雷蒙德·卡佛：他们不是你的丈夫 | 双语阅读

如果一个男人，偶然听到别的男人用下流的口吻聊自己妻子的屁股，他会作何反应？他会怒发冲冠，还是隐忍不发？

雷蒙德·卡佛（Raymond Carver）的短篇小说《他们不是你的丈夫》便以此为开头，讲述了一对困窘的中年夫妻在平淡生活中遭遇的小插曲，而故事中丈夫的反应让人大跌眼镜。

雷蒙德·卡佛是我很喜欢的一位作家。他出身贫困，半生失意，专写失意的人。他笔下的主角往往是遭遇失业、破产、离婚、外遇的小人物，他关注这些底层小人物的困窘与挣扎，书写他们支离破碎的人生。

他的语言简洁、冷硬、朴实又暗含张力。初读他的文字，像看一拳打到棉花上，让人不以为意，再读一遍，才发现这一拳已重重锤进你心里。

They're Not Your Husband

他们不是你的丈夫

作者 | 雷蒙德·卡佛
译者 | 汤伟
原著 | 《雷蒙德·卡佛短篇小说自选集》
出版 | 人民文学出版社

Earl Ober was between jobs as a salesman. But Doreen, his wife, had gone to work nights as a waitress at a twenty-four-hour coffee shop at the edge of town. One night, when he was drinking, Earl decided to stop by the coffee shop and have something to eat. He wanted to see where Doreen worked, and he wanted to see if he could order something on the house.

厄尔·奥伯是个失了业的推销员，他妻子多琳晚上在镇边上一家通宵咖啡屋当女招待。一天晚上，厄尔正喝着酒，突然就冒出了去那家咖啡屋转一圈、吃点东西的念头。他想看看多琳工作的地方，还想看看能不能从那儿蹭点儿白食。

• be between jobs 失业中
• on the house If you have something on the house, it is given to you free by a business. 由商家免费提供

He sat at the counter and studied the menu.

他坐在柜台前，看着菜单。

• counter [ˈkaʊntə] n.[C] 柜台

“What are you doing here?” Doreen said when she saw him sitting there.

She handed over an order to the cook. “What are you going to order, Earl?” she said. “The kids okay?”

“你来这儿干什么？”多琳看见他坐在那儿，问道。

她把一份菜单递给厨子。“厄尔，你想来点儿什么？”她说，“孩子们都好?”

“They’re fine,” Earl said. “I’ll have coffee and one of those Number Two sandwiches.” Doreen wrote it down.

“他们很好，”厄尔说，“我要杯咖啡，再来一个二号的三明治。”多琳写了下来。

“Any chance of, you know?” he said to her and winked.

“No,” she said. “Don’t talk to me now. I’m busy.”

“有机会吗？你知道我的意思。”他对她说，眨了眨眼。

“没有。”她说，“这会儿别跟我说话，我忙着呢。”

• wink v. 眨眼示意；使眼色

Earl drank his coffee and waited for the sandwich. Two men in business suits, their ties undone, their collars open, sat down next to him and asked for coffee. As Doreen walked away with the coffeepot, one of the men said to the other, “Look at the ass on that. I don’t believe it.”

厄尔喝着咖啡，等着三明治。两个身穿西装的男人，领带松着，领口敞着，坐到了他的身边，要了咖啡。多琳提着咖啡壶走开后，其中的一个男人对另一个说，“瞧那屁股，我简直无法相信。”

• business suit n.[C] 西服，西装；职业装
• undo [ʌnˈduː] v. to unfasten something that is fastened or tied 解开；打开；拆开
• collar [ˈkɒlə] n.[C] 衣领，领子

The other man laughed. “I've seen better,” he said.

“That’s what I mean,” the first man said. “But some jokers like their quim fat.”

“Not me,” the other man said.

“Not me, neither,” the first man said. “That’s what I was saying.”

