Introduction：The story is told in the first personby the“Mama”（Mrs。Johnson），a black woman living in the Deep South with one of her two daughters。It humorously illustrates the differences between Mrs。Johnson and her shy younger daughter Maggie，who still lives traditionally in the rural South，and her educated，successful daughter Dee，who scorns her immediate roots in favor of a pretentious native African identity。
1.I will wait for her in the yard that Maggie and I made so clean and wavy yesterday afternoon。A yard like this is more comfortable than most people know。It is not just a yard。It is like an extended living room。When the hard clay is swept clean as a floor and the fine sand around the edges lined with tiny，irregular grooves，anyone can come and sit and look up into the elm tree and wait for the breezes that never come inside the house。
2.Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes：she will stand hopelesslyin corners，homelyand ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs，eying her sister with a mixture of envy and awe。She thinks her sister has held life always in the palm ofone hand，that“no”is a word the world never learned to say to her。
评注：艾丽斯·沃克在小说中充分运用了象征主义的手法，如Maggie身上的伤疤就象征着美国黑人的“伤痛文化”，与文中的主题密切相关。
3.You’ve no doubt seen those TV shows where the child who has“made it”is confronted，as a surprise，by her own mother and father，tottering in weakly frombackstage。（A pleasant surprise，of course：What would they do if parent and child came on theshow only to curse out and insult each other？）On TV mother and child embrace and smile into each other’s faces。Sometimes the mother and father weep，the childwraps them in her arms and leans across the table to tell how she would not have made it without their help。I have seen these programs。
4.Sometimes I dream a dream in which Dee and I are suddenly brought together ona TV program of this sort。Out of a dark and soft-seated limousine I am usheredinto a bright room filled with many people。There I meet a smiling，gray，sporty man like Johnny Carson who shakes my hand and tells mewhat a fine girl I have。Then we are on the stage and Dee is embracing me with tears in her eyes。She pins on my dress a large orchid，even though she has told me once that she thinksorchids are tacky flowers。
评注：请注意母亲在第4段中使用的“讽刺”口吻。电视上上演的幸福的家庭和感恩的儿女并不是对于每个家庭都是真实的。
wavy：adj。波状的
groove：n。凹槽
homely：adj。不好看的，丑陋的
made it：事业有成
confront：v。使面临，使面对
totter：v。蹒跚
insult：v。侮辱
limousine：n。豪华轿车
sporty：adj。像运动家的
Johnny Carson：美国“The Tonight Show”的著名节目主持人。1958年首次主持节目直到1962年，长达30年之久。他使该节目成为美国广播公司最盈利者之一。
5.In real life I am a large，big-boned woman with rough，man-working hands。In the winter I wear flannel nightgowns to bed and overalls during the day。I can kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man。My fat keeps me hotin zero weather。I can work outside all day，breaking ice to get water for washing I can eat pork liver cooked over the open fire minutes after it comes steaming from the hog。One winter I knocked a bull calf straight in the brain between the eyes with asledge hammer and had the meat hung up to chill before nightfall。But of courseall this does not show on television。I am the way my daughter would want me tobe：a hundred pounds lighter，my skin like an uncooked barley pancake。My hair glistens in the hot bright lights。Johnny Carson has much to do to keep up with my quick and witty tongue。
6.But that is a mistake。I know even before I wake up。Who everknew a Johnson with a quick tongue？Who can even imagine me looking a strange white man in the eye？It seems to me I have talked to them always with one foot raised in flight，with my head turned in whichever way is farthest from them。Dee，though。She would always look anyone in the eye。Hesitation was no part of her nature。
7.“How do I look，Mama？”Maggie says，showing just enough of her thin body enveloped in pink skirt and red blouse for me to know she’s there，almost hidden by the door。
8.“Come out into the yard，”I say。
9.Have you ever seen a lame animal，perhaps a dog runover by some careless person rich enough to own a car，sidle up to someone who is ignorant enough to be kind to him？That is the way my Maggie walks。She has been like this，chin on chest，eyes on ground，feet in shuffle，ever since the fire that burned the other house to the ground。
