The Lottery
By Shirley Jackson
乐透奖
雪莉.杰可森
The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmthof a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and thegrass was richly green. The people of the village began to gatherin the square, between the post office and the bank, around teno'clock; in some towns there were so many people that the lotterytook two days and had to be started on June 26th. but in thisvillage, where there were only about three hundred people, thewhole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at teno'clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow thevillagers to get home for noon dinner. 六月二十七日上午，晴空灿灿，空气里流溢着盛夏特有的清新和温暖；繁花似锦，碧草如茵。十点左右，邮局与银行之间的广场上，成群的村民開始陸續聚集。有些小镇因为人太多，抽奖费时两天，因此六月二十六日就提前开始了。而这个村子也就三百来人，整个抽奖过程不到两小时，所以早上十点开始，晌午趕回家吃饭还来得及。
The children assembled first, of course. School was recently overfor the summer, and the feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most ofthem; they tended to gather together quietly for a while beforethey broke into boisterous play, and their talk was still of theclassroom and the teacher, of books and reprimands. Bobby Martinhad already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boyssoon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundeststones; Bobby and Harry Jones and Dickie Delacroix — the villagers pronounced this name “Dellacroy” — eventuallymade a great pile of stones in one corner of the square and guardedit against the raids of the other boys. The girls stood aside,talking among themselves, looking over their shoulders at the boys,and the very small children rolled in the dust or clung to thehands of their older brothers or sisters.
不用说，孩子们率先扎堆。不久前学校才放暑假，大多数孩子身上有种不知所措的自由感。开始打打闹闹之前，他们习惯先聚在一起，静静地呆一会儿。谈论的话题照旧是课堂、老师、书本与惩罚。鲍比.马丁的口袋里塞滿了石头，别的男孩立马有样学样，去拣最光最圆的石头。鲍比和哈利.琼斯，还有迪克.迪拉克瓦---村里人念成“迪拉克罗伊”---终于在广场的一角堆了一个大石堆，而且守在那儿，以防别的男孩偷袭。站在一旁的女孩们，彼此聊着天，扭頭瞄瞄那些男孩子。小不點們要么在尘土里打滚，要么拽着哥哥姐姐們的手。
Soon the men began to gather. surveying their own children,speaking of planting and rain, tractors and taxes. They stoodtogether, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and theirjokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed. The women,wearing faded house dresses and sweaters, came shortly after theirmenfolk. They greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip asthey went to join their husbands. Soon the women, standing by theirhusbands, began to call to their children, and the children camereluctantly, having to be called four or five times. Bobby Martinducked under his mother's grasping hand and ran, laughing, back tothe pile of stones. His father spoke up sharply, and Bobby camequickly and took his place between his father and his oldestbrother.
不一会儿，男人们也聚在一起，以目光巡视着自家孩子，聊着耕作、雨水、拖拉机和税收。他们站在一起，远离角落的那堆石头，開些平淡的玩笑，面带微笑却不放声大笑。女人们穿着褪色的居家裙子和毛衣，很快也踩着男人们的腳後跟来了。她们一边走向自家男人，一边招呼彼此，交换些闲言碎语。不大的功夫，她们就站在丈夫身旁，开始吆喝孩子们，喊了四五遍，孩子们才不大乐意地走过来。鲍比.马丁从妈妈抓他的手下逃掉，大笑着跑回石堆旁。他爹厉声吼叫，鲍比才赶紧回来，站到他老爹和大哥当中。
The lottery was conducted--as were the square dances, the teenclub, the Halloween program--by Mr. Summers. who had time andenergy to devote to civic activities. He was a round-faced, jovialman and he ran the coal business, and people were sorry for him.because he had no children and his wife was a scold. When hearrived in the square, carrying the black wooden box, there was amurmur of conversation among the villagers, and he waved andcalled. "Little late today, folks." The postmaster, Mr. Graves,followed him, carrying a three- legged stool, and the stool was putin the center of the square and Mr. Summers set the black box downon it. The villagers kept their distance, leaving a space betweenthemselves and the stool. and when Mr. Summers said, "Some of youfellows want to give me a hand?" there was a hesitation before twomen. Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter. came forward to holdthe box steady on the stool while Mr. Summers stirred up the papersinside it.
