【荆棘鸟】第二章 19

Suddenly Fee made a sound, so peculiar 1 it jerked Meggie out of her musing 2 and made the menfolk still seated at the breakfast table turn their heads curiously 3.
  "Holy Jesus Christ!" said Fee.
  Paddy jumped to his feet, his face stupefied; he had never heard Fee take the name of the Lord in vain before. She was standing 4 with one of Meggie's curls in her hand, the brush poised 5, her features twisted into an expression of horror and revulsion. Paddy and the boys crowded round; Meggie tried to see what was going on and earned a backhanded slap with the bristle 6 side of the brush which made her eyes water.
  "Look!" Fee whispered, holding the curl in a ray of sunlight so Paddy could see.
  The hair was a mass of brilliant, glittering gold in the sun, and Paddy saw nothing at first. Then he became aware that a creature was marching down the back of Fee's hand. He took a curl for himself, and in among the leaping lights of it he discerned more creatures, going about their business busily. Little white things were stuck in clumps 7 all along the separate strands 8, and the creatures were energetically producing more clumps of little white things. Meggie's hair was a hive of industry.
  "She's got lice!" Paddy said.
  Bob, Jack 9, Hughie and Stu had a look, and like their father removed themselves to a safe distance; only Frank and Fee remained gazing at Meggie's hair, mesmerized 10, while Meggie sat miserably 11 hunched 12 over, wondering what she had done. Paddy sat down in his Windsor chair heavily, staring into the fire and blinking hard.
  "It's that bloody 13 Dago girl!" he said at last, and turned to glare at Fee. "Bloody bastards 14, filthy 15 lot of flaming pigs!"
  "Paddy!" Fee gasped 16, scandalized.
  "I'm sorry for swearing, Mum, but when I think of that blasted Dago giving her lice to Meggie, I could go into Wahine this minute and tear the whole filthy greasy 17 cafe down!" he exploded, pounding his fist on his knee fiercely.
  "Mum, what is it?" Meggie finally managed to say. "Look, you dirty little grub!" her mother answered, thrusting her hand down in front of Meggie's eyes. "You have these things everywhere in your hair, from that Eyetie girl you're so thick with! 
 

突然，菲喊了一声，这一声是那样的特别，以致使梅吉从冥想中醒了过来；坐在早餐桌旁的男人们也都莫名其妙地转过脸来。
　　"天哪！"菲喊道。
　　帕迪跳了起来，他的脸惊得发呆；以前他从来没听到过菲这样束手无策地呼天喊地过。她手里接着梅吉的一把头发站在那里，梳子悬在半空，抽动的面部露出一种恐怖和感情突变的表情。帕迪和男孩子们一下子围了过来，梅吉想回身看看到底发生了什么事，可是，测梳带毛的那一面反手一击，把她的眼泪都打出来了。
　　"看哪！"菲敛声屏息地说道，将卷发举到阳光下，好让帕迪看得见。
　　那头发在阳光下闪着一片金亮亮的颜色，起初帕迪什么也没看见。接着，他发觉有一个小生物正从菲的手上爬下来。他自己也抓起了一卷头发，在闪亮的光线里他看清了，有许多小生物正在顾自忙个不休。每一缕头发上都密密麻麻地粘满了这种白色的小东西，这些小生物正在干劲十足地产出更多的一团团的小东西；梅吉的头发成了它们熙来攘往的繁忙场所了。
　　"她长虱子了！"帕迪道。
　　鲍勃、杰克、休吉和斯图尔特都来看了一眼，而且像他们的爸爸那样退到了一个安全距离，只有弗兰克和菲留在原地盯着梅吉的头发，茫然不知所措，而梅吉则可怜巴巴地弯着身子坐在那里，不明白做了什么错事。帕迪在他那把温莎椅中沉重地坐了下来，直楞楞地望着炉火，使劲地眨着眼睛。
　　"准是从那个该死的达戈女孩那么传来的！"他转身瞪着菲，终于开口说道："该死的杂种，这帮不干不净的猪猡！"
　　"帕迪。"菲喘着气，愤慨地说道。
　　"对不起，我不该骂人，孩子妈，不过我一起到那个该死的达戈人把她的虱子传给了梅吉，真恨不得马上就到韦汉那儿把那个脏得流油的酒吧砸个稀巴烂！"他用拳头狠狠地捶着自己的膝盖，怒火冲天地说道。
　　"妈，那是什么呀！"梅吉终于挣扎着说道。
　　"看，你这个小邋遢鬼！"她妈答道，一下子把手伸到梅吉的眼前。"你头上到处都是这些玩艺儿，都是从那个和你要好的意大利姑娘那儿来的！现在我该把你怎么办才好呢。"