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1、【英文文学】兰贝斯的丽莎 Liza of LambethChapter 1It was the first Saturday afternoon in August; it had been broiling hot all day, with a cloudless sky, and the sun had been beating down on the houses, so that the top rooms were like ovens; but now with the approach of evening it was cooler, and everyone in Vere
2、 Street was out of doors.Vere street, Lambeth, is a short, straight street leading out of the Westminster Bridge Road; it has forty houses on one side and forty houses on the other, and these eighty houses are very much more like one another than ever peas are like peas, or young ladies like young l
3、adies. They are newish, three-storied buildings of dingy grey brick with slate roofs, and they are perfectly flat, without a bow-window or even a projecting cornice or window-sill to break the straightness of the line from one end of the street to the other.This Saturday afternoon the street was ful
4、l of life; no traffic came down Vere Street, and the cemented space between the pavements was given up to children. Several games of cricket were being played by wildly excited boys, using coats for wickets, an old tennis-ball or a bundle of rags tied together for a ball, and, generally, an old broo
5、mstick for bat. The wicket was so large and the bat so small that the man in was always getting bowled, when heated quarrels would arise, the batter absolutely refusing to go out and the bowler absolutely insisting on going in. The girls were more peaceable; they were chiefly employed in skipping, a
6、nd only abused one another mildly when the rope was not properly turned or the skipper did not jump sufficiently high. Worst off of all were the very young children, for there had been no rain for weeks, and the street was as dry and clean as a covered court, and, in the lack of mud to wallow in, th
7、ey sat about the road, disconsolate as poets. The number of babies was prodigious; they sprawled about everywhere, on the pavement, round the doors, and about their mothers skirts. The grown-ups were gathered round the open doors; there were usually two women squatting on the doorstep, and two or th
8、ree more seated on either side on chairs; they were invariably nursing babies, and most of them showed clear signs that the present object of the maternal care would be soon ousted by a new arrival. Men were less numerous but such as there were leant against the walls, smoking, or sat on the sills o
9、f the ground-floor windows. It was the dead season in Vere Street as much as in Belgravia, and really if it had not been for babies just come or just about to come, and an opportune murder in a neighbouring doss-house, there would have been nothing whatever to talk about. As it was, the little group
10、s talked quietly, discussing the atrocity or the merits of the local midwives, comparing the circumstances of their various confinements.Youll be avin your little trouble soon, eh, Polly? asked one good lady of another.Oh, I reckon Ive got another two months ter go yet, answered Polly.Well, said a t
11、hird. I wouldnt ave thought youd go so long by the look of yer!I ope youll have it easier this time, my dear, said a very stout old person, a woman of great importance.She said she wasnt goin to ave no more, when the last one come. This remark came from Pollys husband.Ah, said the stout old lady, wh
12、o was in the business, and boasted vast experience. Thats wot they all says; but, Lor bless yer, they dont mean it.Well, Ive got three, and Im not goin to ave no more blime if I will; taint good enough-thats wot I says.Youre abaht right there, ole gal, said Polly, My word, Arry, if you ave any more
13、Ill git a divorce, that I will.At that moment an organ-grinder turned the corner and came down the street.Good biz; eres an organ! cried half a dozen people at once.The organ-man was an Italian, with a shock of black hair and a ferocious moustache. Drawing his organ to a favourable spot, he stopped,
14、 released his shoulder from the leather straps by which he dragged it, and cocking his large soft hat on the side of his head, began turning the handle. It was a lively tune, and in less than no time a little crowd had gathered round to listen, chiefly the young men and the maidens, for the married
15、ladies were never in a fit state to dance, and therefore disinclined to trouble themselves to stand round the organ. There was a moments hesitation at opening the ball; then one girl said to another:Come on, Florrie, you and me aint shy; well begin, and bust it!The two girls took hold of one another
16、, one acting gentleman, the other lady; three or four more pairs of girls immediately joined them, and they began a waltz. They held themselves very upright; and with an air of grave dignity which was quite impressive, glided slowly about, making their steps with the utmost precision, bearing themse
