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上海翻譯公司-The Giver 《記憶傳授人》part1翻譯

發(fā)布日期：2017-05-03 08:44:26 發(fā)布者：譯語翻譯公司 頁面功能： 【字體：大 中 小】

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 It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened. No. Wrong word, Jonas thought. Frightened meant that deep, sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen. Frightened was the way he had felt a year ago when an unidentified aircraft had overflown the community twice. He had seen it both times. Squinting toward the sky, he had seen the sleek jet, almost a blur at its high speed, go past, and a second later heard the blast of sound that followed. Then one more time, a moment later, from the opposite direction, the same plane.

 
At first, he had been only fascinated. He had never seen aircraft so close, for it was against the rules for Pilots to fly over the community. Occasionally, when supplies were delivered by cargo planes to the landing field across the river, the children rode their bicycles to the riverbank and watched, intrigued, the unloading and then the takeoff directed to the west, always away from the community.
 
But the aircraft a year ago had been different. It was not a squat, fat-bellied cargo plane but a needle-nosed single-pilot jet. Jonas, looking around anxiously, had seen others — adults as well as children — stop what they were doing and wait, confused, for an explanation of the frightening event.
 
Then all of the citizens had been ordered to go into the nearest building and stay there. IMMEDIATELY, the rasping voice through the speakers had said. LEAVE YOUR BICYCLES WHERE THEY ARE.
 
Instantly, obediently, Jonas had dropped his bike on its side on the path behind his family's dwelling. He had run indoors and stayed there, alone. His parents were both at work, and his little sister, Lily, was at the Childcare Center where she spent her after-school hours.
 
Looking through the front window, he had seen no people: none of the busy afternoon crew of Street Cleaners, Landscape Workers, and Food Delivery people who usually populated the community at that time of day. He saw only the abandoned bikes here and there on their sides; an upturned wheel on one was still revolving slowly.
 
He had been frightened then. The sense of his own community silent, waiting, had made his stomach churn. He had trembled.
 
But it had been nothing. Within minutes the speakers had crackled again, and the voice, reassuring now and less urgent, had explained that a Pilot-in-Training had misread his navigational instructions and made a wrong turn. Desperately the Pilot had been trying to make his way back before his error was noticed.
 
NEEDLESS TO SAY, HE WILL BE RELEASED, the voice had said, followed by silence. There was an ironic tone to that final message, as if the Speaker found it amusing; and Jonas had smiled a little, though he knew what a grim statement it had been. For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure.
 
Even the children were scolded if they used the term lightly at play, jeering at a teammate who missed a catch or stumbled in a race. Jonas had done it once, had shouted at his best friend, "That's it, Asher! You're released!" when Asher's clumsy error had lost a match for his team. He had been taken aside for a brief and serious talk by the coach, had hung his head with guilt and embarrassment, and apologized to Asher after the game.
 
Now, thinking about the feeling of fear as he pedaled home along the river path, he remembered that moment of palpable, stomach-sinking terror when the aircraft had streaked above. It was not what he was feeling now with December approaching. He searched for the right word to describe his own feeling.
 
Jonas was careful about language. Not like his friend, Asher, who talked too fast and mixed things up, scrambling words and phrases until they were barely recognizable and often very funny.
 
Jonas grinned, remembering the morning that Asher had dashed into the classroom, late as usual, arriving breathlessly in the middle of the chanting of the morning anthem. When the class took their seats at the conclusion of the patriotic hymn, Asher remained standing to make his public apology as was required.
 
"I apologize for inconveniencing my learning community." Asher ran through the standard apology phrase rapidly, still catching his breath. The Instructor and class waited patiently for his explanation. The students had all been grinning, because they had listened to Asher's explanations so many times before.
 
"I left home at the correct time but when I was riding along near the hatchery, the crew was separating some salmon. I guess I just got distraught, watching them.
 
"I apologize to my classmates," Asher concluded. He smoothed his rumpled tunic and sat down.
 
"We accept your apology, Asher." The class recited the standard response in unison. Many of the students were biting their lips to keep from laughing.
 
