【英文文学】Lady Luck.docx

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1、【英文文学】Lady LuckChapter 1Ah wuz a fiel han fo Ah sailed de sea,Wisht Ah wuz a fiel han now.Dis konkrin hero business don make no hit wid me-Wisht Ah wuz a fiel han now.Gimme back a nickel! How come coffee ten cents? Gimme back at nickel befo bofe ob us is on de same side ob de lunch counter.You an a

2、policeman, you means. Cam yosef. If dis wah keeps up, coffee gwine cost fifteen cents nex week.How come wah? Wah finished a yeah back. Me an Capn Jack wuz de fust men in de wah. Wahs done. Ah knows. Gimme back at nickel.Mebbe de wah is done, but de Democrats aint. Git out ob heah wid dat goat, fo yo

3、u ruins mah trade.The Wildcat picked up Captain Jacks bed-roll from the floor beside the lunch counter in the Memphis station. He accumulated Lily from where the travelworn mascot goat was tethered to an adjoining stool. Together they walked from the lunch room in which he had sought refreshment aft

4、er an arduous ride from San Francisco to Memphis.Come on heah, Lily. Ol Capn Jack an de lady done went home in a takes-a-grab. Boy takes a grab at yo money, an if deys any lef, you gives it to a policeman fo arrestin him. Us rides a spress wagon.On the street fronting the station the Wildcat charter

5、ed a rickety express wagon hauled by a languid black mule. Whuf! the driver grunted. Sho is de ponderestest bed-roll Ah eveh lifted.At bed-rolls full of iron helmets fm dead Germans, fo Capn Jack to membeh de wah by. De officehs craves to membeh de wah. Us listed boys craves to fogit it.The driver o

6、f the express wagon looked sideways at the Wildcat. When did de goat die?How come?Sit him on de side ob me whah de win aint blowin. Wuz he de Dove ob Peace de wahd go on foeveh. Whuts dem culled ribbons doin on dat goat?De blue ribbon is mah mascots quality. De red an white ones is patriotism.Though

7、t mebbe dey wuz fus an secon prizes fo smellin.The Wildcat handed the driver of the express wagon a cigar.Smoke dis offsetteh, he said. Drifting along on a haze of conflicting aromas, the outfit arrived finally at the residence of Captain Jack. Heahs de fifty cents, the Wildcat said to the express d

8、river.Cost me dat to git de goat smell renovated off me. Wuth six bits.On yo way. Ill six bits you! Quit whiffin wid dat nose, befo I busts yo loose fm it. On yo way! Cm on, Lily.The Wildcat spent the rest of the afternoon shuffling furniture around inside of Captain Jacks house. At four oclock Capt

9、ain Jacks wife arrived, convoying a perspiring three-hundred-pound trophy which she had been fortunate enough to capture.Yo is de cook, is yo? the Wildcat said to the newly enthroned ruler of the kitchen.The ebony Amazon looked at him. Who is you?Is champion ration battler ob de world. Wait till I g

10、its back. The Wildcat returned presently with an armful of wood. You claims yous a cook-well, woman, I lights de fiah. Den you sees kin yo.Kin I what?Fust yo barbecues at ham hangin theh. When Ah gits thoo, half of it will be lef. Whilst de hams sizzlin you thows enough cawn bread togetheh to fill d

11、e big pan. When Ah gits thoo deyll be half of it lef. When de ham juice begins to git sunburned you makes some ham gravy. Ah spec ham gravys de fondest thing Ah is of. I says Howdy, ham gravy! an afteh me an de vittles gits acquainted, mah appetite wont need grub no mon a fish needs shoes.Cut de ham

12、. The Wildcat carved off five or six thick slices.The cook looked at him. Is you fogittin me?You hungry? De way you looks, yos et all de grub whut is.Nachral to be fat. Look at de elephant. How come you so skinny?Wah misry. All I et fo two yeahs in France wuz Guvment rashuns. Dey wuznt fillin. I et

13、mysef down to boy-size pants de fust yeah. Secon yeah dey lets me run wild cause dey couldnt find no unifawm small enough.Wuz yo in de big drive?Ill say I wuz. Us boys drove more railroad spikes at St. Sulpice dan a colonel has cooties. Woman, how come you knows all about de names ob de wah?I had a

14、husban uplifteh in de wah whut wrote me letters. Mebbe yo met up wid him, name bein Huntington Boone.The Wildcats jaw sagged open as far as the roots of his lolling tongue. Honey Tone! De uplifteh? Hes yo man?You knows him?Ah knows him some-goin on a thousan francs he lifted off me wid de gallopin i

15、vory.Aint de same one. Huntington saw de light an swerve fm de sin road to de straight an narrow in de Fall Revival five yeahs back-de time Sis Ellers got drowned at de baptisin an stayed undeh till she blowed up at Vicksbug. Mah man went oveh as a uplifteh.Ats de boy. He swerved back at de sinful l

