Unit10GoingHome课文翻译大学英语一

Unit10GoingHomeIfirstheardthisstoryafewyearsagofromagirlIhadmetinNewYork'sGreenwichVillage.Probablythestoryisoneofthosemysteriousbitsoffolklorethatreappeareveryfewyear,tobetoldanewinoneformoranother.However,Istillliketothinkthatitreallydidhappen,somewhere,sometime.TheyweregoingtoFortLauderdale--threeboysandthreegirls--andwhentheyboardedthebus,theywerecarryingsandwichesandwineinpaperbags,dreamingofgoldenbeachesandseatidesasthegray,coldspringofNowYorkvanishedbehindthem.AsthebuspassedthroughNewJersey,theybegantonoticeVingo.Hesatinfrontofthem,dressedinaplain,ill-fittingsuit,nevermoving,hisdustyfacemaskinghisage.Hekeptchewingtheinsideofhislipalot,frozenintocompletesilence.Deepintothenight,outsideWashington,thebuspulledintoHowardJohnson's,andeverybodygotoffexceptVingo.Hesatrootedinhisseat,andtheyoungpeoplebegantowonderabouthim,tryingtoimaginehislife:perhapshewasaseacaptain,arunawayfromhiswife,anoldsoldiergoinghome.Whentheywentbacktothebus,oneofthegirlssatbesidehimandintroducedherself.We'regoingtoFlorida,shesaidbrightly.Ihearit'sreallybeautiful.Itis,hesaidquietly,asifrememberingsomethinghehadtriedtoforget.Wantsomewine?shesaid.Hesmiledandtookaswigfromthebottle.Hethankedherandretreatedagainintohissilence.Afterawhile,shewentbacktotheothers,andVingonoddedinsleep.Inthemorning,theyawokeoutsideanotherHowardJohnson's,andthistimeVingowentin.Thegirlinsistedthathejointhem.Heseemedveryshy,andorderedblackcoffeeandsmokednervouslyastheyoungpeoplechatteredaboutsleepingonbeaches.Whentheyreturnedtothebus,thegirlsatwithVingoagain,andafterawhile,slowlyandpainfully,hebegangotellhisstory.HehadbeeninjailinNewYorkforthepastfouryears,andnowhewasgoinghome.Areyoumarried?Idon'tknow.Youdon'tknow?shesaid.Well,whenIwasinjailIwrotetomywife,hesaid.ItoldherthatIwasgoingtobeawayalongtime,andthatifshecouldn'tstandit,ifthekidskeptaskin'questions,ifithurthertoomuch,well,shecouldjusforgetme.I'dunderstand.Getanewguy,Isaid--she'sawonderfulwoman,reallysomething--andforgetaboutme.Itoldhershedidn'thavetowriteme.Andshedidn't.Notforthreeandahalfyears.Andyou'regoinghomenow,notknowing?Yeah,hesaidshyly.Well,lastweek,whenIwassuretheparolewascomingthrough,Iwrotetheagain.WeusedtoliveinBrunswick,justBeforeJacksonville,andthere'sabigoaktreejustasyoucomeintotown,Itoldherthatifshedidn'thaveanewguyandifshe'dtakemeback,sheshouldputayellowhandkerchiefonthetree,andI'dgetoffandcomehome.Ifshedidn'twantme,forgetit--nohandkerchief,andI'dgoonthrough.Wow,thegirlexclaimed.Wow.Shetoldtheothers,andsoonallofthemwereinit,caughtupintheapproachofBrunswick,lookingatthepicturesVingoshowedthemofhiswifeandthreechildren--thewomanhandsomeinaplainway,thechildrenstillunformedinthemuch-handledsnapshots.Nowtheywere20milesfromBrunswick,andtheyoungpeopletookoverwindowseatsontherightside,waitingfortheapproachofthegreatoaktree.Vingostoppedlooking,tighteninghisface,asidfortifyinghimselfagainststillanotherdisappointment.ThenBrunswickwas10miles,andthenfive.Then,suddenly,alloftheyoungpeoplewereupoutoftheirseats,screamingandshoutingandcrying,doingsmalldancesofjoy.AllexceptVingo.Vingosattherestunned,lookingattheoaktree.Itwascoveredwithyellowhandkerchiefs--20ofthem,30ofthem,maybehundreds,atreethatstoodlikeabannerofwelcomebillowinginthewind.Astheyoungpeopleshouted,theoldconslowlyrosefromhisseatandmadehiswaytothefrontofthebustogohome.我是在几年前，从在纽约格林威治村碰到的一个女孩子那里第一次听到这个故事的。这故事很可能是那些每隔几年就会重新出现，以一种新的说法再被讲述一遍的神秘的民间传说中的一个。然而，我依然愿意相信这故事确实曾在某个地方、某个时间发生过。回家他们要去洛德代尔堡——三个男孩子和三个女孩子。他们用纸袋装着夹心面包和葡萄酒上了公共汽车。当纽约灰暗寒冷的春天在他们身后消失时，他们正梦想着金色的海滩和大海的潮水。公共汽车驶过新泽西州时，他们开始注意到了文戈。他坐在他们前面，穿着一套不合身的便服，一动不动。他风尘满面，让人看不出他有多大岁数。他不停地咬着嘴唇内侧，表情冷淡，默默无言。深夜，公共汽车驶抵华盛顿郊外，停进了霍华德·约翰逊餐馆。所有人都下了车，只有文戈除外。他像生了根似地坐在座位上，几个年轻人开始诧异起来，试图想像出他的身世：他或许是位海船船长，或是一个抛下妻子离家出走的人，再不就是一个回家的老兵。当他们回到车上时，一个女孩子便坐到他身边，作了自我介绍。我们要到佛罗里达去，她兴高采烈地说。听说那儿的确很美。是的，他轻声说道，仿佛想起了他一直想忘却的什么东西。想喝点酒吗？她问。他微微一笑，就着瓶子喝了一大口。他谢了谢她，又缩回去一声不响了。过了一会儿，她回到自己一伙人身边，而文戈则打着盹睡着了。第二天早上，他们醒来，车已停在另一家霍华德·约翰逊餐馆外面。这一次文戈进去了。那女孩一定要他跟他们坐在一起。他好像很害羞，要了杯不加牛奶的清咖啡，在年轻人喋喋不休地议论着露宿沙滩的乐趣时，他却紧张不安地在抽烟。回到车上以后，那女孩又跟文戈坐在了一起。过了一会儿，他慢吞吞地、不胜心酸地讲起了他的身世。他在纽约坐了四年牢，现在要回家了。你有太太吗？不知道。你不知道？她问。是这样的，我在坐牢的时候曾写信给我妻子，他说。我告诉她我要离开很长一段时间，要是她受不了，要是孩子们老是问这问那，要是这事太让她伤心，那她可以干脆忘掉我。我会理解的。我说，再找个男人，忘掉我吧，——她是个很好的女人，真的挺不错。我告诉她不必给我写信。她没有写。三年半没有给我写信。你现在什么也不知道就这样回家？嗯，他羞答答地说。噢，上个礼拜，当我得知我的假释即将获准时，我又给她写了封信。我们过去一直住在杰克逊维尔不远的布伦斯威克，就在镇口有一棵大橡树。我告诉她，要是她没有别的男人，要是她还想让我回去，就在树上系一条黄手绢，我就会下车回家。要是她不要我，就当没这回事好了——不要系手绢，我就跟着汽车一直到底。哇，女孩子叫了起来。哇。她告诉了别的人，很快大家全知道了，大家全都关注着布伦斯威克的到来。他们看着文戈拿给他们的几张照片，是他妻子和三个孩子的照片——从那几张触摸过多的快照上看，那女人自有一种朴实的美，孩子们还没有发育成熟。他们离布伦斯威克只有二十英里了，年轻人都坐到了车右边靠窗的座位上，等待着那棵大橡树的出现。文戈不再张望，他绷紧脸，仿佛正在鼓足勇气准备迎接另一次失望似的。离布伦斯威克只有十英里了，只有五英里了。突然，所有年轻人都从座位上站了起来，尖叫着，呼喊着，大声嚷嚷着，跳起了欢乐的舞蹈。只有文戈除外。文戈坐在那儿望着橡树惊呆了。树上挂满了黄手绢——二十条，三十条，或许有几百条，一棵树立在那儿就像欢迎的旗帜在迎风招展。在年轻人的欢呼声中，这位前犯人慢吞吞地从座位上站起来，向车子前部走去，准备回家。