书城外语摇响青春的风铃
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第54章 泡 汤

Rainout

斯坦·本克斯基 / Stan Benkoski

The last time I went to Tiger Stadium then known as Briggs Stadium I was eight years old. My father came home from work and announced that he was taking me to the ball game. He was a fan, and we had gone to several day games before, but this would be my first night game.

We got there early enough to park on Michigan Avenue for free. In the second inning, it started to rain, and then the rain turned into a downpour. Within twenty minutes, they announced over the loudspeaker that the game had been canceled.

We walked under the stands for about an hour waiting for the rain to let up. When they stopped selling beer, my father said that we should make a run for the car.

We had a black 1948 sedan, and the door on the driver’s side was broken and could only be opened from the inside. We got to the door on the passenger’s side panting and soaking wet. As my father fumbled for the keys, they dropped out of his hand and fell into the gutter. When he bent down to retrieve them from the rushing water, the door handle knocked the brown fedora off his head. I caught up with the hat about halfway down the block and then raced back to the car.

My father was already sitting behind the wheel. I jumped in, collapsed onto the passenger’s seat, and dutifully handed him the hat—which now looked like a wet rag. He studied it for a second and then put it on his head. Water poured out of the hat, splashing onto his shoulders and lap and then onto the steering wheel and dashboard. He let out a loud roar. I was frightened because I thought he was howling with anger. When I realized he was laughing, I joined in, and for the next little while we just sat there in the car, laughing hysterically together. I had never heard him laugh like that before—and I never did again. It was a raw explosion that came from somewhere deep within him, a force that he had always kept dammed up.

Years later, when I spoke to him about that night and how I remembered his laughter, he insisted that it had never happened.

上一次去蒂格露天运动场(就是后来的布里格斯体育场),是在我八岁的时候。父亲下班回到家,宣布要带我去看棒球比赛。他是个球迷,之前我们去看过几场日赛,而这次是我第一次观看夜间赛。

我们很早就到了那里,因此可以把车免费停在密歇根大道上。在第二局比赛中,天下起了雨,后来又变成倾盆大雨。不到20分钟,他们在扬声器中宣布比赛取消。

为了等雨停下来,我们在看台下面走了大约一个小时。当他们不再卖啤酒给我们的时候,父亲说我们需要冲到车里去。

我们开的是一辆1948年的黑色轿车,驾驶员那侧的车门是坏的,只能从里面打开。于是,我和爸爸气喘吁吁而且浑身湿透地来到副驾驶座一侧。在父亲摸索着掏钥匙的时候,钥匙却从他手里滑落,掉入了水沟中。父亲弯腰从水流中找回钥匙时,车门把手撞掉了他戴在头上的褐色毡帽。我追了半条街才追到帽子,然后回头跑向车子。

父亲已坐到驾驶座上了。我跳到车里,瘫倒在副驾驶座上,并将帽子恭敬地递给他。帽子现在看起来就像一块湿抹布。爸爸拿着帽子看了一下,然后把它戴在头上。雨水从帽子上流下来,滴洒在他的肩上和腿上,然后是方向盘和仪表上。他大声地吼叫了一声,我吓了一跳,以为他生气了。当我意识到他在笑时,我也笑了。接下来的一小段时间里,我和爸爸就坐在车里一起歇斯底里般地大笑。以前,我从没有听到过——后来也再没有听到过他这样笑。那种笑是内心深处某个地方的自然爆发,是一股时常被他压抑的力量的自然爆发。

多年以后,当我向他谈论起那个晚上以及对他的笑声的深刻记忆时,爸爸却坚持说,那事从来没有发生过。

记忆填空

1. We got there early to park on Michigan Avenue for free. In the inning, it started to rain, and then the rain turned a downpour. Within twenty minutes, they announced over the loudspeaker the game had been canceled.

2. As my fumbled for the keys, they dropped out his hand and fell into the gutter. When he bent to retrieve them from the rushing water, the handle knocked the brown fedora off his .

3. It was a raw explosion came from somewhere deep him, a force that he had always kept dammed .

佳句翻译

1. 我们很早就到了那里,因此可以把车免费停在密歇根大道上。

2. 他大声地吼叫了一声,我吓了一跳,以为他生气了。

3. 多年以后,当我向他谈论起那个晚上以及对他的笑声的深刻记忆时,爸爸却坚持说,那事从来没有发生过。

短语应用

1. When he bent down to retrieve them from the rushing water.

bend down:俯身;屈身

2. I joined in the discussion.

join in:参加;加入