評論
打印
The white librarian looked at me.
這時，白人圖書管理員看著我。
"What do you want, boy?"
"你要什么，小家伙?"
As though I did not possess the power of speech, I stepped forward and simply handed her the forged note, not parting my lips.
我像不會說話似的走向前去，只是把偽造的條子遞給她，沒有開口。
"What books by Mencken does he want?" She asked.
"他要門肯的哪幾本書?"她問道。
"I don't know, ma-am," I said, avoiding her eyes.
"我不知道，夫人，"我說著，避開她的視線。
"Who gave you this card?"
"誰給你這個借書證的?"
"Mr. Falk," I said.
"福爾克先生，"我說。
"Where is he?"
"他在哪兒?"
"He's at work, at M -- Optical Company," I said. "I've been in here for him before."
"他在辦公，在M—光學儀器公司，"我說。"以前我來這里幫他借過書。"
"I remember," the woman said. "But he never wrote notes like this."
"我記得，"這女人說。"但他從未寫過這樣的條子。"
Oh, God, she's suspicious. Perhaps she would not let me have the books? If she had turned her back at that moment, I would have ducked out the door and never gone back. Then I thought of a bold idea.
哦，上帝，她起了疑心。說不定她不肯讓我借這些書。如果她當時轉(zhuǎn)過身去，我就會一下子鉆出門外，永不回去。正在這時，我想出了一個大膽的主意。
"You can call him up, ma-am," I said, my heart pounding.
"你可以給他打個電話，夫人，"我說著，心怦怦直跳。
"You're not using these books, are you?" she asked pointedly.
"你不看這些書吧?"她直截了當?shù)貑柕馈?/div>
"Oh, no, ma-am. I can't read."
"哦，不，夫人。我不識字。"
"I don't know what he wants by Mencken," she said under her breath.
"我不知道他要門肯的哪些書，"她小聲說道。
I knew now that I had non; she was thinking of other things and the race question had gone out of her mind. She went to the shelves. Once or twice she looked over her shoulder at me, as though she was still doubtful. Finally she came forward with two books in her hand.
這時，我知道我勝利了。她已在想著別的事兒，種族問題已經(jīng)被忘記了。她走到書架跟前。此后，她掉頭看過我一兩回，似乎還有些懷疑。末了，她拿著兩本書走上前來。
"I'm sending him two books," she said. "But tell Mr. Falk to come in next time, or send me the names of the books he wants. I don't know what he wants to read."
"我給他兩本書，"她說。"不過你告訴福爾克先生，下次自己來，要不就給我寫來他要的書的書名。我不知道他想看什么書。"
