Introduction：Colonel Sartoris Snopes belonged to a“poor white”family in American south。He was summoned to attest at the court where his father was chargedwith arson。Being caught between love for family and truth，he was at loss，as every teenager would。
1 The store in which the Justice of the Peace’s court was sitting smelled of cheese。The boy，crouched on his nail keg at theback of the crowded room，knew he smelled cheese，and more：from where he sat he could see the ranked shelves close-packed with the solid，squat，dynamic shapes of tin cans whose labels his stomach read，not from the lettering which meant nothing to his mind but from thescarlet devils and the silver curve of fish—this，the cheese which he knew hesmelled and the hermetic meat which his intestines believed he smelled coming in intermittent gusts momentary and brief between the other constant one，the smell and sense just a little of fear because mostly of despair and grief，the oldfierce pull of blood。He could not see the table where the Justice sat and before which his father and his father’s enemy（our enemy he thought in that despairourn！mine and his both！He’s my father！）stood，but he could hear them，thetwo of them that is，because his father had said no word yet：
评注：第1-14段描写了庭审的过程，其中第1、7、10三段很好地挖掘了男孩的内心，淋漓尽致地表现了他被困在对家人的爱和社会道德之间的困境，涉世未深而无法选择的无力感。
2 “But what proof have you，Mr。Harris？”
3 “I told you。The hog got into my corn。I caught it up and sent it back to him。He had no fence that would hold it。I told him so，warned him。The next timeI put the hog in my pen。When he came to get it I gave him enough wire to patchup his pen。The next time I put the hog up and kept it。I rode down to his house and saw the wire I gave him still rolled on to the spool in his yard。I told him he could have the hog when he paid me a dollar pound fee。That evening a nigger came with the dollar and got the hog。He was a strange nigger。He said，‘He say to tell you wood and hay kin burn。’I said，‘What？’‘Thatwhut he say to tellyou，’the nigger said。‘Wood and hay kin burn。’That night my barn burned。Igot the stock out but I lost the barn。”
4 “Where is the nigger？Have you got him？”
5 “He was a strange nigger，I tell you。I don’t know what became of him。”
sit the court：坐堂问案
crouch：v。蜷着，缩着
keg：n。圆木桶
squat：adj。粗胖的，矮胖的
dynamic：adj。有活力的
hermetic：adj。密封的
intestine：n。肠
intermittent：adj。断断续续的
gust：n。一阵风
momentary：adj。短暂的，转瞬即逝的
hog：n。公猪
pen：n。猪圈
patch up：修补
spool：n。卷轴
hay：n。干草。作者模仿了黑人英语的发音和语法，使之更符合角色身份，“kin”就是“can”，“whut”就是“what”
stock：n。家畜
6 “But that’s not proof。Don’t you see that’s not proof？”
7 “Get that boy up here。He knows。”For a moment the boy thought too that theman meant his older brother until Harris said，“Not him。The little one。The boy，”and，crouching，small for his age，small and wiry like his father，in patched and faded jeans even too small for him，with straight，uncombed，brown hair and eyes gray and wild as storm scud，he saw the men between himself and the tablepart and become a lane of grim faces，at the end of which he saw the Justice，ashabby，collarless，graying man in spectacles，beckoning him。He felt no floor under his bare feethe seemed to walk beneath the palpable weight of the grim turning faces。His father，stiff in his black Sunday coat donned not for the trial but for the moving，did not even look at him。He aims for me to lie，he thought，again with that frantic grief and despair。And I will have todo hit。
8 “What’s your name，boy？”the Justice said。
9 “Colonel Sartoris Snopes，”the boy whispered。
评注：Sartoris在福克纳的约克纳帕塔法世系里是战前的高贵家族，老沙托里斯曾在南北战争中担任上校一职。而Snopes则是美国南方穷白人的代表。在后文中我们也可以了解到男孩的父亲曾参加过南北战争，据说还在沙托里斯的手下服役。从男孩的名字以及文后的细节我们可以看出父亲对于南方贵族矛盾的态度，以及战争无处不在的影响。
10 “Hey？”the Justice said。“Talk louder。Colonel Sartoris？I reckon anybody named for Colonel Sartoris in this country can’t help but tell the truth，can they？”The boy said nothing。Enemy！Enemy！he thoughtfor a moment he could not even see，could not see that the Justice’s face was kindly nor discern that his voice was troubled when he spoke to the man named Harris：“Do you want me to question this boy？”But he could hear，and during those subsequent long seconds while there was absolutely no sound in the crowded little room save that of quiet and intent breathing it was as if he had swung outward at the end of a grape vine，over a ravine，and at the top of the swing had been caught in aprolonged instant of mesmerized gravity，weightless in time。
wiry：adj。（人）瘦而结实的
patched：adj。打补丁的
scud：v。（云）飘过
shabby：adj。衣着破烂的
spectacles：n。眼镜
beckon：v。召唤
palpable：adj。可触知的
don：v。（正式）戴上帽子，穿上衣服
frantic：adj。发狂的
Colonel：n。上校。
discern：v。辨别
subsequent：adj。随后的
ravine：n。峡谷
prolonged：adj。拉长的，延长的
mesmerize：v。吸引，迷惑
mesmerized：adj。使着迷的
11 “No！”Harris said violently，explosively。“Damnation！Send him out of here！”Now time，the fluid world，rushed beneath him again，the voices coming to himagain through the smell of cheese and sealed meat，the fear anddespair and theold grief of blood：
12 “This case is closed。I can’t find against you，Snopes，but I can give you advice。Leave this country and don’t come back to it。”
13 His father spoke for the first time，his voice cold and harsh，level，without emphasis：“I aim to。I don’t figure to stay in a country among people who。。。”he said something unprintable and vile，addressed to no one。
14 “That’ll do，”the Justice said。“Take your wagon and get out ofthis country before dark。Case dismissed。”
评注：从15段起作者开始逐步揭示父亲在战争中的经历。同时还要注意的是与尘土相关的意象，它往往和死亡有关。
15 His father turned，and he followed the stiff black coat，the wiry figure walking a little stiffly from where a Confederate provost’s man’s musket ball hadtaken him in the heel on a stolen horse thirty years ago，followed the two backs now，since his older brother had appeared from somewhere in the crowd，no taller than the father but thicker，chewing tobacco steadily，between the two lines of grim-faced men and out of the store and across the worn gallery and down the sagging steps and among the dogs and half-grown boys in the mild May dust，where as he passed a voice hissed：
