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Such girls have bought watermelon and snapbeans from the fruit man's wagon. They have put in the window the cardboard sign that has a pound measure printed on each of three edges—10 lbs., 25 lbs., 50 lbs.—and no ice on the fourth. These particular brown girls from Mobile and Aiken are not like some of their sisters. They are not fretful, nervous, or shrill; they do not have lovely black necks that stretch as though against an invisible collar; their eyes do not bite. These sugar-brown Mobile girls move through the streets without a stir. They are as sweet and plain as buttercake. Slim ankles; long, narrow feet.
這些女孩從果農的大車上買回西瓜和大豆。她們在窗前擺上一塊硬紙板。硬紙板的三個角上分別印著十磅、二十五磅、五十磅的字樣，第四個角上印著“冰塊無貨”。這些來自莫比爾和艾肯的棕色女孩兒和她們的姐妹們不一樣。她們既不煩躁，也不焦慮；她們也沒有漂亮的黑脖子可以在無形的衣領里伸展；她們的眼神并不咄咄逼人。這些紅糖膚色的女孩子在街上行走時悄然無聲。她們甜蜜樸實得像奶油蛋糕。細細的腳踝，長長的腳板。
They wash themselves with orange-colored Lifebuoy soap, dust themselves with Cashmere Bouquet talc, clean their teeth with salt on a piece of rag, soften their skin with Jergens Lotion. They smell like wood, newspapers, and vanilla. They straighten their hair with Dixie Peach, and part it on the side. At night they curl it in paper from brown bags, tie a print scarf around their heads, and sleep with hands folded across their stomachs. They do not drink, smoke, or swear, and they still call sex "nookey." They sing second soprano in the choir, and although their voices are clear and steady, they are never picked to solo. They are in the second row, white blouses starched, blue skirts almost purple from ironing.
她們用橘黃色“救生圈”香皂洗澡，用“羊絨花束”香粉爽身，用布頭沾著細鹽刷牙，用“采碎”潤膚霜滋潤皮膚。她們身上散發出木屑、報紙以及香草氣味。她們蘸著“南方甜心”潤發油梳直頭發，把發路分在一邊。晚上用牛皮紙口袋的紙片把頭發卷起小卷，用印花頭巾把頭包上，睡覺時把雙手放在胸前。她們不喝酒，不抽煙，不說臟話，避免直接談論性問題。她們在唱詩班里擔任第二女高音。盡管她們的嗓音響亮穩健，她們從未人選擔任獨唱。她們站在第二排，身著漿過的白襯衫，藍裙子被熨得幾乎成了醬紫色。
