美食、祈祷和恋爱评价 《美食祈祷和恋爱》Chapter 51 (110):印度村庄

《美食祈祷和恋爱》Chapter 51 (110):印度村庄  

We have our favorite visits in town
always stopping to pay respects to the temple
and to say hello to Mr. Panicar
the tailor
who shakes our hands and says
"Congratulations to meet you!" every time. We watch the cows mill about enjoying their sacred status (I think they actu-ally abuse the privilege
lying right in the middle of the road just to drive home the point that they are holy)
and we watch the dogs scratch themselves like they're wondering how the heck they ever ended up here. We watch the women doing road work
busting up rocks under the sweltering sun
swinging sledgehammers
barefoot
looking so strangely beautiful in their jewel-colored saris and their necklaces and bracelets. They give us dazzling smiles which I can't begin to understand—how can they be happy doing this rough work under such terrible conditions? Why don't they all faint and die after fifteen minutes in the boiling heat with those sledgehammers? I ask Mr. Panicar the tailor about it and he says it's like this with the villa-gers
that people in this part of the world were born to this kind of hard labor and work is all they are used to.
"Also
" he adds casually
"we don't live very long around here."
It is a poor village
of course
but not desperate by the standards of India; the presence (and charity) of the Ashram and some Western currency floating around makes a significant difference. Not that there's so much to buy here
though Richard and I like to look around in all the shops that sell the beads and the little statues. There are some Kashmiri guys—very shrewd salesmen
indeed—who are always trying to unload their wares on us. One of them really came after me today
asking if madam would perhaps like to buy a fine Kashmiri rug for her home?
当然，这是个贫穷村庄，可是就印度的标准而言，并不太穷；道场的存在（与慈善事业）以及西方货币的流通，使情况大为改善。这儿能买的东西不多，尽管理查和我喜欢逛几家卖宝石和小雕像的商店。有几个喀什米尔小伙子——很精明的推销员——老是想向我们倾销商品。其中有个人今天跟在我身后，问这位女士或许想买一条喀什米尔地毯来装饰她家？
This made Richard laugh. He enjoys
among other sports
making fun of me for being homeless.
"Save your breath
brother
" he said to the rug salesman. "This old girl ain't got any floors to put a rug on."
Undaunted
the Kashmiri salesman suggested
"Then perhaps madam would like to hang a rug on her wall?"
"See
now
" said Richard
"that's the thing—she's a little short on walls these days
too."
"But I have a brave heart!" I piped up
in my own defense.
"And other sterling qualities
" added Richard
tossing me a bone for once in his life. Eat
Pray
Love