諾貝爾文學經典:《寵兒》第3章Part 1

RAINWATER held on to pine needles for dear life and Beloved could not take her eyes off Sethe.
Stooping to shake the damper, or snapping sticks for kindlin, Sethe was licked, tasted, eaten byBeloved's eyes. Like a familiar, she hovered, never leaving the room Sethe was in unless requiredand told to. She rose early in the dark to be there, waiting, in the kitchen when Sethe came down tomake fast bread before she left for work. In lamplight, and over the flames of the cooking stove,their two shadows clashed and crossed on the ceiling like black swords. She was in the window attwo when Sethe returned, or the doorway; then the porch, its steps, the path, the road, till finally,surrendering to the habit, Beloved began inching down Bluestone Road further and further eachday to meet Sethe and walk her back to 124. It was as though every afternoon she doubted anewthe older woman's return.
Sethe was flattered by Beloved's open, quiet devotion. The same adoration from her daughter (hadit been forthcoming) would have annoyed her; made her chill at the thought of having raised aridiculously dependent child. But the company of this sweet, if peculiar, guest pleased her the waya zealot pleases his teacher.
Time came when lamps had to be lit early because night arrived sooner and sooner. Sethe wasleaving for work in the dark; Paul D was walking home in it. On one such evening dark and cool,Sethe cut a rutabaga into four pieces and left them stewing. She gave Denver a half peck of peas tosort and soak overnight. Then she sat herself down to rest. The heat of the stove made her drowsyand she was sliding into sleep when she felt Beloved touch her. A touch no heavier than a featherbut loaded, nevertheless, with desire. Sethe stirred and looked around. First at Beloved's soft newhand on her shoulder, then into her eyes. The longing she saw there was bottomless. Some pleabarely in control. Sethe patted Beloved's fingers and glanced at Denver, whose eyes were fixed onher pea-sorting task.

雨水死死抓住松針，而寵兒的眼睛一時一刻也不離開塞絲。
無論是哈腰推動風門，還是劈劈啪啪地生爐子，塞絲始終被寵兒的眼睛舔着、嘗着、咀嚼着。她像一位常客似的泡在塞絲去的每間屋子，不要求、不命令的話從不離開。她一大早就摸黑起來，到廚房裏等着塞絲在上班之前下樓來做快餐麪包。燈光下，爐火旁，她們兩人的身影像黑劍一般在棚頂上相互撞擊和交錯。塞絲兩點鐘回家時，她總在窗口或者門口等着；然後是門廊、臺階、小路、大路，直到最後，習慣愈演愈烈，寵兒開始每天在藍石路上一英寸一英寸地越走越遠，去迎塞絲，再同她一道走回124號。彷彿每天下午她都要對那位年長的女人的歸來重新置疑一番。
寵兒坦率、無聲的忠誠讓塞絲受寵若驚。同樣的崇拜如果來自她的女兒（說來就來），是會讓她厭煩的；一想到自己養出一個可笑的、依賴性強的孩子，她就不寒而慄。可是有這樣一個甜蜜、也許還有點特別的客人相伴，她十分滿意，這情形就彷彿一個狂熱的徒弟很討他老師的歡心。
漸漸地，燈點得早了，因爲夜幕降臨得越來越早。塞絲摸黑去上班；保羅·D天黑纔回家。在這樣一個又黑又涼的傍晚，塞絲把一塊捲心菜切成四份燉上。她讓丹芙剝半配克豌豆，泡上一夜。然後她坐下來休息。爐子的熱氣使她犯困，她剛昏昏欲睡，就感覺到寵兒在碰她。比羽毛還輕的觸摸，卻滿載着慾望。塞絲動了動，四下打量。先看看肩上寵兒那隻嬌嫩的手，再看看她的眼睛。她從那裏看到的渴望是無底的深淵。某種勉強抑制住的懇求。塞絲拍拍寵兒的手指，瞟了一眼丹芙，她正專心地剝着豌豆。