-
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
As the show ends I look over at him and he’s gone, vanished back to my old room in my dad’s apartment, standing1 sleep-addled beside my old bed, falling into it, gratefully. I turn off the TV and the bedside lamp. 1973 street noises drift in the open window. I want to go home. I lie on the hard hotel bed, desolate2, alone. I still don’t understand.
Sunday, December 10, 1978 (Henry is 15, and 15)
HENRY: I’m in my bedroom with my self. He’s here from next March. We are doing what we often do when we have a little privacy, when it’s cold out, when both of us are past puberty and haven’t quite gotten around to actual girls yet. I think most people would do this, if they had the sort of opportunities I have. I mean, I’m not gay or anything.
It’s late Sunday morning. I can hear the bells ringing at St. Joe’s. Dad came home late last night; I think he must have stopped at the Exchequer3 after the concert; he was so drunk he fell down on the stairs and I had to haul him into the apartment and put him to bed. He coughs and I hear him messing around in the kitchen.
My other self seems distracted; he keeps looking at the door. “What?” I ask him. “Nothing,” he says. I get up and check the lock. “ No,” he says. He seems to be making a huge effort to speak. “Come on,” I say.
I hear Dad’s heavy step right outside my door. “Henry?” he says, and the knob of the door slowly turns and I abruptly4 realize that I have inadvertently unlocked the door and Henry leaps for it but it’s too late: Dad sticks his head in and there we are, in flagrante delicto. “Oh,” he says. His eyes are wide and he looks completely disgusted.
我们的耳朵只是尺寸不一的仿制品;我只是更高、更结实、刚刮过胡子而已,而他则是柔弱、清瘦,膝盖和肘部的骨节明显地突出在外。我抬手,把头发拢到发际后,给他看我在一次事故后留下的伤疤。
他下意识地学我这么做了,也碰到他额头上那块相同的疤痕。
“和我的一样。”我吃惊地对自己说,“你怎么也会有?”
“和你一样,一样的伤疤,我们是一样的。”
这若即若离的半透明的瞬间。我之前不明白,然后明白了,就是那么简单,我亲眼目睹了。我想同时成为两个自己,重温那种第一次模糊边缘、融化时间的感觉。我已经太习惯正常时空里的自己,而我现在不得不暂时离开它,不得不专心回忆起九岁时感知的奇迹。突然,我看见、我明白:我的朋友,我的向导,我的兄弟——就是我自己。自己,只有我自己。孤独的自己。
“你就是我。”
“是你长大的时候。”
“可是……其他人呢?”
“其他时间旅行者?”
他点了点头。
“我不知道还有没有其他人。我是说,我从来没有遇到过别人。”
一滴眼泪凝在他的左眼角处。我小的时候,曾想象过某个世界里,人人都是时间旅行者。其中,亨利,我的老师,他是个使者,是专门被派来培训我,是为了最后也让我融入到这个庞大的队伍中的。我至今都觉得自己是个被抛弃的人,是某个曾经的兴旺族群中的惟一幸存者,就像鲁滨孙在沙滩上发现一串意义非凡的脚印,最后却发现那些原来都是他自己的。而我自己,纤小犹如片叶,清瘦好似细流,想着想着,我哭了。我抱着他,抱着我,很久。
过了一会,我们让服务员送来热巧克力,再看了会强尼·卡森的搞笑节目。灯还开着,亨利已经睡着了。节目结束时,我转过身,他已经消失了,回到我父亲的那栋房子里,睡意酣然地出现在床边,满心感激地倒在上面。我关上电视和床头灯。一九七三年街头的喧嚣在窗外飘荡,我想回家。我躺在酒店硬邦邦的床上,孤单,寂寞,无法释怀。
一九七八年十二月十日,星期天(亨利十五岁,十五岁)
亨利:我和我自己都在卧室里,他来自次年三月。我们俩正在研究的是那种只要没有旁人我们就喜欢探讨的东西。外面很冷,我们已经开始发育,但还没有接触过真正的女孩子。我想,大多数人一旦有我这样的机会,都会做同样的事吧。不过,我可不是什么同性恋。
星期天,临近中午的时分,我能听到圣·裘教堂里的钟声。爸爸昨晚深夜才回来,我猜想他在音乐会结束后一定去了金库酒吧。他回家时烂醉如泥地瘫倒在门口的坡台上,我只好出去把他拖进屋子,再弄上床。他不停地咳嗽,我还听见他在厨房里乱翻了一阵。
另一个我似乎有些心不在焉的,不停地张望卧室的门。“怎么啦?”我问他。“没什么。”他回答。我起身检查门锁。“不。”他说,好像费了很大的劲儿才说出话来。“来吧。”我说。
爸爸重重的脚步声停在门口,“亨利?”他叫唤道,只见门把手缓缓地转开了,我突然意识到,我竟然粗心大意到忘了锁门的地步!亨利跳过去,可太晚了,爸爸伸进头来,把我们现场活捉。“噢!”他眼睛瞪得滚圆,仿佛眼前的事情令他极度恶心。
点击收听单词发音
1 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 desolate | |
adj.荒凉的,荒芜的;孤独的,凄凉的;v.使荒芜,使孤寂 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 exchequer | |
n.财政部;国库 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 abruptly | |
adv.突然地,出其不意地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|