"I accept your apology, Asher," the Instructor said. He was smiling. "And I thank you, because once again you have provided an opportunity for a lesson in language. "Distraught' is too strong an adjective to describe salmon-viewing." He turned and wrote "distraught" on the instructional board. Beside it he wrote "distracted."
 
Jonas, nearing his home now, smiled at the recollection. Thinking, still, as he wheeled his bike into its narrow port beside the door, he realized that frightened was the wrong word to describe his feelings, now that December was almost here. It was too strong an adjective.
 
He had waited a long time for this special December. Now that it was almost upon him, he wasn't frightened, but he was ... eager, he decided. He was eager for it to come. And he was excited, certainly. All of the Elevens were excited about the event that would be coming so soon.
 
But there was a little shudder of nervousness when he thought about it, about what might happen.
 
Apprehensive, Jonas decided. That's what I am.
 
"Who wants to be the first tonight, for feelings?" Jonas's father asked, at the conclusion of their evening meal.
 
It was one of the rituals, the evening telling of feelings.
 
Sometimes Jonas and his sister, Lily, argued over turns, over who would get to go first. Their parents, of course, were part of the ritual; they, too, told their feelings each evening. But like all parents — all adults — they didn't fight and wheedle for their turn.
 
Nor did Jonas, tonight. His feelings were too complicated this evening. He wanted to share them, but he wasn't eager to begin the process of sifting through his own complicated emotions, even with the help that he knew his parents could give.
 
"You go, Lily," he said, seeing his sister, who was much younger — only a Seven — wiggling with impatience in her chair.
 
"I felt very angry this afternoon," Lily announced. "My Childcare group was at the play area, and we had a visiting group of Sevens, and they didn't obey the rules at all. One of them — a male; I don't know his name — kept going right to the front of the line for the slide, even though the rest of us were all waiting. I felt so angry at him. I made my hand into a fist, like this." She held up a clenched fist and the rest of the family smiled at her small defiant gesture.
 
"Why do you think the visitors didn't obey the rules?" Mother asked.
 
Lily considered, and shook her head. "I don't know. They acted like...like..."
 
"Animals?" Jonas suggested. He laughed.
 
"That's right," Lily said, laughing too. "Like animals." Neither child knew what the word meant, exactly, but it was often used to describe someone uneducated or clumsy, someone who didn't fit in.
 
"Where were the visitors from?" Father asked.
 
Lily frowned, trying to remember. "Our leader told us, when he made the welcome speech, but I can't remember. I guess I wasn't paying attention. It was from another community. They had to leave very early, and they had their midday meal on the bus."
 
Mother nodded. "Do you think it's possible that their rules may be different? And so they simply didn't know what your play area rules were?"
 
Lily shrugged, and nodded. "I suppose."
 
"You've visited other communities, haven't you?" Jonas asked. "My group has, often."
 
Lily nodded again. "When we were Sixes, we went and shared a whole school day with a group of Sixes in their community."
 
"How did you feel when you were there?"
 
Lily frowned. "I felt strange. Because their methods were different. They were learning usages that my group hadn't learned yet, so we felt stupid."
 
Father was listening with interest. "I'm thinking, Lily," he said, "about the boy who didn't obey the rules today. Do you think it's possible that he felt strange and stupid, being in a new place with rules that he didn't know about?"
 
Lily pondered that. "Yes," she said, finally.
 
"I feel a little sorry for him," Jonas said, "even though I don't even know him. I feel sorry for anyone who is in a place where he feels strange and stupid."
 
"How do you feel now, Lily?" Father asked. "Still angry?"
 
"I guess not," Lily decided. "I guess I feel a little sorry for him. And sorry I made a fist." She grinned.
 
Jonas smiled back at his sister. Lily's feelings were always straightforward, fairly simple, usually easy to resolve. He guessed that his own had been, too, when he was a Seven.
 
