【荆棘鸟】第六章 15

她深知自己的儿子，确信她说一句话就会把他召回来，所以她决不能说那句话。假如因感到生活失败而觉得时日悠悠、痛苦辛酸的话，她一定要默默地忍受下去。帕迪不是她所要选择的男人，可是世上决没有比帕迪更好的人了。她已经不再是那种感情强烈得无法自恃而还俗偷生的人，她曾经有过严酷的教训。差不多有25年了，她压抑着自己的感情，不使自己激动，她深信坚持到底就是胜利。

　　这片土地上无穷循环的生活在有节奏地进行着。第二年夏天，雨来了；这不是季雨，而是季雨的副产品。雨水注满了小河和水箱，救活了干渴的草根，揩尽了悄然四落的尘土。男人高兴得几乎流出了泪水，他们做着这一季节中固定要做的营生。人们心里有了底，牲口再也用不着手工喂养了。草地绵绵延延，一直伸向长势茂盛的树林，在那里被矮树丛截断；草地要应付使用已经是绰绰有余了。但并不是基里的所有牧场都是这样的，一个牧场到底要养多少畜口，全要看放牧人如何进行管理；对于德罗海达这样广袤的牧场来说，它的牲畜饲养数量是不足的。这就意味着青草可以支持得更久。

　　接着，就是给母羊接羔，要乱哄哄地忙上好几个星期，这是牧羊日程上最繁忙的季节。每一头生下来的羊羔都得抓住，在尾巴上套上标志环，在耳朵上打上记号；如果是一只公羊，没有喂养的必要，就得将它阉了。洗去羊羔身上的血是一件腌(月赞)而又令人生厌的活儿，但它是在短时间内从成千上万只羊羔中吃力地阉割雄羔的唯一方法。羊的两只睾丸被手猛地捏住，用嘴咬掉，吐在地上。羊羔的尾巴用无法伸缩的薄箍带套上，这样无论是雄羔还是雌羔，它们的尾部都逐渐失去维持活力所必需的血液循环，于是便开始发肿、萎缩、脱落。

　　这里的羊是世界上毛最细的绵羊，其规模之大，用人工之省，在别的任何一个国家都是闻所未闻的。所有的一切都适合完满地生产出质地上好的羊毛。先是羊臀去毛工序：绵羊臀部的周围。恶臭的粪便和蝇卵与涂伤口的焦油黑呼呼地粘成一团，这一部位必须不断地仔细剪去。或加上T字型撑架。这是一种比较轻松然而却让人很不愉快的活儿，臭气熏人，苍蝇乱飞。因此，付的工资要多一些。然后是浸洗工序：成千上百只咩咩叫着的、活蹦乱跳的小羊被连赶带拉，弄得晕头转向；它们进进出出地经过苯溶液洗浴，消灭掉它们身上的扁虱、害虫和寄生虫。

 

(She knew her son well enough to be convinced) that one word from her would bring him back, so she must not utter that word, ever. If the days were long and bitter with a sense of failure, she must bear it in silence. Paddy hadn't been the man of her choice, but a better man than Paddy never lived. She was one of those people whose feelings are so intense they become unbearable¹, unlivable, and her lesson had been a harsh one. For almost twenty-five years she had been crushing emotion out of existence, and she was convinced that in the end persistence² would succeed.

Life went on in the rhythmic³, endless cycle of the land; the following summer the rains came, not monsoonal⁴ but a by-product⁵ of them, filling the creek⁶ and the tanks, succoring⁷ the thirsting grass roots, sponging away the stealthy dust. Almost weeping in joy, the men went about the business of the patterned seasons, secure in the knowledge they would not have to handfeed the sheep. The grass had lasted just long enough, eked⁸ out by scrub-cutting from the more juicy trees; but it was not so on all the Gilly stations. How many stock a station carried depended entirely⁹ on the grazier running it. For its great size Drogheda was understocked, which meant the grass lasted just that much longer.

Lambing and the hectic¹⁰ weeks that followed it were busiest of all in the sheep calendar. Every lamb born had to be caught; its tail was ringed, its ear marked, and if it was a male not required for breeding it was also castrated. Filthy¹¹, abominable¹² work which soaked them to the skin with blood, for there was only one way to wade¹³ through thousands upon thousands of male lambs in the short time available. The testicles were popped out between the fingers and bitten off, spat¹⁴ on the ground. Circled by tin bands incapable¹⁵ of expanding, the tails of male and female lambs alike gradually lost their vital bloody¹⁶ supply, swelled¹⁷, withered¹⁸ and dropped off. These were the finest wool sheep in the world, raised on a scale unheard of in any other country, and with a paucity¹⁹ of manpower. Everything was geared to the perfect production of perfect wool. There was crutching²⁰; around the sheep's rear end the wool grew foul²¹ with excrement²², fly-blown, black and lumped together in what were called dags. This area had to be kept shaven close, or crutched²³. It was a minor²⁴ shearing²⁵ job but one far less pleasing, stinking²⁶ and fly-ridden, and it paid better rates. Then there was dipping: thousands upon thousands of bleating²⁷, leaping creatures were hounded and yanked through a maze²⁸ of runs, in and out of the phenyl dips which rid them of ticks, pests and vermin. 