另一个笑了。“我见过更棒的，”他说。

“我正是这个意思，”第一个说，“不过有些蠢货就喜欢她们的那玩意儿肥。”

“我可不是，”另一个说。

“我也不喜欢，”第一个说，“我刚才就是这意思。”

• joker [ˈdʒəʊkə] n.[C] someone who behaves in a way you think is stupid 傻瓜，蠢人
• quim [kwɪm] n.[C] a woman's sexual organs 女性生殖器

Doreen put the sandwich in front of Earl. Around the sandwich there were French fries, coleslaw, dill pickle. “Anything else?” she said. “A glass of milk?”

多琳把三明治摆在厄尔的面前。三明治边上放着炸薯条、凉拌卷心菜和酸黄瓜。“还要什么？”她说。“来杯牛奶？”

• coleslaw [ˈkəʊlslɔː] n.[U] a salad made with thinly cut raw cabbage 凉拌卷心菜丝
• dill pickle n.[C] a whole cucumber which has been preserved in vinegar 〔腌制的〕酸黄瓜

He didn’t say anything. He shook his head when she kept standing there.

“I’ll get you more coffee,” she said.

他没说什么。见她还在那儿站着，他摇了摇头。

“再给你来点咖啡，”她说。

She came back with the pot and poured coffee for him and for the two men. Then she picked up a dish and turned to get some ice cream. She reached down into the container and with the dipper began to scoop up the ice cream. The white skirt yanked against her hips and crawled up her legs. What showed was girdle, and it was pink, thighs that were rumpled and gray and a little hairy, and veins that spread in a berserk display.

她提着壶回来，为他和另外那两位加了咖啡。而后，她拿起一个盘子，去盛冰淇淋。她拿着把勺子，弯腰去舀桶里的冰淇淋。白色的裙子一下子贴住了她的臀部，并沿着她的大腿慢慢往上滑，露出了粉色的紧身褡和结实、灰白的大腿，上面有些茸茸的细毛，血管毕露。

• container n.[C] 容器
• dipper [ˈdɪpər] n.[C]  a large spoon with a long handle, used for taking liquid out of a container 长柄勺
• scoop up sth 用勺子取…
• yank [jaŋk] v. to pull sth/sb hard, quickly and suddenly 猛拉；猛拽
• hip n.[C] 臀部；髋
• crawl [krɔːl] v. 爬，爬行
• girdle [ˈgəːdəl] n.[C] A girdle is a piece of women's underwear that fits tightly around the stomach and hips. （女子的） 紧身褡，束腹紧身衣
• thigh [θaɪ] n.[C] 大腿
• rumple [ˈrʌmpl] v. to make sth untidy or not smooth and neat 弄皱；弄乱
• hairy [ˈhɛːri] adj. 〔人或动物身上〕多毛的
• vein [veɪn] n.[C] 静脉
• berserk [bəˈzəːk] adj. to become very angry and violent 狂怒，暴跳如雷

The two men sitting beside Earl exchanged looks. One of them raised his eyebrows. The other man grinned and kept looking at Doreen over his cup as she spooned chocolate syrup over the ice cream. When she began shaking the can of whipped cream, Earl got up, leaving his food, and headed for the door. He heard her call his name, but he kept going.

那两个坐在厄尔身边的男人交换了一下眼色，其中一个抬了抬眉毛。另一个咧嘴一笑，眼睛从杯子上方直勾勾地盯着多琳看，她正用调羹往冰淇淋上浇巧克力糖汁。当她开始摇起沫奶油罐时，厄尔站了起来，他丢下饭菜，朝门口走去。听见她在喊他，他没有回头。

• grin [grɪn] v. to smile widely 露齿而笑；咧着嘴笑；粲然而笑
• spoon[spuːn] v. 用匙舀
• syrup [ˈsɪrəp] n.[U] 糖浆
• whipped cream 搅打奶油

He checked on the children and then went to the other bedroom and took off his clothes. He pulled the covers up, closed his eyes, and allowed himself to think. The feeling started in his face and worked down into his stomach and legs. He opened his eyes and rolled his head back and forth on the pillow. Then he turned on his side and fell asleep.

他去孩子们那儿看了看，然后进了另一间卧室，脱了衣服。他盖上床单，闭上眼睛，陷入了沉思。一种无名的烦躁涌到了他的脸上，并蔓延到他的肚子和腿上。他睁开眼睛，脑袋在枕头上转来转去。后来，他转到侧面睡着了。

• check on sb / sth 检查（是否一切正常）
• covers n.[pl.] the blankets, sheets, etc. on a bed 床罩；床毯；床单

In the morning, after she had sent the children off to school, Doreen came into the bedroom and raised the shade. Earl was already awake.

