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Chapter 68
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    The news that Janey got hold of she spread among the other coloredwomen. Sethe's dead daughter,the one whose throat she cut, had come back to fix her. Sethe was worn down, speckled, dying,spinning, changing shapes and generally bedeviled. That this daughter beat her, tied her to the bedand pulled out all her hair. It took them days to get the story properly blown up and themselvesagitated and then to calm down and assess the situation. They fell into three groups: those thatbelieved the worst; those that believed none of it; and those, like Ella, who thought it through.

  "Ella. What's all this I'm hearing about Sethe?""Tell me it's in there with her. That's all I know.""The daughter? The killed one?""That's what they tell me.""How they know that's her?""It's sitting there. Sleeps, eats and raises hell. Whipping Sethe every day.""I'll be. A baby?""No. Grown. The age it would have been had it lived.""You talking about flesh?""I'm talking about flesh.""whipping her?""Like she was batter1.""Guess she had it coming.""Nobody got that coming.""But, Ella — ""But nothing. What's fair ain't necessarily right.""You can't just up and kill your children.""No, and the children can't just up and kill the mama."It was Ella more than anyone who convinced the others that rescue was in order. She was apractical who believed there was root either to chew or avoid for every ailment2.

  Cogitation,assh(woman) ecalledit,cloudedthings(a) and prevented action. Nobody loved her and shewouldn't have liked it if they had, for she considered love a serious disability. Her puberty wasspent in a house where she was shared by father and son, whom she called "the lowest yet." It was"the lowest yet" who gave her a disgust for sex and against whom she measured all atrocities3. Akilling, a kidnap, a rape4 — whatever, she listened and nodded. Nothing compared to "the lowestyet." She understood Sethe's rage in the shed twenty years ago, but not her reaction to it, whichElla thought was prideful, misdirected, and Sethe herself too complicated. When she got out of jailand made no gesture toward anybody, and lived as though she were alone, Ella junked her andwouldn't give her the time of day.

  The daughter, however, appeared to have some sense after all. At least she had stepped out thedoor, asked or the help she needed and wanted work. When Ella heard 124 was occupied bysomething or-other beating up on Sethe, it infuriated her and gave her another opportunity tomeasure what could very well be the devil himself against "the lowest yet." There was alsosomething very personal in her fury. Whatever Sethe had done, Ella didn't like the idea of pasterrors taking possession of the present. Sethe's crime was staggering and her pride outstrippedeven that; but she could not countenance5 the possibility of sin moving on in the house, unleashedand sassy. Daily life took as much as she had. The future was sunset; the past something to leavebehind. And if it didn't stay behind, well, you might have to stomp6 it out. Slave life; freed life —every day was a test and a trial. Nothing could be counted on in a world where even when youwere a solution you were a problem. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof," and nobodyneeded more; nobody needed a grown-up evil sitting at the table with a grudge7. As long as theghost showed out from its ghostly place — shaking stuff, crying, smashing and such — Ellarespected it. But if it took flesh and came in her world, well, the shoe was on the other foot. Shedidn't mind a little communication between the two worlds, but this was an invasion. "Shall wepray?" asked the women.

  "Uh huh," said Ella. "First. Then we got to get down to business." The day Denver was to spendher first night at the Bodwins', Mr. Bodwin had some business on the edge of the city and toldJaney he would pick the new girl up before supper. Denver sat on the porch steps with a bundle inher lap, her carnival8 dress sun-faded to a quieter rainbow. She was looking to the right, in thedirection Mr. Bodwin would be coming from. She did not the women approaching, accumulatingslowlyingroupsoftwosandthreesfromtheleft.Denv(see) er was looking to the right.

  She was a little anxious about whether she would prove satisfactory to the Bodwins, and uneasytoo because she woke up crying from a dream about a running pair of shoes. The sadness of thedream she hadn't been able to shake, and the heat oppressed her as she went about the chores. Fartoo early she wrapped a nightdress and hairbrush into a bundle. Nervous, she fidgeted the knot and looked to the right.

