Awomanonaroof英语原文.docx
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Awomanonaroof英语原文
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A-woman-on-a-roof-英语原文(总7页)
Awomanonaroof
Itwasduringtheweekofhotsun,thatJune.Threemenwereatworkontheroof,wheretheleadsgotsohottheyhadtheideaofthrowingwaterontocoolthem.Butthewatersteamed,thensizzled;andtheymakejokesaboutgettinganeggfromsomewomanintheflatsundertheflatsunderthem,topoachitfortheirdinner.Bytwoitwasnotpossibletotouchthegutteringtheywerereplacing,andtheyspeculatedaboutwhatworkmendidinregularlyhotcountries.Perhapstheyshouldborrowkitchengloveswiththeegg
Theywereallabitdizzy,notusedtotheheat;andtheyshedtheircoatsandstoodsidebysidesqueezingthemselvesintoafootwidepatchofshadeagainstachimney,carefultokeeptheirfeetinthethicksocksandbootsoutofthesun.Therewasafineviewacrossseveralacresofroofs.Notfaroffamansatinadeckchairreadingthenewspapers.Thentheysawher,betweenchimneys,aboutfiftyyardsaway.Shelayfacedownonabrownblanket.Theycouldseethetoppartofher:
blackhair,aflushedsolidback,armsspreadout.“She’sstarknaked,”saidStanley,soundingannoyed.
Harry,theoldest,amanofaboutforty-five,said:
“Lookslikeit.”
YoungTom,seventeen,saidnothing,buthewasexcitedandgrinning.
Stanleysaid:
“Someone’llreportherifshedoesn’twatchout.”
“Shethinksnoonecansee,”saidTom,craninghisheadallwaystoseemore.
Atthispointthewoman,stilllyingprone,broughthertwohandsupbehindhershoulderswiththeendsofascarfinthem,tieditbehindherback,andsatup.Sheworearedscarftiedaroundherbreastsandbriefredbikinipants.Thisbeingthefirstdayofthesunshewaswhite,flushingred.Shesatsmoking,anddidnotlookupwhenStanleyletoutawolfwhistle.Harrysaid:
“Smallthingsamusesmallminds,”leadingthewaybacktotheirpartoftheroof,butitwasscorching.Harrysaid:
“Wait,I’mgoingtorigupsomeshade,”anddisappeareddowntheskylightintothebuilding.Nowthathe’dgone,StanleyandTomwenttothefarthestpointtheycouldtopeeratthewoman.Shehadmoved,andalltheycouldseeweretwopinklegsstretchedontheblanket.Theywhistledandshoutedbutthelegsdidnotmove.Harrycamebackwithablanketandshouted:
“Comeon,then.”Hesoundedirritatedwiththem.TheyclamberedbacktohimandhesaidtoStanley:
“Whataboutyourmissus”Stanleywasnewlymarried,aboutthreemonths.Stanleysaid,jeering:
“Whataboutmymissus”--preservinghisindependence.Tomsaidnothing,buthismindwasfullofthenearlynakedwoman.Harryslungtheblanket,whichhehadborrowedfromafriendlywomandownstairs,fromthestemofatelevisionaerialtoarowofchimney-pots.Thisshadefellacrossthepieceofguttertheyhadtoreplace.Buttheshadekeptmoving,theyhadtoadjusttheblanket,andnotmuchprogresswasmade.Atlastsomeoftheheatlefttheroof,andtheyworkedfast,makingupforlosttime.FirstStanley,thenTom,madeatriptotheendoftherooftoseethewoman.“She’sonherback,”Stanleysaid,addingajestwhichmadeTomsnicker,andtheoldermansmiletolerantly.Tom’sreportwasthatshehadn’tmoved,butitwasalie.Hewantedtokeepwhathehadseentohimself:
hehadcaughtherintheactofrollingdownthelittleredpantsoverherhips,tilltheywerenomorethanasmalltriangle.Shewasonherback,fullyvisible,glisteningwithoil.
Nextmorning,assoonastheycameup,theywenttolook.Shewasalreadythere,facedown,armsspreadout,nakedexceptforthelittleredpants.Shehadturnedbrowninthenight.Yesterdayshewasascarlet-and-whitewoman,todayshewasabrownwoman.Stanleyletoutawhistle.Sheliftedherhead,startled,asifshe’dbeenasleep,andlookedstraightoveratthem.Thesunwasinhereyes,sheblinkedandstared,thenshedroppedherheadagain.Atthisgestureofindifference,theyallthree,Stanley,TomandoldHarry,letoutwhistlesandyells.Harrywasdoingitinparodyoftheyoungermen,makingfunofthem,buthewasalsoangry.Theywereallangrybecauseofherutterindifferencetothethreemenwatchingher.
“Bitch,”saidStanley.
“Sheshouldaskusover,”saidTom,snickering.
HarryrecoveredhimselfandremindedStanley:
“Ifshe’smarried,heroldmanwouldn’tlikethat.”
“Christ,”saidStanleyvirtuously,“ifmywifelayaboutlikethat,foreveryonetosee,I’dsoonstopher.”
Harrysaid,smiling:
“Howdoyouknow,perhapsshe’ssunningherselfatthisverymoment”
“Notachance,notonourroof.”ThesafetyofhiswifeputStanleyintoagoodhumor,andtheywenttowork.Buttodayitwashotterthanyesterday;andseveraltimesoneortheothersuggestedtheyshouldtellMatthew,theforeman,andasktoleavetheroofuntiltheheatwavewasover.Buttheydidn’t.Therewasworktobedoneinthebasementofthebigblockofflats,butupheretheyfeltfree,onadifferentlevelfromordinaryhumanityshutinthestreetsorthebuildings.Alotmorepeoplecameoutontotheroofsthatday,foranhouratmidday.Somemarriedcouplessatsidebysideindeckchairs,thewomen’slegsstockinglessandscarlet,themeninvestswithreddeningshoulders.
