夏末

歐內(nèi)斯特·海明威（Ernest Hemingway，1899—1961），美國小說家。海明威被譽為美利堅民族的精神豐碑，是“新聞體”小說的創(chuàng)始人。其寫作風(fēng)格以簡潔著稱，對美國文學(xué)及20世紀(jì)文學(xué)的發(fā)展有極深遠的影響。1953年，他憑借《老人與?！帆@得普利策獎，1954年又獲諾貝爾文學(xué)獎?！独先伺c?！罚═he Old Man and the Sea，1952）之外，海明威的其他代表作有：小說《太陽照常升起》（The Sun Also Rises，1926）、《永別了，武器》（A FareweH幻Arms，1929）、《喪鐘為誰而嗚>（For Whom the BeH ToHs，1940）以及短篇小說《雨中的貓》（Cat in the Rain，1925）、《在我們時代里》（In Our Time，1925）、《沒有女人的男人》（ Men without Women，1927）、《乞力馬扎羅的雪）XThe Snow of Kilimanjaro，1932）等。這位素有“文壇硬漢”之稱的作家晚年卻自殺身亡。

受在《堪城星報>做記者時的寫作經(jīng)歷的影響，海明威的寫作風(fēng)格以惜墨如金著稱，對美國文學(xué)及20世紀(jì)文學(xué)的發(fā)展有極為深遠的影響。下面選的是海明威的短篇小說《雨中的貓》，其創(chuàng)作風(fēng)格和海明威其他作品一樣，文字簡潔，很多東西作者都沒有寫出來，但讀者卻完全可以領(lǐng)會得到。

There were only two Americans stopping at the hotel. They did not know any of the people they passed on the stairs on their way to and from their room. Their room was on the second floor facing the sea. It also faced the public garden and the war monument. There were big palms and green benches in the public garden. In the good weather there was always an artist with his easel. Artists liked the way the palms grew and the bright colors of the hotels facing the gardens and the sea.talianS came from a long way off to look up at the war monument. It was made of bronze and glistened in the rain. It was raining. The rain dripped from the palm trees. Water stood in pools on the gravel paths. The sea broke ina long line in the rain and slipped back down the beach to come up and break again in a long line in the rain. The motor cars were gone from the square by the war monument. Across the square in the doorway of the cafe a waiter stood looking out at the empty square.

The American wife stood at the window looking out. Outside right under their window a cat was crouched under one of the dripping green tables. The cat was trying to make herself so compact that she would not be dripped on.

“l(fā)'m going down and get that kitty，”theAmerican wife said. “I'll do it，”her husband offered from the bed.

“No， l'II get it. The poor kitty out trying to keep dry under a table.”

The husband went on reading， lying propped up with the two pillows at the foot of the bed.

“Don't get wet，”he said.

The wife went downstairs and the hotel owner stood up and bowed to her as she passed the office. His desk was at the far end of the office. He was an old man and very tall.

“l(fā)l piove，”the wife said. She liked the hotel-keeper.

“Si， si， Signora， brutto tempo. It is very bad weather.”

He stood behind his desk in the far end of the dim room. The wife liked him. She liked the deadly serious way he received any complaints. She liked his dignity. She liked the way he wanted to serve her. She liked the way he felt about being a hotel-keeper. She liked his old， heavy face and big hands.

Liking him she opened the door and looked out. It was raining harder. A man in a rubber cape was crossing the empty square to the cafe. The cat would be around to the right. Perhaps she could go along under the eaves. As she behind her. It was the maid who looked after their room.

“You must not get wet，”she smiled， speaking ItaIian. Of course， the hotel-keeper had sent her.

With the maid holding the umbrella over her， she walked along the gravel path until she was under their window. The table was there， washed bright green in the rain， but the cat was gone. She was suddenly disappointed. The maid looked up at her.

“Ha perduto qualque cosa， Signora？”

“There was a cat，”said the American girl.

“A cat？”

“Si， il gatto.”

“A cat？”the maid laughed.“A cat in the rain？”

“Yea，”she said， “under the table.”Then，“Oh， I wanted it so much. I wanted a kitty.”

When she talked English the maid's face tightened.“Come， Signora，”she said.“Wemust get back inside. You will be wet.”

“I suppose so，”said the American girl.

They went back along the gravel path and passed in the door. The maid stayed outside to close the umbrella.

As the American girl passed the office， the padrone bowed from his desk. Something felt very small and tight inside the girl. The padrone made her feel very small and at the same time really important. She had a momentary feeling of being of supreme importance. She went on up the stairs. She opened the door of the room. George was on the bed， reading.

“Did you get the cat？”he asked， putting the book down.

“It was gone.”

“Wonder where it went to，”he said， resting his eyes from reading.

She sat down on the bed.

“I wanted it so much，”she said.“I don't know why I wanted it so much. I wanted that poor kitty. It isn't any fun to be a poor kitty out in the rain.”

George was reading again.

She went over and sat in front of the mirror of the dressing table looking at herself with the handglass. She studied her profile， first one side and then the other. Then she studied the back of her head and her neck.

