枪口

The Muzzles

徐光兴

Xu Quangxing

官复原职的N省建材局杨局长和李秘书，走在篙草丛生、芦荻疏落的湖边。“烟中列峋青无数，雁背夕阳红欲暮。”西风，秋水，雁阵，衔着落日的远山，交融在一起，更增添打猎者的无限兴致。

Yang had just been sent back to his former post, Chief of the Provincial Building Material Bureau. Later one afternoon he was walking with Secretary Li, hunting beside the lake where wormwood grew abundantly among scattered reeds. There were seemingly endless green mountain ranges stretching into thin mist, and wild geese silhouetted against the glow of the setting sun. An autumn stream ruffled by the west wind, and the lines of wild geese set against the background of distant mountains embracing the sinking sun, harmoniously merged to enhance the joy of the hunters.

“嘎——”传来一声水禽被惊动的鸣叫。杨局长从李秘书手里接过一支崭新的猎枪，爱抚地摸了一下。它是双筒枪管，枪身瓦蓝铮亮，枪口黑黝黝的，有一股逼人的寒气。货三十多年前他打游击时，也没拿到过这样的枪。

"Quack!” came the cry o# a startled water bird. Bureau Chief Yang took the brand-new hunting gun from Secretary L and caressed it with affection. It was a double-barreled shotgun with a shining blue body and a pair of chilling black muzzles. He had never held such a fine weapon, not even in those days of guerrilla warfare thirty years before.

“吱嘎——嘎呷”，从附近湖面的荷梗残苇中，窜出几只白颈黄蹼、羽毛灰麻麻的水鸭子，在空中扑腾乱飞，惊悸声声。赶着猎狗的捕猎社员，也悄悄地摸到这儿。好几支猎枪的枪口，同时瞄准了这些空中猎物。

"Quack! Quack!" Out fluttered into the air several grey-feathered ducks with white necks and yellow webbed feet. The commune hunters stole to the lakeside, their hounds at their heels. Several muzzles at once aimed at the fleeing birds in the air.

“砰——”老杨开枪了。一缕白烟消散，一只水鸭子像断线的风筝，从半空中坠下。

"Bang!" Old Yang fired. A wisp of white smoke dispersed to reveal a duck falling from the sky like a stringless kite.

“打中喽，打中喽！杨局长，你真不愧是当年游击队里的神枪手。”李秘书像个孩子似的跳着嚷着，奔过去捡猎获物。

"You've scored a hit! Chief Yang, you did deserve to be called the crackshot in the guerrilla warfare days!" Secretary Li jumped and shouted with joy like a child and rushed to pick up the shot bird.

老杨只是“嘿嘿”笑了几声，拍着枪连声说：“好枪，好枪！”

Old Yang chuckled, patted the gun and said, “Excellent shotgun! Excellent indeed!"

他俩朝熄了引擎的黑色小轿车走去。老杨说：“老王这家伙，介绍的地点还蛮不错呢。”

As they were walking to the waiting black car, Old Yang remarked, “That fellow Wang recommended a fairly good spot to us for hunting.”

李秘书试探地凑上前去说：“他是您的老部下嘛。这次他请您批50吨建材物资给他……”

Seizing the opportunity, Secretary Li cut in probingly, “He used to be your subordinate, didn't he? This time Ws asked you to grant him 50 tons of building material . . .

“你不要为他做说客。不批，半个字也不批；针尖大的洞，也会刮进斗大的风。咱党员干部，那歪门邪道不要搞。”他停了一下，朝烟波迷茫、水天一色的湖面瞧去。“好景致，可惜婷儿没有同来。”

"Don't you ever try to talk me into consenting on his behalf. I won't agree, not or any account! A tiny opening will let in a gust of wind. We Party cadres should not engage in any under-the-counter business." Yang stopped to glance over the misty lake where the water joined the sky. "What a nice view! It's a pity that my daughter Ting hasn't come with us, " he concluded.

“她今天有更高兴的事儿。”李秘书故作神秘地笑笑说，“王主任托了文化局的老马，同意把您的女儿调到省实验话剧团工作。”

"There is something nicer in store for her today," Secretary Li smiled with an air of mystery and went on. "Director Wang has managed to get your daughter transferred to the Provincial Drama Troupe with the help of Old Ma of the Cutural Bureau. "

“嗯？”老杨的眉毛拧了个结。李秘书只当没察觉，坐进轿车，手扶在车门上，仿佛自言自语地说：“就拿这辆车来说吧，也是王主任出力调拨给您的。那回大姐犯病进院，还多亏这辆车接送。”

"Really?" Old Yang knitted his brows. Secretary Li pretended not to notice it and got into the car, and with his hand still on the door, murmured as if to himself, "As for this car, it was allocated to you through the effort of Director Wang too. When your wife fell ill, she was rushed to hospital in the same car. "

“该死，早把我当猎物给瞄上了。”他下意识地摄紧枪把想。李秘书一眼溜到枪上，像又想起什么说：“王主任知道您喜欢打猎，这支猎枪，就是他特意托人专程送到您家的……”

"Damn it? I have long been aimed at as a target!" Old Yang thought as he subconsciously tightened his gasp on the shotgun. Secretary Li took a swift glance at the gun, and seeming to have been reminded of something, said, "Director Wang knew that you were fond of hunting, so he had this shotgun sent especially to your home. . ."

车发动了。老杨陡然一惊，不觉倒抽一口冷气：黑黝黝双筒枪口，冒着寒气，就像两只黑洞洞的眼睛，死死地瞄准了他……

The engine started. Old Yang was taken aback and couldn't help drawing his breath sharply. The chilling black muzzles glared coldly at him lust like a pair of black eves.

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