The local veterinarian and master archer1, Third Master Fan, lived at the eastern end of town,on the edge of a pasture that ran all the way to Black Water River. The Flood Dragonriverbank wound directly behind his house. At his mother’s insistence2, Shangguan Shouxiwalked out of the house, but on rubbery legs. He saw that the sun was a blazing ball of whiteabove the treetops, and that the dozen or so stained glass windows in the church steeple shonebrilliantly. The Felicity Manor3 steward4, Sima Ting, was hopping5 around atop the watchtower,which was roughly the same height as the steeple. He was still shouting his warning that theJapanese were on their way, but his voice had grown hoarse6 and raspy. A few idlers weregaping up at him with their arms crossed. Shangguan Shouxi stood in the middle of the lane,trying to decide on the best way to go to Third Master Fan’s place.
Two routes were available to him, one straight through town, the other along the riverbank.
The drawback of the riverbank route was the likelihood of startling the Sun family’s big blackdogs. The Suns lived in a ramshackle compound at the northern end of the lane, encircled by alow, crumbling7 wall that was a favorite perch8 for chickens. The head of the family, AuntySun, had a brood of five grandsons, all mutes. The parents seemed not to have ever existed.
The five of them were forever playing on the wall, in which they’d created breaches9, likesaddles, so they could ride imaginary horses. Holding clubs or slingshots or rifles carved fromsticks, they glared at passersby10, human and animal, the whites of their eyes truly menacing.
People got off relatively11 easy, but not the animals; it made no difference if it was a stray calfor a raccoon, a goose, a duck, a chicken, or a dog, the minute they spotted12 it, they took outafter it, along with their big black dogs, converting the village into their private huntingground.
The year before, they had chased down a Felicity Manor donkey that had broken free of itshalter; after killing13 it, they’d skinned and butchered it out in the open. People stood bywatching, waiting to see how the folks at Felicity Manor, a powerful and rich family in whichthe uncle was a regimental commander who kept a company of armed bodyguards14, woulddeal with someone openly slaughtering15 one of its donkeys. When the steward stamped hisfoot, half the county quaked. Now here were all these wild kids, slaughtering a Felicity Manordonkey in broad daylight, which was hardly less than asking to be slaughtered16 themselves.
Imagine the people’s surprise when the assistant steward, Sima Ku — a marksman with alarge red birthmark on his face — handed a silver dollar to each of the mutes instead ofdrawing his pistol. From that day on, they were incorrigible17 tyrants18, and any animal thatencountered them could only curse its parents for not giving it wings.
While the boys were in their saddles, their five jet black dogs, which could have beenscooped out of a pond of ink, sprawled19 lazily at the base of the wall, eyes closed to mere20 slits,seemingly dreaming peaceful dreams. The five mutes and their dogs had a particular dislikefor Shangguan Shouxi, who lived in the same lane, although he could not recall where orwhen he had managed to offend these ten fearsome demons22. But whenever he came acrossthem, he was in for a bad time. He would flash them a smile, but that never kept the dogsfrom flying at him like five black arrows, and even though the attacks stopped short ofphysical contact, and he was never bitten, he’d be so rattled23 his heart would nearly stop. Themere thought of it made him shudder24.
Or he could head south, across the town’s main street, and get to Third Master Fan’s thatway. But that meant he would have to pass by the church, and at this hour, the tall, heavyset,redheaded, blue-eyed Pastor25 Malory would be squatting26 beneath the prickly ash tree, with itspungent aroma27, milking his old goat, the one with the scraggly chin whiskers, squeezing herred, swollen28 teats with large, soft, hairy hands, and sending milk so white it seemed almostblue splashing into a rusty29 enamel30 bowl. Swarms31 of redheaded flies always buzzed aroundPastor Malory and his goat. The pungency32 of the prickly ash, the muttony smell of the goat,and the man’s rank body odor blended into a foul33 miasma34 that swelled35 in the sunlit air andpolluted half the block. Nothing bothered Shangguan Shouxi more than the prospect36 of PastorMalory looking up from behind his goat, both of them stinking37 to high heaven, and castingone of those ambiguous glances his way, even though the hint of a compassionate38 smileshowed that it was given in friendship. When he smiled, Pastor Malory displayed teeth aswhite as those of a horse. He was forever dragging his dirty finger back and forth39 across hischest — Amen! And every time that happened, Shangguan Shouxi’s stomach lurched amid aflood of mixed feelings, until he turned tail and ran like a whipped dog. He avoided thevicious dogs at the mutes’ house out of fear; he avoided Pastor Malory and his milk goat outof disgust. What irritated him most was that his wife, Shangguan Lu, had special feelings forthis redheaded devil. She was his devout40 follower41, he was her god.