  Some brought what they could and what they believed would work. Stuffed in apron9 pockets,strung around their necks, lying in the space between their breasts. Others brought Christian10 faith— as shield and sword. Most brought a little of both. They had no idea what they would do oncethey got there. They just started out, walked down Bluestone Road and came together at theagreed-upon time. The heat kept a few women who promised to go at home. Others who believedthe story didn't want any part of the confrontation11 and wouldn't have come no matter what theweather. And there were those like Lady Jones who didn't believe the story and hated theignorance of those who did. So thirty women made up that company and walked slowly, slowlytoward 124.

  It was three in the afternoon on a Friday so wet and hot Cincinnati's stench had traveled to thecountry: from the canal, from hanging meat and things rotting in jars; from small animals dead inthe fields, town sewers12 and factories. The stench, the heat, the moisture — - trust the devil to makehis presence known. Otherwise it looked almost like a regular workday. They could have beengoing to do the laundry at the orphanage13 or the insane asylum14; corn shucking at the mill; or to deanfish, rinse15 offal, cradle whitebabies, sweep stores, scrape hog16 skin, press lard, case-pack sausage orhide in tavern17 kitchens so whitepeople didn't have to see them handle their food. But not today.

  When they caught up with each other, all thirty, and arrived at 124, the first thing they saw was notDenver sitting on the steps, but themselves. Younger, stronger, even as little girls lying in the grassasleep. Catfish18 was popping grease in the pan and they saw themselves scoop19 German potato saladonto the plate. Cobbler oozing20 purple syrup21 colored their teeth. They sat on the porch, ran down tothe creek22, teased the men, hoisted23 children on their hips24 or, if they were the children, straddled theankles of old men who held their little hands while giving them a horsey ride. Baby Suggs laughedand skipped among them, urging more. Mothers, dead now, moved their shoulders to mouth harps25.

