第24章 牙疼姨妈 Aunty Toothache（2 / 2）

“I know all about it, “ said Aunty. there was a sorrowful sile on her lips, and her white teeth glistened.

但是我必须在我和姨妈的故事中开始一个新的篇章。

but I t beg a er y own and y aunt’s story.

三

III

我搬到了一个新的公寓，已经在那里住了一个月了。我正在给姨妈讲这件事。

I had oved to a and had been livg there a onth. I was tellg Aunty about it.

“我和一个安静的家庭住在一起；即使我按三次铃，他们也不会注意到我。此外，这是一个吵闹的房子，充满了天气、风和人引起的声音和干扰。我住在临街大门的正上方；每一辆进出的马车都使墙上的画晃动起来。大门砰砰作响，使房子摇晃，就好像发生了地震一样。如果我躺在床上，震动会传遍我的四肢，但据说这对神经有好处。”

“I live with a quiet faily; they pay no attention to , even if I rg three tis. besides, it is a noisy hoe, full of sounds and disturbances caed by the weather, the d, and the people. I live jt above the street gate; every carriage that drives out or akes the pictures on the walls ove about. the gate bangs and shakes the hoe as if there were ahquake. If I a ihe shocks ght through all y libs, but that is said to be streo the nerves.

如果刮风了 —— 在这个国家风总是在刮 —— 外面的长窗钩就会来回摆动，敲击着墙壁。

If the d blows, and it is always blog this try, the long dow hooks outside sg to and fro, and strike agast the wall.

邻居院子大门上的铃铛在每一阵风中都会响。

the bell oe to the neighbor’s yard rgs with every gt of d.

“住在这所房子里的人在任何时候都回家，从深夜一直到深夜；住在我楼上的房客，白天教长号，回来得最晚，在穿着铁鞋跟的沉重脚步进行一次午夜小散步之前他不会上床睡觉。

“the people who live the hoe e ho at all hours, fro te the eveng until far to the night; the lodger jt above , who the dayti gives lessons orobone, es ho the test and does not go to bed before he has taken a little idnight proh heavy steps and iron heeled shoes.

“没有双层窗户。我的房间里有一块破玻璃，女房东在上面贴了一些纸，但尽管如此风还是从裂缝中吹进来，发出一种类似嗡嗡叫的黄蜂的声音。这就像那种能让人入睡的音乐。如果我最后睡着了，很快就会被公鸡的打鸣声吵醒。从地下室管理员的鸡笼里，公鸡和母鸡宣告天很快就要亮了。没有马厩而被拴在楼梯下储藏室里的小矮马在走动时踢着门和镶板。

“there are no double dows. there is a broken pane y roo, over which the nddy has pasted so paper, but the d blows through the crack despite that and produces a sound siir to that of a buzzg . It is like the sort of ic that akes one go to sleep. If at st I fall asleep, I a soon awakened by the crog of the cks. Fro the celran’s henop the cks and hens annouhat it will soohe sall ponies, which have no stable, but are tied up ioreroo uhe staircase, kick agast the door and the panelg as they ove about.

“天亮了。住在阁楼里和家人一起的门房轰隆隆地走下楼梯；他的木鞋咔嗒作响；大门砰地一声关上，房子摇晃起来。

“the day dawns. the porter, who lives with his faily iic, es thunderg dowairs; his wooden shoes ctter; the gate bangs and the hoe shakes.

当这一切都结束的时候，楼上的房客又开始进行体操锻炼了；他每只手举起一个沉重的铁球，但他拿不住它们，它们不断地掉在地上，与此同时，房子里要去上学的年轻人竭尽全力地尖叫着。

And when all this is over, the lodger above begs to oupy hiself with gynastic exercises; he lifts a heavy iron ball each hand, but he is not able to hold onto the, and they are tually fallg on the floor, while at the sa ti the young folks the hoe, whog to school, e screag with all their ight.

我走到窗前打开它呼吸一些新鲜空气，这非常提神 —— 当我能呼吸到新鲜空气的时候，以及当后面那栋楼里的年轻女人不在肥皂水里洗手套的时候，她靠洗手套谋生。否则这是一个令人愉快的房子，而且我和一个安静的家庭住在一起！

I go to the dow and open it to get so fresh air, and it is ost refreshg - when I get it, and when the young woan the back buildg is not washg gloves soapsuds, by which she earns her livelihood. otherwise it is a pleasant hoe, and I live with a quiet faily!”

这就是我向姨妈描述我的公寓的情况，尽管当时说得更生动些，因为口头语言比书面语言听起来更新鲜。

this was the report I gave Aunty about y ft, though it was livelier at the ti, for the spoken word has a fresher sound than the written.