He listened politely, though not very attentively, while his father took his turn, describing a feeling of worry that he'd had that day at work: a concern about one of the new children who wasn't doing well. Jonas's father's title was Nurturer. He and the other Nurturers were responsible for all the physical and emotional needs of every new child during its earliest life. It was a very important job, Jonas knew, but it wasn't one that interested him much.
 
"What gender is it?" Lily asked.
 
"Male," Father said. "He's a sweet little male with a lovely disposition. But he isn't growing as fast as he should, and he doesn't sleep soundly. We have him in the extra care section for supplementary nurturing, but the committee's beginning to talk about releasing him."
 
"Oh, no," Mother murmured sympathetically. "I know how sad that must make you feel."
 
Jonas and Lily both nodded sympathetically as well. Release of new children was always sad, because they hadn't had a chance to enjoy life within the community yet. And they hadn't done anything wrong.
 
There were only two occasions of release which were not punishment. Release of the elderly, which was a time of celebration for a life well and fully lived; and release of a new child which always brought a sense of what-could-we-have-done. This was especially troubling for the Nurturers, like Father, who felt they had failed somehow. But it happened very rarely.
 
"Well," Father said, "I'm going to keep trying. I may ask the committee for permission to bring him here at night, if you don't mind. You know what the night-crew Nurturers are like. I think this little guy needs something extra."
 
"Of course," Mother said, and Jonas and Lily nodded. They had heard Father complain about the night crew before. It was a lesser job, night-crew nurturing, assigned to those who lacked the interest or skills or insight for the more vital jobs of the daytime hours. Most of the people on the night crew had not even been given spouses because they lacked, somehow, the essential capacity to connect to others, which was required for the creation of a family unit.
 
"Maybe we could even keep him," Lily suggested sweetly, trying to look innocent. The look was fake, Jonas knew; they all knew.
 
"Lily," Mother reminded her, smiling, "you know the rules."
 
Two children — one male, one female — to each family unit. It was written very clearly in the rules.
 
Lily giggled. "Well," she said, "I thought maybe just this once."
 
Next, Mother, who held a prominent position at the Department of Justice, talked about her feelings. Today a repeat offender had been brought before her, someone who had broken the rules before. Someone who she hoped had been adequately and fairly punished, and who had been restored to his place: to his job, his home, his family unit. To see him brought before her a second time caused her overwhelming feelings of frustration and anger. And even guilt, that she hadn't made a difference in his life.
 
"I feel frightened, too, for him," she confessed. "You know that there's no third chance. The rules say that if there's a third transgression, he simply has to be released." Jonas shivered. He knew it happened. There was even a boy in his group of Elevens whose father had been released years before. No one ever mentioned it; the disgrace was unspeakable. It was hard to imagine.
 
Lily stood up and went to her mother. She stroked her mother's arm.
 
From his place at the table, Father reached over and took her hand. Jonas reached for the other.
 
One by one, they comforted her. Soon she smiled, thanked them, and murmured that she felt soothed.
 
The ritual continued. "Jonas?" Father asked. "You're last, tonight."
 
Jonas sighed. This evening he almost would have preferred to keep his feelings hidden. But it was, of course, against the rules.
 
"I'm feeling apprehensive," he confessed, glad that the appropriate descriptive word had finally come to him.
 
"Why is that, son?" His father looked concerned.
 
"I know there's really nothing to worry about," Jonas explained, "and that every adult has been through it. I know you have, Father, and you too, Mother. But it's the Ceremony that I'm apprehensive about. It's almost December."
 
Lily looked up, her eyes wide. "The Ceremony of Twelve," she whispered in an awed voice. Even the smallest children — Lily's age and younger — knew that it lay in the future for each of them.
 
"I'm glad you told us of your feelings," Father said.
 
"Lily," Mother said, beckoning to the little girl, "go on now and get into your nightclothes. Father and I are going to stay here and talk to Jonas for a while."
 
Lily sighed, but obediently she got down from her chair. "Privately?" she asked.
 
Mother nodded. "Yes," she said, "this talk will be a private one with Jonas."
 
