现代大学英语精读第二版（第一册）学习笔记（原文及全文翻译）——3B - The Son from America（子由美归来）

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Unit 3B - The Son from America

The Son from America

Isaac Bashevis Singer

The village of Lentshin was tiny. It was surrounded by fields and little huts with thatched roofs. In the fields, the owners planted vegetables or pastured their goats.

In the smallest of these huts lived old Berl, a man in his eighties, and his wife Berlcha. Old Berl was one of the Jews driven out of Russia who had settled in Poland. He was short, broad-shouldered, and had a small white beard, and in summer and winter he wore a sheepskin hat, a padded cotton jacket, and stout boots. He had a half acre of field, a cow, a goat, and chickens.

The couple had a son, Samuel, who had gone to America forty years ago. It was said in Lentshin that he became a millionaire there. Every month, the Lentshin letter carrier brought old Berl a money order and a letter that no one could read because many of the words were English. How much money Samuel sent his parents remained a secret. They never seemed to use the money. What for? The garden, the cow, and the goat provided most of their needs.

No one cared to know where Berl kept the money that his son sent him. The hut consisted of one room, which contained all their belongings: the table, the shelf for meat, the shelf for milk foods, the two beds, and the clay oven. Sometimes the chickens roosted in the woodshed and sometimes, when it was cold, in a coop near the oven. The goat, too, found shelter inside when the weather was bad. The more prosperous villagers had kerosene lamps, but Berl and his wife did not believe in new gadgets. Only for the Sabbath would Berlcha buy candles at the store. In summer, the couple got up at sunrise and retired with the chickens. In the long winter evenings, Berlcha spun flax and Berl sat beside her in the silence of those who enjoy their rest.

Once in a while when Berl came home from the synagogue, he brought news to his wife. In Warsaw there were strikers who demanded that the czar abdicate. Somebody by the name of Dr. Herzl had come up with the idea that Jews should settle again in Palestine. Berlcha listened and shook her head. Her face was yellowish and wrinkled like a cabbage leaf. She was half deaf. Berl had to repeat each word he said to her.

Here in Lentshin nothing happened except usual events: a cow gave birth to a calf; a young couple got married. Actually, Lentshin had become a village with few young people. The young men left for Zakroczym, for Warsaw, and sometimes for the United States. Like Samuel, they sent letters and photographs in which the men wore top hats and the women fancy dresses.

Berl and Berlcha also received such photographs. But their eyes were failing and neither he nor she had glasses. They could barely make out the pictures. Samuel had sons and daughters-and grandchildren. Their names were so strange that Berl and Berlcha could never remember them. But what difference do names make? America was on the other side of the ocean, at the edge of the world. A Talmud teacher who came to Lentshin had said that Americans walked with their heads down and their feet up. Berl and Berlcha could not grasp this. How was it possible? But since the teacher said so, it must be true.

One Friday morning, when Berlcha was kneading the dough for the Sabbath loaves, the door opened and a nobleman entered. He was so tall that he had to bend down to get through the door.

He was followed by the coachman who carried two leather suitcases. In astonishment, Berlcha raised her eyes.

The nobleman looked around and said to the coachman in Yiddish, "Here it is." He took out a silver ruble and paid him. Then he said, "You can go now."

When the coachman closed the door, the nobleman said, "Mother, it's me, your son Samuel-Sam."

Berlcha heard the words and her legs grew numb. The nobleman hugged her, kissed her forehead, both her cheeks, and Berlcha began to cackle like a hen, "My son!" At that moment Berl came in from the woodshed, his arms piled with logs. The goat followed him. When he saw a nobleman kissing his wife, Berl dropped the wood and exclaimed, "What is this?"

The nobleman let go of Berlcha and embraced Berl. "Father!"

For a long time Berl was unable to utter a sound. Then he asked, "Are you Samuel?"

“Yes, Father, I am Samuel."

"Well, peace be with you." Berl grasped his son's hand.

He was still not sure that he was not being fooled. Samuel wasn't as tall and heavy as this man, but then Berl reminded himself that Samuel was only fifteen years old when he had left home. Berl asked, "Why didn't you let us know that you were coming?"

"Didn't you receive my cable?” Samuel asked.

Berl did not know what a cable was.

