I CAN DO MY OWN work fairly well during most of these chores,
大部分的家务活,我都能很好地完成。
and so I concentrate on Melville.
所以我把注意力集中在梅尔维尔的出题上。
("Discuss the similarity of the alienation theme in Bartleby the Scrivener and Kafka's Metamorphosis.")
(“讨论《文书巴托尔比》与卡夫卡的《变形记》中两个主题的相似性。”
But I am soon sidetracked.
但我很快分了神。
Unfortunately, I had not counted on the arrival of the "bib-bibs." ("Bib-bibs" are birds.)
我万万没有想到Bib-bibs会来(Bib-bibs是一种鸟)。
"Bib-bibs, bib-bibs!" shrieks Meghan, her eyes alive with expectation.
“Bib-bibs,Bib-bibs!”梅根尖叫着,眼睛里充满了期待。
She insists that I go with her to the window.
她坚持要我陪她到窗口。
"In a second. Just let me finish this question.
“等一下,我要问你一个问题。
Have you read Kafka's Metamorphosis, Meghan? You haven't?
你读过卡夫卡的《变形记》吗,梅根?没有读过吧?
You'd really enjoy it."
你会喜欢的。”
The sarcasm leaves no mark, and she pulls me by the hand (two fingers, actually) toward the window.
话一点不起作用,她拉着我的手(实际上是两根手指)走向窗口。
I see myself as a slow-wit in some novel, being led oaflike to watch the bib-bibs.
我把自己看作是某些小说中的弱智,被牵着去看bib-bibs。
And we do watch them.
我们看着这些鸟,
They chatter incessantly and leap back and forth on the lawn just outside our apartment window.
喋喋不休,在公寓窗外的草坪上跳来跳去。
Meghan is absorbed, but as I watch them,
梅根被吸引住了,但当我看着这些鸟的时候,
I wonder whether I parked the car under a tree last night.
我在想昨晚我有没有把车停在树下。
Suddenly she bolts from the room (she seldom walks),
突然她冲出房间(她很少走路),
and I hear her naked feet slapping against the wooden floor outside.
我听见她赤裸的双脚拍打着外面木地板的声音。
She returns with Dumpty.
她把Dumpty带回来了。
She holds him up to the window, stretching him out by his two pathetic, triangular arms and whispering into his nonexistent ear,
梅根双手环绕着把它抱到窗前,对着它那不存在的耳朵低声说:
"Bib-bibs, Hindy, bibbibs!" Dumpty smiles.
“Bib-bibs Hindy bibbibs !”Dumpty 带着微笑。
It's a much wider smile than it used to be.
笑容比以前更甜了。