名著欣賞《芒果街上的小屋》第9期:芒果街上的小屋(4)

《芒果街上的小屋》 一本優美純淨的小書，一本“詩小說”。由幾十個短篇組成，語言清澈如流水，點綴着零落的韻腳和新奇的譬喻，如一首首長歌短調，各自成韻，又彼此鉤連，匯聚出一個清晰世界，各樣雜沓人生。所有的講述都歸於一個敘述中心：居住在芝加哥拉美移民社區芒果街上的女孩埃斯佩朗莎。生就對弱的同情心和對美的感覺力，她用清澈的眼打量周圍的世界，用美麗稚嫩的語言講述成長、滄桑、生命的美好與不易和年輕的熱望與夢想，夢想有一所自己的房子，夢想在寫作中追尋自我，獲得自由和幫助別人的能力。

The House on Mango Street 4
　　Once when we were living on Loomis, a nun from my school passed by and saw me playing out front. The Laundromat downstairs had been boarded up because it had been robbed two days before and the owner had painted on the wood YES WE'RE OPEN so as not lose business.
　　Where do you live? She asked.　
　　There, I said pointing up to the third floor.　
　　You live there?
　　There. I had to look to where she pointed –—— the third floor, the paint peeling, wooden bars Papa had nailed on the windows so we wouldn't fall out. You live there? The way she said it made me feel like nothing. There. I lived there. I nodded.
　I knew then I had to have to house. A real house. One I could point to this isn't it. The house on Mango Street isn't it. For the time being, Mama says. Temporary, says Papa. But I know how those things go.
　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　芒果街上的小屋 4
　　我們住在Loomis時，有一回學校的嬤嬤經過那裏，看到我在房前玩。樓下的自助洗衣店被用木板封了起來，因爲兩天前剛被洗劫過。爲了不走掉生意，主人在木頭上塗抹了幾個字：“是的，我們在營業。”
　　“你住哪裏呀？”她問。　
　　那裏。我說，指了指三樓。　
　　你住在那裏？
　　那裏。我不得不朝他指的地方看去——三層樓上，那裏牆皮斑駁，窗上橫着幾根木條，是爸爸釘上去的，那樣我們就不會掉出來。你住在那裏？她說話的樣子讓我覺得自己什麼都不是。那裏，我住在那裏。我點頭。
　　於是，我明白，我得有一所房子。一所真正的大屋。一所可以指給別人看的房子。可這裏不是。芒果街上的小屋不是。目前就這樣，媽媽說。這是暫時的，爸爸說。可惡知道事情是怎樣的。