lesson6

　　一个好机会

　　Lesson Six A Good Chance

　　我到鸭溪时，喜鹊没在家，我和他的妻子阿米莉亚谈了谈。

　　When I got to Crow Creek， Magpie was not home. I talked to his wife Amelia.

　　“我要找喜鹊，”我说，“我给他带来了好消息。”我指指提着的箱子，“我带来了他的诗歌和一封加利福尼亚大学的录取通知书，他们想让他来参加为印第安人举办的艺术课。”

　　“I need to find Magpie，” I said. “I've really got some good news for him.” I pointed to the briefcase I was carrying. “I have his poems and a letter of acceptance from a University in California where they want him to come and participate in the Fine Arts Program they have started for Indians.”

　　“你知道他还在假释期间吗？”

　　“Do you know that he was on parole？”

　　“这个，不，不大清楚。”我犹豫着说，“我一直没有和他联系，但我听说他遇到了些麻烦。”

　　“Well， no， not exactly，” I said hesitantly， “I haven't kept in touch with him but I heard that he was in some kind of trouble.

　　她对我笑笑说：“他已经离开很久了。你知道，他在这儿不安全。他的假释官随时都在监视他，所以他还是不到这儿来为好，而且我们已经分开一段时间了，我听说他在城里的什么地方。”

　　She smiled to me and said， “He's gone a lot. It's not safe around here for him， you know. His parole officer really watches him all the time and so sometimes it is just better for him not to come here. Besides， we haven't been together for a while. I hear he's in town somewhere.”

　　“你是指他在钱柏林？”

　　“Do you mean in Chamberlain？”

　　“对。我和他姐姐住在这儿，她说前一段时间她在那儿见过他。不过喜鹊不会去加利福尼亚的。即使你见到他并和他谈此事，他现在也决不会离开这儿。”

　　“Yes， I live here with his sister and she said that she saw him there， quite a while ago. But Magpie would not go to California. He would never leave here now even if you saw him and talked to him about it.”

　　“可他以前去过，”我说，“他去过西雅图大学。”

　　“But he did before，” I said， “He went to the University of Seattle.”

　　“是的，但……但是，那是以前，”她说，似乎不想再谈这个话题。

　　“Yeah， but…well， that was before，” she said， as though to finish the matter.

　　“你难道不希望他去吗？”我问道。

　　“Don't you want him to go？” I asked.

　　“哦，这不是我说了算的。我们现在已经分开了。我只是告诉你，你一定会失望的。像你这样的人希望他需要那些，可他已经不再需要了。”她很快答道，语气非常肯定。

　　Quickly， she responded， “Oh， it's not up to me to say. He is gone from me now. I'm just telling you that you are in for a disappointment. He no longer needs the things that people like you want him to need，” she said positively.

　　当她意识到我不喜欢她用“像你这样的人”的字眼时，她停了一下，然后把手放在我的胳膊上，“听着，”她说，“喜鹊现在终于快乐了。他情绪很好，英俊倜傥，自由自在而又意志坚强。他和兄弟们一起坐在皮鼓前唱歌，他现在一切都很好。以前，每当发表那些反政府和反对美国印第安人事务委员会的言论时，他总会越发气愤，充满怨恨。我曾为他担忧，但现在我不再担心了。你为什么不让他独自呆着呢？”

　　When she saw that I didn't like her reference to “people like you”， she stopped for a moment and then put her hand on my arm. “Listen，” she said， “Magpie is happy now， finally. He is in good spirits， handsome and free and strong. He sits at the drum and sings with his brothers： he's okay now. When he was saying all those things against the government and against the council， he became more and more ugly and embittered and I used to be afraid for him. But I'm not now.

　　我和赛利娜坐在一家咖啡馆里。

　　I was sitting at the café with Salina.

　　她突然说道：“我不知道喜鹊在哪儿，我已经4天没见到他了。”

　　Abruptly she said， “I don't know where Mapie is. I haven't seen him in four days.”

　　“我把他的诗也带来了。”我说，“他有机会进入加利福尼亚的艺术学院，但是我必须和他谈一谈，还要让他填一下这些表格。我相信他一定会感兴趣的。”

　　“I've got his poems here with me，” I said. “He has a good change of going to a Fine Arts school in California， but I have to talk with him and get him to fill out some papers. I know that he is interested.”

　　“不，他不会的，”她打断了我，“他根本就不再做这些没用的、愚蠢的梦了。”

　　“No， he isn't，” she broke in. “He doesn't have those worthless， shitty dreams anymore.”

　　“别这样说，赛利娜，这对他真的是个好机会。”

　　“Don't say that， Salina. This is a good chance for him.”

　　“好了，你爱怎么想就怎么想吧，可最近你跟他谈过吗？你知道他如今怎么样吗？”

　　“Well， you can think what you want， but have you talked to him lately？ Do you know him as he is now？”

　　“我知道他情况很好，我也知道他有这个天分。”

　　“I know he is good. I know he has such talent.”

　　“他是一个印第安人，这次他回到这里是要住下来。”

　　“He is Indian， and he's back here to stay this time.”

