高行健 诺贝尔文学 诺贝尔文学经典:《宠儿》第2章Part 13

诺贝尔文学经典:《宠儿》第2章Part 13  

It took three days for Beloved to notice the orange patches in the darkness of the quilt. Denver waspleased because it kept her patient awake longer. She seemed totally taken with those faded scrapsof orange
even made the effort to lean on her elbow and stroke them. An effort that quicklyexhausted her
so Denver rearranged the quilt so its cheeriest part was in the sick girl's sight line.
Patience
something Denver had never known
overtook her. As long as her mother did notinterfere
she was a model of passion
turning waspish
though
when Sethe tried to help.
"Did she take a spoonful of anything today?" Sethe inquired.
"She shouldn't eat with cholera."
"You sure that's it? Was just a hunch of Paul D's."
"I don't know
but she shouldn't eat anyway just yet."
"I think cholera people puke all the time."
"That's even more reason
ain't it?"
"Well she shouldn't starve to death either
Denver."
"Leave us alone
Ma'am. I'm taking care of her."
"She say anything?"
"I'd let you know if she did."
Sethe looked at her daughter and thought
Yes
she has been lonesome. Very lonesome.
"Wonder where Here Boy got off to?" Sethe thought a change of subject was needed.
"He won't be back
" said Denver.
"How you know?"
"I just know." Denver took a square of sweet bread off the plate.
Back in the keeping room
Denver was about to sit down when Beloved's eyes flew wide open. Denver felt her heart race. Iasn't that she was looking at that face for the first time with no trace of sleep in it
or that the eyeswere big and black. Nor was it that the whites of them were much too white — blue-white. It wasthat deep down in those big black eyes there was no expression at all.
"Can I get you something?"