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献给爱米丽的一朵玫瑰ARoseforEmily
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威廉·福克纳>
威廉·福克纳(1897—1962),20世纪前半期美国最伟大的作家之一,他的作品被批评家看成是20世纪美国南方文学发展的顶峰。
他于1949年获得诺贝尔文学奖,1950年获美国国家图书奖,1954年和1963年两次获普利策奖。
他的作品几乎概括了整个美国南方社会,涉及各个阶级、阶层的人。
其代表作有《圣殿》《声音与疯狂》《八月之光》等。
I
WhenMissEmilyGriersondied,ourenttoherfuhroughasortofrespectfulaffeforafallehewomenmostlyoutofcuriositytoseetheinsideofherhouse,whiesaveanoldma—abinedgardenerandcook—hadseeenyears.
Itwasabig,squarishframehousethathadoe,decoratedwithdspiresandscrolledbaltheheavilylightsomestyleofthesevehadonostselectstreet.Butgaragesandshadencroadobliteratedeveneighborhood;onlyMissEmily'shousewasleft,liftingitsstubbornaishdecayabovethewagonsandthegasolinepumps—aneyeseyesores.AndnowMissEmilyhadgoojoiivesofthoseaugustheylayinthecedar-bemusedcemeteryamongtherankedandanonymousgravesofUnionaesoldierswhofellatthebattleofJefferson.
Alive,MissEmilyhadbeenatradition,aduty,aofhereditaryobligatioown,datingfromthatdayin1894wheoris,themayor—hewhofatheredtheedioNegrowomanshouldappearohoutaedhertaxes,thedispensationdatingfromthedeathofherfatheroy.NotthatMissEmilytedcharity.elSartorisiedaotheeffectthatMissEmily'sfatherhadloahetown,whichthetown,asamatterofbusihisaying.OnlyamanofelSartoris'geionandthoughtcouldhavei,andonlyawomancouldhavebelievedit.
&heion,withitsmoremodernideas,becamemayorsahisarraedsomelittledissatisfathefirstoftheyeartheymailedherataxnotice.Februarydtherely.Theywroteheraformalletter,askiocallatthesheriff'sofficeatherce.Aweeklaterthemayorwroteherhimself,tocallortosendhiscarforher,andrereplyanoteonpaperofanarchaicshape,inathin,flohyiotheeffectthatsheoutatall.Thetaxnoticewasalsoehoutent.
TheycalledaspecialmeetingoftheBoardofAldermeiononher,khedhwhiovisitorhadpassedsincesheceasedgivingtinglessoeheywereadmittedbytheoldoadimhallfromwhichastairwaymouillmoreshadow.Itsmelledofdustanddisuse—aksmell.Thehemintotheparlor.Itwasfurnishediher-coveredfurheheblindsofonewindow,theycouldseethattheleatherwascradwhedown,afaintdustrosesluggishlyabhs,spinningwithslowmotesinthesinglesun-ray.ilteaselbeforethefireplacestoodaportraitofMissEmily'sfather.
Theyrosewheered—asmall,fatwomaninblack,withathingolddesgtoherwaistandvanishi,leaningonaneboarnishedgoldhead.Herskeletonare;perhapsthatouldhavebeenmerelyplumpnessinanotherwasobesityinher.Shelookedbloated,likeabodyledier,andofthatpallidhue.Hereyes,lostiyridgesofherface,lookedliketiecesofcoalpressedintoalumpofdoughastheymovedfromoherwhilethevisitorsstatedtheirerrand.
&askthemtosit.Shejuststoodinthedooralyuntilthespokesmaumblinghalt.Thentheycouldheartheiigattheendofthegold.
Hervoicewasdryandcold."IhavenotaxesinJeffersoorisexplaiome.Perhapsoneofyouaccesstothecityredsatisfyyourselves."
"Butwehave.WearetheissEmily.Didn'tyougetahesheriff,signedbyhim?"
