Part V：佳作欣赏

　　平静表面下的情感激流—短篇小说《初秋》赏析

　　《初秋》(Early Autumn)是美国黑人作家兰斯顿•休斯一篇脍炙人口的短篇小说。作者以朴素而高超的写作手法，通过短短的445个词，一气呵成，向我们展示了一幅平静而又波澜壮阔的感情画面，读来回味无穷，心情久久不得平静。

　　要想平静而深刻地理解和接受作者那种“无动于衷”的纯记述口吻，就需要对文学创作中的“自然主义”写作方法有个大概的了解。自然主义文学的基调是记实性的，自然主义作家有意采用明白通俗、朴素无华的日常语言，堆积起大量琐碎的细节，从而准确地再现社会生活的面貌、特征，乃至时代气息，而在这种记实性的外观之下，则潜伏着一股浓厚的悲观情绪。在自然主义作家的小说中，生活画面是悲惨的，令人沮丧的。人物总是漫无目的地四处漂荡，总是失败，或陷于受压迫的苦境而不能自拔。《初秋》呈现的就是这样一种听凭命运摆布的哀怨情景。故事以一对昔日的恋人若干年后不期而遇这一生活琐事为题材，通过两人极为普通的日常对话，辅以一定的情景衬托，生动而细腻地显现了两种截然不同的心态，尤其是女主人公Mary那起伏跌宕的感情波澜。下面就请欣赏这篇旷世佳作。

　　Early Autumn

　　When Bill was very young, they had been in love. Many nights they had spent walking, talking together. Then something not very important had come between them, and they didn’t speak. Impulsively, she had married a man she thought she loved. Bill went away, bitter about women.

　　Yesterday, walking across Washington Square, she saw him for the first time in years.

　　“Bill Walker,” she said.

　　He stopped. At first he did not recognize her, to him she looked so old.

　　“Mary! Where did you come from?”

　　Unconsciously, she lifted her face as though wanting a kiss, but he held out his hand. She took it.

　　“I live in New York now,” she said.

　　“Oh,—Smiling politely, then a little frown came quickly between his eyes.

　　“Always wondered what happened to you, Bill.”

　　“I’m a lawyer. Nice firm, way downtown.”

　　“Married yet?”

　　“Sure. Two kids.”

　　“Oh,” she said.

　　A great many people went past them through the park. People they didn’t know. It was late afternoon. Nearly sunset. Cold.

　　“And your husband?” he asked her.

　　“We have three children. I work in the bursar’s office at Columbia.”

　　“You are looking very…” (he wanted to say old) “…well,” he said.

　　She understood. Under the trees in Washington Square, she found herself desperately reaching back into the past. She had been older than he then in Ohio. Now she was not young at all. Bill was still young.

　　“We live on Central Park West,” she said. “Come and see us sometime.”

　　“Sure,” he replied. “You and your husband must have dinner with my family some night. Any night. Lucille and I’d love to have you.”

　　The leaves fell slowly from the tree in the Square. Fell without wind. Autumn dusk. She felt a little sick.

　　“We’d love it,” she answered.

　　“You ought to see my kids.” He grinned.

　　Suddenly the lights came on up the whole length of Fifth Avenue, chains of misty brilliance in the blue air.

　　“There’s my bus,” she said.

　　He held out his hand. “Goodbye.”

　　“When…”, she wanted to say, but the bus was ready to pull off. The lights on the avenue blurred, twinkled, blurred. And she was afraid to open her mouth as she entered the bus. Afraid it would be impossible to utter a word.

　　Suddenly she shrieked very loudly, “Good-bye!” But the bus door had closed.

　　The bus started. People came between them outside, people crossing the street, people they didn’t know. Space and people. She lost sight of Bill. Then she remembered she had forgotten to give him her address—or to ask him for his—or tell him that her youngest boy was named Bill, too.

　　单词与短语：

　　be in love相恋，相爱；something not very important某件微不足道的事情，某件小事情；come between…(动词结构)两人间发生了。。。事情；do not speak to sb.不理睬某人；impulsively adv.冲动之下，处于一时的冲动；go away(动词短语)离开，出走；bitter about 对。。。充满了苦涩的感觉；walk across (动词结构)步行穿过；Washington Square华盛顿广场；for the first time in years多年后第一次；at first起先；recognize vt.辨认出，识别出；unconsciously adv.下意识地；lift her face (动词结构)仰起脸；as though似乎，仿佛，好像；hold out (动词结构)伸出；politely adv.礼貌地；frown n.&vt.皱眉头；firm n.公司；way downtown 在市中心地带；sunset n.日落；desperately adv.拼命地，竭力地；reach back into the past (动词结构)追忆过去；Ohio 美国州名)俄亥俄州；sometime (adv.)某个时间；dusk[]n.黄昏时分；grin vi.开心地笑，笑开了花；lights come on 灯亮了起来；up the whole length of Fifth Avenue 沿着整条第五大道；chain n.链条；misty adj.雾蒙蒙的；brilliance n.灿烂，辉煌；pull off (动词短语)开动，离开；blur v.变模糊，使。。。模糊；twinkle v.闪烁；utter a word 动词结构)说出话；shriek v.尖叫，高声叫喊；lose sight of…(动词短语)看不见。。。

　　Part VI：快速阅读

　　Two Bricklayers(泥瓦匠)

　　I recently heard a story about two bricklayers and a news reporter(新闻报道员). The reporter asked the first worker, “What are you doing?” His reply was a complaint(抱怨). He said that he spent his days wasting his time, placing(摆，放) bricks on top of one another. The reporter asked the second worker the same question. His response(回答), however, was quite different. “I’m the luckiest person in the world,” he said, “I help turn simple pieces of brick into beautiful houses.” Both of these workers are right, but the difference is in their visions(视野，角度). We see in life what we want to see. If you want to find fault with(挑。。。的毛病) other people, your job, or the world in general(总的，整体), you’ll certainly be able to do so. However, the opposite(反面) is true as well(也). If you look for the extraordinary(非凡) in the ordinary(普通), you can train yourself to see it. The second bricklayer sees a beautiful house within the pieces of brick. Indeed(事实上), there is so much to be grateful(感激) for, so much to think about. If you put your attention on this fact, seemingly(貌似) ordinary things will take on(呈现出) a whole(完全的) new meaning(含义).

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