早晨，把孩子们送去上学后，多琳走进卧室，拉起百叶窗。厄尔已经醒了。

• shade [ʃeɪd] n.[C] 窗帘，百叶窗

“Look at yourself in the mirror,” he said.

“What?” she said. “What are you talking about?”

“你自个儿照照镜子吧，”他说。

“什么？”她说，“你在说什么？”

“Just look at yourself in the mirror,” he said.

“What am I supposed to see?” she said. But she looked in the mirror over the dresser and pushed the hair away from her shoulders.

“照照镜子瞧瞧你自己。”他说。

“让我瞧什么？”她说。不过她已经朝梳妆台上的镜子望过去，把头发从肩头拨开。

• dresser [ˈdresər] n.[C] 梳妆台

“Well?” he said.

“Well, what?” she said.

“怎样？”他说。

“什么怎样？”她说。

“I hate to say anything,” Earl said, “but I think you better give a diet some thought. I mean it. I’m serious. I think you could lose a few pounds. Don’t get mad.”

“我不想多说，”他说，“不过我想你最好考虑一下节食。我说的是真的，不开玩笑，我觉得你可以减掉几磅。别发火。”他说。

“What are you saying?” she said.

“Just what I said. I think you could lose a few pounds. A few pounds, anyway,” he said.

“你说什么呀？”她说。

“我刚才说了，我觉得你应该减掉几磅。就几磅。”他说。

“You never said anything before,” she said. She raised her nightgown over her hips and turned to look at her stomach in the mirror.

“你过去从来没说过，”她说。她把睡袍撩过臀部，转身对着镜子看自己的肚子。

• nightgown [ˈnaɪtɡaʊn] n.[C] a nightdress 女式睡袍

“I never felt it was a problem before,” he said. He tried to pick his words.

“过去我没觉得这是个问题，”他说，斟酌着字句。

The nightgown still gathered around her waist, Doreen turned her back to the mirror and looked over her shoulder. She raised one buttock in her hand and let it drop.

睡袍仍然堆在她的腰上，多琳背对着镜子，转过头来看自己。她用一只手托起半边屁股，又把它放下来。

• waist [weɪst] n.[C] 腰，腰部
• buttock [ˈbʌtək] n.[C] 屁股的一边；臀部

Earl closed his eyes. “Maybe I’m all wet,” he said.

“I guess I could afford to lose. But it’d be hard,” she said.

厄尔合上了眼睛。“也许是我想错了，”他说。

“我想我可以减一点。不过很难。”她说。

• all wet completely wrong 完全错的；大错特错

“You’re right, it won’t be easy,” he said. “But I’ll help.”

“Maybe you’re right,” she said. She dropped her nightgown and looked at him and then she took her nightgown off.

“你说得对，是不容易。”他说，“不过我会帮你的。”

“可能你是对的，”她说。她松手放下睡衣，望着他，而后，她脱掉了睡衣。

They talked about diets. They talked about the protein diets, the vegetable-only diets, the grapefruit-juice diets. But they decided they didn’t have the money to buy the steaks the protein diet called for. And Doreen said she didn’t care for all that many vegetables. And since she didn’t like grapefruit juice that much, she didn’t see how she could do that one, either.

他们讨论了节食的方法，讨论了蛋白质节食法、蔬菜节食法、柚子汁节食法。不过发现他们没钱买蛋白质节食法所需要的牛排。多琳说她不喜欢吃太多的蔬菜。而且，由于她并不怎么喜欢柚子汁，她不知道该如何进行这种节食法。

• protein [ˈprəʊtiːn] n.[C,U] 蛋白质
• steak [steɪk] n.[C,U] 牛排
• care for sth 深深地爱 / 非常喜欢…

“Okay, forget it,” he said.

“No, you’re right,” she said. “I’ll do something.” 

“好了，算了吧，”他说。

“不，你是对的，”她说，“我要想点办法。”

“What about exercises?” he said.