就像方块舞、少年俱乐部和鬼节活动，抽奖也由萨摩斯先生主持，他有的是时间和精力，致力於这些民间活动。这个圆脸的快乐男人，经营煤炭生意，大伙都同情他，因为他不光没孩子，老婆还是個泼妇。他扛着黑木箱来到广场时，村民们正交头接耳。他挥挥手喊道，“乡亲们，今儿晚了点儿。”跟在他后边的邮局局长格列夫斯先生，把手里的三脚凳放到广场正中，萨摩斯先生把黑箱子放到凳子上。村民们站的地方，同三脚凳有一段距离。萨摩斯先生询问，“哪些乡亲愿意打个帮手？”这时有两个男人犹豫不决。马丁先生和他的大儿子巴克斯特走上前来，扶稳凳子上的黑箱子，萨摩斯先生与此同时搅动里面的纸片。
The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago,and the black box now resting on the stool had been put into useeven before Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, was born. Mr.Summers spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box,but no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was representedby the black box. There was a story that the present box had beenmade with some pieces of the box that had preceded it, the one thathad been constructed when the first people settled down to make avillage here. Every year, after the lottery, Mr. Summers begantalking again about a new box, but every year the subject wasallowed to fade off without anything's being done. The black boxgrew shabbier each year: by now it was no longer completely blackbut splintered badly along one side to show the original woodcolor, and in some places faded or stained.
最原始的抽奖工具失传已久，现在凳子上的这只黑箱子，早在镇上年纪最大的老华纳出生前就派上用场了。做新箱子的事，萨摩斯先生跟村民们一提再提，但没谁想推翻黑箱子所代表的这点传统。相传现在这只箱子，是用之前那只箱子的一些碎片拼成的，而那只箱子，由最早在此建村的先民们所制。每年抽奖之后，萨摩斯先生就又重提新箱子的事，但年年都不见下文。年复一年，黑箱子愈来愈破，现在早就不是纯黑色了，有一面裂得一塌糊涂，都露出了木头的原色，还有些地方要么褪色，要么斑斑点点。
Mr. Martin and his oldest son, Baxter, held the black box securelyon the stool until Mr. Summers had stirred the papers thoroughlywith his hand. Because so much of the ritual had been forgotten ordiscarded, Mr. Summers had been successful in having slips of papersubstituted for the chips of wood that had been used forgenerations. Chips of wood, Mr. Summers had argued, had been allvery well when the village was tiny, but now that the populationwas more than three hundred and likely to keep on growing, it wasnecessary to use something that would fit more easily into theblack box. The night before the lottery, Mr. Summers and Mr. Gravesmade up the slips of paper and put them in the box, and it was thentaken to the safe of Mr. Summers’ coalcompany and locked up until Mr. Summers was ready to take it to thesquare next morning. The rest of the year, the box was put way,sometimes one place, sometimes another; it had spent one year inMr. Graves’s barn and another yearunderfoot in the post office, and sometimes it was set on a shelfin the Martin grocery and left there.
马丁先生和他的大儿子巴克斯特，牢牢扶住凳子上的黑箱子，直到萨摩斯先生用手把纸片都彻底搅过。鉴于很多仪式不是忘了，就是被摒弃了，萨摩斯先生才成功地以纸片取代了祖祖辈辈使用的木片。萨摩斯先生争辩道，村子不大时，用木片还挺好，但现在都三百来口人了，而且还有增长的苗头，因此有必要使用更容易放入黑箱子的片片。抽奖的头天晚上，萨摩斯先生和格列夫斯先生做了些纸片放到箱子里，然后拿到萨摩斯先生的煤炭公司，锁到保险柜里，直到第二天早上萨摩斯先生准备就绪之后，才把它拿到广场。一年当中其余时间，箱子则闲置他处，有时这里，有时那里。有一年放在格列夫斯先生的谷仓里，另一年则放在邮局地上，还有的时候就搁到马丁的杂货架上，一直留在那儿。
There was a great deal of fussing to be done before Mr. Summersdeclared the lottery open. There were the lists to make up--ofheads of families. heads of households in each family. members ofeach household in each family. There was the proper swearing-in ofMr. Summers by the postmaster, as the official of the lottery; atone time, some people remembered, there had been a recital of somesort, performed by the official of the lottery, a perfunctory.tuneless chant that had been rattled off duly each year; somepeople believed that the official of the lottery used to stand justso when he said or sang it, others believed that he was supposed towalk among the people, but years and years ago this part of theritual had been allowed to lapse. There had been, also, a ritualsalute, which the official of the lottery had to use in addressingeach person who came up to draw from the box, but this also hadchanged with time, until now it was felt necessary only for theofficial to speak to each person approaching. Mr. Summers was verygood at all this; in his clean white shirt and bluejeans，with one hand resting carelessly onthe black box. He seemed very proper and important as he talkedinterminably to Mr. Graves and the Martins.