17、lves with sufficient decorum for a court ball. After a while the men began to itch for a turn, and two of them, taking hold of one another in the most approved fashion, waltzed round the circle with the gravity of judges.All at once there was a cry: Theres Liza! And several members of the group turn
18、ed and called out: Oo, look at Liza!The dancers stopped to see the sight, and the organ-grinder, having come to the end of his tune, ceased turning the handle and looked to see what was the excitement.Oo, Liza! they called out. Look at Liza; oo, I sy!It was a young girl of about eighteen, with dark
19、eyes, and an enormous fringe, puffed-out and curled and frizzed, covering her whole forehead from side to side, and coming down to meet her eyebrows. She was dressed in brilliant violet, with great lappets of velvet, and she had on her head an enormous black hat covered with feathers.I sy, aint she
20、got up dossy? called out the groups at the doors, as she passed.Dressed ter death, and kill the fashion; thats wot I calls it.Liza saw what a sensation she was creating; she arched her back and lifted her head, and walked down the street, swaying her body from side to side, and swaggering along as t
21、hough the whole place belonged to her.Ave yer bought the street, Bill? shouted one youth; and then half a dozen burst forth at once, as if by inspiration:Knocked em in the Old Kent Road!It was immediately taken up by a dozen more, and they all yelled it out:Knocked em in the Old Kent Road. Yah, ah,
22、knocked em in the Old Kent Road!Oo, Liza! they shouted; the whole street joined in, and they gave long, shrill, ear-piercing shrieks and strange calls, that rung down the street and echoed back again.Hextra special! called out a wag.Oh, Liza! Oo! Ooo! yells and whistles, and then it thundered forth
23、again:Knocked em in the Old Kent Road!Liza put on the air of a conquering hero, and sauntered on, enchanted at the uproar. She stuck out her elbows and jerked her head on one side, and said to herself as she passed through the bellowing crowd:This is jam!Knocked em in the Old Kent Road!When she came
24、 to the group round the barrel-organ, one of the girls cried out to her:Is that yer new dress, Liza?Well, it dont look like my old one, do it? said Liza.Where did yer git it? asked another friend, rather enviously.Picked it up in the street, of course, scornfully answered Liza.I believe its the same
25、 one as I saw in the pawnbrokers dahn the road, said one of the men, to tease her.Thets it; but wot was you doin in there? Pledgin yer shirt, or was it yer trousers?Yah, I wouldnt git a second-and dress at a pawnbrokers!Garn! said Liza indignantly. Ill swipe yer over the snitch if yer talk ter me. I
26、 got the mayterials in the West Hend, didnt I? And I ad it mide up by my Court Dressmiker, so you jolly well dry up, old jellybelly.Garn! was the reply.Liza had been so intent on her new dress and the comment it was exciting that she had not noticed the organ.Oo, I say, lets ave some dancin, she sai
27、d as soon as she saw it. Come on, Sally, she added, to one of the girls, you an mell dance togither. Grind away, old cock!The man turned on a new tune, and the organ began to play the Intermezzo from the Cavalleria; other couples quickly followed Lizas example, and they began to waltz round with the
28、 same solemnity as before; but Liza outdid them all; if the others were as stately as queens, she was as stately as an empress; the gravity and dignity with which she waltzed were something appalling, you felt that the minuet was a frolic in comparison; it would have been a fitting measure to tread
29、round the grave of a _premiere danseuse_, or at the funeral of a professional humorist. And the graces she put on, the languor of the eyes, the contemptuous curl of the lips, the exquisite turn of the hand, the dainty arching of the foot! You felt there could be no questioning her right to the tyran
30、ny of Vere Street.Suddenly she stopped short, and disengaged herself from her companion.Oh, I sy, she said, this is too bloomin slow; it gives me the sick.That is not precisely what she said, but it is impossible always to give the exact unexpurgated words of Liza and the other personages of the sto
31、ry, the reader is therefore entreated with his thoughts to piece out the necessary imperfections of the dialogue.Its too bloomin slow, she said again; it gives me the sick. Lets ave somethin a bit more lively than this ere waltz. You stand over there, Sally, an well show em ow ter skirt dance.They a
32、ll stopped waltzing.Talk of the ballet at the Canterbury and South London. You just wite till you see the ballet at Vere Street, Lambeth-well knock em!She went up to the organ-grinder.Na then, Italiano, she said to him, you buck up; give us a tune thats got some guts in it! See?She caught hold of hi
