【饥饿游戏】38

 A large balcony off a building to the right has been reserved for 

the Gamemakers.Television crews have claimed most of the other 
balconies. But the City Circle and the avenues that feed into it are
completely packed with people. Standing 1 room only. At homes
and community halls around the country, every television set
is turned on. Every citizen of Panem is tuned 2 in. There will be
no blackouts tonight.
Caesar Flickerman, the man who has hosted the interviews
for more than forty years, bounces onto the stage. It’s a little
scary because his appearance has been virtually unchanged
during all that time. Same face under a coating of pure white
makeup 3. Same hairstyle that he dyes a different color for each
Hunger Games. Same ceremonial suit, midnight blue dotted
with a thousand tiny electric bulbs that twinkle like stars.
They do surgery in the Capitol, to make people appear younger
and thinner. In District 12, looking old is something of an
achievement since so many people die early. You see an elderly
person you want to congratulate them on their longevity 4,
ask the secret of survival. A plump person is envied because
they aren’t scraping by like the majority of us. But here it is
different. Wrinkles aren’t desirable. A round belly 5 isn’t a sign
of success.
This year, Caesar’s hair is powder blue and his eyelids 6 and
lips are coated in the same hue 7. He looks freakish but less
frightening than he did last year when his color was crimson 8
and he seemed to be bleeding. Caesar tells a few jokes to
warm up the audience but then gets down to business.
The girl tribute from District 1, looking provocative 9 in a
see-through gold gown, steps up the center of the stage to join
Caesar for her interview. You can tell her mentor 10 didn’t have
any trouble coming up with an angle for her. With that flowing
blonde hair, emerald green eyes, her body tall and lush . . .
she’s sexy all the way.
Each interview only lasts three minutes. Then a buzzer 11
goes off and the next tribute is up. I’ll say this for Caesar, he
really does his best to make the tributes shine. He’s friendly,
tries to set the nervous ones at ease, laughs at lame 12 jokes, and
can turn a weak response into a memorable 13 one by the way he
reacts.
I sit like a lady, the way Effie showed me, as the districts
slip by. 2, 3, 4. Everyone seems to be playing up some angle.
The monstrous 14 boy from District 2 is a ruthless killing 15 machine.
The fox-faced girl from District 5 sly and elusive 16. I spotted 17
Cinna as soon as he took his place, but even his presence
cannot relax me. 8, 9, 10. The crippled boy from 10 is very
quiet. My palms are sweating like crazy, but the jeweled dress
isn’t absorbent and they skid 18 right of if I try to dry them.
(镶珠的衣服根本不吸汗，我想擦擦汗，可浑身的汗水径直
扑簌簌地淌下来)。 
11.Rue 19, who is dressed in a gossamer 20 gown complete with
wings, flutters her way to Caesar. A hush 21 falls over the crowd
at the sight of this magical wisp of a tribute. Caesar’s very
sweet with her, complimenting her seven in training, an excellent
score for one so small. When he asks her what her greatest
strength in the arena 22 will be, she doesn’t hesitate. “I’m very 
hard to catch,” she says in a tremulous voice. “And if they
can’t catch me, they can’t kill me. So don’t count me out.”
“I wouldn’t in a million years,” (“我不会淘汰你，一万年也不会。)”
says Caesar encouragingly.
The boy tribute from District 11, Thresh, has the same dark
skin as Rue, but the resemblance stops there. He’s one of the
giants, probably six and a half feet tall and built like an ox, but
I noticed he rejected the invitations from the Career Tributes
to join their crowd. Instead he’s been very solitary 23, speaking
to no one, showing little interest in training. Even so, he
scored a ten and it’s not hard to imagine he impressed the
Gamemakers. He ignores Caesar’s attempts at banter 24 and 
answers with a yes or no or just remains 25 silent.
If only I was his size, I could get away with sullen 26 and hostile
and it would be just fine! I bet half the sponsors are at least 
considering him. If I had any money, I’d bet on him myself.
And then they’re calling Katniss Everdeen, and I feel myself,
as if in a dream, standing and making my way center stage. I
shake Caesar’s outstretched hand, and he has the good grace
not to immediately wipe his off on his suit.
“So, Katniss, the Capitol must be quite a change from District
Twelve. What’s impressed you most since you arrived
here?” asks Caesar.
What? What did he say? It’s as if the words make no sense.
My mouth has gone as dry as sawdust. I desperately 27 find
Cinna in the crowd and lock eyes with him. I imagine the
words coming from his lips. “What’s impressed you most 
since you arrived here?” I rack my brain for something that 
made me happy here. Be honest, I think. Be honest.
“The lamb stew,” I get out.
Caesar laughs, and vaguely 28 I realize some of the audience
has joined in.
“The one with the dried plums?” asks Caesar. I nod. “Oh, I
eat it by the bucketful.” He turns sideways to the audience in
horror, hand on his stomach. “It doesn’t show, does it?” They
shout reassurances 29 to him and applaud. This is what I mean
about Caesar. He tries to help you out.
“Now, Katniss,” he says confidentially 30, “When you came out
in the opening ceremonies, my heart actually stopped. 
gossamer n. 蛛丝；薄纱；小蜘蛛网
banter n. （善意的）戏谑；逗弄