After wrestling with his thoughts for a long moment, Shangguan Shouxi decided42 to take thenorth and east route, even though the watchtower, with Sima Ting standing43 on its perch, andthe scene below had him in its thrall44. Everything seemed normal down here, except, of course,for the steward, who was acting45 like a monkey. No longer petrified46 by the prospect ofencountering Jap devils, he had to admire his mother’s ability to size up a situation. But justto be on the safe side, he bent47 down and picked up a couple of bricks. He heard the braying48 ofa little donkey somewhere and a mother calling to her children.
As he walked past the Sun compound, he was relieved to see that the wall was deserted49: nomutes saddled in the breaches, no chickens perched on top, and, most importantly, no dogssprawled lazily at the base. A low wall to begin with, the breaches brought it even closer tothe ground, and that gave him an unobstructed view of the yard, where a slaughtering was inprogress. The victims were the family’s proud but lonely chickens; the butcher was AuntySun, a woman of ample martial50 talents. People said that when she was young, she was arenowned bandit who could leap over eaves and walk on walls. But when she fell afoul of thelaw, she had no choice but to marry a stove repairman named Sun.
Shangguan Shouxi counted the corpses52 of seven chickens, glossy53 white, with splotches ofblood here and there the only traces of their death struggles. An eighth chicken, its throat cut,flew out of Aunty Sun’s hand and thudded to the ground, where it tucked in its neck, flappedits wings, and ran around in circles. The five mutes, stripped to the waist, hunkered downbeneath the house eaves, staring blankly at the struggling chicken one minute and at the razor-sharp knife in their grandmother’s hand the next. Their expressions and movements werealarmingly identical; even the shifting of their eyes seemed orchestrated. For all her renown51 inthe village, Aunty Sun had been reduced to a skinny, wrinkled old woman, although her faceand her expression, her figure and her bearing, carried evocative remnants of her former self.
The five dogs sat in a huddle54, heads raised, blank, mysterious looks in their eyes, bleak55 gazesthat defied attempts to guess what they meant.
Shangguan Shouxi was so mesmerized56 by the scene in the Suns’ yard that he stopped towatch, his mind purged57 of anxieties and, more significantly, his mother’s orders. He was nowa forty-two-year-old shrimp58 of a man leaning up against a wall, a rapt audience of one.
Feeling the icy glare of Aunty Sun sweep past him like a knife, yielding as water and sharp asthe wind, he felt scalped. The mutes and their dogs also turned to look at him. Evil, restlessglares emerged from the eyes of the mutes; the dogs cocked their heads, bared their fangs59, andgrowled as the hair on the back of their necks stood up. Five dogs, like arrows on a taut60 string,ready to fly. Time to get moving, he was thinking, when he heard Aunty Sun coughthreateningly. The mutes abruptly61 lowered their heads, swollen from excitement, and all fivedogs hit the ground obediently, legs splayed in front of them.
“Worthy nephew Shangguan, what’s your mother up to?” Aunty Sun asked calmly.
He was stuck for a good answer; there was so much he wanted to say, and not a wordwould come out. As his face reddened, he just stammered62, like a thief caught in the act.
Aunty Sun smiled. Reaching down, she pinned a black-and-red rooster by the neck andstroked its silky feathers. The rooster cackled nervously63, while she plucked the stubborn tailfeathers and stuffed them into a woven rush sack. The rooster fought like a demon21, madlyclawing the muddy ground with its talons64.
“Do your daughters know how to kick shuttlecocks? The best ones are made from the tailfeathers of a live rooster. Ai, when I think back…”
She stopped in midsentence and glared at him as she sank into the oblivion of reverie. Hergaze seemed to bounce off the wall then bore through it. Shangguan Shouxi’s eyeballs didn’tflicker, and he held his breath, fearfully. Finally, Aunty Sun seemed to deflate in front of hiseyes, like a punctured65 ball; her eyes went from blazing to mournfully gentle. She steppeddown on the rooster’s legs, wrapped her left hand around the base of its wings, and pinchedits neck. Unable to move, it gave up the struggle. Then, with her right hand, she beganplucking the fine throat feathers until its reddish purple skin showed. Finally, after flicking66 therooster’s throat with her index finger, she picked up the shiny knife, shaped like a willow67 leaf,made a single swipe, and the throat opened up, releasing a torrent68 of inky red blood, largedrops pushing smaller ones ahead of them. Aunty Sun slowly got to her feet, still holding thebleeding rooster, and looked around wistfully. She squinted69 in the bright sunlight. ShangguanShouxi felt lightheaded. The smell of poplars was heavy in the air. Scat! He heard AuntySun’s voice and watched as the black rooster tumbled through the air and thudded to theground in the middle of the yard. With a sigh, he let his hands drop from the wall.