10.Dee is lighter than Maggie，with nicer hair and a fuller figure。She’s a woman now，thoughsometimes I forget。How long ago was it that the other house burned？Ten，twelve years？Sometimes I can still hear the flames and feel Maggie’s arms sticking to me，her hair smoking and her dress falling off her in little black papery flakes。Her eyes seemed stretched open，blazed open by the flames reflected in them。And Dee。I see her standing off under the sweet gum tree she used to dig gum out of a look of concentration on her face as she watched the last dingy gray board of the house fall in toward the red-hot brick chimney。Why don’t you do a dance around the ashes？I’d wanted to ask her。She had hated the house that much。
flannel：n。法兰绒
mercilessly：adv。无情地
glisten：v。闪光
hesitation：n。犹豫
lame：adj。跛足的
sidle：v。（羞怯或偷偷地）侧身行走
shuffle：n。拖着脚走
papery：adj。薄的
dingy：adj。黯黑的
11.I used to think she hated Maggie，too。But that was before we raised money，the church and me，to send her to Augusta to school。She used to read to us without pity forcing words，lies，other folks’habits，whole lives upon us two，sitting trapped and ignorant underneath her voice。She washed us in a river of make-believe，burned us with a lot of knowledge we didn’t necessarily need to know。Pressed us to her with the serious way she read，to shove us away at just the moment，like dimwits，we seemed about to understand。
评注：第11段，“I”同样用一种讽刺的口吻叙述。在母亲看来，Dee所接受的教育使她远离而非接近自己的群体和文化。
12.Dee wanted nice things。A yellow organdy dress to wear to her graduation from high school black pumps to match a green suit she’d made from an old suit somebody gave me。She was determined to stare down any disaster in her efforts。Hereyelids would not flicker for minutes at a time。Often I foughtoff the temptation to shake her。At sixteen she had a style of her own：and knew what style was。
13.I never had an education myself。After second grade the school was closed down。Don’t ask me why：in 1927 colored asked fewer questions than they do now。Sometimes Maggie reads to me。She stumbles along good-naturedly but can’t see well。She knows she is not bright。Like good looks and money，quickness passes her by。She will marry John Thomas（who has mossy teeth in an earnest face）and thenI’ll be free to sit here and I guess just sing church songs to myself。AlthoughI never was a good singer。Never could carry a tune。I was always better at a man’s job。I used to love to milk till I was hooked in the side in’49.Cows are soothing and slow and don’t bother you，unless you try to milk them the wrong way。
ignorant：adj。无知的
make-believe：n。假装
dimwit：n。傻瓜
organdy（organdie）：n。一种细薄的棉织品
pump：n。女式无带浅口轻便鞋
flicker：v。闪动，
mossy：adj。青苔状的
tune：n。调子
I was hook in the side：我的肋骨被牛角顶伤。
14.I have deliberately turned my back on the house。It is three rooms，just like the one that burned，except the roof is tin they don’t make shingle roofs any more。There are no real windows，just some holes cut in the sides，like the portholes in a ship，but not round and not square，with rawhide holding the shutters up on the outside。This house is in a pasture，too，like the other one。No doubt when Dee sees it she will want to tear it down。She wrote me once that no matter where we“choose”to live，she will manage to come see us。But she will never bring her friends。Maggie and I thought about this and Maggie asked me，“Mama，when did Dee ever have any friends？”
15.She had a few。Furtive boys in pink shirts hanging about onwashday after school。Nervous girls who never laughed。Impressed with her they worshiped the well-turned phrase，the cute shape，the scalding humor that erupted like bubbles in lye。She read to them。
16.When she was courting Jimmy T she didn’t have much time topay to us，but turned all her faultfinding power on him。He flew to marry a cheap city girl froma family of ignorant flashy people。She hardly had time to recompose herself。
17.When she comes I will meet—but there they are！
18.Maggie attempts to make a dash for the house，in her shuffling way，but I stay her with my hand。“Come back here，”I say。And she stops and tries to dig a well in the sand with her toe。
deliberately：adv。故意地
shingle：n。木瓦
porthole：n。（船侧采光、通气的）舷窗
rawhide：n。生牛皮
furtive：adj。鬼鬼祟祟的
worship：v。崇拜
scalding：adj。尖刻的