"Ireceivedapaper,yes,"MissEmilysaid."Perhapshesidershimselfthesheriff...IhavenotaxesinJefferson."
"Butthereisnothioshowthat,yousee.Wemustgobythe—"
"SeeelSartoris.IhavenotaxesinJefferson."
"But,MissEmily—"
"SeeelSartoris."(elSartorishadbeetenyears.)"Ihavenotaxesiobe!"TheNegroappeared,"Showthesege."
II
Soshevahem,horseandfoot,justasshehadvaheirfathersthirtyyearsbeforeaboutthesmell.Thatwastwoyearsafterherfather'sdeathandashorttimeafterhersweetheart—theonewebelievedwouldmarryher—haddesertedher.Afterherfather'sdeathshewele;afterhersweetheartlehardlysawheratall.Afewoftheladieshadthetemeritytocall,butwerenotredtheonlysigheplacewastheNegroman—ayoungmanthen—goinginandoutwithamarketbasket.
"Justasifaman—anymaproperly."theladiessaid;sotheywerenotsurprisedwhenthesmelldeveloped.Itwasanotherlihegross,teemingworldandthehighandmightyGriersons.
Aneighbor,alaihemayeSteveyyearsold.
"Butwhatwillyouhavemedoaboutit,madam?"hesaid.
"Why,seostopit,"thewomansaid,"Isn'ttherealaw?"
"I'msurethatwon'tbenecessary,"JudgeStevenssaid,"It'sprobablyjustasthatniggerofherskilledintheyard.I'llspeaktohimaboutit."
&dayhereplaints,onefromamanwhodiffideion."Wereallymustdosomethingaboutit,Judge.I'dbethelastoobotherMissEmily,butwe'vegottodosomething."ThatnighttheBoardofAldermehreegraybeardsandoneyoungermaherisiion.
"It'ssimpleenough,"hesaid."Seohaveherplaedup.Giveheratimetodoitin,andifshedon't..."
"Dammit,sir,"JudgeStevenssaid,"Willyouaccusealadytoherfaellingbad?"
Sothe,aftermidnight,fourmenissEmily'slawnandslunkaboutthehouselikeburglars,sniffingalongthebaseofthebridatthecellaropenihemperfularsowingmotionwithhishandoutofasagfromhisshoulder.Theybrokeopenthecellardoorandsprihere,andibuildings.Astheyrecrossedthelathathadbeendarkwaslightedaibehindher,atorsomotiohatofanidol.Theycreptquietlyacrossthelawnandintotheshadowofthelocuststhatli.Afteraweekortwothesmell>
Thateoplehadbeguntofeelreallysorryforher.Peopleinourtown,rememberinghowoldladyWyatt,hergreataunt,hadgoelycrazyatlast,believedthattheGriersohemselvesalittletoohighforwhattheyreallywere.heyouegoodenoughforMissEmilyandsuch.Wehadlongthoughtofthemasatableau;MissEmilyaslenderfigureihebad,herfatheraspraddledsilhouetteinthefround,hisbacktoherandgahorsewhip,thetwoofthemframedbythebagfrontdoors.Sowheobethirtyandwasstillsipleasedexactly,butvindicated;evenwithinsanityinthefamilyshewouldn'thaveturneddownallofhercesiftheyhadreallymaterialized.
&herdied,itgotaboutthatthehousewasallthatwaslefttoher;andinalewereglad.AtlasttheycouldpityMissEmily.Beialone,andapauper,shehadbeanized.oowouldkhrillandtheolddespairofapennymoreorless.
&erhisdeathalltheladiespreparedtocallatthehouseandofferdaid,asisourissEmilymetthematthedoor,dressedasusualandwithnriefooldthemthatherfatherwasnotdead.Shedidthatforthreedays,withtheministersher,atopersuadehertoletthemdisposeofthebody.Justastheywereabouttoresorttolawandforce,shebrokedown,andtheyburiedherfatherquickly.
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