Suddenly, he remembered that he was supposed to be getting Third Master Fan to help withthe donkey. But as he was turning to leave, the rooster, bloody70 but fighting to stay alive,struggled miraculously71 to its feet, propped72 up by its wings. Shorn of feathers, its tail stood upin all its strange, hideous73 nakedness, frightening Shangguan Shouxi. Blood still streamedfrom its open throat, but the head and comb, bled dry, were turning a deathly white. Yet itkept fighting to hold it up. Struggle! It held its head high, but then it sagged74 and hung limply.
Again it rose in the air, then drooped75, and rose one more time, this time, it seemed, to stay. Itshook from side to side, as the rooster sat down, blood and foamy76 bubbles seeping77 from itsbeak and then from the opening in its neck. Its eyes glittered like gold nuggets. Distressed78 bythe sight, Aunty Sun wiped her hands with straw and seemed to be chewing on something,even though her mouth was empty. She spat79 out a mouthful of saliva80 and yelled at the fivedogs, “Go!”
Shangguan Shouxi fell flat on his backside.
When he pulled himself back to his feet, black feathers were flying all over the yard; thearrogant rooster was being torn apart, splattering the ground with raw meat and fresh blood.
Like a pack of wolves, the dogs fought over the entrails. The mutes clapped their hands andlaughed —guh-guh. Aunty Sun sat on the doorstep holding a long pipe, smoking like awoman deep in thought.
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1
archer
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| n.射手，弓箭手 | |
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insistence
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| n.坚持；强调；坚决主张 | |
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manor
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| n.庄园，领地 | |
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steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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hopping
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| n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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crumbling
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| adj.摇摇欲坠的 | |
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perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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breaches
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| 破坏( breach的名词复数 )； 破裂； 缺口； 违背 | |
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passersby
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| n. 过路人(行人,经过者) | |
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relatively
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| adv.比较...地，相对地 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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bodyguards
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| n.保镖，卫士，警卫员( bodyguard的名词复数 ) | |
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15
slaughtering
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| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的现在分词 ) | |
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slaughtered
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| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17
incorrigible
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| adj.难以纠正的，屡教不改的 | |
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tyrants
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| 专制统治者( tyrant的名词复数 )； 暴君似的人； （古希腊的）僭主； 严酷的事物 | |
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sprawled
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| v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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demons
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| n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念 | |
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rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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pastor
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| n.牧师，牧人 | |
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squatting
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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aroma
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| n.香气，芬芳，芳香 | |
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swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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enamel
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| n.珐琅，搪瓷，瓷釉；(牙齿的)珐琅质 | |
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swarms
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| 蜂群，一大群( swarm的名词复数 ) | |
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pungency
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| n.（气味等的）刺激性；辣；（言语等的）辛辣；尖刻 | |
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foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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miasma
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| n.毒气；不良气氛 | |
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swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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stinking
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| 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 | |
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compassionate
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| adj.有同情心的，表示同情的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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devout
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| adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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follower
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| n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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thrall
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| n.奴隶；奴隶制 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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46
petrified
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| adj.惊呆的；目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆，使惊呆；变僵硬；使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词) | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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48
braying
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| v.发出驴叫似的声音( bray的现在分词 )；发嘟嘟声；粗声粗气地讲话（或大笑）；猛击 | |
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49
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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50
martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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51
renown
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| n.声誉，名望 | |
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52
corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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54
huddle
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| vi.挤作一团；蜷缩；vt.聚集；n.挤在一起的人 | |
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55
bleak
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| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
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mesmerized
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| v.使入迷( mesmerize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
purged
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| 清除（政敌等）( purge的过去式和过去分词 )； 涤除（罪恶等）； 净化（心灵、风气等）； 消除（错事等）的不良影响 | |
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shrimp
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| n.虾，小虾；矮小的人 | |
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fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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taut
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| adj.拉紧的，绷紧的，紧张的 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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talons
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| n.（尤指猛禽的）爪( talon的名词复数 )；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物；锁簧尖状突出部 | |
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punctured
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| v.在（某物）上穿孔( puncture的过去式和过去分词 )；刺穿（某物）；削弱（某人的傲气、信心等）；泄某人的气 | |
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flicking
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的现在分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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squinted
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| 斜视( squint的过去式和过去分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看 | |
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70
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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miraculously
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| ad.奇迹般地 | |
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propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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sagged
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| 下垂的 | |
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drooped
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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foamy
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| adj.全是泡沫的，泡沫的，起泡沫的 | |
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seeping
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| v.（液体）渗( seep的现在分词 )；渗透；渗出；漏出 | |
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78
distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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79
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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80
saliva
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| n.唾液，口水 | |
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