皇家大战（5，双语）
拉尔夫-埃里森著
There wasstill laughter as I faced them, my mouth dry, my eyes throbbing. Ibegan slowly, but evidently my throat was tense, because they beganshouting.
当我面对他们的时候他们又发出一阵笑声，我的口很干，我的眼睛跳动着生痛。我开始缓慢地讲，但是很显然，我的喉咙很紧张，因为他们开始大叫。
"Louder!Louder!"
“大声点！大声点！”
"We ofthe younger generation extol the wisdom of that great leader andeducator," I shouted, "who first spoke these flaming words ofwisdom: 'A ship lost at sea for many days suddenly sighted afriendly vessel. From the mast of the unfortunate vessel was seen asignal: "Water, water; we die of thirst!" The answer from thefriendly vessel came back: "Cast down your bucket where you are."The captain of the distressed vessel, at last heeding theinjunction, cast down his bucket, and it came up full of freshsparkling water from the mouth of the Amazon River.' And like him Isay, and in his words, 'To those of my race who depend uponbettering their condition in a foreign land, or who underestimatethe importance of cultivating friendly relations with the Southernwhite man, who is his next-door neighbor, I would say: "Cast downyour bucket where you are"—cast it down in making friends in everymanly way of the people of all races by whom we are surrounded . ..'
“我们年轻一代赞美伟大的领袖和教育家的智慧，”我大声喊道，“是他首先说出这些闪耀智慧之光的话语：'在海上消失了很多天的船突然看见一个朋友的船。从不幸的船的桅杆上打出一个信号：'水，水；我渴死了！’朋友的船上给出的回答是：'你把水桶放下来。’遇难船只的船长，终于听从指令，抛下了他的水桶，水桶被注满了来自亚马逊河河口的新鲜的闪闪发光的淡水。’而像他所说的一样，我要说：'对依靠在异国改善生活状况的黑人同胞和低估了发展的重要性而想依靠与南方白人睦邻友好关系的黑人同胞，我要疾呼：从你们那儿把水桶放下来，果断地放下来，与我们周围的各族人民交朋友吧。’”
I spoke automatically andwith such fervor that I did not realize that the men were stilltalking and laughing until my dry mouth, filling up with blood fromthe cut, almost strangled me. I coughed, wanting to stop and go toone of the tall brass, sand-filled spittoons to relieve myself, buta few of the men, especially the superintendent, were listening andI was afraid. So I gulped it down, blood, saliva and all, andcontinued. (What powers of endurance I had during thosedays! 我随便说话的时候总是带着这样的激情，以致自己也没有意识到那些人依旧有说有笑直到我口干舌燥，充满在伤口上的血，几乎使我窒息。我咳嗽了一声，想停下来，走到一个高高的填满砂子的黄铜痰盂跟前来缓解自己的，但是一些人，尤其是管理者还正在听而我很害怕。所以我将血液，唾液和一切一齐吞咽下去，并继续演讲。（在那些日子里，我有多么大的耐力啊！Whatenthusiasm! What a belief in the rightness of things!) I spoke evenlouder in spite of the pain. But still they talked and still theylaughed, as though deaf with cotton in dirty ears. So I spoke withgreater emotional emphasis. I closed my ears and swallowed blooduntil I was nauseated. The speech seemed a hundred times as long asbefore, but I could not leave out a single word. All had to besaid, each memorized nuance considered, rendered. Nor was that all.Whenever I uttered a word of three or more syllables a group ofvoices would yell for me to repeat it. I used the phrase "socialresponsibility" and theyyelled:多么大的热情啊！对正确的事情是多么相信啊！）我甚至不顾痛苦地更大声地讲起来。但是他们依然又说又笑，好像在肮脏的耳朵里塞了棉花而不愿意听讲。所以我就以更大的热情强调着讲。我充耳不闻并咽下口里的血直到我感到了恶心。演讲似乎长达以前的一百倍，但我不能遗漏一个字。我不得不说，每个记忆里的细微差别都得考虑，而表演，也不是所有的。每当我说出一句三个或多个音节一组声音的话，他们都要喊着让我重复一遍。我用了短语“社会责任”，他们就喊道：
"What'sthe word you say, boy?"
“你说的是什么呀，孩子？”
"Socialresponsibility," I said.
“社会责任，”我说。
"What?"
“什么？”
"Social .. ."
“社会......”
"Louder."". . . responsibility."
“声音大一点。”“......的责任。”
"More!�"Respon—"
“更大的！”“责任”
�Repeat!"
“重复！”
"—sibility."
“责任。”
The roomfilled with the uproar of laughter until, no doubt, distracted byhaving to gulp down my blood, I made a mistake and yelled a phraseI had often seen denounced in newspaper editorials, heard debatedin private.
房间里充满了笑的喧嚣，直到，毫无疑问，由于不得不吞下我嘴里的血液而分心，我犯了一个错误，喊了一句我经常看见在报纸社论里指责人的短语，听到了私下争论。
"Social .. ."
“社会......”
"What?"they yelled.
“什么？”他们大声喊。
". . .equality—.�
“......平等——”
Thelaughter hung smokelike in the sudden stillness. I opened my eyes,puzzled. Sounds of displeasure filled the room. The M.C. rushedforward. They shouted hostile phrases at me. But I did notunderstand.
笑声像烟样徘徊在突然的寂静里。我大睁开眼，迷惑不解。不满的声音充满了整个房间。主持人冲向前来。他们对我喊着敌意的短语。但我并不明白。
A smalldry mustached man in the front row blared out, �Say that slowly,son!
一个在前排的小干胡子的男人高声说道，“说，慢慢的，孩子！”
"What,sir?"
“什么，先生？”
"What youjust said!"
“你刚才说什么！”
"Socialresponsibility, sir,� I said.
“社会责任，先生，”我说。
"Youweren't being smart, were you boy?" he said, notunkindly.
“你不聪明，是你的孩子吗？”他说，没有恶意。
"No,Sir!"
“不的，先生！”
"You surethat about 'equality' was a mistake?"
“你认为'平等’是一种错误吗？”
"Oh, yes,Sir," I said. "I was swallowing blood."
“哦，是的，先生，”我说。“我是在吞血。”
"Well,you had better speak more slowly so we can understand. We mean todo right by you, but you've got to know your place at all times.All right, now, go on with your speech." I was afraid. I wanted toleave but I wanted also to speak and I was afraid they'd snatch medown.
“嗯，你最好讲得再慢一点，让我们可以理解。我们的意思是你有你的权利，但你要随时知道你所在的地方。好的，现在，继续你的演讲。”我很害怕。我想离开，但我还想说，我害怕他们会把我拽下来。
"T'hankyou, Sir," I said, beginning where I had left off, and having themignore me as before.
“谢谢你，先生，”我说，开始走回到我刚离开的地方，并让他们像之前一样别在意我。
Yet whenI finished there was a thunderous applause. I was surprised to seethe superintendent come forth with a package wrapped in whitetissue paper, and, gesturing for quiet, address themen.
然而，当我结束了讲演，他们发出了雷鸣般的掌声。我很惊讶地看到管理者拿着一个包在白色纸巾包裹走上前来，然后，示意安静，对人们讲话。
（5，未完待续）
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