上海翻譯公司-上海翻譯公司排名-上海翻譯公司報價-上海翻譯機構(gòu)-《記憶傳授人》第一章分享譯語國際英漢翻譯
第一章節(jié) 分享
十二月就要到了，喬納思開始感到恐懼。不對，不是恐懼，喬納思心里想著，恐懼是指對即將發(fā)生的事情深感不安。一年前，一架來路不明的飛機在社區(qū)上空盤旋了兩圈，當(dāng)時他確實覺得恐懼。那兩次，他都親眼所見。當(dāng)時他瞇著眼睛望著天空，看見那架外型優(yōu)美的噴氣機快速飛掠而過，飛機的身影遠(yuǎn)去后，才聽到它轟轟的聲響。過了一會兒，同樣一架飛機，又再次從另一端疾飛而來。
 
起初，他只是單純地被吸引，因為平常飛行員飛越社區(qū)上空是有違規(guī)定的，所以以前從沒機會這么近距離打量飛機。有時候飛機載運補給品，橫越河面后降落在河對岸，孩子們就會騎著自行車，來到河岸，著迷地看著飛機卸貨、起飛，最后朝西方遠(yuǎn)離社區(qū)的地方飛去。
 
但是，一年前的那架飛機不一樣。它不是那種外型矮壯、肚子圓鼓鼓的貨機，而是一架機頭尖尖、單人駕駛的噴氣機。當(dāng)時喬納思焦慮地四處張望，看見其他人包括大人和小孩，也跟他一樣，通通停下手邊的工作，困惑地等待著，不知道會發(fā)生什么事。
 
接著所有的居民接到指令，進入最近的建筑物，不準(zhǔn)隨意走動。擴音器里傳出刺耳的聲音：“立刻行動，把自行車留在原地。”
 
喬納思不假思索，馬上把自行車丟在家后頭的小徑上，跑進屋子里，獨自留在屋內(nèi)。他的父母都外出工作了，妹妹莉莉那時正在幼兒園消磨她下課以后的時光。
 
他從前面的窗戶看出去，街道上空無一人。平常在這時刻，往來頻繁的清道夫、環(huán)境美化人員和食品送貨員，這會兒都不見了。路邊到處是被匆忙扔下的自行車，有輛自行車車輪朝天，還在旋轉(zhuǎn)著。
 
那時他真的害怕，他強烈地感覺到整個社區(qū)劍拔弩張的氣氛。他的胃不禁劇烈地翻騰起來，身子也不由自主地跟著發(fā)抖。
 
可是，什么也沒發(fā)生。幾分鐘之后，擴音器再度響起，這次語氣較緩和、輕松，廣播員解釋說：有位正在受訓(xùn)的駕駛員讀錯了航行指示說明，所以轉(zhuǎn)錯了彎，飛錯了方向。
 
“不用說，他會被解放的。”擴音器里的播音員在播送最后這條消息時，語氣帶著嘲諷，仿佛自己都覺得有點兒好笑。雖然喬納思深深明白這種聲明背后的嚴(yán)肅意涵，卻也不禁微微一笑。對于在社區(qū)中奉獻心力的市民來說，解放就是最后的判決，是一種可怕的懲罰，一項令人驚懼的失敗聲明。
 
如果孩子們在玩游戲時，用這個詞語來嘲笑玩伴接球失誤或賽跑時跌跤，是會被大人斥責(zé)的。喬納思以前就有過一次這種經(jīng)歷，那次亞瑟犯下一個不該發(fā)生的錯誤，害得他們球隊輸了比賽，他對自己最要好的朋友大叫：“就這樣，亞瑟！你被解放了！”結(jié)果他馬上被帶到旁邊去，教練嚴(yán)厲地批評了他一頓。他低頭認(rèn)錯，非常慚愧，賽后還跟亞瑟道歉。
 
現(xiàn)在，他一邊沿著河邊小徑騎著自行車回家，一邊回想起那種恐懼的感覺。
 
他記得那次飛機在天空快速飛行，帶給他一種難忘的、胃痙攣的恐懼，這跟現(xiàn)在十二月緩緩逼近所帶給他的感受大不相同。他努力尋找最精確的字眼，好形容自己的感覺。
 
