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谢谢你,女士

【美】兰斯顿·休斯

    她是个高头大马的女人,背着一个大皮包。忽然一个男孩从后面跑上来,皮包带子被他从背后猛然拉了一下,断了。男孩失了平衡,不但未能如愿抢走皮包,摔了个四脚朝天。高头大马的女人回过身来,准确无比地朝他穿着牛仔裤的屁股上踢了下去,然后弯下身,揪住男孩胸前的衬衫,不停摇晃,直到他的牙齿咯咯作响。

    女人说:“把我的皮包捡起来,小子,拿起来交给我。”

    她仍然紧紧抓住他,但再弯下去一些,好让那男孩蹲下去捡她的皮包。她说:“你不觉得可耻吗?”胸前衬衫被紧紧扭住的男孩说:“是。”

    女人说:“你为什么要这么做?”

    “我不是故意的。”

    “你撒谎!”

    “小姐,对不起。”男孩小声说。

    “嗯哼!你的脸很脏。你家里没人告诉你要洗脸吗?”

    “没有。”

    “那么,今天晚上得清洗一番。”高头大马的女人一边说,一边拖着那个吓坏了的男孩往前走。男孩像是十四、五岁,弱不禁风。女人说:“如果你以为我们的接触就只那么一下子,那你就错了。等我把你料理完毕,你一辈子都忘不了钟斯太太。”

    汗不断从那男孩脸上冒出来,他开始挣扎。钟斯太太架住他的脖子,推着他往前走。到了她家门前,她把男孩拉进一个摆设着厨房用具的大房间,仍抓住他的脖子:“叫什么名字?”

    “罗杰。”

    “好,罗杰,到那个水槽边,把脸洗一洗。”

    女人说,并且放开他——终于。罗杰看着门——看看那女人——看看门——然后走到水槽前面。

    “这是干净的毛巾。”女人把毛巾递给男孩。

    “你会让我去坐牢吗?”男孩问,一边弯向水槽。

    “不会让你带着那张脏脸去,我不会带你去任何地方的。”女人说:“吃过了吗?” “我家一个人也没有。”

    “那我们一起吃好了,”女人说:“我想你是饿了——或者,刚才就一直是饿着的——才来抢我的皮包。”

    “我想买一双蓝色的麂皮鞋。”男孩说。

    “那你不必抢我的皮包呀?钟斯太太说,“你可以要求我买给你。”

    “是吗?”那男孩看着她,水珠沿着脸庞滴下来。好一会,两人都没有说话。他擦干了脸,由于不知道要做什么好,就又擦了一次,然后转过身来,不知道接下来怎么办。门是开着的,他可以冲出去逃跑。女人坐在靠椅上,过了一下子,说:“假使我再年轻一次;倘若想要我得不到的东西……”

    男孩不自觉地皱起眉头。

    女人说:“嗯哼!你以为我接着要说‘但是’,对不对?你以为我要说,‘但是我没有抢人家的皮包’?我并不打算说这句话。”

    暂停。静默。

    “我也做过一些事情,不过我并不想告诉你,也不想告诉上帝。每个人都有一些相同的地方,所以我弄东西给我们吃的时候,你就坐下吧。”

    钟斯太太站起来,走到屏风后面。现在,那女人并没有注意男孩是不是打算跑掉,也没有看她放在靠椅上的皮包,但是男孩小心地坐在房间的另一边,离皮包远远的,而且是他认为她可以轻易用眼睛余光看见他的地方。

    “你需不需要有人替你跑腿,”男孩问:“买点牛奶什么的?”

    “不必,”女人说:“我可以用罐装的。”

    她把从冰箱拿出来的青豆和火腿弄热,泡了可可,铺好餐桌。女人并未询问他有关住处、家人,及其他任何会令他困窘的问题。倒是吃东西时,告诉他她在某个旅馆的美容部工作,总是工作到很晚,也告诉他工作的内容,以及那些来来往往,各种各样的女人——金发的、红发的,还有西班牙人。然后把她那块一角钱的蛋糕切了一半给他:“再吃一点,孩子。”

    吃完后,她站起来,说:“现在,这儿,你拿这十块钱去买那双蓝色麂皮鞋。下次,别再打我的或其他人的皮包的主意——因为用不正当手段弄来的鞋子会烫到你的脚。我要休息了。”

    她领着他走到前门,把门打开。

    “晚安!孩子!”她说,他走下台阶时,她的眼光顺着街道看过去。除了“谢谢你,女士”之外,男孩还想说些什么,但是一直走到了光秃秃的台阶下层,他仰头看着门内那高头大马的女人,他仍只动了动了动嘴唇,连那句话都说不出来。然后,她关上了门。

(有删节)

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    Detective Keeling took his client—a good­looking lady into the back yard of the store together. The lady opened a door in the wall and they entered the small room behind the store. They crossed the room to a locked door.

    Mr. Keeling took some special keys from his pocket. Moments later, one of the keys unlocked the door. The lady went into the store. She said she would hide under the table to keep watch on her husband. Mr. Keeling did not follow her.

    The detective went quickly to the policeman's house. Then the two men hurried to the jewellery store. They looked through the window. The policeman was surprised. He spoke to Mr. Keeling, “I don't understand. You told me, ‘Robbins took a young woman to a restaurant.' Where is she?”

    “There she is!” said Mr. Keeling. He pointed through the window.

    “Do you know the lady with Robbins?” asked the policeman.

    “That's his secret friend,” said Mr. Keeling.

    “No! You're wrong! That's Robbins' wife,” said the policeman. “I've known her for fifteen years.”

    “What?” the detective shouted. His face became pale. “Who is under the table in the store?” He started to kick the door of the jewellery store. Mr. Robbins came to the door and opened it. The policeman and the detective ran into the store.

    “Look under that table!” shouted the detective. “Be quick!”

    The policeman lifted the cloth and put his arm under the table. He pulled out a black dress, a black veil and a woman's wig(假发).

    “Is this young lady your wife?” Mr. Keeling asked the jeweller. He pointed at the woman.

    “Yes! She is my wife!” said Mr. Robbins angrily. “Why did you kick my door? Why are those clothes under my table?”

    “Please check all the jewellery in your store, Mr. Robbins,” the policeman said. “Is anything missing?”

    Some diamond rings and some expensive necklaces were missing. The missing jewellery was worth $800. Later that night, Mr. Keeling was sitting in his office. He was looking through a big book of photographs. They were photographs of criminals. The policeman had brought the book to the detective's office. Suddenly, Mr. Keeling stopped turning the pages. He looked at a picture of a handsome young man with a familiar face.

    The next morning, Mr. Keeling paid the jeweller $800, then closed his office.