評論
打印
A collection of beehive-shaped huts of roughly woven straw showed dark against the sunset.
日落時，一堆粗糙編織成的蜂窩形狀的稻草映襯出了暗色。
Cooking fires lighted up, briefly, a face or a moving figure,
廚房用火會突然照亮人的臉或正在移動的人，
as the village women bent over the evening meal or passed to and fro carrying wood for the fires.
村里面的女人為晚飯彎腰做飯，或是為燒火拿著木材而走來走去。
A larger group showed where the men squatted together, smoking and talking in quiet tones.
一大群蹲在一起的一定是男人，安靜地在那里抽煙聊天。
Rimfa was hailed by various members of the tribe as she rode in. Driving the cattle within the small corral of thorn bushes,
當琳琺騎著牛進來時，她受到了各路部落民眾的贊揚，驅使著牛進入一小片荊棘叢，
she tied Moy's rope to a stake and found her way to her own fire, as she was hungry after her long day in the open.
她將“老頭”拴在了樁子上，并向自己的火苗走去，在戶外待了一天，她很餓了。
The African native eats only two meals a day as a rule. That night, after the dinner was finished, Rimfa's father said,
一般非洲土著人每天只吃兩頓飯，那一晚就在晚飯結束后，琳琺的爸爸說，
Your brother will be well enough in a few days now to take over the care of the herd.
你的哥哥再過幾天就可以痊愈，就可以接管牧牛的工作了。
But father, she commenced in protest, but her father broke in: It is more fitting that you stay at home and learn the duties of a woman.
但她抗議著對父親說，但她的父親打斷了她，你待在家里學著女人該做的事情更合適。
You are almost of the marriage age. No man will care for a wife that has worked as a boy works, and knows nothing of household duties.
你差不多到了結婚的年齡了，沒有男人會找一個干男人工作的妻子，而且不知道任何家務活。
But I can spin, and pound the corn as well as any girl in the village, Rimfa replied.
琳琺回應道，我的紡織和搗碎玉米的能力不比任何村里的女孩查，
It is near the time for the tornado, her father went on to explain. It is the task of a man, not a girl,
她的父親繼續解釋，龍卷風就要來了，這是男人的工作，不是女孩的，
to drive the cattle in the storm season. It is enough. I have spoken.
在颶風季節里牧牛，夠了，我已經說了。
It isn't as though the herd were not safe with me, thought the little girl as she walked away.
小女孩一邊離開一邊想，并不是牛群跟了我就不安全。
He knows I can take as good care of it, better, in fact, than any boy in the village.
他知道我可以和村里其他男孩照顧得一樣好，事實上比他們好。
Only a few more days of her life under the hot blue sky; of watching the crown birds flap heavily, with shrill voices,
她在烈日藍天下的日子就多了幾天，看冠鳥猛烈地拍打著翅膀，發出刺耳的聲音，
across the sun-baked country; of drowsily lying, almost asleep,
聲音響徹烈日灼燒的鄉村，她睡意濃濃地躺在那里，幾乎要睡著了。
yet awake for every movement of the herd, beneath the shade of the huge tree; of watching the tornadoes sweep up across the plains.
但每次牛群有動作她都會醒來，她躺在樹蔭下，看著龍卷風在平原上肆虐。
It was early in the season yet, and the rains had not, so far, touched the plain.
這只是暴風季的初期，到目前為止大雨還沒有光臨平原。