喬納思對遣詞用字一向小心翼翼。不像他的朋友亞瑟，老是說得太快，又夾七夾八的，單字和詞組亂用一氣，說到最后，讓大家聽也聽不懂，還很有“果笑”。
 
喬納思微微一笑，想起那天早上，亞瑟跟平常一樣又遲到了。當(dāng)他上氣不接下氣地沖進教室時，大家正在唱頌早晨的《圣歌》。等全班同學(xué)唱完最后一段愛國者的贊美詩，回到自己的座位時，亞瑟仍舊杵在那兒，按照規(guī)定向大家道歉。
 
“很抱歉，我給共同學(xué)習(xí)的班級添了麻煩。”亞瑟一邊喘氣，一邊快速地說了一遍標(biāo)準(zhǔn)道歉語。老師和全班同學(xué)都耐心地等待他的解釋。有的同學(xué)則在竊笑，因為大家已聽過太多次亞瑟的解釋了。
 
“我準(zhǔn)時出門，但是騎車到養(yǎng)殖場附近，看見工作人員在為鮭魚分類，我實在憂心如焚，就立在旁邊呆呆地看著。”
 
“我向所有的同學(xué)道歉！”最后亞瑟說完，將皺巴巴的袍子撫平，坐了下來。
 
“亞瑟，我們接受你的道歉！”全班整齊劃一地念誦標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答復(fù)，許多同學(xué)咬住嘴唇，以免笑出聲來。
 
“亞瑟，我接受你的道歉。”老師也微笑著說，“此外，我還要感謝你又提供一個機會，讓大家上上語文課。用‘憂心如焚’這個詞來形容對鮭魚分類的擔(dān)心，太強烈了一點。”他轉(zhuǎn)身在黑板上寫下“憂心如焚”四個字，接著又在旁邊寫出“有些擔(dān)心”四個字。
 
喬納思快到家了。一想起這件事，不禁又笑了起來。他一邊想著，一邊把自行車停進門邊窄窄的停車位。他也知道用“恐懼”這個詞來形容自己的感覺是不對的?，F(xiàn)在十二月就要到了，這個形容詞太強烈了。
 
這個別具意義的十二月，他期待已久。既然日子就快到了，他也不用再恐懼了。但是他很……急切——沒錯，就是這個字眼，他急切地希望日子快點到。當(dāng)然，他也很興奮，所有十一歲的孩子對未來要做什么，都很興奮?？墒且幌氲娇赡馨l(fā)生的狀況，他不禁又緊張得哆嗦了一下。
 
焦慮，喬納思決定了，用這個字眼來形容自己目前的心境最準(zhǔn)確。
 
“今天晚上誰第一個志愿分享他的感覺？”在晚餐的最后分享時段，喬納思的爸爸問。
 
每天晚上分享他人的感覺，是每戶人家的例行活動。有時候，喬納思和妹妹莉莉會為了誰先講話而起爭執(zhí)。他們的雙親也會在每天晚上說說他們的感覺，不過，就像所有的父母、所有的大人一樣，他們不會為了誰先誰后費心思。
 
喬納思今晚也不會，今天晚上他的感覺太復(fù)雜了。他想跟大家分享這些感覺，但是即使他知道爸媽會給他協(xié)助，他也還不急著跟大家述說自己錯綜復(fù)雜的情緒。
 
“你先，莉莉。”他對妹妹說。莉莉才七歲，還非常小，她正不耐煩地坐在椅子上扭來扭去。
 
“今天下午，我好生氣，”莉莉開始說話，“我們幼兒園這一班原本在游樂場玩，突然來了另一個也都是七歲孩子的班級。他們完全不遵守規(guī)則。其中有個不知道叫什么名字的男孩兒，直接插隊到最前面去溜滑梯，根本不管我們這些排隊等候的人。我很生氣，就把手握成拳頭，像這樣。”
 
