新喋喋人生

一切食物都是手工自♥制♥的 我们俩都超爱
The stuff's all home-made and we're both big fans
那家的海枣核桃面包
of the date and walnut bread.
我说 "这家到了"
I said, "This is the place."
特恩布尔先生径直走过了这家店
Mr Turnbull goes straight past.
"不" 他说 "我知道有个地方 刚开业
"No," he says, "I know somewhere, just opened.
继续前进"
"Press on."
如果有一件事是母亲和我
Now, if there's one thing that Mother
一致认同的 那就是红色是个很普通的颜色
and me are agreed on, it's that red is a common colour.
而这个地方从里到外没有一处不是红色的
And this whole place is done out in red.
灯罩是红的
Lampshades red,
服务员的衣服是红的 盘子是红的
waitresses in red, plates red,
桌子上那些装着酱料的塑料瓶子 搞得像
and on the tables, those plastic sauce things got up
西红柿一样 也是红的
to look like tomatoes - also red.
而且我看到 糖罐里还有一根薯条
And when I look, there's a chip in the sugar.
我想 母亲不会喜欢这种地方的
I thought, "Mother won't like this."
可她却说 "这里看起来好欢快 不是吗 格雷厄姆"
Only she says, "This looks cheerful, dun't it, Graham?"
我说 糖罐里有根薯条
I said, "There's a chip in the sugar."
"观察很细" 他说 "他们还在面临着
"A detail," he says, "They're still
创业初期的种种困难
having their teething troubles.
三杯咖啡吗" 我说 "我们喝茶"
"Is it three coffees?" I said, "We like tea."
可母亲却说 "不
Only Mother says, "No.
我想要冒险 我要咖啡"
"I feel like an adventure. I'll have coffee."
他拿着菜单 然后把手放在她的手上
He gets hold of the menu and puts his hand on hers.
"我可以推荐一个芝士汉堡吗"
"Might I suggest," he said, "a cheeseburger?"
她说 "那是什么"
"Oh," she said, "what's that?"
他说 "新鲜的牧场牛肉
He said, "It's fresh country beef,
夹杂着煎得金黄的洋葱 上面是烤芝士
"mingled with golden-fried onions, topped off with toasted
还搭配了炸薯条和柠檬角"
"cheese and served with French fries and lemon wedge."
"柠檬角" 母亲说
"Ooh, lemon wedge," said Mother.
"听起来不错"
"That sounds nice."
我心想 "我倒希望你能吃下去
I thought, "Well, I hope you can keep it down."
因为上次吃披萨的故事会再来一遍"
"Because it'll be the pizza story all over again."
一口披萨 凌晨四点
One mouthful and at four o'clock in the morning,
我还坐在她床边抱着桶让她吐
I'm still stuck at her bedside with the bucket.
她说 "我喜欢在食物上冒险
She said, "I like new adventures in eating.
有一次我还吃了披萨 是不是 格雷厄姆"
"I had a pizza once, didn't I, Graham?"
我什么话都没说
I didn't say anything.
点的餐上了 她在埋头大吃
They fetch the food and she's wiring in.
他说"你的芝士汉堡还喜欢吗" 她说"喜欢
He said, "Are you enjoying your cheeseburger?" She said, "I am.
那个东西应该是番茄汁吧"
"Would I be mistaken in thinking that's tomato sauce?"
他说"是的" 她说 "给我们挤一坨"
He said, "It is." She says, "Give us a squirt."
他们大笑起来
They burst out laughing.
他说 "格雷厄姆 玻璃杯子
He said, "Glass cups, Graham.
当心 不然我会看到你的鼻孔" 他们又笑了
"Careful or I'll see up your nose." More laughter.
她说 "格雷厄姆很有教养
She said, "Graham's quite refined.
他经常会喝一杯干雪莉酒"
"He often has a dry sherry."
"他大可以打扮得再潇洒点" 特恩布尔先生说
"Well, he could do with smartening up a bit," said Mr Turnbull.
"塑料雨衣吗
"Plastic mack?
你会想穿一件那种絮棉的衣服
"You want to get one of these quilted jobs,
我卖♥♥了很多件那样的"
"I've shifted a lot of those."
我说"我不喜欢那种絮棉衣服"
"I don't like those quilted jobs," I said.
"他爱出汗" 母亲说
"He sweats," Mother said.
"在当今这个时代那个理由
"There's no excuse for that
可不成立" 特恩布尔先生说
in this day and age," said Mr Turnbull.
"市面上的制剂各种各样
"The range of preparations on the market.
你可以买♥♥进一些滚珠
"You want to invest in some roll-on
除臭剂" 声音大的谁都能听见
deodorant." Everybody could hear.
"喇叭裤太讨人厌了 在布拉德福德也是"
"And flares are anathema, even in Bradford."
"格雷厄姆不介意的 对吧" 母亲说
"Oh, Graham doesn't mind, do you, Graham?" said Mother.
"他经常读书" "那又怎样" 特恩布尔先生说
"He reads a lot." "So what?" said Mr Turnbull.
"我知道好几个大作家
"I know several big readers
还在想方设法成为交际家
who still manage to be men about town.
黄绿色是个很漂亮的色度
"Lovat green is a nice shade.
这么跟你说吧 格雷厄姆
"I'll tell you this, Graham," he said,
要是我在市中心护卫一位
"if I were squiring a young lady
年轻的小姐出行 我不会
"like this around town, I wouldn't
选择穿灰袜子配凉鞋
do it in grey socks and sandals."