　　“你和我一起开车去钱柏林，好吗？”我问道。

　　“Would you drive into Chamberlain with me？” I asked.

　　她一言不发。

　　She said nothing.

　　“如果他是你所说的那种印第安人，不管那是什么意思，如果他这次回来是要住下来，如果他自己亲口对我说出来，我就打消这个念头。但是，赛利娜，”我极力说服道，“我一定要跟他谈谈，问问他想要做什么。你知道我的意思，不是吗？”

　　“If he is Indian as you say， whatever that means， and if he is back here to stay this time and if he tells me that himself， I'll let it go. But Salina，” I urged， “I must talk to him and ask him what he wants to do. You see that， don't you？”

　　“是的， 我知道了，” 她 终于说道， “他有权知道这一切， 但你会明白。”

　　“Yes，” she said finally. “He has a right to know about this， but you'll see…”

　　我们离开时，她的高跟鞋在咖啡屋前的人行道上发出清脆的响声，当她又谈及喜鹊时，变得焦虑不安。

　　Her heels clicked on the sidewalk in front of the café as we left， and she became agitated as she talked.

　　“他在卡司特抗议时，因为法院被烧，惹了麻烦，被判入狱1年。他现在还在假释期间，他的假释期还有5年，可他们连任何对他不利的证据都没有找到。5年呀！你能相信吗？现在连谋杀罪的人都没有判这样重。”

　　“After all that trouble he got into during that protest at Custer when the courthouse was burned， he was in jail for a year. He's still on parole and he will be on parole for another five years – and they didn't even prove anything against him！ Five years！ Can you believe that？ People these days can commit murder and not get that kind of a sentence.”

　　我们驱车行使在钱柏林的大街上，埃尔吉正站在银行附近的拐角处，我和赛利娜都心照不宣，这个喜鹊的好朋友肯定知道他在哪儿。

　　Elgie was standing on the corner near the Bank as we drove down the main street of Chamberlain， and both Salina and I knew without speaking that this man， this good friend of Magpie's， would know of his whereabouts.

　　我们停了车，埃尔吉走了过来，舒服地靠坐在车的后排座位上。

　　We parked the car， Elgie came over and settled himself in the back seat of the car.

　　车慢慢地驶到了我们停车的街角处，假释官目不转睛地盯着我们3人，而我们却假装没看见。

　　A police car moved slowly to the corner where we were parked and the patrolmen looked at the three of us intently and we pretended not to notice.

　　巡逻车在空荡荡的街道上慢慢前行。我小心谨慎地转向埃尔吉。

　　The patrol car inched down the empty street and I turned cautiously toward Elgie.

　　我还没来得及开口，赛利娜说，“她给喜鹊拿了些表格。他有可能进入加利福尼亚的一所作家学院读书。”

　　Before I could speak， Salina said， “She is got some papers for Magpie. He has a chance to go to a writer's school in California.”

　　总是不太想让别人清楚地了解他的想法的埃尔吉说道，“是吗？”可赛利娜却不想让他就这么不置可否。“埃尔吉，”她嘲弄道，“埃尔吉，你知道他是不会去的！”

　　Always tentative about letting you know what he was really thinking， Elgie said， “Yeah？” But Salina wouldn't let him get away so noncommittally， “Elgie，” she scoffed. “You know he wouldn't go！”

　　“是呀，你知道，”埃尔吉开口说，“卡司特那件事发生以后，我和喜鹊曾经想要躲藏起来，最后我们到了奥古斯塔娜大学的校园。那儿有我们的几个朋友。他开始谈论自由，而这些是我永远都不会忘记的。在那以后当他被捕入狱时，自由便成为了他的主要话题。自由。他渴望自由，可是，老兄，他们总盯着你的时候，你不可能有自由。哦，那个怪物，就是他的那个假释官，是一只卑鄙的看门狗。”

　　“Well， you know，” Elgie began， “one time when Magpie and me were hiding out after that Custer thing， we ended up on to Augustana College Campus. We got some friends there. And he started talking about freedom and I never forget that， and then after he went wants to be free and you can't be that， man， when they're watching you all the time. Man， that freak that's his parole officer is some mean watch-dog.”

　　“你觉得他会拿到奖学金吗？”我满怀希望地说。

　　“You think he might go for the scholarship？” I asked， hopefully.

　　“我不知道。也许吧。”

　　“I don't know. Maybe.”

　　“他在哪儿？”我问道。

　　“Where is he？” I asked.

　　沉默了很长一会儿后，埃尔吉终于开口了：“我想你来得太好了，因为喜鹊需要从这没完没了的监视和检查中解脱出来。事实上，他一直谈道：”如果我和白人交往，那么我将没有自由；那里没有印第安人的自由。你现在应该和他谈谈。他变了。他赞成同白人完全分离或隔离。“

　　There was a long silence. Then Elgie said at last， “I think it's good that you've come， because Magpie needs some relief from this constant surveillance， constant checking up. In fact， that's what he always talks about. 'If I have to associate with the whites， then I'm not free： there is no liberty in that for Indians.' You should talk to him now. He's changed. He's for complete separation， segregation， total isolation from the whites.”