她把手握緊，變成拳頭狀。家人看她做出這個挑釁的動作，不禁微笑了起來。
 
“為什么你會覺得那些孩子不守規(guī)矩呢？”媽媽問。
 
莉莉想了一下，搖搖頭：“我不知道，他們的行為就像……就像……”
 
“動物？”喬納思猜著，然后哈哈笑起來。
 
“沒錯，”莉莉也哈哈笑起來，“就像動物。”沒有一個孩子確切地知道那是什么意思，不過大家常用這個字眼來形容沒有受過教育、笨拙或環(huán)境適應(yīng)能力不良的人。
 
“那些孩子是從哪里來的？”爸爸問。
 
莉莉皺皺眉頭，努力回想。“老師說過，但是我想不起來。我想我沒有很專心聽。他們是從另一個社區(qū)來的，他們很早就出門，必須在巴士上吃午餐呢。”
 
媽媽點點頭：“你想，會不會是他們的規(guī)矩跟我們的不一樣？所以不知道你們游樂場的規(guī)矩？”
 
莉莉聳聳肩，點點頭：“可能是吧。”
 
“你們不是也拜訪過其他社區(qū)嗎？”喬納思問，“我們班上常有這種活動。”
 
莉莉又點點頭：“我們六歲時，曾經(jīng)去另一個社區(qū)參觀，一整天都跟他們六歲的班級一起生活。”
 
“在那里你有什么感覺？”
 
莉莉皺皺眉頭：“我覺得很奇怪，因為他們的方法跟我們很不一樣。他們學(xué)習(xí)一些我們還沒學(xué)過的習(xí)俗，所以我們覺得自己像笨瓜。”
 
爸爸興味十足地聽著。“我想，莉莉，”他說，“那個男孩兒為什么不守規(guī)矩，你看，那個男孩子來到一個新地方，完全不懂這里的規(guī)矩，他會不會也覺得很奇怪，覺得自己像笨瓜？”
 
莉莉想了一會兒，最后說：“會。”
 
喬納思說：“我覺得他蠻可憐的，雖然我不認(rèn)識他，但是想到有人到了一個陌生的地方，對什么都好奇，又時時覺得自己很笨，我就為他感到難過。”
 
“你現(xiàn)在有什么感覺呢，莉莉？”爸爸問，“還在生氣嗎？”
 
“不生氣了，”莉莉肯定地說，“我想他的確很可憐。很抱歉我曾經(jīng)氣得握拳頭。”她微微一笑。
 
喬納思也對妹妹笑了笑。莉莉的感覺非常直接、單純，也非常容易解決?；叵胱约浩邭q的時候，應(yīng)該也是同樣的狀況吧！
 
接下來輪到爸爸說話了，雖然喬納思不夠?qū)Ｐ?，但仍禮貌地表現(xiàn)出聆聽的模樣。爸爸解釋當(dāng)天因為有位新生兒成長得不太順利，讓他十分擔(dān)心。喬納思的爸爸是個養(yǎng)育師，每位新生兒在生命初期，不管是身體或情緒上的需求，都由像他這樣的養(yǎng)育師來負(fù)責(zé)照顧。這是一份非常重要的工作，但喬納思很清楚，他對這項工作始終不感興趣。
 
“小寶寶是男生還是女生？”莉莉問。
 
“男生。”爸爸說，“長得很討人喜歡，性情也很好。但是他的成長速度跟不上同齡的孩子，又睡得不安穩(wěn)。我們把他轉(zhuǎn)到特別看護區(qū)，給他補充更多的營養(yǎng)和照顧。但是，委員會已經(jīng)在考慮要將他解放。”
 
“天哪！不會吧！”媽媽同情地叫了起來，“我知道你一定會很難過的。”
 
喬納思和莉莉也同情地點點頭。解放新生兒總是傷感，因為他沒犯什么錯，就喪失了享受社區(qū)生活的機會。
 
“解放”通常用來懲罰，只有兩種情況例外：
 
一個是對老年人的解放慶典，歡慶一生豐足圓滿；另一個就是新生兒的解放儀式，讓人有萬般無奈的感覺。對于養(yǎng)育師，比如像爸爸這樣的人來說，那無異于是宣稱自己的任務(wù)失敗了，幸好這種情況很少發(fā)生。
 