Berlcha had scraped the dough from her hands and enfolded her son.

"I never thought I would live to see this. Now, I am happy to die," Berlcha said. Berl was amazed. These were just the words he could have said earlier. After a while Berl came to himself and said,"Pescha, you will have to make a double Sabbath pudding in addition to the stew."

It was years since Berl had called Berlcha by her given name. Only now did Berlcha begin to cry. Yellow tears ran from her eyes, and everything became dim. Then she called out, "It's Friday- I have to prepare for the Sabbath." Yes, she had to knead the dough for the loaves. With such a guest, she had to make a larger Sabbath stew. The winter day is short and she must hurry.

Her son understood what was worrying her, because he said, "Mother, I will help you."

The nobleman took off his jacket and remained in his vest, on which hung a solid-gold watch chain. He rolled up his sleeves. "Mother, I was a baker for many years in New York," he said, and he began to knead the dough.

Berlcha wept for joy. Her strength left her, and she slumped onto the bed.

Berl said, "Women will always be women." And he went to the shed to get more wood. The goat sat down near the oven; she gazed with surprise at this strange man.

The neighbors had heard the good news that Berl's son had arrived from America and they came to greet him. The women began to help Berlcha prepare for the Sabbath. Some laughed, some cried. The room was full of people, as at the wedding.

After Berlcha lit the candles, father and son went to the little synagogue across the street. A new snow had fallen. The son took large steps, but Berl warned him, "Slow down."

In the synagogue the Jews sang their prayers. All the time, the snow outside kept falling. When Berl and Samuel left the Holy Place, the village was unrecognizable. Everything was covered in snow. One could see only the contours of the roofs and the candles in the windows. Samuel said, "Nothing has changed here."

Berlcha had prepared fish, chicken soup with rice, meat, carrot stew. The family ate and drank, and when it grew quiet for a while one could hear the chirping of the house cricket.

After the final prayer Samuel asked, "Father, what did you do with all the money I sent you?"Berl raised his white brows. "It's here."

"Didn't you put it in a bank?"

"There is no bank in Lentshin."

"Where did you keep it?"

Berl hesitated. "One is not allowed to touch money on the Sabbath, but I will show you." He crouched beside the bed and began to shove something heavy. A boot appeared. Its top was stuffed with straw. Berl removed the straw and the son saw that the boot was full of gold coins. He lifted it.

"Father, this is treasure!" he called out.

"Well."

"Why didn't you spend it?"

"On what? Thank God, we have everything."

"Why didn't you travel somewhere?"

"Where to? This is our home."

The son asked one question after the other, but Berl's answer was always the same: They had everything. The garden, the cow, the goat, the chickens provided them with all they needed.

The son said, "If thieves knew about this, your lives wouldn't be safe."

"There are no thieves here."

"What will happen to the money?"

"You take it."

Slowly, Berl and Berlcha grew accustomed to their son and his American Yiddish. Berlcha could hear him better now.

She even recognized his voice. He was saying,

"Perhaps we should build a larger synagogue."

"The synagogue is big enough," Berl replied.

"Perhaps a home for old people."

"No one sleeps in the street."

The next day after the Sabbath meal was eaten，Berl and Berlcha lay down for a nap. They soon began to snore. The goat, too, dozed off. The son put on his cloak and his hat and went for a walk. He strode with his long legs across the marketplace. He stretched out a hand and touched a roof. He had a desire to talk to someone, but it seemed that the whole of Lentshin was asleep.

Samuel returned home. Dusk had fallen. Berl went to the synagogue for the evening prayers and the son remained with his mother.

In the twilight Samuel put his hand into his jacket pocket and touched his checkbook, his letters of credit. He had come here with big plans. He had a suitcase filled with presents for his parents. He wanted to help the village. He brought not only his own money but funds from the Lentshin Society in New York. But this village needed nothing. From the synagogue one could hear people chanting. The cricket, silent all day, started again its chirping. Berlcha began to sway and utter holy rhymes inherited from mothers and grandmothers.