damnation：（过时）该死（用于表示愤怒或厌恶）
fluid：adj。不固定的，可改变的
level：adj。平静的
unprintable：adj。（俗语）因粗俗而骇人听闻的
vile：adj。恶毒的
Confederate：n。这里指美国内战中的南方盟军
provost：n。宪兵
musket：n。毛瑟枪
sag：v。下陷，下降
May dust：尘土的意象往往和死亡相关。《圣经》中说“尘归尘，土归土”（Ashes to ashes，Dust to dust）
hiss：v。发出嘶嘶声
16 “Barn burner！”
17 Again he could not see，whirlingthere was a face in a red haze，moonlike，bigger than the full moon，the owner of it half again its size，he leaping in the red haze toward the face，feeling no blow，feeling no shock when his head struck the earth，scrabbling up and leaping again，feeling no blowthis time either and tasting no blood，scrabbling up to see the other boy in full flight and himself already leaping into pursuit as his father’s hand jerked him back，the harsh，cold voice speaking above him：“Go get in the wagon。”
评注：18段中的钟表有深刻的象征意义，而钟的指针都停摆也有其象征意义，代表了身陷在过去不能自拔，无法面对现实的父亲以及美国南方。父亲的时间停留在内战时期，因此无法用和平的方法解决问题，所有的思维方式依旧停留在战争时烧杀劫掠、肆意破坏上。
18 It stood in a grove of locusts and mulberries across the road。His two hulking sisters in their Sunday dresses and his mother and her sister in calico andsunbonnets were already in it，sitting on and among the sorry residue of the dozen and more movings which even the boy could remember—the battered stove，the broken beds and chairs，the clock inlaid with mother-of-pearl，which would not run，stopped at some fourteen minutes past two o’clock of a dead and forgotten dayand time，which had been his mother’s dowry。She was crying，though when she saw him she drew her sleeve across her face and began to descend from the wagon。“Get back，”the father said。
whirl：v。晕眩
haze：n。烟雾
scrabble：v。用手指在一堆物品中快速翻找，scrabble up 在这里指从地上挣扎着爬起
grove：n。丛林
locust：n。刺槐
mulberry：n。桑葚
hulking：adj。大而笨拙的
calico：n。印花棉布
sunbonnet：n。遮阳女帽
sorry：adj。可怜的，可悲的
residue：n。残余，残留
battered：adj。破破烂烂的
inlaid：adj。镶嵌的
mother-of-pearl：n。珍珠母，贝壳
dowry：n。嫁妆
descend：v。下降，从……下来
19 “He’s hurt。I got to get some water and wash his。。。”
20 His older brother had appeared from somewhere in the crowd，no taller than the father but thicker，chewing tobacco steadily，
21 “Get back in the wagon，”his father said。He got in too，over the tail-gate。His father mounted to the seat where the older brother already sat and struckthe gaunt mules two savage blows with the peeled willow，but without heat。It was not even sadisticit was exactly that same quality which in later years would cause his descendants to over run the engine before putting a motor car into motion，striking and reining back in the same movement。The wagon went on，the store with its quiet crowd of grimly watching men dropped behinda curve in the road hid it。Forever he thought。Maybe he’s done satisfied now，now that he has。。。stopping himself，not to say it aloud even to himself。His mother’s hand touched his shoulder。
22 “Does hit hurt？”she said。
23 “Naw，”he said。“Hit don’t hurt。Lemme be。”
24 “Can’t you wipe some of the blood off before hit dries？”
25 “I’ll wash to-night，”he said。“Lemme be，I tell you。”。
26 The wagon went on。He did not know where they were going。None of them ever did or ever asked，because it was always somewhere，always a house of sorts waiting for them a day or two days or even three days away。Likely his father had already arranged to make a crop on another farm before he。。。Again he had to stop himself。He（the father）always did。There was something about his wolf-like independence and even courage when the advantage was at least neutral which impressed strangers，as if they got from his latent ravening ferocity not so much a sense of dependability as a feeling that his ferocious conviction in the rightnessof his own actions would be of advantage to all whose interest lay with his。
评注：火是贯穿本文的一个中心意向，象征意义丰富。父亲在取暖时不愿意生火势过旺的火，而报复时却毫不吝啬。同时，作者在形容父亲时重复使用“without heat，cold”等词语也和火这一意象密切相关。
27 That night they camped，in a grove of oaks and beeches where a spring ran。The nights were still cool and they had a fire against it，of a rail lifted froma nearby fence and cut into lengths—a small fire，neat，niggard almost，a shrewd firesuch fires were his father’s habit and custom always，even in freezingweather。Older，the boy might have remarked this and wondered why not a big onewhy should not a man who had not only seen the waste and extravagance of war，but who had in his blood an inherent voracious prodigality with material not his own，have burned everything in sight？Then he might have gone a step farther andthought that that was the reason：that niggard blaze was the living fruit of nights passed during those four years in the woods hiding from all men，blue or gray，with his strings of horses（captured horses，he called them）。And older still，he might have divined the true reason：that the element of fire spoke to somedeep mainspring of his father’s being，as the element of steelor of powder spoke to other men，as the one weapon for the preservation of integrity，else breath were not worth the breathing，and hence to be regarded with respect and used with discretion。
gaunt：adj。瘦削的
willow：n。柳条
sadistic：adj。施虐狂的
descendent：n。后代
put something into motion：发动
latent：adj。潜在的，潜伏的
ravening：adj。（动物）饿极了的
ferocity：n。凶残，形容词为ferocious
conviction：n。确信
beech：n。山毛榉
niggard：adj。小气的，吝啬的
shrewd：adj。精明的
extravagance：n。豪华，铺张
inherent：adj。先天的，与生俱来的
voracious：adj。贪婪的
prodigality：n。奢侈
blue or gray：蓝色和灰色分别指代美国南北战争中北方军队和南方军队的制服颜色。
divine：v。发现，猜出
mainspring：n。主要原因，主要影响
integrity：n。正直，刚正不阿
discretion：谨慎，慎重
