大学英语精读第5册课文全文翻译(7)

was completely oblivious to her discomfort; she noted with a returning sense of helplessness how much he enjoyed being in control. When he called for her one day in early August with a brand new captain's hat cocked atop his soft brown hair, all her emotions revolted at the idea of another day trapped on the wooden seat over the water -- and she refused to go. They would, instead, she said, go for a walk in which she would move herself by the strength of her own arms and he would walk beside her. He finally agreed, but his displeasure grew with each step; this was a role he didn't want to play. "Why don't you just rest your arms and let me push you?" "No." "Your arms'll get sore; I've been helping you do it for three months now." "I wheeled myself for twelve years before you came along - I doubt that my arms have forgotten how." "But I don't like having to walk beside you while you push yourself!" "Do you think I've liked having to sit helpless in your boat every weekend for the past two months?" For a moment he was stunned into silence by this new learning. Finally he said quietly, "I never realized that, Amy. You're in a wheelchair all the time -- I never thought you'd mind sitting in the boat. It's the same thing." "It is not the same thing. In this chair, I can move by myself; I can go anywhere I need to go.

That boat traps me so I can't do anything -- I couldn't even save myself if something happened and I fell out." "But I'm there. Don't you think I could save you or help you move or whatever it is you want?" "Yes, but Charles -- the point is I've spent twelve years learning to manage by myself. I even live in a city that's miles from my family so I'll have to be independent and do things for myself. Being placed in the boat takes all that I've won away from me. Can't you see why I object to it? I can't let myself be at anyone's mercy -- not even yours." They continued down the path in silence as his feelings boiled within him and finally ran over the edge of his control: "Amy, I need to have you dependent upon me. I need your dependence upon me." And, as if to punctuate his desire, he took the familiar white bars in hand and pushed her rapidly along so that her own hands came off the wheels and rested in her lap. The wave at the back of her hair did not show the anger in her eyes, and it was just as well for it was an anger he would not have understood. She would not answer her telephone the next morning but in his mail that afternoon came an envelope that he

靠自己的双臂的力量移动自己，他可以陪伴在她 的身边。他最终同意了，但每走一步，他就会觉 得更加不痛快。他可不想扮演这个角色。 “你为什么不歇歇手，让我来推你呢？” “不用。” “你的手臂会酸的， 我已经帮你推了三个月了。” “在你来之前，我已经推了自己十二年了，我 认为自己的胳膊未必会忘记怎么推吧。” “但是我不愿意走在你身边，而你却要自己推 自己。”“你以为这两个月来，我喜欢每个周末无 依无靠地坐在你的船里。” 这个新发现使他吃惊得好一阵子说不出话 来， 最后他轻声地说“我从来没意识到这点， 艾米。 你整天都坐在轮椅里，我决没想到你会介意坐在 船里，坐在哪不都一样嘛。” “这不是一回事，坐在轮椅里，我可以行动自 如，我可想到哪就到哪去。在船上，我被困住了， 什么事都不能做，万一出事我掉到水里，我连自 己都救不了。” “但是有我在呀，你难道没想到我能救你或帮你移 动或替你干你想干的任何事情吗？” “我知道。可是，查尔斯，问题的关键在于， 我花了十二年的时间才学会怎样照料自己。我甚 至住在这个离家很远的城市里，目的就是要独立 地做一切事情。置身于船里就把我所拥有的都拿 走了。你难道还不明白我为什么反对你的做法？ 我不会让自己受任何人的摆布——即使你的也不 行。” 他们沿着小路默默在走着，他内心的感情翻 腾着，最终冲破了情感的闸门：“艾米，我需要你 依赖我，我需要你的依赖。”说着，象是为了强调 自己的愿望，他一把握住熟悉的白色柄，快速地 推着她

走了起来，结果她只好把手从轮子上拿开， 放在腿上。她披在身后头发的波纹显示不出她眼 中的愤怒，这倒也好，因为他也不能理解这种愤 怒。 第二天早上，她不接他的电话，但是在下午 的信件中有一封信，他知道是艾米写来的。字写 得不漂亮，但无疑是她的字迹。信封里只有一张 卡片，她在上面写着： 如果你极想得到某物， 你必须让它自由。 如果它回到你身边， 它就属于你。

knew had come from Amy. The handwriting was not beautiful, but it was without question hers. Inside was only a card on which she had written: If you want something baby written, You must let it go free. If it comes back to you, It's yours. If it doesn't, You really never had it anyway. (Anonymous) He ran out of his apartment, refusing to believe that Amy might no longer be in her home. As he was running towards her apartment, he kept hearing a roar in his ears: "You must let it go free; you must let it go free." But he thought: I can't risk it, she is mine, can't just let go, can't give her a chance not to belong to me, can't let her think she doesn't need me, she must need me. Oh God, I have to have her. But her apartment was empty. Somehow in the hours overnight, she had packed -- by herself - and moved by herself. The rooms were now impersonal; their cold stillness could not respond when he fell to the floor and sobbed. By the middle of August he had heard nothing from Amy. He lay often on his bed with her letter on his chest and counted the minute cracks in his ceiling; he went often to the park but scrupulously avoided looking for the white bird. Sometimes he would sit for hours there in the wind under a tree and not even notice that he was outside, that life went on around him. September came and had almost gone before he finally received an envelope of familiar stationery. The handwriting was not beautiful but it was without question hers. The postmark was that of a city many miles distant. With a shock of feeling returning to his heart, he tore open the envelope and at first thought it was empty. Then he noticed on his desk a single white feather that had fallen from it. In his mind, the white bird rose in flight and its wings l …… 此处隐藏：5927字，全部文档内容请下载后查看。喜欢就下载吧 ……