参考译文——子由美归来

子由美归来

艾萨克·巴什维斯·辛格

伦特欣是个很小的村庄。周围都是一些盖有茅草屋顶的小屋及田地。在田地里，主人们种菜或放羊。

最小的那个棚屋里住着80多岁的老伯尔和他的老伴儿伯尔莎。老伯尔是那些被驱离俄国而后定居在波兰的犹太人中的一个。他个小肩宽，留着一小撮白胡子。不论冬夏，他都戴着一顶羊皮帽子，穿着一件棉夹克和一双厚实的靴子。他有半英亩土地、一头奶牛、一只山羊和一些鸡。

这对夫妇有一个儿子叫塞缪尔，40年前去了美国。伦特欣的人都说他在那儿成了一个百万富翁。每个月伦特欣的邮差都会给老伯尔带来一张汇票和一封没人能读懂的信，因为里面有很多英语单词。塞缪尔给他父母寄了多少钱一直是个谜。他们似乎从不花这些钱。花它干什么？菜园、奶牛和山羊为他们提供了大部分的生活所需。

没有人关心伯尔把他儿子寄给他的钱放在了哪儿。小屋只有一个房间，里面包含了他们所有的家当：桌子、肉架、放奶制品的架子、两张床和一个泥炉子。鸡有时把柴房当它们的窝，天冷时就进了火炉旁的鸡笼里。天不好时，山羊也躲进了屋里。条件好点的村民们已经有了煤油灯，但是伯尔和他的妻子不相信新玩意儿。只有在安息日，伯尔莎才去商店买些蜡烛。夏天时，天一亮老两口就起来了；到了晚上，鸡进笼了，他们也歇息了。在漫长的冬夜，伯尔莎纺麻，伯尔就坐在旁边，周围一片寂静，一切都安睡了。

伯尔从教堂回来时，偶尔会给妻子带回些新消息。在华沙，有一些罢工工人要求沙皇退位。有一个叫赫茨尔的博士提出了犹太人应重新定居在巴勒斯坦的想法。伯尔莎一边听一边摇头。她的脸色有点发黄，脸皱得像甘蓝叶。因为她的听觉不太好了，所以伯尔不得不向她重复说过的每一句话。

在伦特欣这儿，除了日常琐事没有什么大事发生：一头母牛生了一头小牛，一对年轻人结婚了。实际上，在伦特欣这个村子里已经没有多少年轻人了。他们有去扎克罗钦姆的，有去华沙的，还有去美国的。他们像塞缪尔一样，往家里寄回了信和照片，照片上男人戴着高高的礼帽，女士穿着花哨的衣裙。

伯尔和伯尔莎也收到过这样的照片。但是他们的眼神也慢慢不好了，都没眼镜，因此很难看清楚那些照片。塞缪尔已经有了儿女及孙子孙女。他们的名字非常奇怪，伯尔和伯尔莎一直记不住。但是名字有什么关系呢？美国在大洋的另一边,位于世界的边缘。一位到伦特欣来讲《塔木德经》的教师曾经说过美国人倒立着走路。伯尔和伯尔莎无法理解。这怎么可能呢？但是既然老师这么说，那一定是真的。

一个星期五的早晨，伯尔莎正在揉面，准备做安息日要吃的面包，门开了，一个绅士走了进来。他个子很高，弯着腰才能进来。

他身后跟着一个车夫，手提着两个皮箱。伯尔莎惊讶地抬起了双眼。

绅士四面看看，然后用意第绪语对车夫说道：“就是这儿。”他掏出一枚银卢布付给了车夫，说了句：“你可以走了。”

车夫关上门后，绅士说：“妈妈，是我，你的儿子塞缪尔--萨姆。”

伯尔莎听到这些话，腿都不听使唤了。绅士抱住她，吻着她的前额和双颊。伯尔莎开始像母鸡一样咯咯地笑了起来：“我的孩子！” 就在那时，伯尔抱着一捆柴火从柴房回来了。山羊跟在他后面。当他看到一个绅士正在亲吻他妻子时，他扔掉木柴，大喊一声：“这是怎么回事？”

绅士放开伯尔莎，过来拥抱伯尔：“爸爸！”

好长一段时间伯尔说不出话来，然后他问：“你是塞缪尔？”

“是的，爸爸，我是塞缪尔。”