28 But he did not think this now and he had seen those same niggard blazes all his life。He merely ate his supper beside it and was already half asleep over his iron plate when his father called him，and once more he followed the stiff back，the stiff and ruthless limp，up the slope and on to the starlit road where，turning，he could see his father against the stars but without face or depth—ashape black，flat，and bloodless as though cut from tin in the iron folds ofthe frockcoat which had not been made for him，the voice harsh like tin and without hear like tin：
29 “You were fixing to tell them。You would have told him。”He didn’t answer。His father struck him with the flat of his hand on the side of the head，hard but without heat，exactly as he had struck the two mules at the store，exactly ashe would strike either of them with any stick in order to kill a horse fly，hisvoice still without fear or anger：“You’re getting to be a man。You got to learn。You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you。Do you think either of them，any man there this morning would？Don’t you know all they wanted was a chance to get at me because they knew Ihad them beat？Eh？”Later，twenty years later，he was to tell himself，“If I had said they wanted only truth，justice，he would have hit me again。”But now hesaid nothing。He was not crying。He just stood there。“Answer me，”his father said。
30 “Yes，”he whispered。His father turned。
31 “Get on to bed。We’ll be there tomorrow。”
32 Tomorrow they were there。In the early afternoon the wagon stopped beforea paintless two-room house identical almost with the dozen others it had stopped before even in the boy’s ten years，and again，as on the other dozen occasions，his mother and aunt got down and began to unload the wagon，although his two sisters and his father and brother had not moved。
33 “Likely hit ain’t fitten for hawgs，”one of the sisters said。
34 “Nevertheless，fit it will and you’ll hog it and like it，”his father said。“Get out of them chairs and help your Ma unload。”
35 The two sisters got down，big，bovine，in a flutter of cheap ribbonsone of them drew from the jumbled wagon bed a battered lantern，the other a worn broom。His father handed the reins to the older son and began to climb stiffly overthe wheel。“When they get unloaded，take the team to the barn and feed them。”Then he said，and at first the boy thought he was still speaking to his brother：“Come with me。”
ruthless：adj。冷酷的，无情的
frockcoat：n。男式长礼服
be fixing to do something：正准备做某事
flat：n。这里指掌心
bovine：adj。缓慢的，迟钝的
flutter：n。飘动，摆动
jumbled：adj。杂乱的
36 “Me？”he said。
37 “Yes，”his father said。“You。”
38 “Abner，”his mother said。His father paused and looked back—the harsh level stare beneath the shaggy，graying，irascible brows。
39 “I reckon I’ll have a word with the man that aims to begin to-morrow owning me body and soul for the next eight months。”
40 They went back up the road。A week ago—or before last night，that is—he would have asked where they were going，but not now。His father had struck himbefore last night but never before had he paused afterward to explain whyit was as if the blow and the following calm，outrageous voice stillrang，repercussed，divulging nothing to him save the terrible handicap of being young，the light weight of his few years，just heavy enough to prevent his soaring free of the world as it seemed to be ordered but not heavy enough to keep him footed solid in it，to resist it and try to change the course of its events。
41 Presently he could see the grove of oaks and cedars and the other floweringtrees and shrubs，where the house would be，though not the houseyet。They walked beside a fence massed with honeysuckle and Cherokee roses and came to a gate swinging open between two brick pillars，and now，beyond a sweep of drive，he sawthe house for the first time and at that instant he forgot his father and the terror and despair both，and even when he remembered his father again（who had not stopped）the terror and despair did not return。Because，for all the twelve movings，they had sojourned until now in a poor country，a land ofsmall farms andfields and houses，and he had never seen a house like this before。
Hit’s big asa courthouse he thought quietly，with a surge of peace and joy whose reason he could not have thought into words，being too young for that：They are safe from him。People whose lives are a part of this peace and dignity are beyond his touch，he no more to them than a buzzing wasp：capable of stinging for a little moment but that’s allthe spell of this peace and dignity rendering even the barnsand stable and cribs which belong to it impervious to the puny flames he might contrive。。。this，the peace and joy，ebbing for an instant as he looked again atthe stiff black back，the stiff and implacable limp of the figure which was notdwarfed by the house，for the reason that it had never looked big anywhere and which now，against the serene columned backdrop，had more than ever that impervious quality of something cut ruthlessly from tin，depthless，as though，sidewiseto the sun，it would cast no shadow。Watching him，the boy remarked the absolutely undeviating course which his father held and saw the stiff foot come squarely down in a pile of fresh droppings where a horse had stood in the drive and which his father could have avoided by a simple change of stride。But it ebbed only for a moment，though he could not have thought this into words either，walkingon in the spell of the house，which he could even want but without envy，without sorrow，certainly never with that ravening and jealous rage which unknown to him walked in the iron like black coat before him。Maybe he will feel it too。Maybe it will even change him now from what maybe he couldn’t help but be。
评注：在描写德斯潘的大宅时，作者故意使用了courthouse一词，暗示了儿子将因为这所大宅受道德和亲情的审判。描写儿子内心活动的这一段也很妙，这座大宅在他看来是美好和平静的象征，是与他毫不相关的另外一个世界。他的意识清楚地表明他不愿意破坏它，是对父权的一种思想上的反叛。
shaggy：adj。（头发和胡子）蓬乱的
irascible：adj。暴躁的，易怒的
have a word with：与……交谈
outrageous：adj。极不寻常的，骇人的
repercuss：v。回荡，回响
divulge：v。泄漏，吐露
cedar：n。雪松
honeysuckle：n。（植物名）忍冬
sojourn：v。短暂停留
render：v。实施
crib：n。牛舍
impervious：adj。不受影响的
