【荆棘鸟】第二章 13(在线收听

 "What happened then?"
  "Sister Ag caned her good and proper, and sent her home in disgrace." "Well, I'd say she's had punishment enough. I have a lot of respect for the nuns and I" know it isn't our place to question what they do, but I wish they were a bit less eager with the cane. I know they have to beat the three R's into our thick Irish heads, but after all, it was wee Meggie's first day at school."
  Frank was staring at his father, amazed. Not until this moment had Paddy ever communicated man-to man with his oldest son. Shocked out of perpetual resentment, Frank realized that for all his proud boasting,
  Paddy loved Meggie more than he did his sons. He found himself almost liking his father, so he smiled without the mistrust. "She's a bonzer little thing, isn't she?" he asked. Paddy nodded absently, engrossed in watching her. The horse blew its lips in and out, flapping; Meggie stirred, rolled over and opened her eyes. When she saw her father standing beside Frank she sat bolt upright, fright paling her skin.
  "Well, Meggie girl, you've had quite a day, haven't you?" Paddy went over and lifted her out of the hay, gasping as he caught a whiff of her. Then he shrugged his shoulders and held her against him hard. "I got caned, Daddy," she confessed.
  "Well, knowing Sister Agatha, it won't be the last time," he laughed, perching her on his shoulder. "We'd better see if Mum's got any hot water in the copper to give you a bath. You smell worse than Jarman's dairy." Frank went to the doorway and watched the two fiery heads bobbing up the path, then turned to find the bay mare's gentle eyes fixed on him. "Come on, you big old bitch. I'll ride you home," he told it, scooping up a halter.
  Meggie's vomiting turned out to be a blessing is disguise. Sister Agatha still caned her regularly, but always from far enough away to escape the consequences, which lessened the strength of her arm and quite spoiled her aim.
  The dark child who sat next to her was the youngest daughter of the Italian man who owned and operated Wahine's bright blue cafe. Her name was Teresa Annunzio, and she was just dull enough to escape Sister Agatha's attention without being so dull that it turned her into Sister Agatha's butt. When her teeth grew in she was quite strikingly beautiful, and Meggie adored her. 
 
“后来呢?”
    “阿加莎嬷嬷用藤条着着实实地饱抽了她一顿,让她丢尽了脸,赶回家来了。”
    “噢,我得说,罚她也罚够了。我对修女们是非常尊敬的,也知道我们无权对她们所干的事提出疑问,不过我希望她们对藤条还是少热衷一点的好。我明白,她们得把读、写、算这三基本功打进咱们那些不开窍的爱尔兰人的脑袋里去,不过。今大毕竟是梅吉头一天上学呀”弗兰克惊异地望着他的父亲。在此之前,帕迪还从来没和他的大儿子像大人对大人那样交换过看法呢。这解除了弗兰克对他的父亲常常怀有的怨恨,他认识到帕达爱梅吉甚于爱他的儿子们。他觉得他自己都有些喜欢他的父亲了,因此,他微笑了一其中毫无不信任的意思。
    “她是个顶刮刮的小妞儿,对吗?”他问道。
    帕迪心不在焉地点点砂,他正出神地看着她呢;那匹马扭动着,嘴唇一阵阵地向外喷着气、梅吉动了动,翻了个身,睁开了眼睛。当她看见爸爸站在弗兰克身边时,便腾地坐了起来,脸都吓白了。
    “喂,梅吉姑娘,这一天挺难熬吧?”帕迪走上前去,将她从干草堆里抱了出来;她身上的味道冲得他喘不过气。他耸了耸肩,紧紧地搂住了她。
    “我挨藤条了,爸爸。”她坦白道。
    “噢,和阿加莎嬷嬷打交道,这不会是最后一回的,”他笑着,将她放在肩膀上。
    “我们最好去看看妈是不是在铜炊里烧她了热水给你洗澡。你身上的味比贾曼先生的牛奶房还难闻呢。”
    弗兰克走到门前,看见小路上突然冒出了两个红脑袋,接着,他转过身去,看见栗色母马那温和的目光牢牢地盯着他。
    “喂,你这个老骚货,我要骑着你回家了。”他对它说道,一把拉过了笼头。
    梅吉的呕吐并不是真正的福音。阿加莎嬷嬷依然经常叫她吃藤条,不过,打她的时候总是躲得远远的,免得自食其果,这减轻了她胳膊的劲儿,也使她难遂其愿。
    坐在她旁边的那个黑黑的女孩子是韦汉开黄色酒吧的那位意大利人的最年幼的女儿。
    她的名字叫特丽萨·安南奇奥。她不很活跃,因此她能逃过阿加莎嬷嬷的注意,但却又并不呆笨,不至于成为阿加莎嬷嬷讥笑的对象。当她的牙齿露出来的时候,她是非常漂亮的,梅吉很喜欢她
  原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/syysdw/jjn/397034.html