【荆棘鸟】第五章 05

 Meggie thought they were wearing underclothes, for they were clad in long black tights and vests with closely fitting grey trunks from waists to midthighs. On their chests, big white Roman capitals said JIMMY SHARMAN'S TROUPE 1. NO two were the same size, some big, some small, some in between, but they were all of particularly fine physique. Chatting and laughing to each other in an offhand 2 manner that suggested this was an everyday occurrence, they flexed 3 their muscles and tried to pretend they weren't enjoying strutting 4.

"Come on, chaps, who'll take a glove?" the spruiker was braying 5. "Who wants to have a go? Take a glove, win a fiver!" he kept yelling between the booms of a bass 6 drum.
"I will!" Frank shouted. "I will, I will!"
He shook off Father Ralph's restraining hand as those around them in the throng 7 who could see Frank's diminutive 8 size began to laugh and good-naturedly push him to the front.
But the spruiker was very serious as one of the troupe extended a friendly hand and pulled Frank up the ladder to stand at one side of the eight already on the bridge. "Don't laugh, gents. He's not very big but he is the first to volunteer! It isn't the size of the dog in the fight, you know, it's the size of the fight in the dog! Come on now, here's this little bloke game to try- what about some of you big blokes, eh? Put on a glove and win a fiver, go the distance with one of Jimmy Sharman's troupe!"
Gradually the ranks of the volunteers increased, the young men self-consciously clutching their hats and eyeing the professionals who stood, a band of elite 9 beings, alongside them. Dying to stay and see what happened, Father Ralph reluctantly decided 10 it was more than time he removed Meggie from the vicinity, so he picked her up and turned on his heel to leave. Meggie began to scream, and the farther away he got, the louder she screamed; people were beginning to look at them, and he was so well known it was very embarrassing, not to mention undignified. "Now look, Meggie, I can't take you in there! Your father would flay 11 me alive, and rightly!"
"I want to stay with Frank, I want to stay with Frank!" she howled at the top of her voice, kicking and trying to bite.
"Oh, shit!" said Father Ralph.
Yielding to the inevitable 12, he dug into his pocket for the required coins and approached the open flap of the marquee, one eye cocked for any of the Cleary boys; but they were nowhere to be seen, so he presumed they were safely trying their luck with the horseshoes or gorging 13 themselves on meat pies and ice cream.
 

他们穿着又黑又长的紧身衣裤和背心，灰色的紧身衣从腰部到大腿中部。紧贴在身上，梅吉还以为他们穿的是内衣内裤呢。他们的胸前用白色的大写罗马字体写着：吉米·沙曼拳击班。他们的个头儿全不一样，有的高，有的矮，有的适中，但体魄都极其精壮。他们随随便便地相互闲谈着，大笑着，好像这场面对他们来说是家常便饭似的；只见他们活动着肌腱，作出不屑于卖弄的样子。
　　"嗨，朋友们，谁业较量较量？"那个招徕顾客的人粗声粗气地喊道。"哪一位想来比划比划？来斗一场吧，赢一张五镑的票子呀！"他敲着大鼓，一个劲儿地喊个不停。
　　"我来！"弗兰克喊道。"我来，我来！"
　　他甩开了拉尔夫神父想阻挡他的手，周围人群中凡是能看见弗兰克那小小个头的人全都笑了起来，好心地把他推到了前面。
　　可是那个招徕顾客的人却十分认真。这时拳击班里的一个人友好地伸出了手，把弗兰克拉上了梯子，站到了已经站着八条汉子的走道的一侧。"请不要笑，先生们，他个头儿虽然不太高，但他是头一个自告奋勇站出来的！大家知道，斗拳不看个头儿一要看斗得怎样！嗨，这位小老弟要试试身手--你们这些大高个的朋友怎么样，呃？来露一手，赢一张五镑的票子呀，和吉米·沙曼拳击班的哪位拳手较量较量吧！"
　　慢慢地，自告奋勇的人增加了。这些年轻小伙子们有些不好意思地捏着自己的帽子，望着站在他们边上的那帮经过精心挑选的职业拳手。拉尔夫神父很想留下为来看个究竟，但终于不情愿地断定，现在再也不能让梅吉留在附近了。于是，他把她抱了起来，随即转身离去。梅吉尖声叫了起来，他走得越远，她就越叫得响。人们都在看他们了。认识他的人太多了，这是很伤脑筋的事，更甭提这是多么有损尊严了。
　　"喂，梅吉，我不能带你走去！你爸爸会剥我的皮的，没错儿！"
　　"我要和弗兰克在一块儿，我要和弗兰克在一块儿！"她扯足了嗓门哭喊着，又蹬又踢，还想咬人。
　　"唉，真缠人！"他说道。
　　他不得不屈服了，伸手从口袋里掏出了所需的硬币，他向大帐篷掀开的进口走示，用眼睛溜着，看是否有克利里家的男孩子。可是哪儿也看不到他们，于是，他推测他们准是在赛马场上碰马蹄铁的运气，或者是在大吃其肉馅饼和冰淇淋。