“你是个诗人！” 姨妈喊道。“只要把你说的都写下来，你就会和狄更斯一样出色！的确，对我来说，你有趣多了。你说话的时候就像在画画。你描述你的房子，让人能看见它。这让人不寒而栗。继续你的诗歌创作吧。在里面加入一些有生命的东西 —— 人，迷人的人，尤其是不幸的人。”

“You are a poet!” cried Aunty. “Jt write down all you have said, and you will be as good as dis! Io , you are uch . You pat when you speak. You describe your hoe so that one see it. It akes one shudder. Go on with your poetry. put so livg begs to it - people, charg people, especially unhappy ones.”

我按照原样写下了我对房子的描述，包括所有的声音、噪音，但里面只有我自己。里面没有情节。那是后来才有的。

I wrote down y description of the hoe as it stands, with all its sounds, its noises, but cded only yself. there was no plot it. that ca ter.

四

IV

那是在冬天，深夜，剧院散场后；天气很可怕；暴风雪肆虐，让人几乎无法前行。

It was durg wii, te at night, after theater hours; it was terrible weather; a snowsted so that one uld hardly ove along.

姨妈去了剧院，我去那里接她回家；一个人要去任何地方都很困难，更不用说帮助别人了。所有的出租马车都被租走了。姨妈住在城市的一个很远的地方，而我的住处离剧院很近。如果不是这样的话，我们就得在一个岗亭里躲一会儿了。

Aunty had goo the theater, and I went there to take her ho; it was difficult for oo get anywhere, to say nothg of helpg another. All the hirg carriages were engaged. Aunty lived a distaion of the town, while y dwellg was close to the theater. had this not been the case, we would have had to take refuge a sentry box for a while.

我们在深雪中艰难前行，雪花在我们周围飞舞。我不得不扶着她，抓住她，推着她走。我们只摔倒了两次，但我们倒在了柔软的雪上。

we trudged along the deep snow while the snowfkes whirled around . I had to lift her, hold onto her, and ph her along. only ice did we fall, but we fell on the soft snow.

我们到了我的门口，在那里我们抖掉了一些雪。在楼梯上，我们也抖掉了一些雪，但仍然有足够多的雪几乎覆盖了前厅的地面。

we reached y gate, where we shook so of the snow fro ourselves. oairs, too, we shook so off, ahere was still enough alost to ver the floor of the anteroo.

我们脱下大衣、靴子和其他可以脱的衣服。女房东借给姨妈干袜子和睡帽；她说姨妈会需要这些，还说那天晚上姨妈不可能回家了，这是真的。然后她请姨妈使用她的客厅，在那里她会在沙发上为姨妈准备一张床，就在通向我房间的门前面，那扇门总是锁着的。于是她就留了下来。

we took off our overats and boots and what other clothes ight be reoved. the nddy lent Aunty dry stogs and a nightcap; this she would need, said the nddy, and added that it would be ipossible for y aunt to get ho that night, which was true. then she asked Aunty to ake e of her parlor, where she would prepare a bed for her on the sofa, front of the door that led to y roo and that was always kept locked. And so she stayed.

我的炉火烧得正旺，茶壶放在桌子上，这个小房间变得舒适起来，虽然不像姨妈自己的房间那样舒适，在冬天，她的房间门口有厚厚的窗帘，窗户前有厚厚的窗帘，地板上有双层地毯，里，充满了温暖的空气；不过，就像我说的，在我的地方也很舒适，而外面风在呼啸。

the fire burned y stove, the tea urn ced oable, and the little roo beca zy, if not as zy as Aunty’s own roo, where the wii there are heavy curtas before the door, heavy curtas before the dows, and double carpets on the floor, with three yers of thick paper underh. os there as if a well-rked bottle, full of war air; still, as I have said, it was also zy at y pce, while outside the d was whistlg.

姨妈聊天并回忆着；她想起了她年轻时的日子；酿酒商又回来了；许多旧的回忆被唤起。

Aunty talked and reisced; she recalled the days of her youth; the brewer ca back; any old ories were revived.

她还记得我长出第一颗牙的时候，全家人为此有多高兴。我的第一颗牙！天真无邪的牙齿，像一小滴牛奶一样闪闪发光 —— 乳牙！

She uld reber the ti I got y first tooth, and the faily’s delight over it. y first tooth! the tooth of noce, shg like a little drop of ilk - the ilk tooth!