萨摩斯先生宣布开始抽奖之前，要处理很多繁文缛节。先要确定一串名单---各家的人头数、户主，及其成员。萨摩斯先生还要在邮局局长主持下郑重宣誓，成为抽奖官。一些村民还记得，有阵子搞过抽奖官朗诵仪式，也就走走过场，每年背诵些不成调的颂歌。有些人认为抽奖官说话吟唱时就该这么站着，另一些人则认为他应当在人群中来回走动，但这项仪式多年前就被允许作废了。过去还有个敬礼仪式，就是当每个人上来抽奖时，抽奖官必须在问候时行礼，但这个仪式也与时俱变，现在抽奖官与来人寒暄几句就成了。身着整洁的白衬衫和蓝布牛仔裤的萨摩斯先生尤擅此道。他把一只手随意搭在黑箱子上，同格列夫斯先生和马丁父子交谈时，看起来中规中矩，郑重其事。 Just as Mr. Summers finally left off talking and turned to theassembled villagers, Mrs. Hutchinson came hurriedly along the pathto the square, her sweater thrown over her shoulders, and slid intoplace in the back of the crowd. "Clean forgot what day it was," shesaid to Mrs. Delacroix, who stood next to her, and they bothlaughed softly. "Thought my old man was out back stacking wood,"Mrs. Hutchinson went on. "and then I looked out the window and thekids was gone, and then I remembered it was the twenty-seventh andcame a-running." She dried her hands on her apron, and Mrs.Delacroix said, "You're in time, though. They're still talking awayup there."
正當萨摩斯先生终于中断谈话，转向已经集合的村民們時，哈金森太太慌里慌張地沿着小道赶到广场，肩上搭著毛衣，在人群後面找了個空。“今儿是什么日子忘得一干二净，”她告诉身旁的迪拉克瓦太太，两人都轻轻笑了。“还以为我家老头子在屋后堆木头呢，”哈金森太太接着说，“后来朝窗外一看，娃们都没影了，我这才想起是二十七号，就一路跑来了。”她用围裙把手揩干。迪拉克瓦太太说，“你来得可正是時候。他们还在那儿讲个没完没了呢。” Mrs. Hutchinson craned her neck to see through the crowd and foundher husband and children standing near the front. She tapped Mrs.Delacroix on the arm as a farewell and began to make her waythrough the crowd. The people separated good-humoredly to let herthrough: two or three people said in voices just loud enough to beheard across the crowd, "Here comes your, Missus, Hutchinson," and"Bill, she made it after all." Mrs. Hutchinson reached her husband,and Mr. Summers, who had been waiting, said cheerfully. "Thought wewere going to have to get on without you, Tessie." Mrs. Hutchinsonsaid grinning, "Wouldn't have me leave m'dishes in the sink, now,would you， Joe?," and soft laughter ranthrough the crowd as the people stirred back into position afterMrs. Hutchinson's arrival.
哈金森太太伸长脖子，透过人群看见丈夫和孩子们靠前排站着。她拍拍迪拉克瓦太太的胳膊以示再见，然後开始穿过人群朝前挤。人们很友好地給她让道。有两三个人用人群恰好听得到的声音说，“來了，你的，哈金森，太太，”还有聲音說，“比尔，她到底趕來了。”哈金森太太站到丈夫身边。一直等她的萨摩斯先生乐呵呵地说，“泰茜，还以为等不到你，我們只好开始呢。”哈金森太太笑嘻嘻道，“乔，你不会让我把盘盘碗碗丢在水池里不管吧？”一陣轻笑掠過人群，人们在哈金森太太到來后又各归原位。
"Well, now." Mr. Summers said soberly, "guess we better getstarted, get this over with, so's we can go back to work. Anybodyain't here?"