 “I’m getting all the exercise I need down there,” she said.

“运动怎么样？”他说。 

“我在那儿运动得够多的了。”她说。

“Just quit eating,” Earl said. “For a few days, anyway.”

“All right,” she said. “I’ll try. For a few days I’ll give it a try. You’ve convinced me.”

“I’m a closer,” Earl said.

“那就别吃东西，”厄尔说，“好在就几天。”

“好吧，”她说，“我试试看吧。如果就几天的话我可以试一试。你说服了我。”

“我是个成事者，”厄尔说。

Earle figured up the balance in their checking account, then drove to the discount store and bought a bathroom scale. He looked the clerk over as she rang up the sale.

他算了算他们活期账户上的余额，然后开车去了减价商店，买了一台在卫生间用的秤。女店员算账时，他看了她一眼。

• figure up sth 算出…的总和
• balance [ˈbaləns] n.[C] 结存，结余
• checking account 活期存款账户
• discount store 折扣店，打折店
• scale [skeɪl] n.[C] 称
• ring sth up 将（款额）输入现金出纳机

At home he had Doreen take off all her clothes and get on the scale. He frowned when he saw the veins. He ran his finger the length of one that sprouted up her thigh.

回家后，他让多琳脱光衣服站到秤上。看见那些血管时，他皱了皱眉头，用手指划过她露在大腿上的一根血管。

• frown [fraʊn] v. 皱眉
• sprout up 突然大量出现，大量冒出

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he said.

“干什么？”她说。

“没干什么。”他说。

He looked at the scale and wrote the figure down on a piece of paper. “All right,” Earl said. “All right.”

他看看秤，在一张纸上写下了个数字。“好了，”厄尔说，“就这样吧。”

The next day he was gone for most of the afternoon on an interview. The employer, a heavyset man who limped as he showed Earl around the plumbing fixtures in the warehouse, asked if Earl were free to travel.

第二天，他几乎整个下午都在面试。雇主是个大块头，他一瘸一拐地领着厄尔去库房看那些卫生间设备。他问厄尔可不可以经常出差。

• heavyset adj. Someone who is heavyset has a large, wide, strong body.（人）体格强壮的
• limp [lɪmp] v. 瘸着走；跛行；蹒跚
• plumbing n.[U] the water pipes and similar systems in a building 管道；水管装置；管路系统
• fixture [ˈfɪkstʃə] n.[C] a piece of equipment that is fixed inside a house or building and is sold as part of the house（房屋或建筑物内的）固定设备，固定装置
• warehouse [ˈwɛːhaʊs] n.[C] 货仓，仓库

“You bet I’m free,” Earl said. The man nodded. Earl smiled.

“当然可以，”厄尔说。那人点点头。厄尔笑了。

He could hear the television before he opened the door to the house. The children did not look up as he walked through the living room. In the kitchen, Doreen, dressed for work, was eating scrambled eggs and bacon.

开门之前他就听见了电视的声音，当他穿过客厅时，孩子们连头都没抬。多琳在厨房里，穿着工作服，正在吃炒鸡蛋和咸肉。

• scramble [ˈskrambəl] v. to mix eggs with a little milk and mix again as they are being fried 炒蛋

“What are you doing?” Earl said. She continued to chew the food, cheeks puffed. But then she spit everything into a napkin. “I couldn’t help myself,” she said.

“你在干什么？”厄尔说。她鼓着两腮，继续嚼着食物。不过，她马上又把所有东西都吐到餐巾纸里。“我忍不住了，”她说。

• chew [tʃuː] v. 咀嚼；嚼碎
• cheek [tʃiːk] n.[C] 面颊，脸颊

“Slob,” Earl said. “Go ahead, eat! Go on!” He went to the bedroom, closed the door, and lay on the covers. He could still hear the television. He put his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling.

“蠢货，”厄尔说，“吃吧，继续吃吧！继续吃啊！”他走进卧室，关上房门，躺在被子上。他还能听见电视的声音。他把手垫在头底下，看着天花板。

• slob [slɒb] n.[C] a lazy, untidy, and often rude person 懒惰邋遢的人

She opened the door. “I’m going to try again,” Doreen said.

“Okay,” he said.

