GOOD COUNTRY PEOPLE 善良的乡下人 英文版.docx
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GOOD COUNTRY PEOPLE 善良的乡下人 英文版.docx
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GOODCOUNTRYPEOPLE
FLANNERYO’CONNOR
1925-1964
Besidestheneutralexpressionthatsheworewhenshewasalone,Mrs.Freemanhadtwoothers,forwardandreverse,thatsheusedforallherhumandealings.Herforwardexpressionwassteadyanddrivingliketheadvanceofaheavytruck.Hereyesneverswervedtoleftorrightbutturnedasthestoryturnedasiftheyfollowedayellowlinedownthecenterofit.Sheseldomusedtheotherexpressionbecauseitwasnotoftennecessaryforhertoretractastatement,butwhenshedid,herfacecametoacompletestop,therewasanalmostimperceptiblemovementofherblackeyes,duringwhichtheyseemedtobereceding,andthentheobserverwouldseethatMrs.Freeman,thoughshemightstandthereasrealasseveralgrainsacksthrownontopofeachother,wasnolongerthereinspirit.Asforgettinganythingacrosstoherwhenthiswasthecase,Mrs.Hopewellhadgivenitup.Shemighttalkherheadoff.Mrs.Freemancouldneverbebroughttoadmitherselfwrongtoanypoint.Shewouldstandthereandifshecouldbebroughttosayanything,itwassomethinglike,“Well,Iwouldn’tofsaiditwasandIwouldn’tofsaiditwasn’t”orlettinghergazerangeoverthetopkitchenshelfwheretherewasanassortmentofdustybottles,shemightremark,“Iseeyouain’tatemanyofthemfigsyouputuplastsummer.”
Theycarriedontheirmostimportantbusinessinthekitchenatbreakfast.EverymorningMrs.Hopewellgotupatseveno’clockandlithergasheaterandJoy’s.Joywasherdaughter,alargeblondsgirlwhohadanartificialleg.Mrs.Hopewellthoughtofherasachildthoughshewasthirty-twoyearsoldandhighlyeducated.Joywouldgetupwhilehermotherwaseatingandlumberintothebathroomandslamthedoor,andbeforelong,Mrs.Freemanwouldarriveatthebackdoor.Joywouldhearhermothercall,“Comeonin,”andthentheywouldtalkforawhileinlowvoicesthatwereindistinguishableinthebathroom.BythetimeJoycamein,theyhadusuallyfinishedtheweatherreportandwereononeortheotherofMrs.Freeman’sdaughters,GlyneseorCarramae.JoycalledthemGlycerinandCaramel.Glynese,aredhead,waseighteenandhadmanyadmirers;Carramae,ablonde,wasonlyfifteenbutalreadymarriedandpregnant.Shecouldnotkeepanythingonherstomach.EverymorningMrs.FreemantoldMrs.Hopewellhowmanytimesshehadvomitedsincethelastreport.
Mrs.HopewelllikedtotellpeoplethatGlyneseandCarramaeweretwoofthefinestgirlssheknewandthatMrs.Freemanwasaladyandthatshewasneverashamedtotakeheranywhereorintroducehertoanybodytheymightmeet.ThenshewouldtellhowshehadhappenedtohiretheFreemansinthefirstplaceandhowtheywereagodsendtoherandhowshehadhadthemfouryears.Thereasonforherkeepingthemsolongwasthattheywerenottrash.Theyweregoodcountrypeople.ShehadtelephonedthemanwhosenametheyhadgivenasreferenceandhehadtoldherthatMr.Freemanwasagoodfarmerbutthathiswifewasthenosiestwomanevertowalktheearth.“She’sgottobeintoeverything,”themansaid.“Ifshedon’tgettherebeforethedustsettles,youcanbetshe’sdead,that’sall.She’llwanttoknowallyourbusiness.Icanstandhimrealgood,”hehadsaid,“butmenormywifeneithercouldhavestoodthatwomanonemoreminuteonthisplace.”ThathadputMrs.Hopewelloffforafewdays.
Shehadhiredthemintheendbecausetherewerenootherapplicantsbutshehadmadeuphermindbeforehandexactlyhowshewouldhandlethewoman.Sinceshewasthetypewhohadtobeintoeverything,then,Mrs.Hopewellhaddecided,shewouldnotonlyletherbeintoeverything,shewouldseetoitthatshewasintoeverything-shewouldgivehertheresponsibilityofeverything,shewouldputherincharge.Mrs.Hopewellhadnobadqualitiesofherownbutshewasabletouseotherpeople’sinsuchaconstructivewaythatshehadkeptthemfouryears.
Nothingisperfect.ThiswasoneofMrs.Hopewell’sfavoritesayings.Anotherwas:
thatislife!
Andstillanother,themostimportant,was:
well,otherpeoplehavetheiropinionstoo.Shewouldmakethesestatements,usuallyatthetable,inatoneofgentleinsistenceasifnooneheldthembuther,andthelargehulkingJoy,whoseconstantoutragehadobliteratedeveryexpressionfromherface,wouldstarejustalittletothesideofher,hereyesicyblue,withthelookofsomeonewhohadachievedblindnessbyanactofwillandmeanstokeepit.
WhenMrs.HopewellsaidtoMrs.Freemanthatlifewaslikethat,Mrs.Freemanwouldsay,“Ialwayssaidsomyself.”Nothinghadbeenarrivedatbyanyonethathadnotfirstbeenarrivedatbyher.ShewasquickerthanMr.Freeman.WhenMrs.
