【荆棘鸟】第二章 25

The axe 1 was moving so fast it whistled, and the handle made its own separate swishing sound as it slid up and down within his slippery palms. Up it flashed above his head, down it came in a dull silver blur 2, carving 3 a wedge-shaped chunk 4 out of the iron-hard wood as easily as if it had been a pine or a deciduous 5 tree. Sundered 6 pieces of wood were flying in all directions, the sweat was running in streams down Frank's bare chest and back, and he had wound his handkerchief about his brow to keep the sweat from blinding him. It was dangerous work, undercutting; one mistimed or badly directed hack 7, and he would be minus a foot. He had his leather wristbands on to soak up the sweat from his arms, but the delicate hands were ungloved, gripping the axe handle lightly and with exquisitely 8 directed skill.
  Meggie crouched 9 down beside his discarded shirt and undervest to watch, awed 10. Three spare axes were lying nearby, for eucalyptus 11 wood blunted the sharpest axe in no time at all. She grasped one by its handle and dragged it onto her knees, wishing she could chop wood like Frank. The axe was so heavy she could hardly lift it. Colonial axes had only one blade, honed to hair- splitting sharpness, for double-bladed axes were too light for eucalyptus. The back of the axe head was an inch thick and weighted, the handle passing through it, firmly anchored with small bits of extra wood. A loose axe head could come off in midswing, snap through the air as hard and fast as a cannonball and kill someone.
  Frank was cutting almost instinctively 12 in the fast fading light; Meggie dodged 13 the chips with the ease of long practice and waited patiently for him to spy her. The log was half severed 14, and he turned himself the opposite way, gasping 15; then he swung the axe up again, and began to cut the second side. It was a deep, narrow gap, to conserve 16 wood and hasten the process; as he worked toward the center of the log the axe head disappeared entirely 17 inside the cut, and the big wedges of wood flew out closer and closer to his body. He ignored them, chopping even faster. The log parted with stunning 18 suddenness, and at the same moment he leaped lithely 19 into the air, sensing that it was going almost before the axe took its last bite. As the wood collapsed 20 inward, he landed off to one side, smiling; but it was not a happy smile.
  He turned to pick up a new axe and saw his sister sitting patiently in her prim 21 nightgown, all buttoned up and buttoned down.
 

斧子在嗖嗖地飞舞着，斧柄地他那滑溜的掌心里上下滑动着，发出嚓嚓的响声。只见那斧子忽而被光闪闪地举过头顶，忽而银光一闪，直落而下，在其硬如铁的木质上砍出一个楔形口子，就像劈松木或落叶木那样轻而易举。劈下来的木片四处乱飞，汗水像小泉似地在弗兰克的光着的胸前和背后流沿着；他把手绢缠在额头上防止汗水迷住他的眼睛。站在木头上往下劈是个危险的活儿；错了节奏或劈偏了，就可能把一只脚砍下去。他的手腕上戴着皮腕带，吸收着从胳膊上流下来的汗水，可是他那灵巧的双手却没戴手套，轻巧地抓着斧把，表现出了精湛的掌握方向的技能。
　　梅吉在他扔在一边的衬衣和汗衫旁边蹲了下来，满怀敬畏地看着。旁边放着三把备用的斧子，因为即使用最锋利的斧子来劈桉木，用不了多少时间，也会变钝的。她抓住了一把斧子的柄，将斧子拉到了膝盖上，希望自己也能像弗兰克那样劈木头。斧子沉得厉害，她几乎举不动。殖民地用的斧子是单刃的，锋利得吹发可过，这是因为劈桉木用双刃斧太轻了。斧背有一寸厚，十分沉重，斧把从中穿过，用外加的斜木片楔牢。松垮的斧子头使起来会脱落，像重磅炮弹似地凌空飞起的，能致人以死命。在越来越昏黄的光线中，弗兰克几乎是本能般地劈着柴。梅吉以长期练就的本领不费力气地躲避着飞来的木片，耐心地等待着他去发现她。圆木已经劈开一半了，他喘着气，转身到了另一头，接着，他又抡起了斧头，开始劈另一头了。为了省损失木料和加快进度，那劈缝又深又窄；在他劈到圆木的中心时，斧子头完全砍进去了，大块大块楔形的木头在离他身体越来越近的地方飞起来。他全然不顾，劈得反而更快了。突然，轰的一声那圆木断开了，就在这个时候，他轻巧自如地跳到了空中，因为在斧子砍到最后一下以前，他觉察到那圆木差不多就要断了。在那木头向内垮落下去的时候，他落到了一旁的地上，微笑着，然而这并不是快乐的微笑。
　　他转过身去，拿起一把新的斧子，这时他看见他的妹妹穿着整洁的睡衣耐心地坐在一边，一会儿解开扣子，一会儿扣上扣子。更为新奇的是看见她的头发并不像往常一样用手帕扎着，而是成了一团团短小的卷发，不过他断定男童发型对她来说是适合的，希望她能保持这种发型。他向她走了过去，蹲了下来，斧子横在膝头上。