“好吧，现在.”萨摩斯先生严肃地说，“我想我们还是开始吧，赶紧完事，大伙兒還可以回去干活。有谁沒來吗？”
"Dunbar." several people said. "Dunbar.Dunbar."
“丹巴。”几个村民说，“丹巴，丹巴。”
Mr. Summers consulted his list. "Clyde Dunbar." he said. "That'sright. He's broke his leg, hasn't he? Who's drawing forhim?"
萨摩斯先生查了下手上的花名冊。“克莱德.丹巴。”他说。“没错。他摔断腿了，是吧？谁替他摸奖？”
"Me. I guess," a woman said. and Mr. Summers turned to look at her."Wife draws for her husband." Mr. Summers said. "Don't you have agrown boy to do it for you, Janey?" Although Mr. Summers andeveryone else in the village knew the answer perfectly well, it wasthe business of the official of the lottery to ask such questionsformally. Mr. Summers waited with an expression of polite interestwhile Mrs. Dunbar answered.
“我。我猜，”一个女人回答。萨摩斯先生转向她。“妻子替丈夫抽奖。”萨摩斯先生说。“珍妮，你不是有个成年儿子可以替你吗？”尽管萨摩斯先生和村里其他人都十分清楚这个答案，抽奖官仍要公事公办地问这類问题。丹巴太太回答时，一旁等着的萨摩斯先生显得礼貌而感兴趣。
"Horace's not but sixteen yet." Mrs. Dunbar said regretfully."Guess I gotta fill in for the old man this year." "Right." Sr.Summers said. He made a note on the list he was holding. Then heasked, "Watson boy drawing this year?"
“霍雷斯还不滿十六岁呢。” 丹巴太太遗憾地说。”我想今年我得替老伴抽奖。”“是啊。”萨摩斯先生说。他在手中的名单上做了个记号。然后问道，“华森家儿子今年来抽奖吗？”
A tall boy in the crowd raised his hand. "Here," he said. "I mdrawing for my mother and me." He blinked his eyes nervously andducked his head as several voices in the crowd said things like"Good fellow, Jack." and "Glad to see your mother's got a man to doit."
人群中一个高个少年举起手。“在，”他说。“我為我娘和我自己抽獎。”“杰克，棒小伙”,“真高兴你娘有你這麼個男子汉幫她，”人群中響起諸如此类的话，杰克紧张地眨巴着眼，低下头。
"Well," Mr. Summers said, "guess that's everyone. Old Man Warnermade it?"
“嗯，”萨摩斯先生说，“看来就这些人了。老华纳来了么？”
"Here," a voice said. and Mr. Summersnodded.
“在，”傳來一个声音。萨摩斯先生点点头。
A sudden hush fell on the crowd as Mr. Summers cleared his throatand looked at the list. "All ready?" he called. "Now, I'll read thenames--heads of families first--and the men come up and take apaper out of the box. Keep the paper folded in your hand withoutlooking at it until everyone has had a turn. Everythingclear?"
萨摩斯先生清嗓子看名单之际，突如其来的静寂落到人群中。“都准备好了？”他喊道。“现在，我读名字---先是各家户主—- 男人们上来从箱子里取张纸片。不轮完最後一个，不许看手中的折疊纸片。都说明白了吗？”
The people had done it so many times that they only half listenedto the directions: most of them were quiet. wetting their lips. notlooking around. Then Mr. Summers raised one hand high and said,"Adams." A man disengaged himself from the crowd and came forward."Hi. Steve." Mr. Summers said. and Mr. Adams said. "Hi. Joe." Theygrinned at one another humorlessly and nervously. Then Mr. Adamsreached into the black box and took out a folded paper. He held itfirmly by one corner as he turned and went hastily back to hisplace in the crowd. where he stood a little apart from his family.not looking down at his hand.
摸過多少次獎了，那些个步骤，大伙兒似聽非聽：多数人沉默不语，舔舔嘴唇，也不东张西望。萨摩斯先生然后举起一只手点名，“亚当斯。”一个汉子拨开人群，走上前来。“嗨，史蒂夫。”萨摩斯先生打招呼。亚当斯先生应到，“嗨，乔。”他们冲对方咧嘴笑笑，满脸的严肃紧张。亚当斯先生然后把手伸進黑箱子，取出一张折叠的纸片。攥着纸片一角，他转过身，匆匆回到人群中，站回原来的位置，同家人略微保持着距离，也没有低下头看自己的手。
"Allen." Mr. Summers said. "Anderson....Bentham."