33、s big hat and squashed it down over his eyes. The man grinned from ear to ear, and, touching the little catch at the side, began to play a lively tune such as Liza had asked for.The men had fallen out, but several girls had put themselves in position, in couples, standing face to face; and immediate
34、ly the music struck up, they began. They held up their skirts on each side, so as to show their feet, and proceeded to go through the difficult steps and motions of the dance. Liza was right; they could not have done it better in a trained ballet. But the best dancer of them all was Liza; she threw
35、her whole soul into it; forgetting the stiff bearing which she had thought proper to the waltz, and casting off its elaborate graces, she gave herself up entirely to the present pleasure. Gradually the other couples stood aside, so that Liza and Sally were left alone. They paced it carefully, watchi
36、ng each others steps, and as if by instinct performing corresponding movements, so as to make the whole a thing of symmetry.Im abaht done, said Sally, blowing and puffing. Ive ad enough of it.Go on, Liza! cried out a dozen voices when Sally stopped.She gave no sign of having heard them other than ca
37、lmly to continue her dance. She glided through the steps, and swayed about, and manipulated her skirt, all with the most charming grace imaginable, then, the music altering, she changed the style of her dancing, her feet moved more quickly, and did not keep so strictly to the ground. She was getting
38、 excited at the admiration of the onlookers, and her dance grew wilder and more daring. She lifted her skirts higher, brought in new and more difficult movements into her improvisation, kicking up her legs she did the wonderful twist, backwards and forwards, of which the dancer is proud.Look at er l
39、egs! cried one of the men.Look at er stockins! shouted another; and indeed they were remarkable, for Liza had chosen them of the same brilliant hue as her dress, and was herself most proud of the harmony.Her dance became gayer: her feet scarcely touched the ground, she whirled round madly.Take care
40、yer dont split! cried out one of the wags, at a very audacious kick.The words were hardly out of his mouth when Liza, with a gigantic effort, raised her foot and kicked off his hat. The feat was greeted with applause, and she went on, making turns and twists, flourishing her skirts, kicking higher a
41、nd higher, and finally, among a volley of shouts, fell on her hands and turned head over heels in a magnificent catharine-wheel; then scrambling to her feet again, she tumbled into the arms of a young man standing in the front of the ring.Thats right, Liza, he said. Give us a kiss, now, and promptly
42、 tried to take one.Git aht! said Liza, pushing him away, not too gently.Yus, give us a kiss, cried another, running up to her.Ill smack yer in the fice! said Liza, elegantly, as she dodged him.Ketch old on er, Bill, cried out a third, an well all kiss her.Na, you wont! shrieked Liza, beginning to ru
43、n.Come on, they cried, well ketch er.She dodged in and out, between their legs, under their arms, and then, getting clear of the little crowd, caught up her skirts so that they might not hinder her, and took to her heels along the street. A score of men set in chase, whistling, shouting, yelling; th
44、e people at the doors looked up to see the fun, and cried out to her as she dashed past; she ran like the wind. Suddenly a man from the side darted into the middle of the road, stood straight in her way, and before she knew where she was, she had jumped shrieking into his arms, and he, lifting her u
45、p to him, had imprinted two sounding kisses on her cheeks.Oh, you -! she said. Her expression was quite unprintable; nor can it be euphemized.There was a shout of laughter from the bystanders, and the young men in chase of her, and Liza, looking up, saw a big, bearded man whom she had never seen bef
46、ore. She blushed to the very roots of her hair, quickly extricated herself from his arms, and, amid the jeers and laughter of everyone, slid into the door of the nearest house and was lost to view.八月的第二个星期六下午。那天从早晨就热得火辣辣的I碧空无云，太阳逼在屋顶上，顶层的房间热得象火坑。可是此刻随着黄昏的来临，天气凉快了些，维尔街上住的每一个人都跑到了门外来。兰贝斯区注的维尔街是威斯敏斯特桥大
47、道岔出来的一条短而直的小街，两旁一边有四十幢房子，另一边也是四十幢。这八十幢房子的模样都差不多，比一颗颗豌豆、一个个姑娘更彼此相似。这些房屋是用暗淡的灰色砖砌的三层楼房，还不很陈旧，屋顶是石板盖的。两排房屋的正面截平，没有凸肚窗，甚至没有檐口或窗盘冲破这条小街从头至尾一直线的平整。这个星期六的下午，街上热闹得很。没有车辆开到维尔街来，人行道之间的水泥马路上全是孩子们在玩。喧嚣的男孩子们分了几摊在打板球。他们脱下外套，堆成了球门，用旧网球或者扎起一束破布作球儿，还往往用旧扫帚柄当球棒。球门那么宽，球棒又那么细，所以击球手弄不好就得退场。但是击球手坚决不肯出去，而投球手坚持定要进来，于是激烈争吵起
48、来。女孩子们比较文静。她们主要是跳绳，只有在绳子挥得不好，或者跳的人跳得不够高时，才彼此稍微埋怨两声。最苦恼的是那些年龄很小的孩子们，因为连着几个星期没有下雨，街上干干的，清洁得象有棚顶的院子，没有泥浆给他们在里面打滚，只好在马路上三三两两呆坐着，象诗人一样忧忧郁郁的。婴孩可多啦，他们在人行道上、在一家家门口、在他们母亲的裙脚底下到处乱爬。成年入团聚在一些敞开的大门口，往往是两个女的蹲坐在门前石阶上，两旁各有两、三个坐在椅子上。她们总是抱着小宝宝，而且清楚地看得出，她们中间大多数现在的心肝宝贝不久将被新生的所排斥。男人没有女人多，可是在那里的男人们不是靠在墙上抽着烟，就是坐在底层窗口的石槛上。这时候的维尔街同贝尔格雷维亚注一样，不是在社交季节，的确要不是有那些刚生下和即将生下的婴孩们和附近小客栈里正好发生的杀人事件，他们简直没有谈话的资料。事实上，一小圈一小圈的人都悄悄地交谈着，议论当地的接生婆是残酷还是有她们的用处，相互比较各人每次分娩的情况。“你不久又要吃点小苦头啦，是不是，波莉？”一个好心的女人问另一个。“哦，我算算还有两个月哪，”波莉回答。“不过，”第三个