erupt：v。喷出
court：v。追求
faultfinding：adj。喜欢挑剔的
recompose：v。使恢复镇静
19.It is hard to see them clearly through the strong sun。But even the first glimpse of leg out of the car tells me it is Dee。Her feet were always neat-looking，as if God himself had shaped them with a certain style。From the other side of the car comes a short，stocky man。Hair is all over his head afoot long and hanging from his chin like a kinky mule tail。I hear Maggie suck in her breath。“Uhnnnh，”is what it sounds like。Like when you see the wriggling end of a snakejust in front of your foot on the road。“Uhnnnh。”
20.Dee next。A dress down to the ground，in this hot weather。A dress so loudit hurts my eyes。There are yellows and oranges enough to throw back the light of the sun。I feel my whole face warming from the heat waves it throws out。Earrings gold，too，and hanging down to her shoulders。Bracelets dangling and makingnoises when she moves her arm up to shake the folds of the dress out of her armpits。The dress is loose and flows，and as she walks closer，I like it。I hear Maggie go“Uhnnnh”again。It is her sister’s hair。It stands straight up like thewool on a sheep。It is black as night and around the edges are two long pigtails that rope about like small lizards disappearing behindher ears。
评注：长裙、大耳环和手镯是一种非洲风格的装束。请注意Dee外表对黑人文化的呈现与她内心想法的差异。小说探讨的问题是，一个黑人如何来看待自己的文化，如何来保护和继承自己的文化。这也是Dee与母亲及妹妹产生分歧的根源。
stocky：adj。矮壮的
kinky：adj。（尤指头发）绞缠的
wriggle：v。扭动
loud：adj。耀眼的
earring：n。耳饰
bracelet：n。手镯
armpit：n。腋窝
pigtail：n。辫子
lizard：n。[动]蜥蜴
21.“Wa-su-zo-Tean-o！”she says，coming on in that gliding way the dress makes her move。The short stocky fellow with the hair to his navel is all grinning and he follows up with“Asalamalakim，my mother and sister！”He moves to hug Maggie but shefalls back，right up against the back of my chair。I feel her trembling there andwhen I look up I see the perspiration falling off her chin。
评注：“Wa-su-zo-Tean-o！”是非洲人打招呼的方式。“Asalamalakim”是穆斯林人打招呼的方式。
22.“Don’t get up，”says Dee。Since I am stout it takes something of a push。You can see me trying to move a second or two before I make it。She turns，showingwhite heels through her sandals，and goes back to the car。Out she peeks next with a Polaroid。She stoops down quickly and lines up picture after picture of mesitting there in front of the house with Maggie cowering behindme。She never takes a shot without making sure the house is included。When a cow comes nibblingaround the edge of the yard she snaps it and me and Maggie and the house。Then she puts the Polaroid in the back seat of the car，and comes up and kisses me onthe forehead。
navel：n。肚脐
hug：n。拥抱
perspiration：n。汗
peek：v。偷看
Polaroid：n。“拍立来”照相机
stoop：v。弯下上身
cower：v。退缩，畏缩
nibble：v。细咬
snap：v。快照
23.“Well，”I say。“Dee。”
24.“No，Mama，”she says。“Not‘Dee，’Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo！”
25.“What happened to‘Dee’？”I wanted to know。
26.“She’s dead，”Wangero said。“I couldn’t bear it any longer，being named after the people who oppress me。”
27.“You know as well as me you was named after your aunt Dicie，”I said。Dicieis my sister。She named Dee。We called her“Big Dee”after Dee was born。
28.“But who was she named after？”asked Wangero。
29.“I guess after Grandma Dee，”I said。
30.“And who was she named after？”asked Wangero。
评注：“Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo”是一个非洲人名。请注意Dee和母亲对“Dee”这个名字的不同看法。
31.“Her mother，”I said，and saw Wangero was getting tired。“That’s about as far back as I can trace it，”I said。Though，in fact，I probably could have carried it back beyond the Civil War through the branches。
32.“Well，”said Asalamalakim，“there you are。”
33.“Uhnnnh，”I heard Maggie say。
34.“There I was not，”I said，“before‘Dicie’cropped up in our family，so why should I try to trace it that far back？”
35.He just stood there grinning，looking down on me like somebody inspecting aModel A car。Every once in a while he and Wangero sent eye signals over my head。
36.“How do you pronounce this name？”I asked。
37.“You don’t have to call me by it if you don’t want to，”said Wangero。
38.“Why shouldn’t I？”I asked。“If that’s what you want us to call you，we’ll call you。”
39.“I know it might sound awkward at first，”said Wangero。
40.“I’ll get used to it，”I said。“Ream it out again。”
