《橋邊的老人》中英文閱讀

中文版：? ? ? ? 橋邊的老人? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? （美國）海明威

? ? ? 一個戴鋼絲邊眼鏡的老人坐在路旁，衣服上盡是塵土。河上搭著一座浮橋，大車、卡車、男人、女人和孩子們在涌過橋去。騾車從橋邊蹣跚地爬上陡坡，一些士兵幫著推動輪輻?？ㄜ嚫赂碌伛偵闲逼戮烷_遠(yuǎn)了，把一切拋在后面，而農(nóng)夫們還在齊到腳踝的塵土中躑躅著。但那個老人卻坐在那里，一動也不動。他太累，走不動了。

? ? ? 我的任務(wù)是過橋去偵察對岸的橋頭堡，查明敵人究竟推進(jìn)到了什么地點(diǎn)。完成任務(wù)后，我又從橋上回到原處。這時車輛已經(jīng)不多了，行人也稀稀落落，可是那個老人還在原處。

? ? ? “你從哪兒來?”我問他。

? ? ? “從圣卡洛斯來,”他說著，露出笑容。

? ? ? 那是他的故鄉(xiāng)，提到它，老人便高興起來，微笑了。“那時我在看管動物,”他對我解釋?！班?。”我說，并沒有完全聽懂。

? ? ? “唔，"他又說，“你知道，我待在那兒照料動物。我是最后一個離開圣 卡洛斯的?！彼瓷先ゼ炔幌衲裂虻?，也不像管牛的。我瞧著他滿是灰塵的黑衣服、盡是塵土的灰色面孔，以及那副鋼絲邊眼鏡，問道，“什么動物?”

? ? ? “各種各樣,”他搖著頭說，“唉，只得把它們?nèi)鱿铝??！?/p>

? ? ? 我凝視著浮橋，眺望充滿非洲色彩的埃布羅河四三角洲地區(qū)，尋思究竟要過多久才能

? ? ? 看到敵人，同時一直傾聽著,期待第_ -陣響聲,它將是一個信號，表示那神秘莫測的遭遇戰(zhàn)即將爆發(fā)，而老人始終坐在那里。

? ? ? “什么動物?”我又問道。

? ? ? “一共三種,”他說，“兩只山羊，一只貓，還有四對鴿子?！薄澳阒坏闷蚕滤鼈兞?”我問。

? ? ? “是啊。怕那些大炮呀。那個上尉叫我走，他說炮火不饒人哪?！?/p>

? ? ? “你沒家?”我問，邊注視著浮橋的另-頭，那兒最后幾輛大車正匆忙地駛下河邊的斜坡。

? ? ? “沒家,” 老人說，“只有剛才講過的那些動物。貓，當(dāng)然不要緊。貓會照顧自己的，可是，另外幾只東西怎么辦呢?我簡直不敢想?！?/p>

? ? ? “你的政治態(tài)度怎樣?”我問。

? ? ? “政治跟我不相干,”他說，“我76歲了。我已經(jīng)走了12公里，再也走不動了。”

? ? ? “這兒可不是久留之地，”我說，“如果你勉強(qiáng)還走得動，那邊通向托爾托薩①的岔路上有卡車。”

? ? ? “我要待一- 會，然后再走,”他說，“卡車往哪兒開?”“巴塞羅那②?！蔽腋嬖V他。

? ? ? “那邊我沒有熟人,”他說，“不過我還是非常感謝你。”

? ? ? 他疲憊不堪地茫然瞅著我，過了一-會又開口，為了要別人分擔(dān)他的憂慮，“貓是不要緊的，我拿得穩(wěn)。不用為它擔(dān)心。可是，另外幾只呢，你說它們會怎么樣?”

? ? “噢，它們大概挨得過的。”“你這樣想嗎?”