puny：adj。微不足道的
contrive：v。策划
ebb：v。衰退
implacable：adj。坚定的
dwarf：v。使……相形见绌
serene：adj。平静的
column：n。柱子
undeviating：adj。不偏不倚的
squarely：adv。端端正正的
could have avoided是虚拟语气，这表明了父亲行为早有预谋，是一种蓄意的破坏。
42 They crossed the portico。Now he could hear his father’s stiff foot as it came down on the boards with clocklike finality，a sound out of all proportion to the displacement of the body it bore and which was not dwarfed either by the white door before it，as though it had attained to a sort of vicious and raveningminimum not to be dwarfed by anything—the flat，wide，black hat，the formal coat of broadcloth which had once been black but which had now the friction-glazed greenish cast of the bodies of old house flies，the lifted sleeve which was too large，the lifted hand like a curled claw。The door opened so promptly that the boy knew the Negro must have been watching them all the time，an old man withneat grizzled hair，in a linen jacket，who stood barring the door with his body，saying，“Wipe yo foots，white man，fo you come in here。Major ain’t home nohow。”
评注：最后这一句也是黑人英语，应该为“wipe your feet，white man，for you come inhere。Major is not at home now。”美国南方的种族关系在这里表现得颇为耐人寻味，它不单单是白人对黑人的压迫和歧视，也有庄园主对穷白人的压迫。在这里，斯诺普斯家族就是所谓的穷白人，他觉得自己比黑人奴仆高贵，而黑人奴仆在庄园工作，又看不起这类穷白人，他们的冲突就是种族主义罪恶的体现。
43 “Get out of my way，nigger，”his father said，without heat too，flinging the door back and the Negro also and entering，his hat still on his head。And nowthe boy saw the prints of the stiff foot on the doorjamb and saw them appear onthe pale rug behind the machinelike deliberation of the foot which seemed to bear（or transmit）twice the weight which the body compassed。The Negro was shouting“Miss Lula！Miss Lula！”somewhere behind them，then the boy，deluged as though by a warm wave by a suave turn of carpeted stair and a pendant glitter of chandeliers and a mute gleam of gold frames，heard the swift feet and saw her too，alady—perhaps he had never seen her like before either—in a gray，smooth gown with lace at the throat and an apron tied at the waist and the sleeves turned back，wiping cake or biscuit dough from her hands with a towel as she came up the hall，looking not at his father at all but at the tracks on the blond rug withan expression of incredulous amazement。
portico：n。柱廊
out of all proportion to：与……不对称，（相对于）……过分
friction：n。摩擦
promptly：adv。及时的
grizzled：adj。（头发）灰白的
linen：n。亚麻
bar：v。挡住
fling：v。猛推（门，窗等）
doorjamb：n。门框，门框两侧的直木
transmit：v。传导，发射
compass：v。包含
deluge：v。大量涌来
suave：adj。温文尔雅的
pendant：n。垂饰，挂件
glitter：n。闪耀
chandelier：n。水晶吊灯
dough：n。面团
incredulous：adj。不能相信的，不愿相信的
44 “I tried，”the Negro cried。“I tole him to。。。”
45 “Will you please go away？”she said in a shaking voice。“Major de Spain is not at home。Will you please go away？”
46 His father had not spoken again。He did not speak again。He didnot even look at her。He just stood stiff in the center of the rug，in his hat，the shaggyiron-gray brows twitching slightly above the pebble-colored eyes as he appearedto examine the house with brief deliberation。Then with the same deliberation he turnedthe boy watched him pivot on the good leg and saw the stiff foot drag round the arc of the turning，leaving a final long and fading smear。His father never looked at it，he never once looked down at the rug。The Negro held the door。It closed behind them，upon the hysteric and indistinguishable woman-wail。His father stopped at the top of the steps and scraped his boot clean on the edge of it。At the gate he stopped again。He stood for a moment，planted stiffly on the stiff foot，looking back at the house。“Pretty and white，ain’t it？”he said。“That’s sweat。Nigger sweat。Maybe it ain’t white enough yet to suit him。Maybe he wants to mix some white sweat with it。”
47 Two hours later the boy was chopping wood behind the house within which his mother and aunt and the two sisters（the mother and aunt，not the two girls，he knew thateven at this distance and muffled by walls the flatloud voices of the two girls emanated an incorrigible idle inertia）were setting up the stove to prepare a meal，when he heard the hooves and saw the linen-clad man on a finesorrel mare，whom he recognized even before he saw the rolled rug in front of the Negro youth following on a fat bay carriage horse—a suffused，angry face vanishing，still at full gallop，beyond the corner of the house where his father and brother were sitting in the two tilted chairsand a moment later，almost before he could have put the axe down，he heard the hooves again andwatched the sorrel mare go back out of the yard，already galloping again。Then his father began to shout one of the sisters’names，who presently emerged backward from the kitchen door dragging the rolled rug along the ground byone end while the other sister walked behind it。
twitch：v。抽动，抽搐
deliberation：n。从容，谨慎
pivot：v。以……为轴旋转
smear：n。污秽，油渍
muffle：v。使声音减弱
emanate：v。散发
incorrigible：adj。不可救药的
inertia：n。惰性
hoof：n。蹄子
bay：n。在这里指红棕色的马
suffuse：v。弥漫
gallop：n。疾驰
tilt：v。倾斜
48 “If you ain’t going to tote，go on and set up the washpot，”the first said。
49 “You，Sarty！”the second shouted，“Set up the wash pot！”His father appeared at the door，framed against that shabbiness，as he had been against that other bland perfection，impervious to either，the mother’s anxious face at his shoulder。
50 “Go on，”the father said。“Pick it up。”The two sisters stooped，broad，lethargicstooping，they presented an incredible expanse of pale cloth and a flutter of tawdry ribbons。
51 “If I thought enough of a rug to have to git hit all the way from France Iwouldn’t keep hit where folks coming in would have to tromp on hit，”the firstsaid。They raised the rug。
52 “Abner，”the mother said。“Let me do it。”
53 “You go back and git dinner，”his father said。“I’ll tend to this。”
