00:33 除了是非洲首位诺贝尔文学奖得主,沃莱·索因卡还是谁?
01:38 沃莱·索因卡的中国情缘
02:08 《电话交谈》的创作背景
02:22 《电话交谈》讲了什么
《电话交谈》
Telephone Conversation
价格看起来还算合理, 地理位置倒是无所谓。
The price seemed reasonable, location indifferent.
女房东发誓她不住在这儿。
The landlady swore she lived off premises.
剩下的只能自我坦白了。
Nothing remained but self-confession.
“女士,”我提醒她,“我可不想白走一趟——我是非洲人。
"Madam," I warned, "I hate a wasted journey--I am African."
沉默。
Silence.
维持礼貌的沉默之后传来了声音。
Silenced transmission of pressurized good-breeding.
当她开口时,声音涂着口红,手持镀金烟嘴。
Voice, when it came, lipstick coated, long gold-rolled cigarette-holder pipped.
我感到自己被莫名其妙地冒犯了。
Caught I was foully.
“你有多黑?”…我没听错… “你肤色浅还是很深?
"HOW DARK?"...I had not misheard..."ARE YOU LIGHTOR VERY DARK?"
按钮B,按钮A。
Button B, Button A.
公共场合说话藏着掖着的恶臭。
Stench of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
红色电话亭。红色邮筒。压实沥青的红色双层公交车。
Red booth. Red pillar box. Red double-tiered omnibus squelching tar.
这一切都是真的!受到无礼沉默的羞辱,我不知所措地请求更直白的解释。
It was real! Shamed by ill-mannered silence, surrender pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.
她出人意料地体贴,语气变了——“你是黑一点,还是很浅?”
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis--"ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?"
我终于明白了。
Revelation came.
“你是说——像纯巧克力还是牛奶巧克力?”
"You mean--like plain or milk chocolate?"
她冷淡地点头同意,轻描淡写却又无情。
Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light impersonality.
我迅速做出了选择。
Rapidly, wave-length adjusted, I chose.
“西非的深棕色。”——顺便一提,“这也在我的护照上。”
"West African sepia"--and as afterthought,"Down in my passport."
沉默了一会儿,像是为奇思妙想的飞速旅行让步,直到她那真挚的口音在电话那端重重落下。
Silence for spectroscopic flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent hard on the mouthpiece.
“那是什么?”她说道,“不懂你说的是什么。”
"WHAT'S THAT?" conceding "DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS."
“就像深色头发一样。”“那是黑的,对吧?”
"Like brunette.""THAT'S DARK, ISN'T IT?"
“不完全是。 我的脸是深色的,但是,女士,如果你看见我的其他部分就会知道。 我的手掌心,我的脚底是亮金色的。 愚蠢的坐姿摩擦——女士——让我的臀部变成了漆黑的黑色——女士,请稍等!”
"Not altogether. Facially, I am brunette, but, madam, you should see the rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet are a peroxide blond. Friction, caused--Foolishly, madam--by sitting down, has turned my bottom raven black--One moment, madam!"
——“夫人,”我请求,“您不愿意亲自来看看吗?”
--sensing her receiver rearing on the thunderclap about my ears --"Madam," I pleaded, "wouldn't you rather see for yourself?"
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