“爱伦。”萨摩斯先生點名。“安德森。。。本萨姆。”
"Seems like there's no time at all between lotteries any more."Mrs. Delacroix said to Mrs. Graves in the backrow.
“好像两次摸奖当中根本没啥间隔。”德拉克瓦太太对后排的格列夫斯太太说。
"Seems like we got through with the last one only lastweek."
“感觉上礼拜我们刚抽过奖似的。”
"Time sure goes fast.“-- Mrs. Gravessaid.
“时间过得可真快。”格列夫斯太太感叹。
"Clark.... Delacroix"
“克拉克。。。德拉克瓦”
"There goes my old man." Mrs. Delacroix said. She held her breathwhile her husband went forward.
“轮到我家老头子了。” 德拉克瓦太太说。她家那口子走上前时，她屏紧呼吸。
"Dunbar," Mr. Summers said, and Mrs. Dunbar went steadily to thebox while one of the women said. "Go on. Janey," and another said,"There she goes."
“丹巴，”萨摩斯先生点名。丹巴太太迈着沉稳的步子走向黑箱子时，一个女人说，“珍妮，向前走啊，”另个女人说，“瞧，她這就过去了。”
"We're next." Mrs. Graves said. She watched while Mr. Graves camearound from the side of the box, greeted Mr. Summers gravely andselected a slip of paper from the box. By now, all through thecrowd there were men holding the small folded papers in their largehand. turning them over and over nervously。Mrs. Dunbar and her two sons stood together, Mrs.Dunbar holding the slip of paper.
“我们是下一个。”格列夫斯太太说。她眼瞅着格列夫斯先生从箱子一侧转过身，跟萨摩斯先生严肃地打过招呼，从箱子里挑了一张纸片。这会儿，人群中到处是大手里捏着折叠小纸片的男人们，正惴惴不安地把纸片翻来覆去。丹巴太太和两个儿子站在一起，她手里攥着纸片。
"Harburt.... Hutchinson."
“哈伯特。。。哈金森。”
"Get up there, Bill," Mrs. Hutchinson said. and the people near herlaughed.
“比尔，过去呀，“巴金森太太说。 旁边的人們哄然大笑。
"Jones."
“瓊斯。“
"They do say," Mr. Adams said to Old Man Warner, who stood next tohim, "that over in the north village they're talking of giving upthe lottery."
“他们都说，”亚当斯先生朝站在旁边的老华纳说，“北村那边正談论取消抽奖呢。”
Old Man Warner snorted. "Pack of crazy fools," he said. "Listeningto the young folks, nothing's good enough for them. Next thing youknow, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody workany more, live that way for a while. Used to be a saying about'Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.' First thing you know, we'dall be eating stewed chickweed and acorns. There's always been alottery," he added petulantly. "Bad enough to see young Joe Summersup there joking with everybody."
老华纳哼了一声。“一帮疯狂的蠢家伙。”他说。“听那些毛头小伙瞎扯，没啥能让他们称心。接下来你就知道，他们要住回到洞穴里，谁也不用干活，就那样打發一陣日子。老话说‘六月摸奖，丰收在望。’你先会发现，我们都得靠熬繁缕和橡子裹腹喽。抽奖一直就有哇。“他气冲冲地补充道，”瞅着乔。萨摩斯那小子在上頭跟每個人嘻嘻哈哈，就够糟糕了。“
"Some places have already quit lotteries." Mrs. Adamssaid.
“有些地方已经停止摸奖了。“ 亚当斯先生说。
"Nothing but trouble in that," Old Man Warner said stoutly. "Packof young fools."
“这只会带来麻烦，”老华纳认准了，“那群小傻瓜。”
"Martin." And Bobby Martin watched his father go forward."Overdyke.... Percy."
“马丁。”鲍勃.马丁看着父亲走上前。“欧佛迪克。。。派西。”
"I wish they'd hurry," Mrs. Dunbar said to her older son. "I wishthey'd hurry."
“我巴不得他们快点，”丹巴太太对她大儿子说。“我巴不得他们快点.”
"They're almost through," her son said.
“他們就快抽完了。“ 她儿子说。
"You get ready to run tell Dad," Mrs. Dunbarsaid.