54 From the woodpile through the rest of the afternoon the boy watched them，the rug spread flat in the dust beside the bubbling wash-pot，the two sisters stooping over it with that profound and lethargic reluctance，while the father stood over them in turn，implacable and grim，driving them though never raising hisvoice again。He could smell the harsh homemade lye they were usinghe saw his mother come to the door once and look toward them with an expression not anxiousnow but very like despairhe saw his father turn，and he fell to with the axe and saw from the corner of his eye his father raise from the ground a flattish fragment of field stone and examine it and return to the pot，and this time his mother actually spoke：“Abner。Abner。Please don’t。Please，Abner。”
55 It still hung there while they ate the cold food and then went to bed，scattered without order or claim up and down the two rooms，his mother in one bed，where his father would later lie，the older brother in the other，himself，the aunt，and the two sisters on pallets on the floor。But his fatherwas not in bed yet。The last thing the boy remembered was the depthless，harsh silhouette of the hat and coat bending over the rug and it seemed to him that he had not even closed his eyes when the silhouette was standing over him，the fire almost dead behind it，the stiff foot prodding him awake。“Catch up the mule，”his father said。
tote：v。搬，抬
stoop：v。俯身，弯腰
lethargic：adj。无精打采的
incredible：adj。难以置信的
tawdry：adj。廉价的，不值钱的
bubble：v。冒泡泡
profound：adj。强烈的，深切的
reluctance：n。不情愿
implacable：adj。对……毫不宽容的
lye：n。碱液
fragment：n。碎片
pallet：n。临时使用的床垫
silhouette：n。轮廓，侧影
prod：v。刺，捅
56 When he returned with the mule his father was standing in the black door，the rolled rug over his shoulder。“Ain’t you going to ride？”he said。
57 “No。Give me your foot。”
58 He bent his knee into his father’s hand，the wiry，surprising power flowedsmoothly，rising，he rising with it，on to the mule’s bare back（they had owneda saddle oncethe boy could remember it though not when or where）and with thesame effortlessness his father swung the rug up in front of him。Now in the starlight they retraced the afternoon’s path，up the dusty road rife with honeysuckle，through the gate and up the black tunnel of the drive to thelightless house，where he sat on the mule and felt the rough warp of the rug drag across his thighs and vanish。
59 “Don’t you want me to help？”he whispered。His father did not answer and now he heard again that stiff foot striking the hollow portico with that wooden and clocklike deliberation，that outrageous overstatement of the weight it carried。The rug，hunched，not flung（the boy could tell that even in the darkness）from his father’s shoulder struck the angle of wall and floor with a sound unbelievably loud，thunderous，then the foot again，unhurried and enormousa light came on in the house and the boy sat，tense，breathing steadily and quietly and just a little fast，though the foot itself did not increase its beat at all，descending the steps nownow the boy could see him。
60 “Don’t you want to ride now？”he whispered。“We kin both ride now，”the light within the house altering now，flaring up and sinking，He’scoming down thestairs now，he thought。He had already ridden the mule up beside the horse blockpresently his father was up behind him and he doubled the reins over and slashed the mule across the neck，but before the animal could begin to trot the hard，thin arm came round him，the hard，knotted hand jerking the mule back to a walk。
61 In the first red rays of the sun they were in the lot，putting plow gear on the mules。This time the sorrel mare was in the lot before he heard it at all，the rider collarless and even bareheaded，trembling，speaking in a shaking voice as the woman in the house had done，his father merely looking up once before stooping again to the hame he was buckling，so that the man on the mare spoke to his stooping back：
62 “You must realize you have ruined that rug。Wasn’t there anybody here，anyof your women。。。”he ceased，shaking，the boy watching him，the older brother leaning now in the stable door，chewing，blinking slowly and steadily at nothing apparently。“It cost a hundred dollars。But you never had a hundred dollars。Younever will。So I’m going to charge you twenty bushels of corn against your crop。I’ll add it in your contract and when you come to the commissary you can sign it。That won’t keep Mrs。de Spain quiet but maybe it will teach you to wipe yourfeet off before you enter her house again。”
63 Then he was gone。The boy looked at his father，who still had not spoken or even looked up again，who was now adjusting the logger-head in the hame。
64 “Pap，”he said。His father looked at him—the inscrutable face，the shaggy brows beneath which the gray eyes glinted coldly。Suddenly theboy went towardhim，fast，stopping as suddenly。“You done the best you could！”he cried。“If he wanted hit done different why didn’t he wait and tell you how？He won’t git notwenty bushels！He won’t git none！We’ll gether hit and hide hit！I kin watch。。。”
65 “Did you put the cutter back in that straight stock like I toldyou？”
rife：adj。普遍存在的
flare up：突然的燃烧（这里指灯的突然点亮）
slash：v。猛削，猛打
buckle：v。用扣环扣住
stable：n。马厩
bushel：n。蒲式耳（谷物，蔬菜的容量单位，一蒲式耳等于8加仑或64升）
inscrutable：adj。高深莫测的
glint：v。闪耀，闪光
66 “No sir，”he said。
67 “Then go do it。”
68 That was Wednesday。During the rest of that week he worked steadily，atwhat was within his scope and some which was beyond it，with an industry that did not need to be driven nor even commanded twicehe had this from his mother，with the difference that some at least of what he did he liked to do，such as splitting wood with the half-size axe which his mother and aunt had earned，or savedmoney somehow，to present him with at Christmas。In company withthe two older women（and on one afternoon，even one of the sisters），he built pens for the shoat and the cow which were a part of his father’s contract with the landlord，andone afternoon，his father being absent，gone somewhere on one of the mules，he went to the field。
