Thelottery原文.docx

Thelottery原文.docx

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Thelottery原文

ThemorningofJune27thwasclearandsunny,withthefreshwarmthofafull-summerday;theflowerswereblossomingprofuselyandthegrasswasrichlygreen.Thepeopleofthevillagebegantogatherinthesquare,betweenthepostofficeandthebank,aroundteno'clock;insometownsthereweresomanypeoplethatthelotterytooktwodaysandhadtobestartedonJune2th.butinthisvillage,wheretherewereonlyaboutthreehundredpeople,thewholelotterytooklessthantwohours,soitcouldbeginatteno'clockinthemorningandstillbethroughintimetoallowthevillagerstogethomefornoondinner.

Thechildrenassembledfirst,ofcourse.Schoolwasrecentlyoverforthesummer,andthefeelingoflibertysatuneasilyonmostofthem;theytendedtogathertogetherquietlyforawhilebeforetheybrokeintoboisterousplay.andtheirtalkwasstilloftheclassroomandtheteacher,ofbooksandreprimands.BobbyMartinhadalreadystuffedhispocketsfullofstones,andtheotherboyssoonfollowedhisexample,selectingthesmoothestandroundeststones;BobbyandHarryJonesandDickieDelacroix--thevillagerspronouncedthisname"Dellacroy"--eventuallymadeagreatpileofstonesinonecornerofthesquareandguardeditagainsttheraidsoftheotherboys.Thegirlsstoodaside,talkingamongthemselves,lookingovertheirshouldersattheboys.andtheverysmallchildrenrolledinthedustorclungtothehandsoftheirolderbrothersorsisters.

Soonthemenbegantogather.surveyingtheirownchildren,speakingofplantingandrain,tractorsandtaxes.Theystoodtogether,awayfromthepileofstonesinthecorner,andtheirjokeswerequietandtheysmiledratherthanlaughed.Thewomen,wearingfadedhousedressesandsweaters,cameshortlyaftertheirmenfolk.Theygreetedoneanotherandexchangedbitsofgossipastheywenttojointheirhusbands.Soonthewomen,standingbytheirhusbands,begantocalltotheirchildren,andthechildrencamereluctantly,havingtobecalledfourorfivetimes.BobbyMartinduckedunderhismother'sgraspinghandandran,laughing,backtothepileofstones.Hisfatherspokeupsharply,andBobbycamequicklyandtookhisplacebetweenhisfatherandhisoldestbrother.

Thelotterywasconducted--aswerethesquaredances,theteenclub,theHalloweenprogram--byMr.Summers.whohadtimeandenergytodevotetocivicactivities.Hewasaround-faced,jovialmanandheranthecoalbusiness,andpeopleweresorryforhim.becausehehadnochildrenandhiswifewasascold.Whenhearrivedinthesquare,carryingtheblackwoodenbox,therewasamurmurofconversationamongthevillagers,andhewavedandcalled."Littlelatetoday,folks."Thepostmaster,Mr.Graves,followedhim,carryingathree-leggedstool,andthestoolwasputinthecenterofthesquareandMr.Summerssettheblackboxdownonit.Thevillagerskepttheirdistance,leavingaspacebetweenthemselvesandthestool.andwhenMr.Summerssaid,"Someofyoufellowswanttogivemeahand?

"therewasahesitationbeforetwomen.Mr.Martinandhisoldestson,Baxter.cameforwardtoholdtheboxsteadyonthestoolwhileMr.Summersstirredupthepapersinsideit.

Theoriginalparaphernaliaforthelotteryhadbeenlostlongago,andtheblackboxnowrestingonthestoolhadbeenputintouseevenbeforeOldManWarner,theoldestmanintown,wasborn.Mr.Summersspokefrequentlytothevillagersaboutmakinganewbox,butnoonelikedtoupsetevenasmuchtraditionaswasrepresentedbytheblackbox.Therewasastorythatthepresentboxhadbeenmadewithsomepiecesoftheboxthathadprecededit,theonethathadbeenconstructedwhenthefirstpeoplesettleddowntomakeavillagehere.Everyyear,afterthelottery,Mr.Summersbegantalkingagainaboutanewbox,buteveryyearthesubjectwasallowedtofadeoffwithoutanything'sbeingdone.Theblackboxgrewshabbiereachyear:

bynowitwasnolongercompletelyblackbutsplinteredbadlyalongonesidetoshowtheoriginalwoodcolor,andinsomeplacesfadedorstained.

Mr.Martinandhisoldestson,Baxter,heldtheblackboxsecurelyonthestooluntilMr.Summershadstirredthepapersthoroughlywithhishand.Becausesomuchoftheritualhadbeenforgottenordiscarded,Mr.Summershadbeensuccessfulinhavingslipsofpapersubstitutedforthechipsofwoodthathadbeenusedforgenerations.Chipsofwood,Mr.Summershadargued.hadbeenallverywellwhenthevillagewastiny,butnowthatthepopulationwasmorethanthreehundredandlikelytokeepongrowing,itwasnecessarytousesomethingthatwouldfitmoreeasilyintoheblackbox.Thenightbeforethelottery,Mr.SummersandMr.Gravesmadeuptheslipsofpaperandputtheminthebox,anditwasthentakentothesafeofMr.Summers'coalcompanyandlockedupuntilMr.Summerswasreadytotakeittothesquarenextmorning.Therestoftheyear,theboxwasputway,sometimesoneplace,sometimesanother;ithadspentoneyearinMr.Graves'sbarnandanotheryearunderfootinthepostoffice.andsometimesitwassetonashelfintheMartingroceryandleftthere.

