美丽新世界Brave New World 第7章(6)（在线收听） |
Bending over him, the old man touched his back with a long white feather, held it up for a moment, crimson, for the people to see then shook it thrice over the snakes. 老头子俯身向他，用一根白色的长羽毛蘸了蘸他的背，举起来让人们看，鲜红色。然后在蛇堆上晃了三晃。
A few drops fell, and suddenly the drums broke out again into a panic of hurrying notes; there was a great shout.
几滴血洒落下来。鼓声突然紧张匆忙地擂了起来；人们随之大叫。
The dancers rushed forward, picked up the snakes and ran out of the square.
舞人们向前扑去，抓起蛇跑出了广场。
Men, women, children, all the crowd ran after them.
男人、女人、孩子都跟着，一窝蜂全跑掉了。
A minute later the square was empty, only the boy remained, prone where he had fallen, quite still.
一会儿工夫广场已经空了，只剩下了那小伙子还趴在倒下的地方，一动不动。
Three old women came out of one of the houses, and with some difficulty lifted him and carried him in.
三个老女人从一间屋里走了出来，费了些力气才扶起了他，带进了屋子。
The eagle and the man on the cross kept guard for a little while over the empty pueblo;
空荡荡的印第安村庄里只有那画上的鹰和十字架上的人守望了一会儿。
then, as though they had seen enough, sank slowly down through their hatchways, out of sight, into the nether world.
然后，他们也好像是看够了，慢慢沉入地下室，去了阴间，看不见了。
Lenina was still sobbing. "Too awful," she kept repeating, and all Bernard's consolations were in vain.
列宁娜还在抽泣，“太可怕了。”她不断地重复。伯纳的一切安慰都没有用。
"Too awful! That blood!" She shuddered. "Oh, I wish I had my soma."
“太可怕了，那血！”她毛骨悚然。“啊，我希望带着我的唆麻。”
There was the sound of feet in the inner room.
内室里有脚步声传来。
Lenina did not move, but sat with her face in her hands, unseeing, apart. Only Bernard turned round.
列宁娜没有动，只用手捂住了脸坐在一边不看。伯纳转过了身子。
The dress of the young man who now stepped out on to the terrace was Indian; but his plaited hair was straw-coloured, his eyes a pale blue, and his skin a white skin, bronzed.
现在来到台地上的是一个穿印第安服装的小伙子。但是他那编了辫子的头发却是浅黄色的，眼睛是淡蓝色的，已晒成青铜色的皮肤原是白色的。
"Hullo. Good-morrow," said the stranger, in faultless but peculiar English. "You're civilized, aren't you? You come from the Other Place, outside the Reservation?"
“哈罗，日安，”陌生人用没有毛病但有些特别的英语说，“你们是文明人，是吗？从那边，从保留地外面来的，是吗？”
"Who on earth … ?" Bernard began in astonishment.
“你究竟……？”伯纳大吃一惊，说话了。
The young man sighed and shook his head. "A most unhappy gentleman."
小伙子叹了口气，摇摇头，“一个最不幸的绅士。”
And, pointing to the bloodstains in the centre of the square, "Do you see that damned spot?" he asked in a voice that trembled with emotion.
他指着广场正中的血迹说，“看见那倒霉的地方了吗？”他问时声音激动得发抖。
"A gramme is better than a damn," said Lenina mechanically from behind her hands. "I wish I had my soma!"
“与其受烦恼，不如唆麻好，”列宁娜还捂住脸，机械地说着。“我真希望带着我的唆麻。”
"I ought to have been there," the young man went on. "Why wouldn't they let me be the sacrifice?
“到那儿去的应该是我，”年轻人继续说，“他们为什么不拿我去做牺牲？
I'd have gone round ten times–twelve, fifteen. Palowhtiwa only got as far as seven.
我能够走十圈，走十二圈，十五圈。帕罗提瓦只走了七圈。
They could have had twice as much blood from me. The multitudinous seas incarnadine."
他们可以从我身上得到两倍的血，把一碧无垠的海水染成殷红。”
He flung out his arms in a lavish gesture; then, despairingly, let them fall again.
他挥出双臂夸张地做了个手势，随即失望地放了下来。
"But they wouldn't let me. They disliked me for my complexion. It's always been like that. Always"
“可是他们不肯让我去。他们因为我的肤色而不喜欢我，他们一向这样，一向。”
Tears stood in the young man's eyes; he was ashamed and turned away.
青年的眼里噙满了泪水；他感到不好意思，转开了身子。
Astonishment made Lenina forget the deprivation of soma.
惊讶使列宁娜忘记了自己失去了唆麻。
She uncovered her face and, for the first time, looked at the stranger.
她放开了手，第一次看见了那青年。
"Do you mean to say that you wanted to be hit with that whip?"
“你是说你想要去挨鞭子吗？” |
| 原文地址：http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/mlxsj/335077.html |