16、ife. De ony upliftin he done wuz wid us boys money an coonyak.The Wildcat was thoughtful for a moment.Whah at is he now? he suddenly asked.I aint seed him since he went away. Wore out mah black alpaca mournin dress an spilt icecream all oveh de otheh at a social. Ats how come Ahs in calico.I aint se

17、ed him neveh since-Since when?Since he sailed fo N Oleans on de iron boat.He done come back! Praise de Lawd!Call de police, you means. Did he git back hes in de jail whah at he belongs-all I seed wuz him leavin.In the face of the Wildcats argument the Amazons mood changed. When I gets thoo wid dat m

18、an de jail folks sho have to pen him up in a barrel to hol de leavins. Hes bout as poplar wid me as smallpox. All he eveh done wuz bear down hahd on de money when I come home wid mah wages.At the moment the Wildcat did not feel constrained to explain that Honey Tones departure from Bordeaux had been

19、 one of the Wildcats contrivings-one in which Honey Tone had been battened down in the hold of the cargo ship, together with a hundred French Colonial negro troops. I reclects he lef Bodeaux on a boat dey calls de Princess Clam, headed fo N Oleans. Chances is hes in de N Oleans jail right now.The Wi

20、ldcat decided that it might be well to encourage Honey Tones mate to souse the black mood of her mourning in the whitewash of jealousy. Spect he might be married up again-mebbe. At boy gits gaged wheheveh at he goes.Is he rampagin roun I makes two widows stid of one does I ketch him. Cleah outen hea

21、h!Honey Tones vindictive mate craved solitude in which to enjoy the misery of her ambition for revenge.The Wildcat cleared out, taking with him a substantial segment of corn bread and two hot slices of ham. Does Honey Tone live thoo whut de female ception committee gwine to git ready fo him I gives

22、him mah Craw de Gare an all de woun stripes whut is.In the woodshed back of Captain Jacks house the mascot Lily patiently awaited her proprietor.Blaa! she said in greeting when the Wildcat appeared.Whut yo mean? How come you always craves nutriment? the Wildcat demanded. Heah. He gave the goat a fra

23、gment of corn bread. Whuf! de ol cawn pone sho is fillin. I sleeps me now fo a little while. Den I goes downtown an says Howdy to de boys. Lily, lay off dat hat! Eat de ham grease offen it does yo crave to, but cam yo sef when yo gits to de hat part.The Wildcat reclined on a pile of hickory stove-wo

24、od and went to sleep. Sleeping was his long suit. At ten oclock that night he woke up.Sho is late. Front do de barber shop be locked, but de back do aint. The Wildcat threaded the dark streets which led to Willie Websters barber shop. The shave-and-haircut part of the Webster establishment served bu

25、t to camouflage the darker industries which had their being in a room contiguous to the one where shaves were a nickel and haircuts fifteen cents, including musk.At the back door of the barber shop the Wildcat hesitated for a moment in an effort to recall the secret knock which gained admittance in

26、the days before the war. This element of the ritual finally came to him, and on the rough panels of the door sounded three quick raps followed by two at more deliberate intervals.I gits it fused up wid de time I wuz outeh guard to de Lodge ob Colored Damons. At knock wuz fo an thee. Fish club knock

27、wuz two an two. Membehs dat. Dats how de animals come off de Ark, time ob de flood.The door opened an inch, and the slot of light from within was interrupted by a rolling eyeball which surmounted a pair of questioning liver-coloured lips. Who dat?Wildcat-Vitus Marsden. The door opened quickly, and t

28、he Wildcat edged into the company of his former associates.Men, howdy!Dogged if it aint ol Marsden! Boy, how is yo? Is yo back fm de wah?Heah us is, aint I?Willie Webster, the proprietor of the establishment, came forward. Don see no arms an no laigs missin. Yo neveh used yo haid nohow, ceptin to ea

29、t wid. Boy, how is yo? Hail de Konkrin Hero!Tolable, Willie. The Konkrin Hero looked about him. At a table against the wall, under the rays of a smoking coal oil lamp, a crap game was in progress.The Wildcats fingers began to itch. He walked over toward the table. In the outline of one of the figure

30、s standing beside the table the Wildcat identified an acquaintance of his former days. Seems like I knows de shape at boys got. The Wildcat edged up to the table.The owner of the familiar silhouette faced the Wildcat. Wilecat, how is you? Hot dam, boy-is you back?Honey Tone Boone, the exile uplifter

31、, was quick to conceal the inconvenient recognition in the extended palm of cordial insincerity.The Wildcats mouth opened and closed in cadence with the wild leaping of his Adams apple. With difficulty he pacified his organs of speech, and presently the honey of hypocrisy filtered from the tip of hi

