諾貝爾文學經典:《寵兒》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。給無所事事的姑娘們安排點活兒幹，充實一下她們胡思亂想的頭腦。她匆匆穿過由於太陽偏移而涼下來的綠色長廊時，忽然覺得兩個姑娘彷彿姊妹一般相像。她們那令人驚奇的順從和絕對可靠，在她腦海倏然閃過。塞絲理解丹芙。孤獨使得她幹什麼都遮遮掩掩的——我行我素。成年累月的鬧鬼以難以置信的方式使她變得遲鈍，也以難以置信的方式使她變得敏銳。結果就出了這麼一個塞絲誓死保護的、膽小而又固執的女兒。
另一個，寵兒，她瞭解得少一些，或者說根本不瞭解——只知道她爲了塞絲什麼都肯幹，還有，丹芙和她喜歡彼此做伴。現在她想，她知道箇中原委了。
她們以和諧的方式揮霍和攫取着她們自己的感情。一個願意給予，另一個則樂於獲取。她們先是守在環繞着"林間空地"的樹林中間，然後在塞絲被扼住時帶着尖叫和親吻衝進來——反正她就是這樣向自己解釋的，因爲她既沒發現兩個姑娘之間有競爭，也沒發現一個在主宰另一個。她一心想的只是她要給保羅·D準備的晚飯——很難辦，也非辦不可——她要去和一個溫柔的男人一道開創她的更新、更強大的生活。做些四面烤焦的小土豆崽兒，多撒上點胡椒粉；桂皮燉豆角；糖醋涼拌黃瓜。要麼把剛掰下來的玉米跟蔥一起用黃油炸。甚至，再做個暄軟的麪包。
還沒走進廚房，她就開始盤算裏面的東西，滿腦子都是自己設計的食譜，沒有馬上看見白樓梯下襬着的一隻木澡盆和裏面坐着的保羅·D。她衝他笑笑，他也回以一笑。
"夏天早過去了。"她說。
"進來吧。"
"去去去。姑娘們就在我後邊。"
"我什麼也沒聽見哪。"
"我得做飯了，保羅·D。"
"我也做。"他站起來，把她摟在懷裏，不放她走。他身上的水將她的裙子都沾溼了。他的下顎貼着她的耳朵。她的下巴挨着他的肩膀。
"你要做什麼飯？"
"我想弄點豆角。"
"嗯，不錯。"
"炸點玉米？"
"很好。"