41.Well，soon we got the name out of the way。Asalamalakim hada name twice aslong and three times as hard。After I tripped over it two or three times he told me to just call him Hakim-a-barber。I wanted to ask him was he a barber，butI didn’t really think he was，so I didn’t ask。
42.“You must belong to those beef-cattle peoples down the road，”I said。They said“Asalamalakim”when they met you，too，but they didn’t shake hands。Always too busy：feeding the cattle，fixing the fences，putting up salt-lick shelters，throwing down hay。When the white folks poisoned some of the herd the men stayed up all night with rifles in their hands。I walked a mile and a half just to see the sight。
43.Hakim-a-barber said，“I accept some of their doctrines，but farming and raising cattle is not my style。”（They didn’t tell me，and I didn’t ask，whetherWangero（Dee）had really gone and married him）
44.We sat down to eat and right away he said he didn’t eat collards and pork was unclean。Wangero，though，went on through the chitlins and corn bread，the greens and everything else。She talked a blue streak over the sweet potatoes。Everything delighted her。Even the fact that we still used the benches her daddy made for the table when we couldn’t effort to buy chairs。
45.“Oh，Mama！”she cried。Then turned to Hakim-a-barber。“I never knew how lovely these benches are。You can feel the rump prints，”she said，running her hands underneath her and along the bench。Then she gave a sigh and her hand closed over Grandma Dee’s butter dish。“That’s it！”she said。“I knew there was something I wanted to ask you if I could have。”She jumped up from the table and went over in the corner where the churn stood，the milk in it clabber by now。She looked at the churn and looked at it。
crop up：突然出现
trip：v。言语不清
collard：n。羽衣甘蓝
chitlins：n。（猪等的）小肠
blue streak：n。[口]连珠炮似的谈话
rump：n。臀部
churn：n。搅乳器
clabber：v。凝固，凝结
46.“This churn top is what I need，”she said。“Didn’t Uncle Buddy whittle itout of a tree you all used to have？”
47.“Yes，”I said。
48.“Un huh，”she said happily。“And I want the dasher，too。”
49.“Uncle Buddy whittle that，too？”asked the barber。
50.Dee（Wangero）looked up at me。
51.“Aunt Dee’s first husband whittled the dash，”said Maggie so low you almost couldn’t hear her。“His name was Henry，but they called him Stash。”
52.“Maggie’s brain is like an elephant’s，”Wangero said，laughing。“I can usethe churn top as a centerpiece for the alcove table，”she said，sliding a plateover the churn，“and I’ll think of something artistic to do with the dasher。”
评注：请注意Dee 对这些日用品看法与母亲和Maggie的看法有什么不同。
53.When she finished wrapping the dasher the handle stuck out。I took it for a moment in my hands。You didn’t even have to look close to see where hands pushing the dasher up and down to make butter had left a kind of sink in the wood。In fact，there were a lot of small sinks you could see where thumbs and fingers had sunk into the wood。It was beautiful light yellow wood，from a tree that grew in the yard where Big Dee and Stash had lived。
54.After dinner Dee（Wangero）went to the trunk at the foot of my bed and started rifling through it。Maggie hung back in the kitchen over the dishpan。Out came Wangero with two quilts。They had been pieced by Grandma Dee and then Big Dee and me had hung them on the quilt frames on the front porch and quilted them。One was in the Lone Star pattern。The other was Walk Around the Mountain。In both of them were scraps of dresses Grandma Dee had won fifty and more years ago。Bits and pieces of Grandpa Jattell’s Paisley shirts。And one teeny faded bluepiece，about thesize of a penny matchbox，that was from Great Grandpa Ezra’s uniform that he wore in the Civil War。
评注：文中的被子是指“百衲被”，并不是因为在物质上它是多么的重要，而是因为非洲人非常崇拜祖先，认为祖先存在于造物者和生灵之间。越是上代祖先，其对活人的影响力越大。拥有了“百衲被”就意味着拥有了祖先的恩泽。这种思想根深蒂固。
whittle：v。削，刻
dasher：n。（奶油）搅拌器
centerpiece：n。装饰品（如花瓶等）
alcove：n。凹室
artistic：adj。艺术的
sink：n。渗坑，洼地
rifle：v。掠夺
scrap：n。小片
teeny：adj。tiny的口语体55“Mama，”Wangero said sweet as a bird。“Can I have these old quilts？”I heard something fall in the kitchen，and a minute later the kitchen door slammed。“Whydon’t you take one or two of the others？”I asked。“These old things was just done by me and Big Dee from some tops your grandma pieced before she died。”
56.“No，”said Wangero。“I don’t want those。They are stitched around the borders by machine。”
