【荆棘鸟】第五章 04

Smarting from his mother's words, he had wanted Miss Carmichael to notice him, the oldest son of Mary Carson's heir, but she had not so much as deigned 1 to admit he existed. All her attention had been focused on the priest, a being sexless and emasculated. Even if he was tall, dark and handsome. "Don't worry, she'll be back for more of the same," said Father Ralph cynically 2. "She's rich, so next Sunday she'll very ostentatiously put a ten-pound note in the plate." He laughed at Frank's expression. "I'm not so much older than you, my son, but in spite of my calling I'm a very worldly fellow. Don't hold it against me; just put it down to experience." They had left the riding ring behind and entered the amusement part of the grounds. To Meggie and Frank alike it was enchantment 3. Father Ralph had given Meggie five whole shillings, and Frank had his five pounds; to own the price of admission to all those enticing 4 booths was wonderful. Crowds thronged 5 the area, children running everywhere, gazing wide-eyed at the luridly 6 and somewhat inexpertly painted legends fronting tattered 7 tents: The Fattest Lady in the World; Princess Houri the Snake Dancer (see Her Fan the Flames of a Cobra's Rage!); The India Rubber Man; Goliath the World's Strongest Man; Thetis the Mermaid 8. At each they paid their pennies and watched raptly, not noticing Thetis's sadly tarnished 9 scales or the toothless smile on the cobra. At the far end, so big it required a whole side for itself, was a giant marquee with a high boardwalk along its front, a curtainlike frieze 10 of painted figures stretching behind the entire length of the board bridge, menacing the crowd. A man with a megaphone in his hand was shouting to the gathering 11 people.
"Here it is, gents, Jimmy Sharman's famous boxing troupe 12! Eight of the world's greatest prize fighters, and a purse to be won by any chap game to have a go!"Women and girls were trickling 13 out of the audience as fast as men and boys came from every direction to swell 14 it, clustering thickly beneath the boardwalk. As solemnly as gladiators parading at the Circus Maximus, eight men filed onto the bridge and stood, bandaged hands on hips 15, legs apart, swaggering at the admiring oohs of the crowd. 
 

由于他母亲的话刺痛了他，他希望卡迈克尔小姐能注意到他这个玛丽·卡森的继承者的长子，但是她根本不屑他的存在，纵使他身体粗壮，皮肤黝黑，眉清目秀，可她的注意力集中在那个似乎是无性别的，清心寡欲的神父身上。
　　"别担心，就是再来这么几回，她也还是会凑上来的，"拉尔夫神父冷嘲热讽地说道。"她很有钱，因此下个星期天她会风头十足地把一张十镑的票子放进教学的奉献盘里。"他针对弗兰克的表情笑着。"我比你大不了多少，小伙子。尽管我从事这个职业，可我是个很世俗的人。别为这个见怪。就把它看作是我的阅历所致吧。"
　　他们已经远离了赛马场，走进了娱乐场里、梅吉和弗兰克对这个地方都很着迷。拉尔夫神父给了梅吉五个先令，而弗兰克自己有五镑；有足够钱去付所有吸引人的棚场的入场费，真叫人开心。这地方人群拥来挤去。孩子们四处乱钻，睁大眼睛望着把在破破烂烂的帐蓬前那些不甚高明的、俚俗不堪的传奇画："天下最胖的太太"，"跳蛇舞的伊斯兰公主"（"请看她怎样惹眼镜蛇发火！"），"印度的橡胶人"，"世界最强壮的男人格里厄斯"，"美人鱼赛蒂丝"。每个棚场前他们都付钱，然后全神贯注地看着；没在意美人鱼赛蒡丝的鳞片已经黯然无光，微笑的眼镜蛇连一个牙齿都不剩了。
　　娱乐场的另一头有一个巨大的帐篷，它是如此之大，独霸一方。它的前面有一条高高的木板走道，背后挂着一幅与走道一样长的、象幕布似的起绒粗呢，上面画着几个居高临下、气势汹汹的人像。一个手拿麦克风的汉子正在对聚拢来的人们高声叫喊着。
　　"先生们，敝班是吉米·沙曼著名的拳击班！敝班有八名世界最棒的拳手，哪位好汉愿意上来比划比划，打赢了取得奖金一笔！"
　　女人和姑娘们从听众中退了出去，男人和小伙子们从四面八方迅速地拥来；他们密不透风地围挤在走道的下面，观众的人数越来越多。八个拳手像古罗马大竞技场上列队行进着的角斗士一样，威风凛凛地排成一行站在那里。他们两腿分开，双手叉腰，神气活现的对啧啧赞叹的人群摆开了架式。