69 They were running a middle buster now，his brother holding the plow straight while he handled the reins，and walking beside the straining mule，the rich black soil shearing cool and damp against his bare ankles，he thought maybe this is the end of it。Maybe even that twenty bushels that seems hard to have to pay for just a rug will be a cheap price for him to stop forever and always from being what he used to bethinking，dreaming now，so that his brother had to speak sharply to him to mind the mule：Maybe he even won’t collect the twenty bushels。Maybe it will all add up and balance and vanish—corn，rug，firethe terrorand grief，the being pulled two ways like between two teams of horses—gone，done with for ever and ever。
70 Then it was Saturdayhe looked up from beneath the mule he washarnessingand saw his father in the black coat and hat。“Not that，”his father said。“Thewagon gear。”And then，two hours later，sitting in the wagon bed behind his father and brother on the seat，the wagon accomplished a final curve，and he saw the weathered paintless store with its tattered tobacco-and patent-medicine posters and the tethered wagons and saddle animals below the gallery。He mounted the gnawed steps behind his father and brother，and there again was the lane of quiet，watching faces for the three of them to walk through。He saw the man in spectacles sitting at the plank table and he did not need to be told this was a Justice of the Peacehe sent one glare of fierce，exultant，partisan defiance at theman in collar and cravat now，whom he had seen but twice beforein his life，and that on a galloping horse，who now wore on his face an expression not of rage but of amazed unbelief which the boy could not have known was at the incredible circumstance of being sued by one of his own tenants，and came and stood againsthis father and cried at the justice：“He ain’t done it！He ain’t burnt。。。”
within his scope：在他的能力范围内
industry：n。勤奋
in company with：与……一起
harness：v。给马上挽具
weathered：adj。受风雨侵蚀的
tattered：adj。破旧不堪的
patent：n。专利
tether：v。用……拴住
gnaw：v。侵蚀，消耗
exultant：adj。洋洋得意的
partisan：adj。偏袒的
cravat：n。男人的领结
sue：v。起诉
tenant：n。佃农
71 “Go back to the wagon，”his father said。
72 “Burnt？”the Justice said。“Do I understand this rug was burnedtoo？”
73 “Does anybody here claim it was？”his father said。“Go back to the wagon。”But he did not，he merely retreated to the rear of the room，crowded as that other had been，but not to sit down this time，instead，to stand pressing among themotionless bodies，listening to the voices：
74 “And you claim twenty bushels of corn is too high for the damage you did to the rug？”
75 “He brought the rug to me and said he wanted the tracks washed out of it。I washed the tracks out and took the rug back to him。”
76 “But you didn’t carry the rug back to him in the same conditionit was in before you made the tracks on it。”
77 His father did not answer，and now for perhaps half a minute there was no sound at all save that of breathing，the faint，steady suspiration of complete and intent listening。
78 “You decline to answer that，Mr。Snopes？”Again his father did not answer。“I’m going to find against you，Mr。Snopes，I’m going to find that you were responsible for the injury to Major de Spain’s rug and hold you liable for it。Buttwenty bushels of corn seems a little high for a man in your circumstances to have to pay。Major de Spain claims it cost a hundred dollars。October corn will beworth about fifty cents。I figure that if Major de Spain can stand a ninety-five dollar loss on something he paid cash for，you can stand a five-dollar loss you haven’t earned yet。I hold you in damages to Major de Spain to the amount of ten bushels of corn over and above your contract with him，to be paid to him out of your crop at gathering time。Court adjourned。”
评注：这里提到的奶酪有一定的象征意义，在小说伊始的第一次庭审时男孩闻到奶酪的味道，在这里提到，表明这一场景是家庭内的审判，也就表明了男孩被家庭和社会同时审判评价时的两难。
79 It had taken no time hardly，the morning was but half begun。Hethought they would return home and perhaps back to the field，since they were late，far behind all other farmers。But instead his father passed on behind the wagon，merely indicating with his hand for the older brother to follow with it，and he crossed the road toward the blacksmith shop opposite，pressing on after his father，overtaking him，speaking，whispering up at the harsh，calm face beneath the weathered hat：“He won’t git no ten bushels neither。He won’t git one。We’ll。。。”untilhis father glanced for an instant down at him，the face absolutely calm，the grizzled eyebrows tangled above the cold eyes，the voice almost pleasant，almost gentle：
80 “You think so？Well，we’ll wait till October anyway。”
81 The matter of the wagon—the setting of a spoke or two and the tighteningof the tires—did not take long either，the business of the tires accomplishedby driving the wagon into the spring branch behind the shop and letting it stand there，the mules nuzzling into the water from time to time，and the boy on theseat with the idle reins，looking up the slope and through the sooty tunnel of the shed where the slow hammer rang and where his father sat on an upended cypress bolt，easily，either talking or listening，still sitting there when the boy brought the dripping wagon up out of the branch and halted it before the door。
82 “Take them on to the shade and hitch，”his father said。He did so and returned。His father and the smith and a third man squatting on his heels inside thedoor were talking，about crops and animalsthe boy，squatting too in the ammoniac dust and hoof-parings and scales of rust，heard his father tell a long and unhurried story out of the time before the birth of the older brother even when he had been a professional horse trader。And then his father came up beside him where he stood before a tattered last year’s circus poster on the other side of the store，gazing rapt and quiet at the scarlet horses，the incredible poisings and convolutions of tulle and tights and the painted leer of comedians，and said，“It’s time to eat。”
