追风筝的人是真实的吗 残忍而美丽的情谊:The Kite Runner 追风筝的人(30)

残忍而美丽的情谊:The Kite Runner 追风筝的人(30)  

FOR THE NEXT COUPLE of years
the words "economic development" and "reform" danced on a lot of lips in Kabul. The constitutional monarchy had been abolished
replaced by a republic
led by a president of the republic. For a while
a sense of rejuvenation and purpose swept across the land. People spoke of women's rights and modern technology.
And for the most part
even though a new leader lived in "Arg"--the royal palace in Kabul--life went on as before. People went to work Saturday through Thursday and gathered for picnics on Fridays in parks
on the banks of Ghargha Lake
in the gardens of Paghman. Multicolored buses and lorries filled with passengers rolled through the narrow streets of Kabul
led by the constant shouts of the driver assistants who straddled the vehicles'rear bumpers and yelped directions to the driver in their thick Kabuli accent. On "Eid"
the three days of celebration after the holy month of Ramadan
Kabulis dressed in their best and newest clothes and visited their families. People hugged and kissed and greeted each other with "Eid Mubarak." Happy Eid. Children opened gifts and played with dyed hard-boiled eggs.
Early that following winter of 1974
Hassan and I were playing in the yard one day
building a snow fort
when Ali called him in. "Hassan
Agha sahib wants to talk to you!" He was standing by the front door
dressed in white
hands tucked under his armpits
breath puffing from his mouth.
1974年初冬，有一天哈桑和我在院子里嬉闹，用雪堆一座城堡。这时阿里唤他进屋:"哈桑，老爷想跟你说话!"他身穿白色衣服，站在门口，双手缩在腋下，嘴里呼出白气。
Hassan and I exchanged a smile. We'd been waiting for his call all day: It was Hassan's birthday. "What is it
Father
do you know? Will you tell us?" Hassan said. His eyes were gleaming.
Ali shrugged. "Agha sahib hasn't discussed it with me."
"Come on
Ali
tell us
"I pressed. "Is it a drawing book? Maybe a new pistol?"
Like Hassan
Ali was incapable of lying. Every year
he pretended not to know what Baba had bought Hassan or me for our birthdays. And every year
his eyes betrayed him and we coaxed the goods out of him. This time
though
it seemed he was telling the truth.