“你准备好跑去告诉你爹，” 丹巴太太说。
Mr. Summers called his own name and then stepped forward preciselyand selected a slip from the box. Then he called,"Warner."
萨摩斯先生点到自己的名，然后准确地走过去，从黑箱子里抽了一张纸片。他接着喊道，“华纳。“
"Seventy-seventh year I been in the lottery," Old Man Warner saidas he went through the crowd. "Seventy-seventhtime."
“我这是第七十七次摸奖，“老华纳穿过人群邊走邊说，”第七十七次喔。“
"Watson" The tall boy came awkwardly through the crowd. Someonesaid, "Don't be nervous, Jack," and Mr. Summers said, "Take yourtime, son."
“华生。”高个男孩笨手笨脚从人群中穿过。有人说，“甭紧张啊，杰克，”萨摩斯先生说，“孩子，別慌。”
"Zanini."
“赞尼尼。”
After that, there was a long pause, a breathless pause, until Mr.Summers. holding his slip of paper in the air, said, "All right,fellows." For a minute, no one moved, and then all the slips ofpaper were opened. Suddenly, all the women began to speak at once,saying. "Who is it?," "Who's got it?," "Is it the Dunbars?," "Is itthe Watsons?" Then the voices began to say, "It's Hutchinson. It'sBill," "Bill Hutchinson's got it."
接下来，一阵连呼吸都听不到的長長的静寂之后，萨摩斯先生把手里的纸片举起来，“好了，老乡们。”足足一分钟，谁也没动，然后所有的纸片都打开了。突然，所有女人立刻开始七嘴八舌，“是谁呀？”“谁摸到了？”“是丹巴家吗？”“是华生家吗？”然後，一些声音说，“是哈金森家。 是比尔，”“比尔中獎了。”
"Go tell your father," Mrs. Dunbar said to her olderson.
“去告诉你爹，” 丹巴太太吩咐大儿子。
People began to look around to see the Hutchinsons. Bill Hutchinsonwas standing quiet, staring down at the paper in his hand.Suddenly. Tessie Hutchinson shouted to Mr. Summers. "You didn'tgive him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. Itwasn't fair!"
所有四面逡巡的目光看着哈金森一家。比尔.哈金森站在那不做声，盯着手里的纸片。突然，泰茜.哈金森冲着萨摩斯先生大吼，“你给他的时间不夠，沒讓他抽到想要的纸片。我都看见了。这不公平！” "Be a good sport, Tessie." Mrs. Delacroix called, and Mrs. Gravessaid, "All of us took the same chance."
“要輸得起呦，泰茜。”德拉克瓦太太喊道。格列夫斯太太说，“我们大伙可都机会均等啊。”
"Shut up, Tessie," Bill Hutchinson said.
“住嘴，泰茜，”比尔.哈金森开口了。
"Well, everyone," Mr. Summers said, "that was done pretty fast, andnow we've got to be hurrying a little more to get done in time." Heconsulted his next list. "Bill," he said, "you draw for theHutchinson family. You got any other households in theHutchinsons?"
“各位乡亲，”萨摩斯先生说，“到目前为止进程相当快，我们要再快点儿，好按时结束。”他看了看下一张名单。“比尔，”他说，“你为哈金森家族抽奖。家族里还有其他户人家吗？”
"There's Don and Eva," Mrs. Hutchinson yelled. "Make them taketheir chance!"
“還有丹和伊娃，” 哈金森太太扯着嗓门大喊，“让他们也碰碰运气！”
"Daughters draw with their husbands' families, Tessie," Mr. Summerssaid gently. "You know that as well as anyoneelse."
“泰茜，女儿和夫家一起抽奖，”萨摩斯先生温和地说，“你和大伙都明白這點。”
"It wasn't fair," Tessie said.
“这不公平，”泰茜嚷嚷道。
"I guess not, Joe." Bill Hutchinson said regretfully. "My daughterdraws with her husband's family; that's only fair. And I've got noother family except the kids."
“乔，我可不那么認為，”比尔.哈金森遺憾地說,“我女儿随夫家一起抽，那樣才公平。除了这些孩子，我没有其他家庭成员。”
"Then, as far as drawing for families is concerned, it's you," Mr.Summers said in explanation, "and as far as drawing for householdsis concerned, that's you, too. Right?"
