诺贝尔文学经典:《宠儿》第6章Part 6
She wanted to get back — fast. Set these idle girls to some work that would fill their wanderingheads. Rushing through the green corridor, cooler now because the sun had moved, it occurred toher that the two were alike as sisters. Their obedience and absolute reliability shot through withsurprise. Sethe understood Denver. Solitude had made her secretive — self-manipulated. Years ofhaunting had dulled her in ways you wouldn't believe and sharpened her in ways you wouldn'tbelieve either. The consequence was a timid but hard-headed daughter Sethe would die to protect.
The other, Beloved, she knew less, nothing, about — -except that there was nothing she wouldn'tdo for Sethe and that Denver and she liked each other's company. Now she thought she knew why.
They spent up or held on to their feelings in harmonious ways. What one had to give the other waspleased to take. They hung back in the trees that ringed the Clearing, then rushed into it withscreams and kisses when Sethe choked — anyhow that's how she explained it to herself for shenoticed neither competition between the two nor domination by one. On her mind was the suppershe wanted to fix for Paul D — something difficult to do, something she would do just so — tolaunch her newer, stronger life with a tender man. Those litty bitty potatoes browned on all sides,heavy on the pepper; snap beans seasoned with rind; yellow squash sprinkled with vinegar andsugar. Maybe corn cut from the cob and fried with green onions and butter. Raised bread, even.
Her mind, searching the kitchen before she got to it, was so full of her offering she did not seeright away, in the space under the white stairs, the wooden tub and Paul D sitting in it. She smiledat him and he smiled back.
"Summer must be over," she said.
"Come on in here."
"Uh uh. Girls right behind me."
"I don't hear nobody."
"I have to cook, Paul D."
"Me too." He stood up and made her stay there while he held her in his arms. Her dress soaked upthe water from his body. His jaw was near her ear. Her chin touched his shoulder.
"What you gonna cook?"
"I thought some snap beans."
"Oh, yeah."
"Fry up a little corn?"
"Yeah."
她想回去了——越快越好。给无所事事的姑娘们安排点活儿干，充实一下她们胡思乱想的头脑。她匆匆穿过由于太阳偏移而凉下来的绿色长廊时，忽然觉得两个姑娘仿佛姊妹一般相像。她们那令人惊奇的顺从和绝对可靠，在她脑海倏然闪过。塞丝理解丹芙。孤独使得她干什么都遮遮掩掩的——我行我素。成年累月的闹鬼以难以置信的方式使她变得迟钝，也以难以置信的方式使她变得敏锐。结果就出了这么一个塞丝誓死保护的、胆小而又固执的女儿。
另一个，宠儿，她了解得少一些，或者说根本不了解——只知道她为了塞丝什么都肯干，还有，丹芙和她喜欢彼此做伴。现在她想，她知道个中原委了。
她们以和谐的方式挥霍和攫取着她们自己的感情。一个愿意给予，另一个则乐于获取。她们先是守在环绕着"林间空地"的树林中间，然后在塞丝被扼住时带着尖叫和亲吻冲进来——反正她就是这样向自己解释的，因为她既没发现两个姑娘之间有竞争，也没发现一个在主宰另一个。她一心想的只是她要给保罗·D准备的晚饭——很难办，也非办不可——她要去和一个温柔的男人一道开创她的更新、更强大的生活。做些四面烤焦的小土豆崽儿，多撒上点胡椒粉；桂皮炖豆角；糖醋凉拌黄瓜。要么把刚掰下来的玉米跟葱一起用黄油炸。甚至，再做个暄软的面包。
还没走进厨房，她就开始盘算里面的东西，满脑子都是自己设计的食谱，没有马上看见白楼梯下摆着的一只木澡盆和里面坐着的保罗·D。她冲他笑笑，他也回以一笑。
"夏天早过去了。"她说。
"进来吧。"
"去去去。姑娘们就在我后边。"
"我什么也没听见哪。"
"我得做饭了，保罗·D。"
"我也做。"他站起来，把她搂在怀里，不放她走。他身上的水将她的裙子都沾湿了。他的下颚贴着她的耳朵。她的下巴挨着他的肩膀。
"你要做什么饭？"
"我想弄点豆角。"
"嗯，不错。"
"炸点玉米？"
"很好。"