她打开门。“我再试一次吧，”多琳说。

“好吧，”他说。

Two mornings later she called him into the bathroom. “Look,” she said.

第三天早晨，她把他叫进浴室。“看，”她说。

He read the scale. He opened a drawer and took out the paper and read the scale again while she grinned.

他看了看秤上的数字。然后拉开抽屉，拿出那张纸，在她的笑声里他又看了一遍秤。

“Three-quarters of a pound,” she said.

“It’s something,” he said and patted her hip.

“减了四分之三磅，”她说。

“有进步，”他说，拍了拍她的屁股。

He read the classifieds. He went to the state employment office. Every three or four days he drove someplace for an interview, and at night he counted her tips. He smoothed out the dollar bills on the table and stacked the nickels, dimes, and quarters in piles of one dollar each. Each morning he put her on the scale.

读完分类广告，他就去了州职业介绍所。每隔三四天，他就得开车去某个地方面试，晚上回来后，他数着她的小费。把一元的票子放在桌子上抹平，然后把五分、一角和两角五分的硬币一元一元地码起来。每天早晨，他都要让她过过秤。

• classifieds [ˈklæsɪfaɪdz] n.[pl.] 分类广告栏
• smooth out sth 把…弄平整
• stack [stak] v. to arrange things in an ordered pile 把…放成整齐的一摞；把…码成堆
• nickel [ˈnɪkl] n.[C] 5分镍币
• dime [daɪm] n.[C] 十分硬币，十分钱
• quarter [ˈkwɔːtər] n.[C] 二十五分硬币

In two weeks she had lost three and a half pounds.

两周内，她的体重就减了三磅半。”

“I pick,” she said. “I starve myself all day, and then I pick at work. It adds up.” 

“我吃得很少，”她说，“我一整天都饿着自己，上班时也一样，积少成多。”

• pick at sth（因不饿或不喜欢而）一点一点地吃，挑挑拣拣地吃
• starve [stɑːrv] v.（使）挨饿
• add up 积少成多

But a week later she had lost five pounds. The week after that, nine and a half pounds. Her clothes were loose on her. She had to cut into the rent money to buy a new uniform.

但一周以后，她竟一下子掉了五磅。再一周后，九磅半。衣服穿在身上显得宽松了。她只好动用留着准备租房的钱，买了一套新制服。

• loose [luːs] adj. (of clothes) not fitting closely to the body（衣服）宽松的，肥大的
• cut into sth 占用…

“People are saying things at work,” she said.

“What kind of things?” Earl said.

“上班时，大家都在议论，”她说。

“都说什么？”厄尔说。

“That I’m too pale, for one thing,” she said. “That I don’t look like myself. They’re afraid I’m losing too much weight.”

“说我的脸色太苍白了，”她说，“说我都不像我了。他们担心我体重掉得太多了。”

• pale [peɪl] adj. 苍白

“What is wrong with losing?” he said. “Don’t you pay any attention to them. Tell them to mind their own business. They’re not your husband. You don’t have to live with them.”

“掉多了有什么不好？”他说，“你不必理他们。让他们少管别人的闲事。他们不是你的丈夫，你又不是非得和他们生活在一起不可。”

“I have to work with them,” Doreen said.

“That’s right,” Earl said. “But they’re not your husband.”

“可我得和他们在一块儿工作，”多琳说。

“这没错，”厄尔说，“但他们不是你的丈夫。”

Each morning he followed her into the bathroom and waited while she stepped onto the scale. He got down on his knees with a pencil and the piece of paper. The paper was covered with dates, days of the week, numbers. He read the number on the scale, consulted the paper, and either nodded his head or pursed his lips.

每天早晨，他都跟着她进浴室，等她站到秤上去。他跪着，手里拿着铅笔和纸。纸上写满了日期、星期几、数字。他读完秤，就对照纸片看看，要么点点头，要么噘噘嘴。

• consult [kənˈsʌlt] v. to look for information in a book, map, list etc 查阅
• purse one’s lips 撅嘴

Doreen spent more time in bed now. She went back to bed after the children had left for school, and she napped in the afternoons before going to work. Earl helped around the house, watched television, and let her sleep. He did all the shopping, and once in a while he went on an interview.