　　“这是不是有点太过分了？太不实际了？”我问道。

　　“Isn't that a bit too radical？ Too unrealistic？” I asked.

　　“我不知道。我真的不知道。”

　　“I don't know. Damn if I know.”

　　“好了，”赛利娜说，“你觉得他在加利福尼亚的那所大学里会怎样？可这是他学习和写作的一个好机会。我觉得他会从中找到一种愉快的感觉。”

　　“Yeah，” said Salina， “Just what do you think it would be like for him at that university in California？” “But it's a chance for him to study， to write. He can find a kind of satisfying isolation in that， I think.”

　　过了一会儿，埃尔吉说道：“不错，我认为你是对的”。

　　After a few moments， Elgie said， “Yeah， I think you are right.”

　　然后他又从后排座位上抬起身来说道：“我要过桥了，再过大约3个街区就到了。在我快要下桥的地方的左边有一座白色的老式二层小楼。喜鹊的哥哥刚从内布拉斯加州教养院出来，现在跟他的妻子就住在那儿，喜鹊也在。”

　　“ Soon he got out of the back seat and said， ”I'm going to walk over the bridge . It's about three blocks down there. There is an old， whit two-story house on the left side just before you cross the bridge. Magpie's brother just got out of the Nebraska State Reformatory and he is staying there with his old lady， and that's where Magpie is.“

　　现在终于能够和他谈谈，并让他自己作出决定了。

　　At last！ Now I could really talk to him and let him make this decision for himself.

　　“呵！还有些问题，”埃尔吉说，“喜鹊本不应该在那儿，你知道，因为这是他的假释条件的一部分，那就是他要离开朋友、亲戚和以前的囚犯，差不多是所有的人。可上帝呀，这是他的哥哥呀。等到日落前你们再来。把车停在加油站那儿，只要从那儿绕过那条街走到房子的后门进去，你就可以跟喜鹊谈所有这一切了。”

　　“There are things about this though，” Elgie said. “Magpie shouldn't have been there， see， because it's a part of the condition of his parole that he stays away from friends and relatives and ex-convicts and just about everybody. But Jesus， this is his brother. Wait until just before sundown and then come over. Park your car at the service station just around the block from there and walk to the back entrance of the house and then you can talk to Magpie about all this.”

　　赛利娜跟我讲述着喜鹊在背井离乡数月后返回鸭溪的情形及他的亲戚是怎样到他姐姐家欢迎他返乡的。“他们来听他和兄弟唱歌，他们围坐在椅子上，欢笑着和他一起歌唱。”

　　Salina was talking， telling me about Magpie's return to Crow Creek after months in exile and how his relatives went to his sister's house and welcomed him home. “They came to hear him sing with his brothers， and they sat in chairs around the room and laughed and sang wit him.”

　　我们到达时，院子里停着几辆车。赛利娜压低声音说，“她们可能正在聚会。”

　　Several cars were parked in the yard of the old house as we approached， and Salina， keeping her voice low， said， “Maybe they are having a party.”

　　然而，四周的寂静使我忐忑不安。当我们走进敞着的后门时，看到人们都站在厨房里，我小心翼翼地问道，“出什么事了？

　　But the silence which hung about the place filled me with apprehension， and when we walked in the back door which hung open， we saw people standing in the kitchen. I asked carefully， “What's wrong？”

　　没有人答话，只有埃尔吉走了过来。他那充血的眼睛里充满悲伤和痛苦。

　　Nobody spoke but Elgie came over， his bloodshot eyes filled with sorrow and misery.

　　他在我们面前站了一会儿，然后示意我们到起居室去。

　　He stood in front of us for a moment and then gestured us to go into the living room.

　　屋子里静静地，坐满了人。终于，埃尔吉轻轻地说道，“他们枪杀了他。”

　　The room was filled with people sitting in silence， and finally Elgie said， quietly， “They shot him.”

　　“他们说他违反了假释条件把他抓走了，关进监狱后就枪杀了他。”

　　“They picked him up for breaking the conditions of his parole and they put him in jail and … they shot him.”

　　“可是为什么？”我大喊道，“怎么会发生这样的事？”

　　“But why？” I cried. “How could this have happened？”

　　“他们说他们认为他要反抗，而且他们害怕他。”

　　“They said they thought he was resisting and that they were afraid of him.”

　　“害怕？”我怀疑地问，“但……但是，他有武器吗？”

　　“Afraid？” I asked， incredulously. “But…but…was he armed？”

　　“没有”，埃尔吉说着坐了下来。他的胳膊撑在膝盖上，头低着。

　　“No，” Elgie said， seated now， his arm on his knees， his head down. “No， he wasn't armed.”

　　我把喜鹊的诗紧紧握在手里，两手的拇指交替在平滑的纸夹上狠狠地摁着。

　　I held the poems tightly in my hands pressing my thumbs，first one and then the other，against the smoothness of the cardboard folder.