 

1 unbearable   

adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的

参考例句：

• It is unbearable to be always on thorns.老是处于焦虑不安的情况中是受不了的。
• The more he thought of it the more unbearable it became.他越想越觉得无法忍受。

2 persistence   

n.坚持，持续，存留

参考例句：

• The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
• He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。

3 rhythmic   

adj.有节奏的，有韵律的

参考例句：

• Her breathing became more rhythmic.她的呼吸变得更有规律了。
• Good breathing is slow,rhythmic and deep.健康的呼吸方式缓慢深沉而有节奏。

4 monsoonal   

季风的

参考例句：

• In the east, the water is mainly oceanic with relatively minor dilution from direct monsoonal rainfall and runoff from small streams. 东部水域主要为海水，而直接的季候雨及小溪溢流，把海水稍为冲淡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• China has a marked continental monsoonal climate characterized by great variety. 中国有明显的大陆性季风气候的特点是种类繁多。 来自互联网

5 by-product   

n.副产品，附带产生的结果

参考例句：

• Freedom is the by-product of economic surplus.自由是经济盈余的副产品。
• The raw material for the tyre is a by-product of petrol refining.制造轮胎的原材料是提炼汽油时产生的一种副产品。

6 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

7 succoring   

v.给予帮助( succor的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The government has worked out a plan of succoring the needy. 政府已经制定出了救济贫民的计划。 来自互联网
• Chinese soldier went to the earthquake-striken area at top speed for succoring the injured person. 军人火速赶往地震灾区展开救援。 来自互联网

8 eked   

v.（靠节省用量）使…的供应持久( eke的过去式和过去分词 )；节约使用；竭力维持生计；勉强度日

参考例句：

• She eked out the stew to make another meal. 她省出一些钝菜再做一顿饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She eked out her small income by washing clothes for other people. 她替人洗衣以贴补微薄的收入。 来自辞典例句

9 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

10 hectic   

adj.肺病的；消耗热的；发热的；闹哄哄的

参考例句：

• I spent a very hectic Sunday.我度过了一个忙乱的星期天。
• The two days we spent there were enjoyable but hectic.我们在那里度过的两天愉快但闹哄哄的。

11 filthy   

adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的

参考例句：

• The whole river has been fouled up with filthy waste from factories.整条河都被工厂的污秽废物污染了。
• You really should throw out that filthy old sofa and get a new one.你真的应该扔掉那张肮脏的旧沙发，然后再去买张新的。

12 abominable   

adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的

参考例句：

• Their cruel treatment of prisoners was abominable.他们虐待犯人的做法令人厌恶。
• The sanitary conditions in this restaurant are abominable.这家饭馆的卫生状况糟透了。

13 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

14 spat   

n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声

参考例句：

• Her parents always have spats.她的父母经常有些小的口角。
• There is only a spat between the brother and sister.那只是兄妹间的小吵小闹。

15 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。

16 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

17 swelled   

增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情）

参考例句：

• The infection swelled his hand. 由于感染，他的手肿了起来。
• After the heavy rain the river swelled. 大雨过后，河水猛涨。

18 withered   

adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The grass had withered in the warm sun. 这些草在温暖的阳光下枯死了。
• The leaves of this tree have become dry and withered. 这棵树下的叶子干枯了。

19 paucity   

n.小量，缺乏

参考例句：

• The paucity of fruit was caused by the drought.水果缺乏是由于干旱造成的。
• The results are often unsatisfactory because of the paucity of cells.因细胞稀少，结果常令人不满意。

20 crutching   

防蝇去毛，结块污毛，（剪毛前）羊身除下的粪污碎毛

参考例句：

21 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

22 excrement   

n.排泄物，粪便

参考例句：

• The cage smelled of excrement.笼子里粪臭熏人。
• Clothing can also become contaminated with dust,feathers,and excrement.衣着则会受到微尘、羽毛和粪便的污染。

23 crutched   

用拐杖支持的，有丁字形柄的，有支柱的

参考例句：

24 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

25 shearing   

n.剪羊毛，剪取的羊毛v.剪羊毛( shear的现在分词 )；切断；剪切

参考例句：

• The farmer is shearing his sheep. 那农夫正在给他的羊剪毛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The result of this shearing force is to push the endoplasm forward. 这种剪切力作用的结果是推动内质向前。 来自辞典例句

26 stinking   

adj.臭的，烂醉的，讨厌的v.散发出恶臭( stink的现在分词 )；发臭味；名声臭；糟透

参考例句：

• I was pushed into a filthy, stinking room. 我被推进一间又脏又臭的屋子里。
• Those lousy, stinking ships. It was them that destroyed us. 是的！就是那些该死的蠢猪似的臭飞船！是它们毁了我们。 来自英汉非文学 - 科幻

27 bleating   

v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的现在分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说

参考例句：

• I don't like people who go around bleating out things like that. 我不喜欢跑来跑去讲那种蠢话的人。 来自辞典例句
• He heard the tinny phonograph bleating as he walked in. 他步入室内时听到那架蹩脚的留声机在呜咽。 来自辞典例句

28 maze   

n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑

参考例句：

• He found his way through the complex maze of corridors.他穿过了迷宮一样的走廊。
• She was lost in the maze for several hours.一连几小时，她的头脑处于一片糊涂状态。