Hopewellsaidtoheraftertheyhadbeenontheplaceforawhile,“Youknow,you’rethewheelbehindthewheel,”andwinked,Mrs.Freemanhadsaid,“Iknowit.I’vealwaysbeenquick.It’ssomethatarequickerthanothers.”
“Everybodyisdifferent,”Mrs.Hopewellsaid.
“Yes,mostpeopleis,”Mrs.Freemansaid.
“Ittakesallkindstomaketheworld.”
“Ialwayssaiditdidmyself.”
Thegirlwasusedtothiskindofdialogueforbreakfastandmoreofitfordinner;sometimestheyhaditforsuppertoo.Whentheyhadnoguesttheyateinthekitchenbecausethatwaseasier.Mrs.Freemanalwaysmanagedtoarriveatsomepointduringthemealandtowatchthemfinishit.Shewouldstandinthedoorwayifitweresummerbutinthewintershewouldstandwithoneelbowontopoftherefrigeratorandlookdownatthem,orshewouldstandbythegasheater,liftingthebackofherskirtslightly.Occasionallyshewouldstandagainstthewallandrollherheadfromsidetoside.Atnotimewassheinanyhurrytoleave.AllthiswasverytryingonMrs.Hopewellbutshewasawomanofgreatpatience.SherealizedthatnothingisperfectandthatintheFreemansshehadgoodcountrypeopleandthatif,inthisdayandage,yougetgoodcountrypeople,youhadbetterhangontothem.
Shehadhadplentyofexperiencewithtrash.BeforetheFreemansshehadaveragedonetenantfamilyayear.Thewivesofthesefarmerswerenotthekindyouwouldwanttobearoundyouforverylong.Mrs.Hopewell,whohaddivorcedherhusbandlongago,neededsomeonetowalkoverthefieldswithher;andwhenJoyhadtobeimpressedfortheseservices,herremarkswereusuallysouglyandherfacesoglumthatMrs.Hopewellwouldsay,“Ifyoucan’tcomepleasantly,Idon’twantyouatall,”towhichthegirl,standingsquareandrigid-shoulderedwithherneckthrustslightlyforward,wouldreply,“Ifyouwantme,hereIam-LIKEIAM.”
Mrs.Hopewellexcusedthisattitudebecauseoftheleg(whichhadbeenshotoffinahuntingaccidentwhenJoywasten).ItwashardforMrs.Hopewelltorealizethatherchildwasthirty-twonowandthatformorethantwentyyearsshehadhadonlyoneleg.Shethoughtofherstillasachildbecauseittoreherhearttothinkinsteadofthepoorstoutgirlinherthirtieswhohadneverdancedasteporhadanynormalgoodtimes.
HernamewasreallyJoybutassoonasshewastwenty-oneandawayfromhome,shehadhaditlegallychanged.Mrs.Hopewellwascertainthatshehadthoughtandthoughtuntilshehadhitupontheugliestnameinanylanguage.Thenshehadgoneandhadthebeautifulname,Joy,changedwithouttellinghermotheruntilaftershehaddoneit.HerlegalnamewasHulga.
WhenMrs.Hopewellthoughtthename,Hulga,shethoughtofthebroadblankhullofabattleship.Shewouldnotuseit.ShecontinuedtocallherJoytowhichthegirlrespondedbutinapurelymechanicalway.
HulgahadlearnedtotolerateMrs.Freemanwhosavedherfromtakingwalkswithhermother.EvenGlyneseandCarramaewereusefulwhentheyoccupiedattentionthatmightotherwisehavebeendirectedather.AtfirstshehadthoughtshecouldnotstandMrs.Freemanforshehadfounditwasnotpossibletoberudetoher.Mrs.Freemanwouldtakeonstrangeresentmentsandfordaystogethershewouldbesullenbutthesourceofherdispleasurewasalwaysobscure;adirectattack,apositiveleer,blatantuglinesstoherface-thesenevertouchedher.Andwithoutwarningoneday,shebegancallingherHulga.
ShedidnotcallherthatinfrontofMrs.Hopewellwhowouldhavebeenincensedbutwhensheandthegirlhappenedtobeoutofthehousetogether,shewouldsaysomethingandaddthenameHulgatotheendofit,andthebigspectacledJoy-Hulgawouldscowlandreddenasifherprivacyhadbeenintrudedupon.Sheconsideredthenameherpersonalaffair.Shehadarrivedatitfirstpurelyonthebasisofitsuglysoundandthenthefullgeniusofitsfitnesshadstruckher.ShehadavisionofthenameworkingliketheuglysweatingVulcanwhostayedinthefurnaceandtowhom,presumably,thegoddesshadtocomewhencalled.Shesawitasthenameofherhighestcreativeact.OneofhermajortriumphswasthathermotherhadnotbeenabletoturnherdustintoJoy,butthegreateronewasthatshehadbeenabletoturnitherselfintoHulga.However,Mrs.Freeman’srelishforusingthenameonlyirritatedher.ItwasasifMrs.Freeman’sbeadysteel-pointedeyeshadpenetratedfarenoughbehindherfacetoreachsomesecretfact.SomethingaboutherseemedtofascinateMrs.FreemanandthenonedayHulgarealizedthatitwastheartificialleg.Mrs.Freemanhadaspecialfondnessforthedetailsofsecretinfections,hiddendeformities,assaultsuponchildren.Ofdiseases,shepreferredthelingeringorincurable.HulgahadheardMrs.Hopewellgiveherthedetailsofthehuntingaccident,howtheleghadbeenliterallyblastedoff,howshehadneverlostconsciousness.Mrs.Freemancouldlistentoitanytimeasifithadhappenedanhourago.
WhenHulga
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