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They feel secure. They know their work clothes will be mended, washed, and ironed on Monday, that their Sunday shirts will billow on hangers from the door jamb, stifly starched and white. Theylook at her hands and know what she will do with biscuit dough; they smell the coffee and the fried ham; see the white, smoky grits with a dollop of butter on top. Her hips assure them that she will bear children easily and painlessly. And they are right.
他们感到安全。他们知道工作服在周一早上会被洗得干干净净，缝补熨烫整齐；做礼拜穿的衬衫会挂在门后的衣架上，浆洗得洁白如新。看到她的手就知道她会做点心；闻得见咖啡和煎火腿的香味；看得见玉米面饼子上的一团黄油。她的臀部让他们确信生孩子既容易又不痛苦。他们往往是对的。
What they do not know is that this plain brown girl will build her nest stick by stick, make it her own inviolable world, and stand guard over its every plant, weed, and doily, even against him. In silence will she return the lamp to where she put it in the first place; remove the dishes from the table as soon as the last bite is taken; wipe the doorknob after a greasy hand has touched it. A sidelong look will be enough to tell him to smoke on the back porch. Children will sense instantly that they cannot come into her yard to retrieve a ball. But the men do not know these things. Nor do they know that she will give him her body sparingly and partially.
然而他们并不知道就是这些貌不惊人的棕色女孩儿会用一根根的树枝构筑她们的巢穴，使其成为不可侵犯的独立王国。她们会警觉地看护着每一棵花草，每一件财产，即使得罪他也在所不惜。她会不声不响地把台灯放回原先她放灯的位置；人们刚刚吃完最后一口饭，她就会把碗盘撤走；油手接触过的门把会被立即擦拭干净。一个斜视足以让他知道该到后院去抽烟。孩子们本能地感到他们不能进她的院子去捡球。可是男人是不会知道这一切的。他们也不会知道她不会将肉体慷慨大方毫无保留地让他享受。
Occasionally some living thing will engage her affections. A cat, perhaps, who will love her order, precision, and constancy; who will be as clean and quiet as she is. The cat will settle quietly on the windowsill and caress her with his eyes. She can hold him in her arms, letting his back paws struggle for footing on her breast and his forepaws cling to her shoulder. She can rub the smooth fur and feel the unresisting flesh underneath.
一些小生命会偶然引起她的爱怜之心。比如，一只对她的整洁、严谨、坚定已很习惯的小猫，一只和她一样洁净安详的小猫。小猫会不声不响地坐在窗台上用眼睛上下打量她。她会用手臂把它抱起，让它的后爪在她的前胸来冋蹬动，寻找落脚之地，前爪则搭在她的肩膀上。她会轻轻地抚摸平滑的猫毛，感受它全身肌肉的松弛。