57.“That’ll make them last better，”I said。
58.“That’s not the point，”said Wangero。“These are all piecesof dresses Grandma used to wear。She did all this stitching by hand。Imagine！”She held the quilts securely in her arms，stroking them。
59.“Some of the pieces，like those lavender ones，come from oldclothes her mother handed down to her，”I said，moving up to touch the quilts。Dee（Wangero）moved back just enough so that I couldn’t reach the quilts。They already belongedto her。
60.“Imagine！”she breathed again，clutching them closely to herbosom。
61.“The truth is，”I said，“I promised to give them quilts to Maggie，for whenshe marries John Thomas。”
62.She gasped like a bee had stung her。
63.“Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts！”she said。“She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use。”
64.“I reckon she would，”I said。“God knows I been saving’emfor long enoughwith nobody using’em。I hope she will！”I didn’t want to bring up how I had offered Dee（Wangero）a quilt when she went away to college。Then she had told me they were oldfashioned，out of style。
65.“But they’re priceless！”she was saying now，furiously for she has a temper。“Maggie would put them on the bed and in five years they’d be in rags。Lessthan that！”
66.“She can always make some more，”I said。“Maggie knows how to quilt。”
67.Dee（Wangero）looked at me with hatred。“You just will not understand。The point is these quilts，these quilts！”
68.“Well，”I said，stumped。“What would you do with them？”
69.“Hang them，”she said。As if that was the only thing you could do with quilts。
70.Maggie by now was standing in the door。I could almost hear the sound her feet made as they scraped over each other。
slam：v。砰地（把门等）关上
last：v。耐用
stroke：v。抚摸
lavender：adj。淡紫色的
appreciate：v。欣赏
stump：v。[口]使困惑
scrap：v。（使）摩擦
71.“She can have them，Mama，”she said，like somebody used to never winning anything，or having anything reserved for her。“I can’member Grandma Dee withoutthe quilts。”
72.I looked at her hard。She had filled her bottom lip with checkerberry snuffand it gave her face a kind of dopey，hangdoglook。It was Grandma Dee and Big Dee who taught her how to quilt herself。She stood there with her scarred hands hidden in the folds of her skirt。She looked at her sister with something likefear but she wasn’t mad at her。This was Maggie’s portion。This was the way she knew God to work。
73.When I looked at her like that something hit me in the top of my head and ran down to the soles of my feet。Just like when I’m in church and the spirit ofGod touches me and I get happy and shout。I did something I never had done before：hugged Maggie to me，then dragged her on into the room，snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero’s hands and dumped them into Maggie’s lap。Maggie just sat there on my bed with her mouth open。
74.“Take one or two of the others，”I said to Dee。
75.But she turned without a word and went out to Hakim-a-barber。
76.“You just don’t understand，”she said，as Maggie and I came out to the car。
77.“What don’t I understand？”I wanted to know。
78.“Your heritage，”she said，and then she turned to Maggie，kissed her，and said，“You ought to try to make something of yourself，too，Maggie。It’s reallya new day for us。But from the way you and Mama still live you’d never know it。”
checkerberry：n。黑草莓
snuff：n。气味
dopey：adj。[口]呆傻的
hangdog：adj。羞愧的
portion：n。命运
snatch：v。攫取
dump：v。用力抛给
heritage：n。遗产，传统
79.She put on some sunglasses that hid everything above the tip of her nose and chin。
80.Maggie smiled maybe at the sunglasses。But a real smile，not scared。Afterwe watched the car dust settle I asked Maggie to bring me a dip of snuff。And then the two of us sat there just enjoying，until it was time to go in the house and go to bed。
Comprehension Exercises：
1.What do you think is the true purpose of Dee’s visit？
2.What’s the significance of the quilts in the story？How doesthe image of quilt related to the theme of the story？
艾丽斯·沃克（1944—）：美国当代杰出的女性文学及黑人文学作家之一，也是一名女权主义者。她的代表作《紫色》曾获1983年普利策小说奖和美国图书奖。《日用家当》是沃克的短篇小说代表作之一，发表于1973年，正值黑人人权运动高涨的时期。当时许多黑人试图寻找他们在非洲的文化根源，因此，非洲式的发型、服装和名字风靡一时。《日用家当》是沃克对这一社会话语的回应。在该短篇小说中，沃克探讨了美国黑人应该如何对待自己的身份和文化遗产的问题。她借约翰森夫人的角色肯定了麦姬对待遗产真诚而实际的态度，而否定了迪伊肤浅的、虚情假意的态度。在沃克看来，只有正确理解这些遗产的用处，并在生活中使用它们，才能使它们所蕴含的黑人文化得以发挥和传承，而不应该把文化遗产当作艺术品或时尚元素来对待。