Thewomanstayedonherblanket,turningherselfoverandover.Sheignoredthem,nomatterwhattheydid.WhenHarrywentofftofetchmorescrews,Stanleysaid:
“Comeon.”Herroofbelongedtoadifferentsystemofroofs,separatedfromtheirsatonepointbyabouttwentyfeet.Itmeantascramblingclimbfromoneleveltoanother,edgingalongparapets,clingingtochimneys,whiletheirbigbootsslippedandheredslithered,butatlasttheystoodonasmallsquareprojectingrooflookingstraightdownather,close.Shesatsmoking,readingabook.Tomthoughtshelookedlikeaposter,oramagazinecover,withtheblueskybehindherandherlegsstretchedout.BehindheragreatcraneatworkonanewbuildinginOxfordStreetswungitsblackarmacrossroofsinagreatarc.Tomimaginedhimselfatworkonthecrane,adjustingthearmtoswingoverandpickherupandswingherbackacrosstheskytodrophernearhim.
Theywhistled.Shelookedupatthem,coolandremote,thenwentonreading.Again,theywerefurious.Or,rather,Stanleywas.Hissun-heatedfacewasscrewedintoarageashewhistledagainandagain,tryingtomakeherlookup.YoungTomstoppedwhistling.HestoodbesideStanley,excited,grinning;buthefeltasifheweresayingtothewoman:
Don’tassociatemewithhim,forhisgrinwasapologetic.Lastnighthehadthoughtoftheunknownwomanbeforeheslept,andshehadbeentenderwithhim.Thistendernesshewasrememberingasheshiftedhisfeetbythejeering,whistlingStanley,andwatchedtheindifferent,healthybrownwomanafewfeetoff,withthegapthatplungedtothestreetbetweenthem.Tomthoughtitwasromantic,itwaslikebeinghighontwohilltops.ButtherewasashoutfromHarry,andtheyclamberedback.Stanley’sfacewashard,reallyangry.Theboykeptlookingathimandwonderedwhyhehatedthewomansomuch,forbynowhelovedher.
Theyplayedtheirlittlegameswiththeblanket,tryingtotrapshadetoworkunder;butagainitwasnotuntilnearlyfourthattheycouldworkseriously,andtheywereexhausted,allthreeofthem.Theyweregrumblingabouttheweatherbynow.Stanleywasinathoroughlybadhumor.Whentheymadetheirroutinetriptoseethewomanbeforetheypackedupfortheday,shewasapparentlyasleep,facedown,herbackallnakedsaveforthescarlettriangleonherbuttocks.“I’vegotagoodmindtoreporthertothepolice,”saidStanley,andHarrysaid:
“What’seatingyouWhatharm’sshedoing”“Itellyou,ifshewasmywife!
”
“Butsheisn’t,isshe”
TomknewthatHarry,likehimself,wasuneasyatStanley’sreaction.Hewasnormallyasharpyoungman,quickathiswork,makingalotofjokes,goodcompany.
“Perhapsitwillbecoolertomorrow,”saidHarry.
“Butitwasn’t;itwashotter,ifanything,andtheweatherforecastsaidthegoodweatherwouldlast.Assoonastheywereontheroof,Harrywentovertoseeifthewomanwasthere,andTomknewitwastopreventStanleygoing,toputoffhisbadhumor.Harryhadgrownupchildren,aboythesameageasTom,andtheyouthtrustedandlookeduptohim.
Harrycamebackandsaid:
“She’snotthere.”
“Ibetheroldmanhasputhisfootdown,”saidStanley,andHarryandTomcaughteachother’seyesandsmiledbehindtheyoungmarriedman’sback.
Harrysuggestedtheyshouldgetpermissiontoworkinthebasement,andtheydid,thatday.ButbeforepackingupStanleysaid:
“Let’shaveabreathoffreshair.”AgainHarryandTomsmiledateachotherastheyfollowedStanleyuptotheroof,TominthedevoutconvictionthathewastheretoprotectthewomanfromStanley.Itwasaboutfive-thirty,andacalm,fullsunlightlayovertheroofs.ThegreatcranestillswungitsblackarmfromOxfordStreettoabovetheirheads.Shewasnotthere.Thentherewasaflutterofwhitefrombehindaparapet,andshestoodup,inabelted,whitedressing-gown.Shehadbeenthereallday,probably,butonadifferentpatchofroof,tohidefromthem.Stanleydidnotwhistle;hesaidnothing,butwatchedthewomanbendtocollectpapers,books,cigarettes,thenfoldtheblanketoverherarm.Tomwasthinking:
Iftheyweren’there,I’dgooverandsay...whatButheknewfromhisnightlydreamsofherthatshewaskindandfriendly.PerhapsshewouldaskhimdowntoherflatPerhaps...Hestoodwatchingherdisappeardowntheskylight.Asshewent,Stanleyletoutashrillderisiveyell;shestarted,anditseemedasifshenearlyfell.Sheclutchedtosaveherself,theycouldhearthingsfalling.Shelookedstraightatthem,angry.Harrysaid,facetiously:
“Betterbecarefulonthoseslipperyladders,love.”TomknewhesaidittosaveherfromStanley,bu