多琳现在待在床上的时间多了起来。孩子们上学后，她又回床上睡觉。下午上班之前要先睡一会儿。厄尔帮着做家务，自己看电视，让她睡觉。所有采购的事他都包了，还得不时外出面试工作。”

• nap [nap] v. 〔在白天〕小睡，打盹

One night he put the children to bed, turned off the television, and decided to go for a few drinks. When the bar closed, he drove to the coffee shop.”

一天晚上，把孩子们弄上床后，他关了电视，决定出去喝几杯。酒吧打烊后，他开车去了咖啡店。

He sat at the counter and waited. When she saw him, she said, “Kids okay?” Earl nodded.

他坐在柜台前等着。她看见了他，说：“孩子都没事？”厄尔点点头。

He took his time ordering. He kept looking at her as she moved up and down behind the counter. He finally ordered a cheeseburger. She gave the order to the cook and went to wait on someone else.

他不慌不忙地点着菜。看着她在柜台后面转来转去。最后，他要了份乳酪汉堡包。她把单子递给厨子，又去招呼别的顾客。

• take time doing sth 不慌不忙地做...
• up and down 来回，往复
• wait on sb / sth to serve food and drink, especially to customers in a restaurant（尤指在餐馆里）服侍…进餐，给…上菜

Another waitress came by with a coffeepot and filled Earl’s cup.

“Who’s your friend?” he said and nodded at his wife.

另一名女招待提着咖啡壶过来，给厄尔的杯子倒满。

“你的朋友叫什么?”他说，并朝自己的老婆点了下头。

“Her name’s Doreen,” the waitress said.

“She looks a lot different than the last time I was in here,” he said.

“I wouldn’t know,” the waitress said.

“她叫多琳，”女招待说。

“她看上去跟我上次来这儿时大不一样了，”他说。

“我不知道，”女招待说。

He ate the cheeseburger and drank the coffee. People kept sitting down and getting up at the counter.

他吃着汉堡包，喝着咖啡。不时地有人在柜台前坐下，又有人离去。

Doreen waited on most of the people at the counter, though now and then the other waitress came along to take an order. Earl watched his wife and listened carefully. Twice he had to leave his place to go to the bathroom. Each time he wondered if he might have missed hearing something. When he came back the second time, he found his cup gone and someone in his place. He took a stool at the end of the counter next to an older man in a striped shirt.

柜台前的客人大部分由多琳招待，其他女招待偶尔也过来开单子。厄尔看着他老婆，非常留心地听着。有两次，他因为要去洗手间，不得不离开座位。每次他都怀疑自己是否漏掉了什么。第二次回来，他发现他的杯子被收走了，位子也被另一个人占了。他端了张凳子，坐在了柜台的一端，靠着一位穿条纹衬衣、年龄稍长的人。

• come along 到达；出现
• stool [stuːl] n.[C] a seat without any support for the back or arms 凳子
• striped [strʌɪpt] adj. Something that is striped has stripes on it. 有条纹的

“What do you want?” Doreen said to Earl when she saw him again. “Shouldn’t you be home?”

“Give me some coffee,” he said.

“你要什么？”多琳又见到厄尔时说。“还不回家？”

“给我来点咖啡，”他说。

The man next to Earl was reading a newspaper. He looked up and watched Doreen pour Earl a cup of coffee. He glanced at Doreen as she walked away. Then he went back to his newspaper.

厄尔身旁的人正在看报纸。他抬起头来，看着多琳给厄尔倒咖啡。多琳走开时，他瞥了她一眼，又低下头继续看报。

• glance at sb 看一眼...

Earl sipped his coffee and waited for the man to say something. He watched the man out of the corner of his eye. The man had finished eating and his plate was pushed to the side. The man lit a cigarette, folded the newspaper in front of him, and continued to read.

厄尔呷着咖啡，等那男人开口。他用眼角瞟着他。那人吃完以后，把盘子推到一边，点上一支烟，把报纸对折起来，继续往下看。

• sip [sɪp] v. to drink, taking only a very small amount at a time 呷，啜

Doreen came by and removed the dirty plate and poured the man more coffee.

