諾貝爾文學經典:《寵兒》第13章Part6
Baby Suggs agreed to the situation, sorry to see the money go but excited about a house withstepsnever mind she couldn't climb them. Mr. Garner told the Bodwins that she was a right finecook as well as a fine cobbler and showed his belly and the sample on his feet. Everybody laughed.
"Anything you need, let us know," said the sister. "We don't hold with slavery, even Garner'skind.""Tell em, Jenny. You live any better on any place before mine?" "No, sir," she said. "No place.""How long was you at Sweet Home?""Ten year, I believe.""Ever go hungry?""No, sir.""Cold?""No, sir.""Anybody lay a hand on you?""No, sir.""Did I let Halle buy you or not?""Yes, sir, you did," she said, thinking, But you got my boy and I'm all broke down. You be rentinghim out to pay for me way after I'm gone to ruff, they said, would carry her out there, they said, and all three disappeared through thekitchen door."I have to fix the supper now," said Janey.
"I'll help," said Baby Suggs. "You too short to reach the fire." It was dark when Woodruff clickedthe horse into a trot. He was a young man with a heavy beard and a burned place on his jaw thebeard did not hide.
"You born up here?" Baby Suggs asked him.
"No, ma'am. Virginia. Been here a couple years.""I see.""You going to a nice house. Big too. A preacher and his family was in there. Eighteen children.""Have mercy. Where they go?""Took off to Illinois. Bishop Allen gave him a congregation up there. Big.""What churches around here? I ain't set foot in one in ten years." "How come?""Wasn't none. I dislike the place I was before this last one, but I did get to church every Sundaysome kind of way. I bet the Lord done forgot who I am by now.""Go see Reverend Pike, ma'am. He'll reacquaint you."
貝比·薩格斯接下了這份工作；失掉那份賺錢差事當然很難受，可一所帶樓梯的房子令她激動不已——雖說她爬不了樓梯。加納先生告訴鮑德溫兄妹，她不僅做得一手好鞋，飯也做得不賴，說着，還亮出他的肚皮和腳上的樣品。大家都大笑起來。
"你需要什麼就說一聲，"妹妹說，"我們不支持奴隸制，甚至加納的那種。""告訴他們，珍妮。在我家之前你住過更好的地方嗎？""沒有，先生。"她說，"沒住過。""你在-甜蜜之家-待了多久？""十年，我想是。""捱過餓嗎？""沒有，先生。""受過凍嗎？""沒有，先生。""有人碰過你一個手指頭嗎？""沒有，先生。""我讓沒讓黑爾贖你？""是的，先生。你讓了。"她說道，心裏卻暗想：可是你佔着我的兒子，而我一無所有。我歸天以後，他還得一直爲了還債讓你租來租去。他們說，伍德拉夫會把她帶出去，然後三個人就從廚房門口消失了。"我得做晚飯了。"簡妮道。
"我來幫忙，"貝比·薩格斯說，"你太矮了，夠不着火。"伍德拉夫把馬抽得飛跑起來時天已經黑了。他是個鬍子很重的年輕人，下巴上有一塊鬍子遮不住的燒傷。
"你是在這地方土生土長的嗎？"貝比·薩格斯問他。
"不是，太太。弗吉尼亞。來這兒兩年了。""原來是這樣。""你去的房子棒極了。又大。一個牧師和他一家曾經在那兒住過。十八個孩子呢。""我的天。他們到哪兒去了？""到伊利諾伊去了。艾倫主教讓他去那兒管一個教區。大着呢。""這一帶有什麼教堂嗎？我有十年沒邁進去過了。""怎麼會呢？""我們那兒沒教堂。我不喜歡我在最後這個地方之前待的那個地方，可我在那兒倒總有辦法每個星期天去趟教堂。我敢說上帝現在肯定忘了我是誰了。""去見見派克牧師，太太。他會重新把你介紹進去的。"
