给艾米丽的玫瑰花

,ARoseforEmily献给爱米丽的一朵玫瑰花,WilliamFaulkner威廉姆福克纳,“ARoseForEmilyisashortstorybyAmericanauthorWilliamFaulknerfirstpublishedintheApril30,1930issuesofForum.ThisstorytakesplaceinFaulknersfictionalcity,Jefferson,Mississippi,inthefictionalcountry.ItwasFaulknersfirstshortstorypublishedinanationalmagazine.,APictureofYoknapatawphaCounty(alittlepostagestampofnativesoil),Character1.EmilyGriersonisamysteriousfigurewhochangesfromavibrantandhopefulyounggirltoacloisteredandsecretiveoldwoman.2.HomerBarronisaforemanfromtheNorth.Heisalargemanwithadarkcomplexion,aboomingvoice,andlight-coloredeyes.3.JudgeStevensisamayorofJefferson.Heiseightyyearsold.,4.Mr.GriersonisEmilysfather.Heisacontrolling,loomingpresenceevenindeath,andthecommunityclearlyseeshislastinginfluenceoverEmily.5.TobeisablackAfricanAmerican,Emilysservant.6.ColonelSartorisistheformermayorofJefferson.ColonelSartorisabsolvesEmilyoftaxburdenafterthedeathofherfather.,Insection1Itwasabig,squarishframehousethathadoncebeenwhite,decoratedwithcupolasandspiresandscrolledbalconiesintheheavilylightsomestyleoftheseventies,setonwhathadoncebeenourmostselectstreet.,纳税事件Theyrosewhensheentered-asmall,fatwomaninblack,withathingoldchaindescendingtoherwaistandvanishingintoherbelt,leaningonanebonycanewithatarnishedgoldhead.Herskeletonwassmallandspare;perhapsthatwaswhywhatwouldhavebeenmerelyplumpnessinanotherwasobesityinher.Shelookedbloated,likeabodylongsubmergedinmotionlesswater,andofthatpallidhue.Hereyes,lostinthefattyridgesofherface,lookedliketwosmallpiecesofcoalpressedintoalumpofdoughastheymovedfromonefacetoanotherwhilethevisitorsstatedtheirerrand.,Hervoicewasdryandcold.IhavenotaxesinJefferson.ColonelSartorisexplainedittome.Perhapsoneofyoucangainaccesstothecityrecordsandsatisfyyourselves.Butwehave.Wearethecityauthorities,MissEmily.Didntyougetanoticefromthesheriff,signedbyhim?Ireceivedapaper,yes,MissEmilysaid.Perhapsheconsidershimselfthesheriff.IhavenotaxesinJefferson.,Butthereisnothingonthebookstoshowthat,youseeWemustgobythe-SeeColonelSartoris.IhavenotaxesinJefferson.But,MissEmily-SeeColonelSartoris.(ColonelSartorishadbeendeadalmosttenyears.)IhavenotaxesinJefferson.Tobe!TheNegroappeared.Showthesegentlemenout.,Insection21.Theladiesdidntbelievethataman,anyman,couldkeepakitchenproperly.Whentheterriblesmelldeveloped,theythoughtitwasbecausethemanservantdidntkeepthekitchenclean.2.Thenextdaythemayorreceivedtwomorecomplaints.Oneofthemwasfromamanwhocameandpleadedtothemayorinashyandtimidway.,.,3.MissEmilysatinthewindowwiththelightbehindher.Whatpeoplecouldseewashersilhouette,adarkfigureseenagainstalightbackground.InthisimageShedidntlooklikealivingpersonbutanidol,oragoddess.Suchaimagesuitedherrigidandstubbornpersonality,herarrogantcharacter.,4.Wehadlongthoughtofthemasatableau,MissEmilyaslenderfigureinwhiteinthebackground,herfatheraspraddledsilhouetteintheforeground,hisbacktoherandclutchingahorsewhip,thetwoofthemframedbytheback-flungfrontdoor.从爱米丽与她父亲的站姿可以看出，在她们家是父权的天下。她父亲对她要求很严厉，把所有向她求婚的人都赶走了。,5.ThedayafterMr.Griersonsdeath,thewomenofthetowncallonEmilytooffertheircondolences.Meetingthematthedoor,Emilystatesthatherfatherisnotdead,andshedidthatforthreedays.Shefinallyturnsherfathersbodyoverforburial.,Insection31.HomersoonbecomesapopularfigureintownandisseentakingEmilyonbuggyridesonSundayafternoons.2.AtfirstweweregladthatEmilywouldhaveaninterest,becausethatladiesallsaid,“OfcourseaGriersonwouldnotthinkseriouslyofaNortherner,adaylaborer.Buttherewerestillothers,olderpeople,whosaidthatevengriefcouldnotcausealadytoforgenoblesseoblige.,3.Astheaffaircontinuesandherreputationisfurthercompromised,shegoestothestoretopurchasearsenic.4.Iwantsomepoison,shesaidtothedruggist.Shewasoverthirtythen,stillaslightwoman,thoughthinnerthanusual,withcold,haughtyblackeyesinafacethefleshofwhichwasstrainedacrossthetemplesandabouttheeyesocketsasyouimaginealighthouse-keepersfaceoughttolook.Iwantsomepoison,shesaid.Yes,MissEmily.Whatkind?Forratsandsuch?Idrecom-“Iwantthebestyouhave.Idontcarewhatkind.,Thedruggistnamedseveral.Theyllkillanythinguptoanelephant.Butwhatyouwantis-“”Arsenic,“MissEmilysaid.”Isthatagoodone?