For a moment the two men looked at each other nakedly. Then Morton turned his back on the man and said quietly, "Come on, let's get out of here." He walked awkwardly, almost limping with self-consciousness, to the sandbox. He stooped and lifted Larry and his shovel out.
两个男人四目对峙了片刻。然后莫顿转过身,背对着那个男人,轻轻地说:“来吧,我们离开这里。”他走向沙箱,步态很不自然,因为尴尬都有点一瘸一拐了。他弯下腰,把拉里和他的铲子一起抱了起来。
Larry began to kick and cry. "I don't want to go home, I want to play better." It became a chant as they walked, pulling their child between them, his feet dragging on the ground. In order to get to the exit gate they had to pass the bench where the man sat sprawling again. She was careful not to look at him. With all the dignity she could summon, she pulled Larry's sandy, perspiring little hand, while Morton pulled the other. Slowly and with head high she walked with her husband and the child out of the playground. "
拉里开始又踢又喊。“我不想回家,我还想玩。”夫妻俩拽着孩子,拉里一路上不停地哭喊,双脚拖在地上。要走到公园出口,他们得经过那张长椅,那个男人又四仰八叉地坐在上面。她的目光小心翼翼地避开他,尽量保持着尊严,牵着拉里一只沾满沙子的汗津津的小手,莫顿牵着拉里的另一只手。她昂着头,和丈夫孩子一起慢慢地走出了那个游乐场。
A fight wouldn't have proved anything," Morton muttered through his teeth as they came into the street.
“打斗证明不了什么,”走到街上时莫顿从牙缝里咕哝道。
Her first feeling was one of relief that the fight had been avoided, that no one was hurt. Yet beneath it there was a layer of something else, something heavy and inescapable. She sensed that it was more than just an unpleasant incident, more than defeat of reason by force. She thought, if there had been something to fight for. ... But what else could Morton possibly have done? Allow himself to be beaten? Attempt to educate the man? Call a policeman? "Officer, there's a man in the park who won't stop his child from throwing sand on mine. ..." The whole thing was as silly as that, and not worth thinking about. She quickened her step. She wanted only to get home and to busy herself with her familiar tasks.
她首先感到的是一种宽慰,打斗得以避免,也没有人受伤。然而,在这种宽慰之下涌起某种沉重且不可回避的东西。她感到这不仅仅是一件令人不快的小事,也不仅仅是理智对武力的妥协。她想,如果当时有某种值得去争取的东西……莫顿又能做些什么呢?让自己挨打?试图教育那个男人?报警?“警官,有个人的孩子在公园向我的孩子扬沙子,他却不去阻止……”整件事荒谬至极,不值得深思。她加快了脚步。她只想回家,去忙她的家务活。