当一颗牙长出来后，又有几颗长了出来，一整排，并排着，上面和，而不是真正的牙齿，真正的牙齿要伴随人的一生。

when one had e, several ore ca, a whole rank of the, side by side, appearg both above and below - the fi of children’s teeth, though these were only the “vanguard,” not the real teeth, which have to st one’s whole lifeti.

然后那些牙齿也长了出来，还有智齿，每一排的侧翼，在痛苦和巨大的磨难中诞生。

then those also appeared, and the wisdo teeth as well, the fnk n of each rank, born pa and great tribution.

它们也会消失，有时每一颗都会消失；它们在服役期满之前就消失了，当最后一颗牙掉了的时候，那绝不是一个快乐的日子；那是一个哀悼的日子。所以即使一个人感觉自己还年轻，也会觉得自己老了。

they disappear, too, sotis every one of the; they disappear before their ti of service is up, and when the very st one goes, that is far fro a happy day; it is a day for . And so then one siders hiself old, even if he feels young.

这样的想法和谈话并不令人愉快。

Such thoughts and talk are not pleasant.

然而我们开始谈论这一切；我们回到了我的童年时光，不停地交谈。十二点的时候姨妈才去旁边的房间休息。

Yet we ca to talk about all this; we went back to the days of y childhood and talked and talked. It was elve o’clock before Aunty went to rest the roo near by.

“晚安，我亲爱的孩子。” 她喊道。“我现在睡觉就像在我自己的床上一样。”

“Good night, y sweet child,” she called. “I shall now sleep as if I were y own bed.”

她睡得很安稳；但除此之外，房子里和外面都不平静。暴风雨摇晃着窗户，把长长的、悬着的铁钩撞在房子上，还敲响了邻居后院的铃铛。楼上的房客回家了。他还在房间里进行他每晚的小散步，上上下下；然后他踢掉靴子，上床睡觉了；但是他鼾声如雷，耳朵好的人隔着天花板都能听到。

And she slept peacefully; but otherwise there was no peace either the hoe or outside. the stor rattled the dows, struck the long, danglg iron hooks agast the hoe, and rang the neighbor’s back-yard bell. the lodger upstairs had e ho. he was still takg his little nightly tour up and down the roo; he then kicked off his boots ao bed and to sleep; but he snores so that ah good ears hear hi through the ceilg.

我找不到安宁，得不到平静。天气也不平静；它很活跃。风以它自己的方式呼啸和歌唱；我的牙齿也开始活跃起来，它们也以它们自己的方式嗡嗡作响和歌唱。一场可怕的牙疼要来了。

I found , no peace. the weather did not rest, either; it was lively. the d howled and sang its own way; y teeth also began to be lively, and they hud and sang their way. An awful toothache was g on.

有一股从窗户吹进来的气流。月亮照在地板上；光随着暴风雨天气中云的来来去去而时有时无。有一个不安的光影变化，但最后地板上的影子开始成形。我盯着移动的影子，感到一股冰冷的风扑面而来。

there was a draft fro the dow. the oon shone upon the floor; the light ca a as the clouds ca a iory weather. there was a restless ge of light and shadow, but at st the shadow on the fn to take shape. I stared at the ovg for a an icy-ld d agast y face.

地板上坐着一个身影，又瘦又长，就像孩子用铅笔在石板上画的东西，应该是看起来像一个人的东西，一条细细的线构成身体，另外两条线是胳膊，每条腿只是一条线，头是多边形的。

on the floor sat a figure, th and long, like sothg a child would draw with a pencil on a ste, sothg supposed to look like a person, a sih le f the body, awo lihe ars, each leg beg but a sgle le, and the head havg a polygonal shape.

这个身影很快变得更清晰了；它身上披着一块非常薄、非常精致的布，清楚地表明这个身影是一个女性的。

the figure soon beca ore distct; it had a very th, very fe sort of cloth draped around it, clearly shog that the figure was that of a feale.

我听到一阵嗡嗡声。是她还是风在像黄蜂一样从窗玻璃的裂缝中嗡嗡作响？

I heard a buzzg sound. was it she or the d which was buzzg like a hh the cra the pane?

不，是她，牙疼夫人本人！她那可怕的威严，地狱的撒旦尼亚！愿上帝拯救我们，使我们免受她的伤害！

No, it was she, ada toothache herself! her terrible highness, Satania Infernalis! God deliver and preserve fro her!