“”Is.arsenic?Yes,maam.Butwhatyouwant-“”Iwantarsenic.“Thedruggistlookeddownather.ShelookedBackathim,erect,herfacelikeastrainedflag.Why,ofcourse,thedruggistsaid.Ifthatswhatyouwant.Butthelawrequiresyoutotellwhatyouaregoingtouseitfor.,MissEmilyjuststaredathim,herheadtiltedbackinordertolookhimeyeforeye,untilhelookedawayandwentandgotthearsenicanditup.TheNegrodeliveryboybroughtherthepackage;thedruggistdidntcomeback.Whensheopenedthepackageathometherewaswrittenonthebox,undertheskullandbones:Forrats.,Insection41.SomeofthetownpeoplefearthatEmilywillusethepoisontokillherself.HerpotentialmarriagetoHomerseemsincreasinglyunlikely,despitetheircontinuedSundayritual.Thensomeofladiesbegantosaythatitwasadisgracetothetownandabadexampletotheyoungpeople.Themendidnotwanttointerfere,butatlasttheladiesforcedtheBaptistminister-MissEmilyspeoplewereEpiscopal-tocalluponher.Hewouldneverdivulgewhathappenedduringthatinterview,butherefusedtogobackagain.inAlabama.,ThenextSundaytheyagaindroveaboutthestreets,andthefollowingdaytheministerswifewrotetoMissEmilysrelations.2.EmilyordersasilvertoiletsetmonogrammedwithHomersinitials.Homer,absentfromtown,butwebelievedthathehadgonetoprepareforMissEmilyscoming,ortogiveherachancetogetridofthecousins.3.Afterthecousinsdeparture,HomerenterstheGriersonhomeoneeveningandisneveragain.,.,4.NowMissEmilynolongerwentout.Nowandthenwewouldseeherinoneofthedownstairswindows-Shehadevidentlyshutthetopfloorofthehouse-likethecarved,torsoofanidolinaniche,lookingornotlookingatus,wecouldnevertellwhich.Thusshepassedfromgenerationtogenerationdear,Inescapable,impervious,tranquil,andperverse.,Niche(神龛),Insection51.withthecrayonfaceofherfathermusingprofoundlyabovethebierandtheladiessibilantandmacabre;andtheveryoldmen-someintheirbrushedConfederateuniforms-ontheporchandthelawn,talkingofMissEmilyasifshehadbeenacontemporaryoftheirs,believingthattheyhaddancedwithherandcourtedherperhaps,confusingtimewithitsmathematicalprogression,astheolddo,towhomallthepastisnotadiminishingroadbut,instead,ahugemeadowwhichnowintereverquitetouches,dividedfromthemnowbythenarrowbottle-neckofthemostrecentdecadeofyears.,停尸架上方悬挂着她父亲的炭笔画像，一脸深刻沉思的表情，妇女们唧唧喳喳地谈论着死亡，而老年男子呢有些人还穿上了刷得很干净的南方同盟军制服则在走廊上，草坪上纷纷谈论着爱米丽小姐的一生，仿佛她是他们的同龄人，而且还相信和她跳过舞，甚至向她求过爱，他们把按数学级数向前推进的时间给搅混了。这是老年人常有的情形。在他们看来，过去的岁月不是一条越来越窄的路，而是一片广袤的连冬天也对它无所影响的大草地，只是近十年来才像窄小的瓶口一样，把他们同过去隔断了。,2.Athin,acridpallasofthetombseemedtolieeverywhereuponthisroomdeckedandfurnishedasforabridal:uponthevalancecurtainsoffadedrosecolor,upontherose-shadedlights,uponthedressingtable,uponthedelicatearrayofcrystalandthemanstoiletthingsbackedwithtarnishedsilver,silversotarnishedthatthemonogramwasobscured.Amongthemlayacollarandtie,asiftheyhadjustbeenremoved,which,lifted,leftuponthesurfaceapalerescentinthedust.Uponachairhungthesuit,carefullyfolded;beneathitthetwomuteshoesandthediscardedsocks.,这间布置得像新房的屋子，仿佛到处都笼罩着墓室一般的淡淡的阴惨惨的氛围：败了色的玫瑰色窗帘，玫瑰色的灯罩，梳妆台，一排精细的水晶制品和白银做底的男人盥洗用具，但白银已毫无光泽，连刻制的姓名字母图案都已无法辨认了。杂物中有一条硬领和领带，仿佛刚从身上取下来似的，把它们拿起来时，在台面上堆积的尘埃中留下淡淡的月牙痕。椅子上放着一套衣服，折叠得好好的；椅子底下有两只寂寞无声的鞋和一双扔了不要的袜子。,3.Thebodyhadapparentlyoncelainintheattitudeofanembrace,butnowthelongsleepthatoutlastslove,thatconquerseventhegrimaceoflove,hadcuckoldedhim.Whatwasleftofhim,rottedbeneathwhatwasleftofthenightshirt,hadbecomeinextricablefromthebedinwhichhelay;anduponhimanduponthepillowbesidehimlaythatevencoatingo