【荆棘鸟】第二章 12

Well, I told the boys what I'd do to any Cleary who even whimpered when he was caned 1, and that goes for you, too, Meggie. No matter how hard she beats you, not a whimper. Did you cry today?" "No, Frank," she yawned, her eyelids 2 drooping 3 and her thumb poking 4 blindly across her face in search of her mouth. Frank put her down in the hay and went back to his work, humming and smiling.
  Meggie was still asleep when Paddy walked in. His arms were filthy 5 from mucking out Mr. Jarman's dairy, his wide-brimmed hat pulled low over his eyes. He took in Frank shaping an axle on the anvil 6, sparks swirling 7 round his. head, then his eyes passed to where his daughter was curled up in the hay, with Mr. Robertson's bay mare 8 hanging her head down over the sleeping face.
  "I thought this is where she'd be," Paddy said, dropping his riding crop and leading his old roan into the stable end of the barn. Frank nodded briefly 9, looking up at his father with that darkling glance of doubt and uncertainty 10 Paddy always found so irritating, then he returned to the white-hot axle, sweat making his bare sides glisten 11. Unsaddling his roan, Paddy turned it into a stall, filled the water compartment 12 and then mixed bran and oats with a little water for its food. The animal rumbled 13 affectionately at him when he emptied the fodder 14 into its manger, and its eyes followed him as he walked to the big trough outside the forge, took off his shirt. He washed arms and face and torso, drenching 15 his riding breeches and his hair. Toweling himself dry on an old sack, he looked at his son quizzically.
  "Mum told me Meggie was sent home in disgrace. Do you know what exactly happened?"
  Frank abandoned his axle as the heat in it died. "The poor little coot was sick all over Sister Agatha."
  Wiping the grin off his face hastily, Paddy stared at the far wall for a moment to compose himself, then turned toward Meggie. "All excited about going to school, eh?"
  "I don't know. She was sick before they left this morning, and it held them up long enough be late for the bell. They all got sixers, but Meggie was terribly upset because she thought she ought to have been the only one punished. After lunch Sister Ag pounced 16 on her again, and our Meggie spewed bread and jam all over Sister Ag's clean black habit."
 

对你也是一样，梅吉。不管她打你打得多狠，你哼都别哼一声。今天你哭了吗？”
    “没哭，弗兰克。”她打了个呵欠，眼皮耷拉了下来，大拇指在脸上摸来摸去，找着她嘴。弗兰克将地放在干草堆上，回去干他的活了；他哼唱着，微笑着。
    帕迪走进来的时候，梅吉还在睡着。清理贾曼先生家的牛奶房弄脑了他的手臂，他的宽边草帽低低地压在眼睛上。他看见弗兰克正在铁砧上打一根车轴，火星在他脑袋周围飞舞着，随后，他的眼睛落到了他女儿蜷身而睡的干草堆上；罗伯逊先生的那匹栗色母马的头在她那张熟睡的脸庞上方。
    “我想，她该是在这儿。”帕迪说道，他放下了马鞭，把那匹花毛老马牵进了与铁匠铺相连的马厩。
    弗兰克略微点了一下头，用充满狐疑的眼神抬头望着他的父亲，这种眼神常使帕迫感到十分恼火，然后，他又转向了那根白热的车轴，汗水使他裸露的两肋闪闪发亮。
    帕迪给花毛马卸下鞍子后，将它牵进了一个隔栏。他给水槽倒满了水，然后把轶子和燕麦搀了点儿水，作为它的饲料。当他往槽里倒饲料的时候，这性橱对他打着感激的响鼻。在他向铁匠铺外面的大水槽走去，脱去衬衫的时候，那马的眼睛紧随着他。他洗着胳臂、脸和身上，浸湿了他的马裤和头发。随后，他用一条旧麻袋擦干身子，探询地望着儿子。
    “妈妈告诉我说，梅吉丢脸了，被赶了回来。你知道这到底怎么回事吗？”
    那车轴的温度降低了，他扔下了车轴。“这可怜的小傻瓜吐了阿加莎嬷嬷一身。”
    帕迪脸上的笑容即刻就烟消云散了。他向远处地墙壁凝视了一会儿，定了定神然后转向了梅吉。“都是因为上学兴奋的缘故吗？”
    “我不知道，今天早晨他们还没离家的时候她就吐了，这把他们拖晚人，没赶上打钟。他们每个人都挨了六下，可梅吉心里特别乱，因为她觉得应该只惩罚她一个人才对。
    午饭后，阿加莎嬷嬷又揪住她不放，而我们的梅吉就把面包和果酱一股脑儿地吐到了阿加莎嬷嬷那件干干净净的黑长袍上了。”