  The fence they had leaned on and climbed over was gone. The stump26 of the butternut had split likea fan. But there they were, young and happy, playing in Baby Suggs' yard, not feeling the envy thatsurfaced the next day.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 batter QuazN     
v.接连重击;磨损;n.牛奶面糊;击球员
参考例句:
  • The batter skied to the center fielder.击球手打出一个高飞球到中外野手。
  • Put a small quantity of sugar into the batter.在面糊里放少量的糖。
2 ailment IV8zf     
n.疾病,小病
参考例句:
  • I don't have even the slightest ailment.我什么毛病也没有。
  • He got timely treatment for his ailment.他的病得到了及时治疗。
3 atrocities 11fd5f421aeca29a1915a498e3202218     
n.邪恶,暴行( atrocity的名词复数 );滔天大罪
参考例句:
  • They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
4 rape PAQzh     
n.抢夺,掠夺,强奸;vt.掠夺,抢夺,强奸
参考例句:
  • The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
  • He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。
5 countenance iztxc     
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同
参考例句:
  • At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
  • I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地,仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。
6 stomp stomp     
v.跺(脚),重踩,重踏
参考例句:
  • 3.And you go to france, and you go to stomp! 你去法国,你去看跺脚舞!
  • 4.How hard did she stomp? 她跺得有多狠?
7 grudge hedzG     
n.不满,怨恨,妒嫉;vt.勉强给,不情愿做
参考例句:
  • I grudge paying so much for such inferior goods.我不愿花这么多钱买次品。
  • I do not grudge him his success.我不嫉妒他的成功。
8 carnival 4rezq     
n.嘉年华会,狂欢,狂欢节,巡回表演
参考例句:
  • I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
  • Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。
9 apron Lvzzo     
n.围裙;工作裙
参考例句:
  • We were waited on by a pretty girl in a pink apron.招待我们的是一位穿粉红色围裙的漂亮姑娘。
  • She stitched a pocket on the new apron.她在新围裙上缝上一只口袋。
10 Christian KVByl     
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒
参考例句:
  • They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
  • His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。
11 confrontation xYHy7     
n.对抗,对峙,冲突
参考例句:
  • We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
  • After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后,他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。
12 sewers f2c11b7b1b6091034471dfa6331095f6     
n.阴沟,污水管,下水道( sewer的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The sewers discharge out at sea. 下水道的污水排入海里。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Another municipal waste problem is street runoff into storm sewers. 有关都市废水的另外一个问题是进入雨水沟的街道雨水。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
13 orphanage jJwxf     
n.孤儿院
参考例句:
  • They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage.他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。
  • They gave the proceeds of the sale to the orphanage.他们把销售的收入给了这家孤儿院。
14 asylum DobyD     
n.避难所,庇护所,避难
参考例句:
  • The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
  • Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。
15 rinse BCozs     
v.用清水漂洗,用清水冲洗
参考例句:
  • Give the cup a rinse.冲洗一下杯子。
  • Don't just rinse the bottles. Wash them out carefully.别只涮涮瓶子,要仔细地洗洗里面。
16 hog TrYzRg     
n.猪;馋嘴贪吃的人;vt.把…占为己有,独占
参考例句:
  • He is greedy like a hog.他像猪一样贪婪。
  • Drivers who hog the road leave no room for other cars.那些占着路面的驾驶员一点余地都不留给其他车辆。
17 tavern wGpyl     
n.小旅馆,客栈;小酒店
参考例句:
  • There is a tavern at the corner of the street.街道的拐角处有一家酒馆。
  • Philip always went to the tavern,with a sense of pleasure.菲利浦总是心情愉快地来到这家酒菜馆。
18 catfish 2OHzu     
n.鲶鱼
参考例句:
  • Huge catfish are skinned and dressed by hand.用手剥去巨鲇的皮并剖洗干净。
  • We gigged for catfish off the pier.我们在码头以鱼叉叉鲶鱼。
19 scoop QD1zn     
n.铲子,舀取,独家新闻;v.汲取,舀取,抢先登出
参考例句:
  • In the morning he must get his boy to scoop it out.早上一定得叫佣人把它剜出来。
  • Uh,one scoop of coffee and one scoop of chocolate for me.我要一勺咖啡的和一勺巧克力的。
20 oozing 6ce96f251112b92ca8ca9547a3476c06     
v.(浓液等)慢慢地冒出,渗出( ooze的现在分词 );使(液体)缓缓流出;(浓液)渗出,慢慢流出
参考例句:
  • Blood was oozing out of the wound on his leg. 血正从他腿上的伤口渗出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The wound had not healed properly and was oozing pus. 伤口未真正痊瘉,还在流脓。 来自《简明英汉词典》
21 syrup hguzup     
n.糖浆,糖水
参考例句:
  • I skimmed the foam from the boiling syrup.我撇去了煮沸糖浆上的泡沫。
  • Tinned fruit usually has a lot of syrup with it.罐头水果通常都有许多糖浆。
22 creek 3orzL     
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。
23 hoisted d1dcc88c76ae7d9811db29181a2303df     
把…吊起,升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He hoisted himself onto a high stool. 他抬身坐上了一张高凳子。
  • The sailors hoisted the cargo onto the deck. 水手们把货物吊到甲板上。
24 hips f8c80f9a170ee6ab52ed1e87054f32d4     
abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯,耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 );[建筑学]屋脊;臀围(尺寸);臀部…的
参考例句:
  • She stood with her hands on her hips. 她双手叉腰站着。
  • They wiggled their hips to the sound of pop music. 他们随着流行音乐的声音摇晃着臀部。 来自《简明英汉词典》
25 harps 43af3ccaaa52a4643b9e0a0261914c63     
abbr.harpsichord 拨弦古钢琴n.竖琴( harp的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • She continually harps on lack of money. 她总唠叨说缺钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He could turn on the harps of the blessed. 他能召来天使的竖琴为他奏乐。 来自辞典例句
26 stump hGbzY     
n.残株,烟蒂,讲演台;v.砍断,蹒跚而走
参考例句:
  • He went on the stump in his home state.他到故乡所在的州去发表演说。
  • He used the stump as a table.他把树桩用作桌子。


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