“不過”，爸爸說，“我會加把勁兒努力改善的。我想要求委員會允許我晚上帶他回家過夜，希望你們能同意。你們也知道那些夜班養(yǎng)育師的水準(zhǔn)，我認(rèn)為這個小家伙需要特別的照顧。”
 
“當(dāng)然沒問題。”媽媽說，喬納思和莉莉也點點頭。他們以前就聽過爸爸抱怨晚班工作人員的素質(zhì)不佳。由于要求不嚴(yán)，所以晚班的養(yǎng)育工作都由一些缺乏興趣、技術(shù)較差或無法勝任白天工作的人來擔(dān)任。也因為這樣，有許多晚班的工作，是由申請不到配偶的人來擔(dān)任的，偏偏他們天生缺乏跟別人互動的能力，而這卻是建立家庭的必備素質(zhì)。
 
“也許，我們可以把他留下來。”莉莉露出甜美的笑容，一副天真無邪的模樣。喬納思很清楚，那表情是裝出來的，其他家人也都明白。
 
“莉莉，”媽媽笑著提醒她，“你明明知道規(guī)矩。”
 
兩個小孩——一男加一女，這是每個家庭的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)模式。
 
社區(qū)法則里寫得清清楚楚。
 
莉莉咯咯笑了起來。“好吧！”她說，“我還以為可以破例呢。”
 
接下來輪到媽媽說她的感受。媽媽在司法院地位很高，今天她審判了一位有前科的違規(guī)者。她原本希望這個人在上次犯規(guī)后，接受了公平的懲罰，會重新開始工作，融入家庭生活，沒想到他又被帶到她面前。她感到無比地沮喪和憤怒——她竟然對他的人生毫無影響，這一點甚至讓她覺得愧疚。
 
“我很替他憂心，”她傾訴著，“你們也知道，法則上明明白白地規(guī)定，沒有第三次機會了，如果第三次違規(guī)，就只有解放一條道兒了。”喬納思打了個冷戰(zhàn)，這種事發(fā)生過。在他十一歲的班上，有個男孩兒的爸爸在很多年前被解放了。
 
沒有人敢提這件事，因為不光彩的事是禁止討論的。這實在太難想象了。
 
莉莉站起來，走到媽媽身邊，輕撫著媽媽的手臂。爸爸從他的座位上伸出手，握住媽媽的手。喬納思則握住媽媽的另一只手。
 
他們一個接一個安慰媽媽，很快地，媽媽重展笑顏，說謝謝大家，自己的心情好多了。
 
分享的儀式繼續(xù)進行，爸爸問：“喬納思，你今天是最后一個喔。”
 
喬納思嘆了一口氣。今晚，他寧可把自己的情緒隱藏起來，不過，當(dāng)然嘍，這是違反規(guī)定的。
 
“我非常地焦慮。”他坦白道，一邊心底暗自高興，終于找到貼切的字眼。
 
“為什么會這樣呢，兒子？”爸爸露出關(guān)懷的神情。
 
“我知道其實沒什么好擔(dān)心的，”喬納思解釋說，“而且每位成年人都通過了這關(guān)。我知道爸爸是，媽媽也一樣?，F(xiàn)在十二月就快到了，一想到典禮我就焦慮不安。”
 
莉莉睜大眼睛往上看，用敬畏的聲音小聲說：“十二歲的典禮哇。”即使是小孩，就像莉莉，或比她更小的，也都知道自己未來要經(jīng)歷這道關(guān)卡。
 
“我很高興你說出自己的感受。”爸爸說。
 
“莉莉，”媽媽對小女孩招招手說，“去做該做的事，先把睡衣?lián)Q上。爸爸和我留在這里，跟喬納思再多談一會兒。”
 
莉莉嘆了一口氣，順從地爬下椅子：“是個別談話嗎？”她問。
 
媽媽點點頭說：“對，我們要跟喬納思單獨談一談。”
 
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