“Don't you think it would be a good idea if l let my hair grow out？”she asked， looking at her profile again.

George looked up and saw the back of her neck clipped close like a boy's.

“I like it the way it is.”

“I get so tired of it，”she said. “I get so tired of looking like a boy.”

George shifted his position in the bed. He hadn't looked away from her since she stared to speak.

“You look pretty darn nice，”he said.

She laid the mirror down on the dresser and went over to the window and looked out. It was getting dark.

“I want to pull my hair back tight and smooth and make a big knot at the back that I can feel，”she said. “I want to have a kitty to sit on my lap and purr when I stroke her.”

“Yeah？”George said from the bed.

“And I want to eat at a table with my own silver and I want candles. And I want it to be spring and I want to brush my hair out in front of a mirror and I want a kitty and I want some new clothes.”

“Oh， shut up and get something to read，” George said. He was reading again.

His wife was looking out of the window. It was quite dark now and still raining in the palm trees.

“Anyway， I want a cat，”she said， “I want a cat. I want a cat now. If I can't have long hair or any fun I can have a cat.”

George was not listening. He was reading his book. His wife looked out of the window where the light had come on in the square.

Someone knocked at the door.

“Avanti，”George said. He looked up from his book.

In the doorway stood the maid. She held a big tortoise-shell cat pressed tight against her and swung down against her body.

“Excuse me，”she said， “the padroneasked me to bring this for the Signora.”

旅館里，留宿的美國客人只有兩個。他們打房間里出出進進，經(jīng)過樓梯時，一路上碰到的人他們都不認(rèn)識。他們的房間就在面對海的二樓。房間還面對公園和戰(zhàn)爭紀(jì)念碑。公園里有大棕櫚樹，綠色的長椅。天氣好的時候，常?？梢钥吹揭粋€帶著畫架的藝術(shù)家。藝術(shù)家們都喜歡棕櫚樹那種長勢，喜歡面對著公園和海的旅館的那種鮮艷的色彩。意大利人老遠趕來望著戰(zhàn)爭紀(jì)念碑。紀(jì)念碑是用青銅鑄成的，在雨里閃閃發(fā)光。天正在下雨。雨水打棕櫚樹滴下來。石子路上有一潭潭的積水。海水夾著雨滾滾地沖了過來，又順著海灘滑回去，再過一會兒，又夾著雨滾滾地沖過來。停在戰(zhàn)爭紀(jì)念碑旁邊廣場上的汽車都開走了。廣場對面，一個侍者站在餐館門口望著空蕩蕩的廣場。

那個美國太太站在窗邊眺望，外邊，就在他們的窗子底下，一只貓蜷縮在一張水淋淌滴的綠色桌子下面。那只貓拼命要把身子縮緊，不讓雨水滴著。

“我要下去捉那只小貓，”美國太太說。

“我去捉，”她丈夫從床上說。

“不，我去捉。外邊那只可憐的小貓想躲在桌子底下，不讓淋濕?！?/p>

做丈夫的繼續(xù)在看書，他枕著墊得高高的兩只枕頭，躺在床腳那兒。

“別淋濕了，”他說。

太太下樓去，她走出辦公室時，旅館主人站起來，向她哈哈腰。主人的寫字臺就在辦公室那一頭。他是個老頭，個子很高。

“下雨啦，”太太說。她喜歡這個旅館老板。

“是，是，太太，壞天氣。天氣很不好?！?/p>

他站在昏暗的房間那一頭的寫字臺后面。這個太太喜歡他。她喜歡他聽到任何怨言時那種非常認(rèn)真的態(tài)度。她喜歡他那莊嚴(yán)的態(tài)度。她喜歡他愿意為她效勞的態(tài)度。她喜歡他那覺得自己是個旅館老板的態(tài)度。她喜歡他那張上了年紀(jì)而遲鈍的臉和那一雙大手。

她一面覺得喜歡他，一面打開了門，向外張望。雨下得更大了。有個披著橡膠披肩的人正穿過空蕩蕩的廣場，向餐館走去。那只貓大概就在右邊附近。也許她可以沿著屋檐底下走去。正當(dāng)她站在門口時，在她背后有一頂傘張開來。原來是那個打掃他們房間的侍女。

“一定不能讓你淋濕，”她面呈笑容，用意大利語說。自然是那個旅館老板差她來的。

她由侍女撐著傘遮住她，沿著石子路走到他們的窗底下。桌子就在那兒，在雨里給淋成鮮綠色，可是，那只貓不見了。她突然感到大失所望。那個侍女抬頭望著她。

“您丟了什么東西啦，太太？”

“有一只貓，”年輕的美國太太說。

“貓？”

“是，貓?！?/p>

“貓？”侍女哈哈一笑?！霸谟昀锏囊恢回?？”

