirst,comingoutsoflatanddumbyetkindoftony,too,thewayittickedover"pickup"and"snacks."AllofasuddenIslidrightdownhervoiceintoherlivingroom.Herfatherandtheothermenwerestandingaroundinice-creamcoatsandbowtiesandthewomenwereinsandalspickingupherringsnacksontoothpicksoffabigplateandtheywereallholdingdrinksthecolorofwaterwitholivesandsp