牛津書蟲系列 猴爪 Chapter 6

　　Chapter 6

　　Three days later，in the big，new cemetery two miles from their house，the two old people said goodbye to their dead son.Then they went back to their dark，old house. They did not want to live without Herbert， but they waited for something good to happen， something to help them.The days went by very slowly. Sometimes they did not talk because there was nothing to say without Herbert. And so the days felt very long.

　　Then，one night，about a week later，Mrs White got out of bed because she could not sleep. She sat by the window and she watched and waited for her son. He did not come and she began to cry quietly.

　　In the dark her husband heard her and he called，'Come back to bed. It's cold out there.'

　　'It's colder for my son，'his wife answered.'He's out there in the cold cemetery.'

　　Mrs White did not go back to bed， but Mr White was old and tired and the bed was warm. So， in the end， he went to sleep again. Suddenly he heard a cry from his wife.

　　'The paw!' she cried.'The monkey's paw!' She came back to the bed and stood there.

　　'What is it ? What's the matter?'Mr White cried.He sat up in bed.'What's the matter? 'he thought.'Why is she ex cited? What's she talking about?' He looked at his wife.

　　Her face was very white in the dark.'I want it，'she said quietly， 'and you've got it! Give it to me! Please!'

　　'What?' Mr White asked.

　　'The monkey's paw， Mrs White said.'Where is it?'

　　'It's downstairs， Mr White answered.'Why?'

　　Mrs White began to laugh and cry.'We can have two more wishes! 'she cried. 'We had one—but there are two more!'

　　'Oh，no!Not again! Think， woman!' Mr White cried. But Mrs White did not listen.

　　'Quickly，' she said .'Go and get the paw. We're going to wish for our boy to come back to us!'

　　'No!' Mr White cried.'You're mad!'

　　'Get it! Get it quickly!' Mrs White cried again.

　　Mr White said again，'Think， woman! Think! Our boy was in the machinery for a long time. They didn't want to show him to us! Think!Do you want to see his body?'

　　'Yes! He's my son. I'm not afraid of him!' she answered.

　　'You don't understand，' Mr White said sadly， but he went downstairs to look for the monkey's paw.

　　In the living-room it was dark and Mr White did not have a candle. Slowly， he went across the room and he put out his hand for the monkey's paw. He touched it， and quickly took his hand away again.

　　'No!' he thought.'I can't!I don't want to see Herbert! His face—after he was in the machinery… no!'

　　Then he thought about his wife—and he put out his hand and took the paw.

　　In the bedroom his wife waited. She saw the paw in Mr White's hand and cried，'Quick! Make the wish!'

　　'I can't，'Mr White answered. 'Remember—he died in the machinery!'

　　'Make the wish! I'm not afraid of my own son!'Mrs White cried again.

　　Mr White looked sadly at his wife， but he took the paw in his right hand and said slowly，'I wish for my son， Herbert， to come back to us.'then he sat down in the nearest chair.

　　But Mrs White went over to the window and looked out into the road. She stayed there for a long time and she did not move. Nothing happened. The monkey's paw could not do it!

　　'Thank God!'Mr White said，and he went back to bed.

　　Soon Mrs White went to bed too.

　　6

　　三天后，在離他們家兩英里遠的一個大而新的墓地，兩位老人和他們死去的兒子道別了。然后，他們回到了又黑又舊的房子。沒有了赫伯特，他們什么也不想做，他們等待著奇跡發(fā)生。時間過得很慢，有時他們連話也不想說，因為沒有了赫伯特，就無話可說了。所以他們覺得白天很長。

　　一周后的一天晚上，懷特太太因失眠從床上爬了起來。她坐在窗戶邊看著，等著她的兒子回來。想到赫伯特也回不來了，她又低聲地哭了起來。

　　黑暗中，她丈夫聽見了她的哭聲，叫她，“過來睡吧，那兒太冷了。”

　　“我兒子那兒更冷，”他妻子回應(yīng)他，“他一個人呆在外面冰冷的墓地里。”

　　懷特太太沒有回去睡覺，但懷特先生因又老又累，加上溫暖的被窩，很快又睡著了。突然他聽見了妻子的叫聲。

　　“爪子!”她喊道，“猴爪!”她走到床邊站在那兒。

　　“出了什么事?”懷特先生叫著從床上坐了起來，他想，“她為什么那么興奮?她說什么?”他疑惑地看著妻子。

　　她的臉色在黑暗中顯得很蒼白。“我要猴爪，在你那兒，請把它給我，”她靜靜地說。

　　“什么?”懷特先生沒聽明白。

　　“猴爪，”懷特太太說，“猴爪在哪兒?”

　　“在樓下，但你為什么要它?”懷特先生不解。

　　懷特太太高興地叫了起來。“我們可以再許兩個愿!我們已經(jīng)許了一個，還有兩個!”

　　“不，再也不要了，好好想一想，老太太!”懷特先生大叫著，但懷特太太并不聽他說的話。

　　“快點，去把猴爪拿來，我們許愿我們的兒子回到我們身邊來!”她說。

　　“不，你瘋啦。”懷特先生叫了起來。

　　“拿來，快拿來!”懷特太太又喊叫著。

　　懷特先生勸她，“好好想一想，老太太，我們的孩子在機器里呆了那么長時間，人家都不讓我們看，你真的想看我們孩子的尸體?”

　　“是的，他是我兒子，我不害怕。”她回答說。

　　“你真不可理喻。”懷特先生悲哀地說。但他還是下樓去找猴爪。

　　客廳里很黑，懷特先生又沒有蠟燭。他慢慢地穿過房間，伸手摸著找猴爪。他摸到了但又很快把手縮了回去。

　　“不，我不能，我不想看到赫伯特被機器軋爛的臉。”他想。

　　但他又想到了他可憐的妻子，還是把猴爪拿了起來。

　　臥室里，妻子在等他。一看到懷特先生手里的猴爪她就叫起來，“快，快許愿!”

　　“我不能，”懷特先生答道，“記住，他是死在機器里!”

　　“許愿吧!我不害怕我自己的兒子。”懷特太太叫道。

　　懷特先生悲傷地看了一眼他的妻子，把猴爪放在右手里慢慢地說，“我希望我的兒子赫伯特回到我們身邊。”說完就在最近的椅子上坐了下來。

　　懷特太太走到窗戶邊上看著馬路。她長時間地呆在那兒不走。但什么也沒發(fā)生，猴爪并不起作用!

　　“感謝上帝!”懷特先生說著又睡覺去了。

　　不久，懷特太太也上了床。