“那么，为家族抽奖的就是你了，”萨摩斯先生解释道，“为家庭抽奖的也是你，对吗？”
"Right," Bill Hutchinson said.
“对，”比尔.哈金森回答。
"How many kids, Bill?" Mr. Summers askedformally.
“比尔，你有几个孩子？”萨摩斯正式發问。
"Three," Bill Hutchinson said.
“三个，”比尔.哈金森回答。
"There's Bill, Jr., and Nancy, and little Dave. And Tessie andme."
“小比尔，南茜，和小戴卫仨孩子。还有泰茜和我。”
"All right, then," Mr. Summers said. "Harry, you got their ticketsback?"
“好的，那么,”萨摩斯先生说，”哈利，你把他们的彩券收回来了吗？“
Mr. Graves nodded and held up the slips of paper. "Put them in thebox, then," Mr. Summers directed. "Take Bill's and put itin."
格列夫斯先生点点头，举起几张纸片。“那把這些紙片都放到箱子里，”萨摩斯指示，“把比尔的也拿來放進去。”
"I think we ought to start over," Mrs. Hutchinson said, as quietlyas she could. "I tell you it wasn't fair. You didn't give him timeenough to choose. Everybody saw that."
“我认为我们应当重新来过，”哈金森太太尽量平静地说。“我告诉你这不公平。你没有给他充裕的时间挑选。大伙都瞧见了。”
Mr. Graves had selected the five slips and put them in the box. andhe dropped all the papers but those onto the ground. where thebreeze caught them and lifted them off.
格列夫斯先生已經選了五张纸片，放进黑箱子里，其余的纸片都被丢到了地上，随风而去。
"Listen, everybody," Mrs. Hutchinson was saying to the peoplearound her.
“大伙都听着，”哈金森太太正对她周围的人們说。
"Ready, Bill?" Mr. Summers asked. and Bill Hutchinson, with onequick glance around at his wife and children.nodded.
“比尔，准备好了吗？”萨摩斯先生问。 比尔.哈金森飞快地朝老婆和孩子们看了一眼，点点头。
"Remember," Mr. Summers said. "take the slips and keep them foldeduntil each person has taken one. Harry, you help little Dave." Mr.Graves took the hand of the little boy, who came willingly with himup to the box. "Take a paper out of the box, Davy." Mr. Summerssaid. Davy put his hand into the box and laughed. "Take just onepaper." Mr. Summers said. "Harry, you hold it for him." Mr. Gravestook the child's hand and removed the folded paper from the tightfist and held it while little Dave stood next to him and looked upat him wonderingly.
“记住，”萨摩斯先生说，“在每个人都拿到紙片之前，不能打开手中折叠的纸片。哈利，你帮帮小戴卫。“格列夫斯先生拉着小男孩的手，小男孩乖乖地跟着他走到黑箱子前。“戴卫，从箱子里拿张纸片。”萨摩斯先生说。戴卫把手伸进箱子里，咯咯笑着。“只能拿一张啊。”萨摩斯先生叮嘱。“哈利，你先帮他拿着。”格列夫斯先生拿过小孩子的手，从他攥紧的小拳头里取出纸片，抓在自己手里。站在他旁边的小戴卫此时迷惑地望着他。
"Nancy next," Mr. Summers said. Nancy was twelve, and her schoolfriends breathed heavily as she went forward switching her skirt,and took a slip daintily from the box "Bill, Jr.," Mr. Summerssaid, and Billy, his face red and his feet overlarge, near knockedthe box over as he got a paper out. "Tessie," Mr. Summers said. Shehesitated for a minute, looking around defiantly. and then set herlips and went up to the box. She snatched a paper out and held itbehind her.
“下一个是南茜，”萨摩斯先生说。南茜十二岁。當她扭動着裙摆走向前，从箱子里灵巧地抽出一张纸片时，她学校里的那些小伙伴们都大口喘着气。“小比尔，”萨摩斯先生點名。红脸膛超大脚丫的比利从箱子里取出纸片时，差点把箱子撞翻。“泰茜，”萨摩斯先生接着點名。泰茜迟疑了片刻，以挑战的目光扫了一圈，然后撅着嘴走向黑箱子。她抓了一张纸片，把手放在背后。
"Bill," Mr. Summers said, and Bill Hutchinson reached into the boxand felt around, bringing his hand out at last with the slip ofpaper in it.
