lesson seven

InvisibleMan RalphEllison Paragraph10to28formthesecondsubsectionofthebattleroyalincident describingtheviolentandbrutalfightitself 1 Alltenofusclimbedundertheropes withbroadbandsofwhitecloth 我们十个人从绳索下钻进场地 让人用白色宽布条蒙上眼睛 Blindfold thewordhastwomeanings Literallyitmeanstocovertheeyesofsomeonewithclothorbandage Figuratively itmeanstohinderthesightorunderstandingofsomeone Theauthorusesbothmeaningsinthisstory Notethecoloroftheclothbandsiswhite Theauthorishintingthatitisthewhitepeoplewhocausetheblindnessoftheblacks blockingtheirvisionandkeepingthemfromknowingthetruth Blindfoldingisanimportantsymbolofthestory implyingblindnessandinvisibility Inthebattleroyal blindfoldswereplacedonthefighters eyes makingithardforthemtocontroltheirmotions Justasinreallife allkindsofbondagesareplacedontheblacks andconsequentlytheycan tcontroltheirownlifeanddestiny 2 Iwantyoutorunacrossatthebell I mgoingtogetyou 铃声一响 你就给我跑过去 照准他的肚子狠狠地揍 你不打他 我就打你 3 YeteventhenIhadbeengoingovermyspeech asbrightasflame asbrightasflame isasimile comparingeachwordofhisspeechtobrightflame Whenblindfolded thenarratorwasthrownintodarkness whichisasymbolofignorance Yettohim thewordsofhisspeechwereasbrightasflame Notethecontrastbetweendarkandlight Aslightisoftenasymbolofhope whatthenarratormeantwastheonlyhopeforhimtogetoutofdarknesswashisspeech Hebelievedthatifhecouldgivethespeechthewhitemenwouldrecognizehisvalue 4 ButnowIfeltasuddenfitofblindterror 由于眼睛看不见了 我突然感到一阵恐惧 blindterror transferredepithet Logicallytheadjective blind modifies I not terror 5 ItwasasthoughIhadsuddenlyfoundmyselfinadarkroomfilledwithpoisonouscottonmouths Theimageofadarkroomfilledwithpoisonoussnakesmosteffectivelydescribeshowfrightenedthenarratorwas AcottonmouthisapoisonoussnakeofsoutheasternAmericanswamps thenamederivingfromthewhitishinteriorofthesnake smouth alsocalledwatermoccasin 6 Istrainedtopickuptheschoolsuperintendent svoice familiarsound 我竖起耳朵 竭力想听出督学的声音 似乎从他那稍微熟悉的声音中可以得到一点安全感 pickup 1 Marypickedherselfupanddustedherselfoff togetupfromthegroundafterafall 2 WherecanIpickupausedcamera togetsomething 3 Myhusbandwillpickmeupat8p m tocollectsomeonewhoiswaiting 4 Thedogspickedupthescentandracedoff tonotice 7 ForthosedaysIwaswhattheycalledginger colored likeacrispgingercookie 那时 人们称我的皮肤为姜黄色 听那人说话的狠毒劲儿 似乎要把我当成一块姜汁饼干放在嘴里嚼碎 1 Ginger colored Brownorlightbrown Thatshowsthatthenarratorhadsomewhitebloodinhim IntheoldSouth interracialmarriageswerestrictlyforbiddenandillegal However itwasnotuncommonforwhitemasterstohavesexwithslavegirls Soitwasnotstrangeforsomeblackchildrentobebrown coloredorginger colored Althoughsomeofthesepeoplemightlookdownupontheirownracewithdarkerskin theythemselveswereequallydespisedbythewhites 2 Likeacrispgingercookie herethenarratorisbeingcomparedtoacookie Thisisoneofthehintsofthedehumanizationoftheblackboys 8 Icouldhearvoicesgruntingaswithaterrificeffort 我能听到哼哧哼哧的声音 似乎费了很大的力气发出来的 grunt tomakethedeep throatysoundthatapigmakes tomakeasimilarsound 9 Para 19beginsthedepictionofblindfoldedfighting Inthisshortparagraphseveralspecificverbsareusedtodescribethefightingscene Theyare smack toslaploudlypivot toturnorbalanceonacentralpointpound tohitsomethingseveraltimes makingalotofnoise 10 Para20emphasizesthecrueltyofthebloodfight 11 Mysalivabecamelikehotbitterglue 我的唾液变得又热又苦 粘粘糊糊的像胶水 simile salivahotbitterglue 12 Agloveconnectedwithmyhead fillingmymouthwithwarmblood 我的头部猛遭一击 顿时满口是热乎乎的鲜血 13 Ifeltmyselfgoingover myheadhittingthefloor 我觉得自己摔倒了 头部撞到了地上 14 Streaksofbluelightfilledtheblackworldbehindtheblindfold 蒙眼布后面的黑暗世界里闪过一道道蓝光 15 Ilayprone pretendingthatIwasknockedout Ilaywiththefrontofmybodyfacingdown pretendingthatIwasbeatenunconsciousandcouldn tgetup 16 myheadsmartingfromblows我的头部被打得刺痛smart tohurtwithastingingpain 17 Icouldseetheblack sweat washedformsweaving thudsofblows 我可以看到黑糊糊的 大汗淋漓的身影在蓝色的烟雾中穿梭般的移动 就像喝醉酒的舞者 随着快速鼓点似的击掌声的节奏左右跳动 forms Ashewasblindfolde