“在这里真好！” 她嗡嗡地说。“这些是很好的住处 —— 长满青苔的地面，沼泽般的地面！蚊子一直在这里嗡嗡叫，它们的刺里有毒；现在我带着这样一根刺来了。它必须在人的牙齿上磨锋利。这里床上这个人的牙齿很闪亮。它们经受住了酸甜的东西、冷热、坚果壳和李子核；但是我要摇晃它们，让它们颤抖，用通风的风喂它们的根部，让它们的脚发凉！”

“It is good to be here!” she buzzed. “these are nice quarters - ossy ground, fenny ground! Gnats have been buzzg around here, with poison their stgs; and now I a here with such a stg. It t be sharpened on huah. those belongg to the fellow bed here she shtly. they have defied sweet and ss, heat and ld, nutshells and p stones; but I shall shake the, ake the quake, feed their roots with drafty ds, and give the ld feet!”

那是一番可怕的话！她是一个可怕的访客！

that was a frighteng speech! She was a terrible visitor!

“所以你是一个诗人！” 她说。“好吧，我会让你精通所有牙疼的诗歌！我会把钢铁刺进你的身体！我会抓住你所有的神经纤维！”

“So you are a poet!” she said. “well, I’ll ake you well versed all the poetry of toothache! I’ll thrt iron and steel to your body! I’ll seize all the fibers of your nerves!”

然后我感觉好像有一个炽热的锥子被钉进我的下巴骨里；我扭动着身体。

I the as if a red-hot awl were beg driven to y jawbone; I writhed and isted.

“一口漂亮的牙齿，” 她说，“就像一架可以弹奏的风琴！我们将举行一场盛大的音乐会，有犹太竖琴、定音鼓、小号、短笛，还有智齿里的长号！伟大的诗人，伟大的音乐！”

“A splendid set of teeth,” she said, “jt like an an to py upon! we shall have a gra, with jew’s-harps, kettledrus, and trupets, piolo-fte, and a trobohe wisdo tooth! Grand poet, grand ic!”

然后她开始演奏；她看起来很可怕，即使人们只能看到她的手，那只朦胧的、灰色的、冰冷的手，有着又长又细又尖的手指；每一根手指都是一种折磨人的工具；大拇指和食指是钳子和扳手；中指以一个尖锥结束；无名指是一个钻头，小指喷射蚊子的毒液。

And thearted to py; she looked terrible, even if one did not see ore of her than her hand, the shadowy, gray, iceld hand, with the long, th, poted fgers; each of the was an strunt of torture; the thub and the fer were the pcers and wrench; the iddle fger ended a poted awl; the rg fger was a drill, and the little fger squirted gnat’s poison.

“我要教你韵律！” 她说。“一个伟大的诗人必须有剧烈的牙疼，一个小诗人有轻微的牙疼！”

“I a gog to teaeter!” she said. “A great poet t have a great toothache, a little poet a little toothache!”

“哦，让我做一个小诗人吧！” 我请求道。“让我什么都不是！而且我不是诗人；我只是偶尔有诗意，就像偶尔牙疼一样。走开，走开！”

“oh, let be a little poet!” I begged. “Let be nothg at all! And I a not a poet; I have only fits of poetry, like fits of toothache. Go away, go away!”

“那么，你会承认我比诗歌、哲学、数学和所有的音乐都更强大吗？” 她说。“比所有画在画布上或刻在大理石上的那些观念都更强大吗？我比它们每一个都更古老。我出生在靠近天堂花园的地方，就在外面，那里风在吹，潮湿的毒蘑菇在生长。是我让夏娃在寒冷的天气里穿上衣服，亚当也是。相信我，第一次牙疼就有力量！”

“will you aowledge, then, that I a ightier thary, philosophy, atheatics, and all the ic?” she said. “ightier than all those notions that are pated on vas or carved arble? I a older than every one of the. I was born close to the garden of paradise, jt outside, where the d blew and the wet toadstools grew. It was I who ade Eve wear clothes the ld weather, and Ada also. believe , there ower the first toothache!”

“我都相信，” 我说。“但是走开，走开！”

“I believe it all,” I said. “but go away, go away!”

“是的，如果你放弃做诗人，永远不在纸上、石板上或任何书写材料上写诗，那么我就放过你；但是如果你写诗，我还会再来！”

“Yes, if you will give up beg a poet, never put verse on paper, ste, or any sort aterial, then I will let you off; but I’ll e aga if you write poetry!”

“我发誓！” 我说；“只求让我永远不再看到或感觉到你！”

“I swear!” I said; “only let never see or feel you any ore!”