? ? ? “當(dāng)然,”我邊說邊注視著遠(yuǎn)處的河岸，那里已經(jīng)看不見大車了?！翱墒窃谂诨鹣滤鼈冊趺崔k呢?人家叫我走，就是因?yàn)橐_炮了?！薄傍澔\沒鎖上吧?”我問。“沒有。”

? ? ? “那它們會飛出去的?！?/p>

? ? ? “嗯，當(dāng)然會飛?？墒巧窖蚰?唉，不想也罷?！彼f?！耙悄阈獕蛄?，我得走了。”我催他:“站起來，走走看?！?/p>

? ? ? “謝謝你，”他說著撐起來，搖晃了幾步，向后一仰，終于又在路旁的塵土中坐了下去。

? ? ? “那時我在照看動物，”他木然地說，可不再是對著我講了，“我只是在照看動物?！睂λ翢o辦法。那天是復(fù)活節(jié)的禮拜天，法西斯正在向埃布羅挺進(jìn)。可是天色陰沉，烏云密布，法西斯飛機(jī)沒能起飛。這一點(diǎn)，再加上貓會照顧自己，或許就是這位老人僅有的幸運(yùn)吧。

英文版：

? ? ? An old man with steel rimmed spectacles and very dusty clothes sat by the side of the road. There was a pontoon bridge across the river and carts, trucks, and men, women and children were crossing it. The mule-drawn carts staggered up the steep bank from the bridge with soldiers helping push against the spokes of the wheels. The trucks ground up and away heading out of it all and the peasants plodded along in the ankle deep dust. But the old man sat there without moving. He was too tired to go any farther.

? ? ? It was my business to cross the bridge, explore the bridgehead beyond and find out to what point the enemy had advanced. I did this and returned over the bridge. There were not so many carts now and very few people on foot, but the old man was still there.

? ? ? “Where do you come from?“ I asked him.

? ? ? “From San Carlos,“ he said, and smiled.

? ? That was his native town and so it gave him pleasure to mention it and he smiled.

? ? ? “I was taking care of animals,“ he explained.

? ? “Oh,“ I said, not quite understanding.

? ? ? “Yes,”he said,“I stayed, you see, taking care of animals. I was the last one to leave the town of San Carlos.”

? ? ? He did not look like a shepherd nor a herdsman and I looked at his black dusty clothes and his gray dusty face and his steel rimmed spectacles and said,“What animals were they?”

? ? “Various animals,“ he said, and shook his head.“I had to leave them.”

? ? ? I was watching the bridge and the African looking country of the Ebro Delta and wondering how long now it would be before we would see the enemy, and listening all the while for the first noises that would signal that ever mysterious event called contact, and the old man still sat there.

? ? ? “What animals were they?”I asked.

? ? ? “There were three animals altogether,“ he explained.”There were two goats and a cat and then there were four pairs of pigeons.”

? ? ? “And you had to leave them?”I asked.

? ? “Yes. Because of the artillery. The captain told me to go because of the artillery.“

? ? ? “And you have no family?“ I asked, watching the far end of the bridge where a few last carts were hurrying down the slope of the bank.

? ? ? “No,“ he said,”only the animals I stated. The cat, of course, will be all right. A cat can look out for itself, but I cannot think what will become of the others.“

? ? ? “What politics have you?“ I asked.

? ? ? “I am without politics,“ he said.”I am seventy-six years old. I have come twelve kilometers now and I think now I can go no further.“

? ? ? “This is not a good place to stop,“ I said.”If you can make it, there are trucks up the road where it forks for Tortosa.“

? ? ? “I will wait a while,“ he said,” and then I will go. Where do the trucks go?”

? ? ? “Towards Barcelona,“ I told him.

? ? ? “I know no one in that direction,“ he said,”but thank you very much. Thank you again very much.“

? ? ? He looked at me very blankly and tiredly, and then said, having to share his worry with someone,”The cat will be all right, I am sure. There is no need to be unquiet about the cat. But the others. Now what do you think about the others?”

? ? ? “Why they“l(fā)l probably come through it all right.”

? ? “You think so?“

? ? “Why not,“ I said, watching the far bank where now there were no carts.

? ? “But what will they do under the artillery when I was told to leave because of the artillery?“

? ? “Did you leave the dove cage unlocked?“ I asked.

? ? “Yes.“

? ? “Then they“l(fā)l fly.“

? ? “Yes, certainly they“l(fā)l fly. But the others. It“s better not to think about the others,“ he said.

? ? ? “If you are rested I would go,“ I urged.”Get up and try to walk now.“

? ? ? “Thank you,“ he said and got to his feet, swayed from side to side and then sat down backwards in the dust.

? ? “I was taking care of animals,“ he said dully, but no longer to me.”I was only taking care of animals.“

? ? ? There was nothing to do about him. It was Easter Sunday and the Fascists were advancing toward the Ebro. It was a gray overcast day with a low ceiling so their planes were not up. That and the fact that cats know how to look after themselves was all the good luck that old man would ever have.