32、s tongue. Honey Tone! Honey Tone de uplifteh! Las time I seed yo, yo wuz in Bodeaux.Las time you seed me I wuz in trouble.How come? A mask of surprise covered the Wildcats face.Honey Tone explained the method of his departure from Bordeaux.You kidnapped in de gizzard ob de ol iron boat! Aint it spri

33、sin! Us boys sho missed you.Honey Tone relapsed into the vernacular. Ill say ats all you missed. After you made de las pass wid de gallopin ivory you sho lef me clean. All I had on me wuz cooties. How come you heah, Wilecat?Capn Jack brung me. Is still workin fo Capn Jack. Afteh us landed offen de b

34、oat fm France us rode de train clear across de country. Jes broke loose fm de army in time to keep fm gittin sent to Russia-place whah dey bury you. What you doin heah?Honey Tone evaded a direct answer. Hows all de rest ob de boys?Aint seed em. Me an Capn Jack came back casual.Whah ats he now?Livin

35、heah. Memphis is de Capns home town. Us jus got in heah yesday. Fm now on I works fo Capn Jack. Aint much to do, an Capns lady sho foun a good cook. I aims to eat heavy fm now on to ketch up wid whut I missed in de army. Whut is you doin, sides lookin fo easy money?Honey Tone, the ex-uplifter, was s

36、ilent for a minute, and then his organizing instinct welled strong.Me? Is organizin a Returned Heroes Parade. Us Konkrin Heroes what wore de army unifawm jines in de gran ruckus.Sho! Honey Tone, whut yo mean army unifawm? You was fested with letheh straps an uppity talk when I knowed you fust. Now y

37、ou talks plain niggah.Sounds more homelike. Honey Tone did not feel constrained to explain the finesse which prompted him to abandon the vocabulary which he had derived from a years schooling and considerable subsequent speech-making.Aftah de parade mebbe us organizes de Colored Militarriers of Amer

38、ica. Is been ponderin considerable how come some ob you aint started dat lodge yet? Dues a dollah a month. Parades fo baptisns, marryins, and funerals. Special buryin department wheh you gits crematized or secluded in de ground as you prefers, dependin whether you pays fo bits a week extra or not.So

39、unds half gran-mebbe folks takes up wid it. Ol parade sho sounds noble. In common with other overseas veterans, the Wildcat listened strong to the appeal made by the jingling hardware of heroism. He had visions of himself prancin along where white folks could look at him-visions which included an O.

40、D. uniform plentifully festooned with wound stripes, coloured ribbons, service chevrons, and a few decorative military crosses.The group about the crap table thinned out. The Wildcat picked up the dice. Does you crave high life, Honey Tone, read a chapteh fm de clickers.I might ride a couple of rars

41、, the uplifter conceded.The Wildcat produced a bulky roll. Several pairs of gleaming eyeballs about him testified to the exceptional dimensions of his capital.To the Wildcats surprise Honey Tone hauled out a wallet in which lay a thick package of twenty-dollar bills. Hope burned strong in the Wildca

42、ts chest, and with the flame of hope the Wildcat warmed the dice within his hand.Shoots ten dollahs. Fade me, Honey Tone, does you crave action.Yous faded.Wham! Ah lets it lay. Shoots twenty dollahs.Roll em. Honey Tone dropped a twenty-dollar bill, which landed as gently as a snowflake on the green

43、surface of the table. Bam! Five an a deuce.Under the heat of the Wildcats luck the uplifters green snowflake melted into his opponents roll.Ah lets it lay. Shoots foty. Foty ways. Shower down, Honey Tone. Mah luck builds homes fo de ignorant poor. Is got de musk smell. Bam! Land, little Dove ob Peac

44、e. Land wid yo bill full ob greens. An I reads fo tray!The Wildcat gathered in his winnings. He laid a twenty-dollar bill on the green table. Fade me is you frantic.Honey Tone covered the bet.Gallopers, pay de rent. Wham! Morning, rainbow. Wah just begun. Dove ob Peace got one hot end, like a hornet

45、. Gallopers, see kin yo uplift de Honey Tone Jack.The dice raced on their victorious way.Twenty minutes later Honey Tone Boone picked up the cubes. The capital in his leather pocket book had dwindled to a pair of weak-looking dollar bills. He reached into his pocket, and his hand came forth clutchin

46、g a rubber-banded cylinder of currency whose external unit was a yellow obligation wherein the United States Government promised to pay the bearer fifty dollars in gold coin, providing the Democrats overlooked that much.Honey Tone voiced his challenge.Shoots a hunded dollahs. De big coin keeps de pi

47、kers out.The Wildcat batted his eyes, but rallied nobly and covered Honey Tones bet with five twenties. Roll em, he said huskily.Honey Tone, rolling em, neglected to advertise the fact that when he reached for his new stake he had switched the dice.Seven. Shoots two hunded.Talk to em, Honey Tone. One of the uplifters admirers offered verbal encouragement.Dey does de talkin. Shower down, Wildcat. Shoots two hunded.The Wildcat hesitated.