“是呀，”她說，“在這桌子底下?！苯又鞍?，我多么想要它。我要那只小貓?！?/p>

她說英語的時候，侍女的臉頓時繃緊起來。

“來，太太，”她說，“我們必須回到里面去，你要淋濕了?！?/p>

“我想是這樣，”年輕的美國太太說。

她們沿著石子路走回去，進了門。侍女呆在外面，把傘收攏。美國太太經(jīng)過辦公室時，老板在寫字臺那邊向她哈哈腰。太太心里感到有點兒無聊和尷尬。這個老板使她覺得自己十分無聊，同時又確實很了不起。她剎那間覺得自己極其了不起。她登上樓梯。她打開房門。喬治在床上看書。

“貓捉到啦？”他放下書本，問道。

“跑啦。”

“會跑到哪里去?！彼f，不看書了，好休息一下眼睛。

她在床上坐下。

”我太想要那只貓了?！彼f?！拔也恢牢腋蓡崮敲匆侵回?。我要那只可憐的小貓。做一只呆在雨里的可憐的小貓，可不是什么有趣的事兒?！?/p>

喬治又在看書了。

她走過去，坐在梳妝臺鏡子前，拿著手鏡照照自己。她端詳一下自己的側(cè)影，先看看這一邊，又看看另一邊。接著，她又端詳一下后腦勺和脖子。

“要是我把頭發(fā)留起來，你不認(rèn)為這是個好主意嗎？”她問道，又看看自己的側(cè)影。

喬治抬起頭來，看她的頸窩，像個男孩子那樣，頭發(fā)剪得很短。

“我喜歡這樣子。”

“我可對它很厭膩了?！彼f，“樣子像個男孩子，叫我很厭膩了?！?/p>

喬治在床上換個姿勢。打從她開始說話到如今，他眼睛一直沒有離開過她。

“你真漂亮極了?！彼f。

她把鏡子放在梳妝臺上，走到窗邊，向外張望。天逐漸見黑了。

“我要把我的頭發(fā)往后扎得又緊又光滑，在后腦勺扎個大結(jié)兒，可以讓我摸摸。”她說?！拔艺嬉幸恢恍∝垇碜谖蚁ヮ^上，我一撫摩它，它就嗚嗚叫起來?！?/p>

“是嗎？”喬治在床上說。

“我還要用自己的銀器來吃飯，我要點上蠟燭。我還要現(xiàn)在是春天，我要對著鏡子梳頭，我要一只小貓，我要幾件新衣服?！?/p>

“啊，住口，找點東西來看看吧?！眴讨握f。他又在看書了。

他妻子往窗外望。這會兒，天很黑了，雨仍在打著棕櫚樹。

“總之，我要一只貓，”她說，“我要一只貓，我現(xiàn)在要一只貓。要是我不能有長頭發(fā)，也不能有任何有趣的東西，我總可以有只貓吧?！?/p>

喬治不在聽她說話。他在看書。他妻子望著窗外，廣場上已經(jīng)上燈了。

有人在敲門。

“請進。”喬治說。他從書本上抬起眼來。

那個侍女站在門口，她緊抱著一只大玳瑁貓，卜篤放了下來。

“對不起，”她說，“老板要我把這只貓送來給太太?！?/p>

（曹庸 譯）

文章賞析

海明威的作品一向都是很男人風(fēng)格的，塑造的人物也多是硬漢形象，這篇《雨中的貓>意外地充滿了柔軟的女性氣質(zhì)。海明威是個愛貓的人，這個短篇則以貓的形象傳達出了女性在男權(quán)社會中的附屬地位和女性渴望改變自身處境的強烈愿望。

故事很簡單，一對年輕的美國夫婦到威尼斯度假，遭遇雨天。妻子發(fā)現(xiàn)窗外一只避雨的小貓，覺得可憐，決定去抱它進來，使它免遭雨淋。在這過程中丈夫一直躺著看書，有一搭沒一搭地回應(yīng)妻子的話。

故事的場景設(shè)定在一個濕漉漉的雨天，旅館的光線也是昏暗不明，恰到好處地表現(xiàn)出了人物感情的疲軟和倦意。妻子決定去捉淋雨的貓，丈夫嘴里說要替她去，卻躺在那里絲毫沒有要起來的意思。妻子沒有捉到貓，回到房間，丈夫依然在看書，對妻子的話只是機械地做出一些回應(yīng)。與旅館老板和女侍者相比，這位丈夫?qū)ζ拮语@然缺乏應(yīng)有的關(guān)注。妻子絮絮叨叨地說著想要有一只自己的貓，留長頭發(fā)，用自己的銀器吃飯之類的話，都是些瑣屑的事，卻反映出她對自己的婚姻和生活狀態(tài)的不滿，以及想改變的心態(tài)。

其實，最開始她之所以那么關(guān)注一只在窗外避雨的貓，在某種程度上就是因為她覺得那只貓的處境有幾分像自己。貓被困在雨中，而她被困在男人的附屬品這個身份中。她可憐貓其實是可憐她自己。她想去救貓其實是潛意識里想改變自己的處境，只是她自己或許并沒有意識到這些。