这双鞋子是意大利产的 你看这材质"
"These shoes are Italian. Feel."
"我总是以为格雷厄姆会成为一名很好的牧师"
"I always think Graham would have made a good parson..."
母亲说 他还在感受自己的鞋子
Mother said...feeling his foot...
"只不过他不信上帝"
"..only he doesn't believe in God."
特恩布尔先生说"这如今不是什么硬性条件
"Oh, that's no handicap these days," said Mr Turnbull.
你是干什么的"
"What do you do?"
母亲说"他现在还在找工作
"He's between jobs at present," said Mother.
他之前给残障儿童做毛绒玩具
"He used to do soft toys for handicapped children.
后来有段时间做纸花"
"Then he was making paper flowers at one stage."
我去了厕所
I went to the toilet.
当我回来的时候他说"我不相信有精神疾病这一说
When I came back, he said, "I don't believe in mental illness.
十有八♥九♥就是没打起精神罢了"
"Nine times out of ten it's a case of pulling your socks up."
我什么都没说
I didn't say anything.
"是啊“ 母亲说 "对这事的看法都太偏激了"
"Yes," said Mother, "the pendulum's gone too far."
她甚至没看我一眼
She didn't look at me.
"就像那些女孩子 不吃东西" 他说
"It's like these girls, not eating," he said,
"她们要是像我们那样没吃没喝得长大
"They'd eat if they'd been brought
薇拉 肯定没什么是不吃的"
up like us, Vera, nothing to eat."
"对" 她说 "她们活得太容易了"
"Yes," she said, "they have it too easy."
"你结婚了吗" "两次
"Did you marry?" "Twice," he said.
去年五月我送走了艾米
"I buried Amy last May.
我当时很伤心但生活还是要继续
"I was heartbroken but life has to go on.
我有个儿子住在斯蒂夫尼奇
"I've a son lives in Stevenage.
有两个孙子 其中一个会开摩托车了
"I've got two grandsons - one at the motorbike stage!
你会开吗" 我说"不会"
"Do you drive?" "No," I said.
她说"你会 格雷厄姆 不是有辆小摩托吗"
She said, "You do, Graham, you had that scooter."
我说 那就是个电动自行车
I said, "It was only a moped."
她说"好吧 电动的 那格雷厄姆
She said, "Well, a moped, then Graham.
它们都是一样的
"They're all the same.
我可不能只让他一个人吹牛皮"
"I can't get him to blow his own trumpet."
特恩布尔先生说 "我有一辆罗孚2000 操控感棒极了
"I've got a Rover 2000," said Mr Turnbull, "handles like a dream.
我对精神疾病的解决办法是大量的体力劳动
"My solution to mental illness is hard physical work.
编织拉菲草垫 那我会疯的"
"Making raffia mats, I'd go mad."
"是啊" 母亲说 "他们也做陶器
"Yes," says Mother, "only they do pottery as well.
我见过一些很好看的烟灰缸"
"I've seen some nice ashtrays."
特恩布尔先生说 "绣花枕头
"Feather bedding!" said Mr Turnbull.
你喜欢这些巴基斯坦人吗"
"Do you like these Pakistanis?"
还行吧 母亲说
"Well, in moderation," Mother said.
"我们有个报刊经销商人挺不错的
"We have a nice newsagent.
格雷厄姆觉得我们都一样"
"Graham thinks we're all the same."
我说"我以为你是这么想的"
I said, "I thought you did."
她说"你好好跟我解释的话我会这么想的 格雷厄姆
She said, "I do when you explain it all to me, Graham,
然后我忘了你的解释 又回到原点了"
"and then I forget the explanation and I'm back to square one."
"没有什么好解释的" 特恩布尔先生说
"There is no explanation," Mr Turnbull said.
"他们在我们的邮局里卖♥♥芒果
"They sell mangoes in our Post Office -
那该怎么解释"
"what explanation is there for that?"
"我知道" 母亲说 "我还在妇女天地闻到了咖喱味
"I know," Mother said, "I smelled curry on my Woman's Own."
你得很有教养才能理解"
"You have to be educated to understand."
我什么话都没说
I didn't say anything.
他把我们送回家 答应下次来我家附近的时候
He ran us home, promised to give her a tinkle next time
会给她打电♥话♥
he was in the neighbourhood.
说他经常在这片地方买♥♥双色羊毛衫
Said he was often in the area tracking down two-tone cardigans.
他说 "你母亲是位伟大的女性
He said, "Your Mother is a grand woman.
你要珍惜她"
"You want to cherish her."
"他有的 有的" 母亲说
"He does, he does," Mother said.
"你是我的男朋友 是不是 格雷厄姆"
"You're my boy friend, aren't you, Graham?"
然后她挽住了我的手臂
And she put her arm through mine.
肯定是有哪里闹饥荒 因为我们的
There must be a famine on somewhere because we were just
午饭才刚下肚
letting our midday meal go down
教区牧师就打电♥话♥说有几封信要给我们
when the vicar calls with some envelopes.
他穿着厚夹克和运动鞋像风一样闯进来 说道
He breezes in, anorak and running shoes, and he says,
"我想拜访很久了 惠特克太太"
"I always look forward to coming to this house, Mrs Whittaker."
他不知道从哪听说的她聋了 但她并没有
He's got the idea she's deaf, which she's not -