“比尔，“萨摩斯先生喊道。比尔.哈金森把手伸进箱子里，摸摸索索，最后从箱子里拿出握着纸片的手。
The crowd was quiet. A girl whispered, "I hope it's not Nancy," andthe sound of the whisper reached the edges of the crowd.
人群鸦雀无声。一个女孩悄聲说，“但愿不是南茜。”这细微的声音传到了人群的邊緣。
"It's not the way it used to be." Old Man Warner said clearly."People ain't the way they used tobe."
“跟从前两样喽。”老华纳清清楚楚地说，“人都变了。”
"All right," Mr. Summers said. "Open the papers. Harry, you openlittle Dave's."
“好了，”萨摩斯先生说。“都打开纸片吧。哈利，你打开小戴卫的。”
Mr. Graves opened the slip of paper and there was a general sighthrough the crowd as he held it up and everyone could see that itwas blank. Nancy and Bill. Jr.. opened theirs at the same time. andboth beamed and laughed. turning around to the crowd and holdingtheir slips of paper above their heads.
格烈夫斯先生打开纸片高高举起時，大伙都瞧见是张空白的，一片叹息掠過人群。与此同时南茜和小比尔也打开了纸片，两人笑容燦爛，转向人群，将纸片举过头顶。
"Tessie," Mr. Summers said. There was a pause, and then Mr. Summerslooked at Bill Hutchinson, and Bill unfolded his paper and showedit. It was blank.
“泰茜，”萨摩斯先生说。 停顿了一下，萨摩斯先生看着比尔.哈金森。比尔打开并出示纸片，是空白的。
"It's Tessie," Mr. Summers said, and his voice was hushed. "Show usher paper. Bill."
“是泰茜，”萨摩斯先生压低声音说。“比尔，给大伙瞧瞧她的纸片。”
Bill Hutchinson went over to his wife and forced the slip of paperout of her hand. It had a black spot on it, the black spot Mr.Summers had made the night before with the heavy pencil in the coalcompany office. Bill Hutchinson held it up, and there was a stir inthe crowd.
比尔.哈金森走向他太太，硬是从她手里夺过纸片。上面有一个黑点，就是萨摩斯先生头天晚上在煤炭公司办公室用特黑铅笔画的。比尔.哈金森举起纸片，人群中一阵骚动。
"All right, folks." Mr. Summers said. "Let's finishquickly."
“好吧，乡亲们。”萨摩斯先生说，“我们赶紧完事。”
Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost theoriginal black box, they still remembered to use stones. The pileof stones the boys had made earlier was ready; there were stones onthe ground with the blowing scraps of paper that had come out ofthe box Delacroix selected a stone so large she had to pick it upwith both hands and turned to Mrs. Dunbar. "Come on," she said."Hurry up."
尽管村民们忘了仪式，最初的黑箱子也没了，但他们仍记得要用石头。男孩子们早些时就备好了石堆；地上还有一些石头，混杂着箱子里吹出来的纸片。德拉克瓦挑了一块两只手才搬得动的大石头，对丹巴太太说，“来呀，快点啊。”
Mrs. Dunbar had small stones in both hands, and she said. gaspingfor breath. "I can't run at all. You'll have to go ahead and I'llcatch up with you."
丹巴太太两只手里都有小石头，上气不接下气，“我一点也跑不动。你头里走，我等会儿赶上。”
The children had stones already. And someone gave little DavyHutchinson few pebbles.
孩子们都拿好石头了。有人塞给小戴卫几块小石子。
Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space by now, andshe held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in onher. "It isn't fair," she said. A stone hit her on the side of thehead. Old Man Warner was saying, "Come on, come on, everyone."Steve Adams was in the front of the crowd of villagers, with Mrs.Graves beside him.
泰茜.哈金森这时已站在一片空地的正中央。村民们扑向她时，她绝望地伸出双手。“这不公平啊，”她说。一块石头击中了她脑袋一侧。老华纳正吆喝着，“老乡们，冲上去，冲上去。”史蒂夫.亚当斯在人群的前头，格列夫斯太太在他旁边。
"It isn't fair, it isn't right," Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and thenthey were upon her.
“这不公平，不講理啊，”哈金森太太尖叫着，人们蜂拥而上。
中文翻译：云天 |
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