“你会看到我的，但会以一种更实在的形态，一种比现在更让你喜爱的形态。你会看到我以米勒姨妈的样子出现，我会说，‘写诗吧，我亲爱的孩子！你是一个伟大的诗人，也许是我们当中最伟大的！’但是如果你相信我，开始写诗，那么我会为你的诗句配上音乐，在你的口琴上演奏它们。你这个可爱的孩子！当你看到米勒姨妈的时候，要想起我！”

“See you shall, but a ore substantial shape, a shape ore dear to you than I a now. You shall see as Aunty ille, and I shall say, ‘write poetry, y sweet boy! You are a great poet, perhaps the greatest we have!’ but if you believe , ao write poetry, then I will set ic to your verses, and py the on your outh harp. You sweet child! Reber when you see Aunty ille!”

然后她消失了。

then she disappeared.

在我们分别的时候，我的下巴骨像被一根炽热的锥子刺了一下；但很快就平息了，然后我感觉自己好像在平静的水面上滑行；我看到白色的睡莲，带着它们巨大的绿叶，在我宁静与安息之中。

At our partg I received a thrt through y jawbone like that of a red-hot awl; but it soon subsided, and then I felt as if I were glidg along the sooth water; I saw the white water lilies, with their rge green leaves, bendg and skg down under ; they withered and dissolved, and I sank, too, and dissolved to pead rest.

“死去，像雪一样融化！” 在水中回响；“蒸发成空气，像云一样飘走！”

“to die, a away like snow!” resounded ier; “to evaporate to air, to drift away like the clouds!”

伟大的、闪闪发光的名字和写在飘扬的胜利旗帜上的题词，不朽的专利证书，写在一只蜉蝣的翅膀上，透过水向我闪耀。

Great, glog nas and scriptions on wavg banners of victory, the letters patent of iortality, written on the g of an ephera, shone down to through the water.

睡眠很深，现在是一个没有梦的睡眠。我没有听到呼啸的风、砰砰作响的大门、邻居的门铃响，也没有听到房客吃力的体操声。

the sleep was deep, a sleep now without dreas. I did not hear the whistlg d, the bangg gate, the rgg of the neighbate bell, or the lodger’s strenuo gynastics.

多么幸福啊！

what happess!

接着一阵强风刮来，锁着的通往姨妈房间的门被吹开了。姨妈跳起来，穿上鞋，穿好衣服，走进我的房间。她说我睡得像上帝的一个天使，她不忍心叫醒我。

then ca a gt of d s that the locked door to Aunty’s roo burst open. Aunty juped up, put on her shoes, got dressed, and ca to y roo. I was sleepg like one of God’s angels, she said, and she had not the heart to awaken .

后来我自己醒了，睁开眼睛。我完全忘记了姨妈在房子里，但我很快就想起来了，然后想起了我牙疼时的幻觉。梦和现实交织在一起。

I ter awoke by yself and opened y eyes. I had pletely fotten that Aunty was the hoe, but I soon rebered it and then rebered y toothache vision. drea ay were blended.

“我想昨晚我们道晚安后你什么也没写吧？” 她说。“我希望你写了；你是我的诗人，永远都是！” 在我看来，她笑得有点狡黠。我不知道这是善良的、爱我的米勒姨妈，还是我前一天晚上向其许下承诺的可怕的那个人。

“I suppose you did not write anythg st night after we said good night?” she said. “I wish you had; you are y poet and shall always be!” It seed to that she siled rather slyly. I did not know if it was the kdly Aunty ille, who loved , or the terrible oo who I had ade the proise the night before.

“你写了诗吗，可爱的孩子？”

“have you written any poetry, sweet child?”

“没有，没有！” 我喊道。“你是米勒姨妈，对吗？”

“No, no!” I shouted. “You are Aunty ille, aren’t you?”

“还能是谁？” 她说。这确实是米勒姨妈。

“who else?” she said. And it was Aunty ille.

她吻了我，上了一辆马车，回家了。

She kissed , got to a carriage, and drove ho.

我写下了这里所写的内容。它不是诗，也永远不会被印刷出来。是的，手稿到此结束。

I wrote down what is written here. It is not verse, and it will never be prted. Yes, here ehe ancript.

我的年轻朋友，杂货店伙计，找不到丢失的那些纸页了；它们像包着咸鲱鱼、黄油和绿色肥皂的纸一样走向了世界；它们完成了自己的使命！

y young friend, the grocer’s assistant, uld not fd the issg sheets; they had go to the world like the papers around the salted herrg, the butter, and the green soap; they had fulfilled their desty!

酿酒商死了；姨妈死了；学生也死了，他的天才火花进了废纸篓。

the brewer is dead; Aunty is dead; the student is dead, he whose sparks of geo the basket.

这就是故事的结尾 ——《牙疼姨妈》的故事。

this is the end of the story - the story of Aunty toothache.