多琳走过来，撤走了脏盘子，给那人添了点咖啡。

“What do you think of that?” Earl said to the man, nodding at Doreen as she moved down the counter. “Don’t you think that’s something special?”

“你觉得她怎么样？”多琳走到柜台那边时，厄尔用下巴点着她问那男人。“你不觉得她有点儿特殊吗？”

The man looked up. He looked at Doreen and then at Earl, and then went back to his newspaper.

那人抬起头。他先看了眼多琳，又看了眼厄尔，然后低头接着看他的报纸。

“Well, what do you think?” Earl said. “I’m asking. Does it look good or not? Tell me.” The man rattled the newspaper.

“嘿，你觉得怎样？”厄尔说，“我问你呢。看着好还是不好？告诉我。”那人把报纸翻得哗哗响。

• rattle [ˈratəl] v.（使）咯吱作响

When Doreen started down the counter again, Earl nudged the man’s shoulder and said, “I’m telling you something. Listen. Look at the ass on her. Now you watch this now. Could I have a chocolate sundae?“ Earl called to Doreen.

当多琳又朝柜台走过来时，厄尔拍拍那人的肩说道，“让我来告诉你，听着。看着她的屁股，瞧我的。我能来一杯巧克力圣代吗？”厄尔朝多琳叫道。

• nudge [nʌdʒ] v. 用肘轻推；轻碰
• sundae [ˈsʌndeɪ] n.[C] 圣代冰激凌

She stopped in front of him and let out her breath. Then she turned and picked up a dish and the icecream dipper. She leaned over the freezer, reached down, and began to press the dipper into the ice cream. Earl looked at the man and winked as Doreen’s skirt traveled up her thighs. But the man’s eyes caught the eyes of the other waitress. And then the man put the newspaper under his arm and reached into his pocket.

她在他面前站定，呼出一口气。而后她转过身，拿了个盘子和冰淇淋勺。她靠着冰柜的边，弯下腰，用勺子去挖冰淇淋。厄尔看了看那男人，多琳的裙子爬上她的大腿时，他朝他眨眨眼，不过那人正看着另一位女招待。然后他把报纸夹在胳膊下，伸手去掏口袋。

• lean [liːn] v. 屈身，倾斜身体
• freezer [ˈfriːzər] n.[C] 冷藏箱，冷冻柜，冰柜 

The other waitress came straight to Doreen. “Who is this character?” she said.

“Who?” Doreen said and looked around with the ice-cream dish in her hand.

“Him,” the other waitress said and nodded at Earl. “Who is this joker, anyway?”

另一位女招待径直朝多琳走过来。“这个怪物是谁？”

“哪个？”多琳四处张望着，手里还端着盛着冰淇淋的盘子。

“他呀，”那女招待说，并冲厄尔点了下头，“这个蠢货究竟是谁？”

• joker [ˈdʒəʊkə] n.[C] someone who behaves in a way you think is stupid 傻瓜，蠢人

Earl put on his best smile. He held it. He held it until he felt his face pulling out of shape.

厄尔堆上他最绝妙的微笑，并把这个笑容保持着，直到他觉得自己的脸都变了形。

• put sth on 假装有…，装出

But the other waitress just studied him, and Doreen began to shake her head slowly. The man had put some change beside his cup and stood up, but he too waited to hear the answer. They all stared at Earl.

那位女招待盯着他看，多琳开始慢慢地摇头。那男人在他杯子旁边放了些零钱，站起身来，不过他也在等着答案。他们都盯着厄尔。

• study [ˈstʌdi] v. to look at something carefully 端详；仔细察看
• change [tʃeɪndʒ] n.[U] （换开的）零钱
• stare at sb 盯着某人看

“He’s a salesman. He’s my husband,” Doreen said at last, shrugging. Then she put the unfinished chocolate sundae in front of him and went to total up his check.

“他是个推销员。他是我丈夫。”多琳终于耸耸肩说道。她随后把没盛完的巧克力圣代推到他面前，转身给他结账去了。”

• shrug [ʃrʌɡ] v. 耸（肩）〔表示不知道或不在乎〕
• total up 计算…的总和，把…相加起来
• check [tʃɛk] n.[C] 账单

The End