TherewasagreatdealoffussingtobedonebeforeMr.Summersdeclaredthelotteryopen.Thereweretheliststomakeup--ofheadsoffamilies.headsofhouseholdsineachfamily.membersofeachhouseholdineachfamily.Therewastheproperswearing-inofMr.Summersbythepostmaster,astheofficialofthelottery;atonetime,somepeopleremembered,therehadbeenarecitalofsomesort,performedbytheofficialofthelottery,aperfunctory.tunelesschantthathadbeenrattledoffdulyeachyear;somepeoplebelievedthattheofficialofthelotteryusedtostandjustsowhenhesaidorsangit,othersbelievedthathewassupposedtowalkamongthepeople,butyearsandyearsagothisp3rtoftheritualhadbeenallowedtolapse.Therehadbeen,also,aritualsalute,whichtheofficialofthelotteryhadhadtouseinaddressingeachpersonwhocameuptodrawfromthebox,butthisalsohadchangedwithtime,untilnowitwasfeltnecessaryonlyfortheofficialtospeaktoeachpersonapproaching.Mr.Summerswasverygoodatallthis;inhiscleanwhiteshirtandbluejeans.withonehandrestingcarelesslyontheblackbox.heseemedveryproperandimportantashetalkedinterminablytoMr.GravesandtheMartins.

JustasMr.Summersfinallyleftofftalkingandturnedtotheassembledvillagers,Mrs.Hutchinsoncamehurriedlyalongthepathtothesquare,hersweaterthrownoverhershoulders,andslidintoplaceinthebackofthecrowd."Cleanforgotwhatdayitwas,"shesaidtoMrs.Delacroix,whostoodnexttoher,andtheybothlaughedsoftly."Thoughtmyoldmanwasoutbackstackingwood,"Mrs.Hutchinsonwenton."andthenIlookedoutthewindowandthekidswasgone,andthenIremembereditwasthetwenty-seventhandcamea-running."Shedriedherhandsonherapron,andMrs.Delacroixsaid,"You'reintime,though.They'restilltalkingawayupthere."

Mrs.Hutchinsoncranedhernecktoseethroughthecrowdandfoundherhusbandandchildrenstandingnearthefront.ShetappedMrs.Delacroixonthearmasafarewellandbegantomakeherwaythroughthecrowd.Thepeopleseparatedgood-humoredlytoletherthrough:

twoorthreepeoplesaid.invoicesjustloudenoughtobeheardacrossthecrowd,"Herecomesyour,Missus,Hutchinson,"and"Bill,shemadeitafterall."Mrs.Hutchinsonreachedherhusband,andMr.Summers,whohadbeenwaiting,saidcheerfully."Thoughtweweregoingtohavetogetonwithoutyou,Tessie."Mrs.Hutchinsonsaid.grinning,"Wouldn'thavemeleavem'dishesinthesink,now,wouldyou.Joe?

"andsoftlaughterranthroughthecrowdasthepeoplestirredbackintopositionafterMrs.Hutchinson'sarrival.

"Well,now."Mr.Summerssaidsoberly,"guesswebettergetstarted,getthisoverwith,so'swecangobacktowork.Anybodyain'there?

"

"Dunbar."severalpeoplesaid."Dunbar.Dunbar."

Mr.Summersconsultedhislist."ClydeDunbar."hesaid."That'sright.He'sbrokehisleg,hasn'the?

Who'sdrawingforhim?

"

"Me.Iguess,"awomansaid.andMr.Summersturnedtolookather."Wifedrawsforherhusband."Mr.Summerssaid."Don'tyouhaveagrownboytodoitforyou,Janey?

"AlthoughMr.Summersandeveryoneelseinthevillageknewtheanswerperfectlywell,itwasthebusinessoftheofficialofthelotterytoasksuchquestionsformally.Mr.SummerswaitedwithanexpressionofpoliteinterestwhileMrs.Dunbaranswered.

"Horace'snotbutsixteenvet."Mrs.Dunbarsaidregretfully."GuessIgottafillinfortheoldmanthisyear."

"Right."Sr.Summerssaid.Hemadeanoteonthelisthewasholding.Thenheasked,"Watsonboydrawingthisyear?

"

Atallboyinthecrowdraisedhishand."Here,"hesaid."Imdrawingformymotherandme."Heblinkedhiseyesnervouslyandduckedhisheadasseveralvoicesinthecrowdsaidthin#slike"Goodfellow,lack."and"Gladtoseeyourmother'sgotamantodoit."

"Well,"Mr.Summerssaid,"guessthat'severyone.OldManWarnermakeit?

"

"Here,"avoicesaid.andMr.Summersnodded.

AsuddenhushfellonthecrowdasMr.Summersclearedhisthroatandlookedatthelist."Allready?

"hecalled."Now,I'llreadthenames--headsoffamiliesfirst--andthemencomeupandtakeapaperoutofthebox.Keepthepaperfoldedinyourhandwithoutlookingatituntileveryonehashadaturn.Everythingclear?

"

Thepeoplehaddoneitsomanytimesthattheyonlyhalflistenedtothedirections:

mostofthemwerequiet.wettingtheirlips.notlookingaround.ThenMr.Summersraisedonehandhighandsaid,"Adams."Amandisengagedhimselffromthecrowdandcameforward."Hi.Steve."Mr.Summerssaid.