suspiration：n。呼吸
decline to：拒绝做某事
liable：adj。可能受处罚的
adjourn：v。停审
blacksmith：n。铁匠
tangle：v。纠结，纠缠
spoke：n。轮轴，辐条
nuzzle：v。用鼻子触碰
sooty：adj。被煤烟弄脏的
upend：v。颠倒
cypress：n。柏树
hitch：v。将马套住
smith：n。铁匠
ammoniac：adj。氨的，氨的气味的
pare：v。修剪指甲，hoof-paring指从动物蹄子上剪下来的硬皮
rapt：adj。聚精会神的
poising：n。姿态
convolution：n。盘旋绝技
tulle：n。蝉纱衣服
leer：n。色迷迷的眼神（这里指媚眼）
83 But not at home。Squatting beside his brother against the frontwall，he watched his father emerge from the store and produce from a paper sack a segment of cheese and divide it carefully and deliberately into three with his pocket knife and produce crackers from the same sack。They all three squatted on the gallery and ate，slowly，without talkingthen in the store again，they drank from atin dipper tepid water smelling of the cedar bucket and of living beech trees。And still they did not go home。It was a horse lot this time，a tall rail fence upon and along which men stood and sat and out of which one by one horses were led，to be walked and trotted and then cantered back and forth along the road while the slow swapping and buying went on and the sun began to slant westward，they—the three of them—watching and listening，the older brother with his muddyeyes and his steady，inevitable tobacco，the father commenting now and then on certain of the animals，to no one in particular。
84 It was after sundown when they reached home。They ate supper bylamplight，then，sitting on the doorstep，the boy watched the night fully accomplish，listening to the whippoorwills and the frogs，when he heard his mother’s voice：“Abner！No！No！Oh，God。Oh，God。Abner！”and he rose，whirled，and saw the altered light through the door where a candle stub now burned in a bottle neck on the table and his father，still in the hat and coat，at once formal and burlesque asthough dressed carefully for some shabby and ceremonial violence，emptying the reservoir of the lamp back into the five-gallon kerosene can from which it had been filled，while the mother tugged at his arm until he shifted the lamp to the other hand and flung her back，not savagely or viciously，just hard，into the wall，her hands flung out against the wall for balance，her mouth open and in herface the same quality of hopeless despair as had been in her voice。Then his father saw him standing in the door。
segment：n。部分
cracker：n。薄脆饼干
tepid：adj。温热的
trot：v。（马）小跑
canter：v。马用普通速度跑
swap：v。交易
slant：v。歪斜，倾斜
stub：n。残头，残根
burlesque：adj。滑稽的，可笑的
ceremonial：adj。礼仪的，仪式的
reservoir：n。储蓄，储备
kerosene：n。煤油
tug：v。拖，拽
viciously：adv。凶恶地
85 “Go to the barn and get that can of oil we were oiling the wagon with，”he said。The boy did not move。Then he could speak。
86 “What。。。”he cried“What are you。。。”
87 “Go get that oil，”his father said。“Go。”
88 Then he was moving，running outside the house，toward the stable：this theold habit，the old blood which he had not been permitted to choose for himself，which had been bequeathed him willy nilly and which had run for so long（and who knew where，battening on what of outrage and savagery and lust）before it cameto him。I could keep on，he thought。I could run on and on and never look back，never need to see his face again。Only I can’t。I can’t，the rusted can in his hand now，the liquid sploshing in it as he ran back to the houseand into it，into the sound of his mother’s weeping in the next room，and handed the can to his father。
89 “Ain’t you going to even send a nigger？”he cried。“At least you sent a nigger before！”
90 This time his father didn’t strike him。The hand came even faster than theblow had，the same hand which had set the can on the table with almost excruciating care flashing from the can toward him too quick for him to follow it，grippinghim by the back of the shirt and on to tiptoe before he had seen it quit thecan，the face stooping at him in breathless and frozen ferocity，the cold，deadvoice speaking over him to the older brother who leaned against the table，chewing with that steady，curious，sidewise motion of cows：
91 “Empty the can into the big one and go on。I’ll ketch up with you。”
92 “Better tie him to the bedpost，”the brother said。
93 “Do like I told you，”the father said。Then the boy was moving，his bunched shirt and the hard，bony hand between his shoulder-blades，his toes just touching the floor，across the room and into the other one，past the sisters sitting with spread heavy thighs in the two chairs over the cold hearth，and to where his mother and aunt sat side by side on the bed，the aunt’s arms about his mother’s shoulders。
bequeath：v。遗传
willy-nilly：adv。不管愿不愿意，不管想不想要
batten on：依靠……得以流传
splosh：v。泼水，拍打水
excruciating：adj。难以忍受地
bony：adj。瘦骨嶙峋的
shoulder-blade：n。肩胛骨
94 “Hold him，”the father said。The aunt made a startled movement。“Not you，”the father said。“Lennie。Take hold of him。I want to see you do it。”His mother took him by the wrist。“You’ll hold him better than that。Ifhe gets loose don’t you know what he is going to do？He will go up yonder。”He jerked his head toward the road。“Maybe I’d better tie him。”
95 “I’ll hold him，”his mother whispered。
96 “See you do then。”Then his father was gone，the stiff foot heavy and measured upon the boards，ceasing at last。
97 Then he began to struggle。His mother caught him in both arms，he jerking and wrenching at them。He would be stronger in the end，he knew that。But he hadno time to wait for it。“Lemme go！”he cried。“I don’t want to have to hit you！”
98 “Let him go！”the aunt said。“If he don’t go，before God，I am going up there myself！”
99 “Don’t you see I can’t？”his mother cried。“Sarty！Sarty！No！No！Help me，Lizzie！”
100 Then he was free。His aunt grasped at him but it was too late。Hewhirled，running，his mother stumbled forward on to her knees behind him，crying to the nearer sister：“Catch him，Net！Catch him！”But that was too late too，the sister（the sisters were twins，born at the same time，yet either of them now gave the impression of being，encompassing as much living meat and volumeand weight as any other two of the family）not yet having begun to rise from the chair，her head，face，alone merely turned，presenting to him in the flying instant an astonishing expanse of young female features untroubled by any surprise even，wearing only an expression of bovine interest。Then he was out of the room，out of the house，in the mild dust of the starlit road and the heavy rifeness of honeysuckle，the pale ribbon unspooling with terrific slowness under his running feet，reaching the gate at last and turning in，running，his heart and lungs drumming，on up the drive toward the lighted house，the lighted door。He did not knock，he burst in，sobbing for breath，incapable for the moment of speechhe saw the astonished face of the Negro in the linen jacket without knowing when the Negro had appeared。
101 “De Spain！”he cried，panted。“Where’s。。。”then he saw the white man too emerging from a white door down the hall。“Barn！”he cried。“Barn！”
102 “What？”the white man said。“Barn？”
103 “Yes！”the boy cried。“Barn！”
104 “Catch him！”the white man shouted。
105 But it was too late this time too。The Negro grasped his shirt，but the entire sleeve，rotten with washing，carried away，and he was out that door too and in the drive again，and had actually never ceased to run even while he was screaming into the white man’s face。
评注：儿子抗争之后，还是无法走出父辈的阴影。这也是福克纳一直强调的，过去的痕迹无法被抹去，过去甚至无法成为过去。
106 Behind him the white man was shouting，“My horse！Fetch my horse！”and hethought for an instant of cutting across the park and climbing the fence into the road，but he did not know the park nor how high the vine-massed fence might be and he dared not risk it。So he ran on down the drive，blood and breath roaringpresently he was in the road again though he could not see it。He could not hear either：the galloping mare was almost upon him before he heard her，and eventhen he held his course，as if the very urgency of his wild grief and need must in amoment more find him wings，waiting until the ultimate instant to hurl himself aside and into the weed-choked roadside ditch as the horse thundered past and on，for an instant in furious silhouette against the stars，the tranquil early summer night sky which，even before the shape of the horse and rider vanished，strained abruptly and violently upward：a long，swirling roar incredible and soundless，blotting the stars，and he springing up and into the road again，running again，knowing it was too late yet still running even after he heard the shot and，an instant later，two shots，pausing now without knowing he had ceased to run，crying“Pap！Pap！”，running again before he knew he had begun to run，stumbling，tripping over something and scrabbling up again without ceasingto run，lookingbackward over his shoulder at the glare as he got up，running on among the invisible trees，panting，sobbing，“Father！Father！”
107 At midnight he was sitting on the crest of a hill。He did not know it wasmidnight and he did not know how far he had come。But there was no glare behindhim now and he sat now，his back toward what he had called home for four days anyhow，his face toward the dark woods which he would enter when breath was strong again，small，shaking steadily in the chill darkness，hugging himself into theremainder of his thin，rotten shirt，the grief and despair now no longer terrorand fear but just grief and despair。Father。My father，he thought。“He was brave！”he cried suddenly，aloud but not loud，no more than a whisper：“He was！He was in the war！He was in Colonel Sartoris’cav’ry！”not knowing that his fatherhad gone to that war a private in the fine old European sense，wearing no uniform，admitting the authority of and giving fidelity to no man or army or flag，going to war as Malbrouck himself did：for booty—it meant nothingand less thannothing to him if it were enemy booty or his own。
108 The slow constellations wheeled on。It would be dawn and then sun-up after a while and he would be hungry。But that would be tomorrow and now he was only cold，and walking would cure that。His breathing was easier now and he decidedto get up and go on，and then he found that he had been asleep because he knew it was almost dawn，the night almost over。He could tell that from the whippoorwills。They were everywhere now among the dark trees below him，constant and inflectioned and ceaseless，so that，as the instant for giving over to the day birdsdrew nearer and nearer，there was no interval at all between them。He got up。He was a little stiff，but walking would cure that too as it would the cold，and soon there would be the sun。He went on down the hill，toward the dark woods within which the liquid silver voices of the birds called unceasing—the rapid andurgent beating of the urgent and quiring heart of the late spring night。He didnot look back。
encompass：v。包含
choke：v。堵塞，塞满
blot：v。遮住
trip over：绊倒
pant：v。喘气
crest：n。顶，峰
cavalry：n。骑兵部队
fidelity：n。忠诚
booty：n。赃物，战利品
constellation：n。星从
interval：n。间隔
Comprehension Exercises：
1.The central image of the story is firewhat does it represent？
2.When describing the father，the author intentionally connected him with words and phrases such as“cold”，“without heat”。What artistic value does such an arrangement contain？
3.What’s the symbolic meaning of the smell of cheese？
威廉·福克纳（William Faulkner 1897—1962）：20世纪美国文学巨匠。他秉承了美国南方文学的优秀传统，但并不沉迷于神化南方的历史。他用文字创造了“约克纳帕塔法世系”，几乎所有的作品都围绕它的历史和它的居民展开，如，《喧嚣与骚动》、《八月之光》、《押沙龙！押沙龙！》等，可以算作南方社会的编年史。在写作技巧上福克纳无疑是现代主义大师之一。他娴熟的运用意识流、并置、神话原型、多角度叙事等手法，并不断创新。他的文风古雅而晦涩，句式复杂，用词生僻，句子结构枝蔓丛生，有自己独特的风格。他获得了1949年的诺贝尔文学奖。