“啊，你一切都好吧。”伯尔抓住他儿子的手。

他仍然不确定他是不是被愚弄了。塞缪尔没有这个男人这么高大，但他马上想起来塞缪尔离家时只有15岁。伯尔问道：“回来怎么不告诉我们一声？”

“你们没收到我的电报吗？”塞缪尔问道。

伯尔不知道电报是什么。

伯尔莎刮掉手上的面粉，拥抱他的儿子。

“我从未想过能活着看到这一切，现在死也开心了。”伯尔莎说道。伯尔惊呆了，这些话本来是他早些时候想说的。过了会儿他才缓过神，说：“贝莎，除了炖菜再做双份的安息日布丁。”

伯尔已经多年没有这样叫伯尔莎的名字了。伯尔莎现在终于哭了起来。浑浊的泪水涌出了双眼，眼前的一切都变得模糊了，尔后她喊道：“今天是星期五，我得为安息日作准备了。”是啊，她得揉面做面包了。来了这样一位客人，她得为安息日炖更多的菜。冬天白天不长，她必须抓紧时间。

她儿子知道她在担心什么，他说：“妈妈，我来帮你。”

他脱掉夹克，只穿一件坎肩，坎肩上挂着纯金表链。他卷起袖子，说:"妈妈，我在纽约作了好多年的面包师。“接着就开始揉面了。

伯尔莎喜极而泣。她觉得都没力气了，跌坐到床上。

伯尔说女人就是女人。“然后他去柴房取些柴火。那只山羊趴在火炉旁边，惊讶地盯着这个陌生人。”

邻居们听说伯尔的儿子从美国回来了，都前来问候他。妇女们开始帮伯尔莎为安息日作准备。有人笑，有人哭，房间里到处都是人，好像在举行一场婚礼。

伯尔莎点燃蜡烛后，父子俩穿过街道向小教堂走去。刚刚下了一场雪。儿子迈开了大步，伯尔提醒道：“慢点儿。”

教堂里，犹太人们吟唱着祈祷词。外面的雪下个不停。当伯尔和塞缪尔离开教堂时，村庄都没法辨认了。所有的一切都被大雪覆盖着。唯一能辨认的只有屋顶的轮廓和透过窗户的烛光。塞缪尔说："这儿的一切都没变啊。”

伯尔莎准备好了鱼、鸡汤米饭、肉，还有胡萝卜炖菜。一家人享用着，屋里渐渐变得安静了，能听到蟋蟀的鸣叫声。

最后祷告完毕后，塞缪尔问：“爸爸，你用我寄给你们的钱做了什么？”伯尔扬了扬白色的眉毛说：“就在这儿。”

“你没把它存到银行去？”

“伦特欣没有银行。”

“那你把它放到哪儿了？”

伯尔犹豫了一下："在安息日是不可以摸钱的，不过我还是指给你看。“他蹲在床边，开始挪动一个很沉的东西。拉出了一只靴子，上面塞满了稻草。伯尔掏出了稻草，儿子看到靴子里装满了金帀。他提起了靴子。

“爸爸，这是个宝藏。”他喊道。

“是啊。”

“你们为什么不花了它？”

“买什么啊？感谢上帝，我们什么都有啊。”

“那你们怎么不去旅行啊？”

“去哪儿，这儿是我们的家。”

儿子问了一个又一个问题，但伯尔的回答总是一样的：他们拥有一切。菜园、奶牛、山羊和鸡为他们提供了所需的一切。

儿子说:"如果窃贼知道这钱，你们就危险了。”

“这儿没有小偷。”

“那你们准备拿这些钱来做什么？”

“你拿走吧！”

伯尔和伯尔莎慢慢习惯了他们的儿子和他那带有美国口音的意第绪语。

伯尔莎现在能较清楚地听到他说的话了，她甚至能辨认出他的声音。

他说：“也许我们应该建一所大点儿的教堂。”

伯尔回答这所已经足够大了。”

“那建一所敬老院。”

“没人睡在大街上。”

安息日餐后的第二天，伯尔和伯尔莎躺下小睡一会儿。不久他们便开始打鼾了。那只山羊也打起了盹儿。儿子穿上了斗篷，戴上帽子出去走走。他迈着大步穿过市场，又伸出手碰碰屋顶。他想找人说说话，但是似乎整个伦特欣都在沉睡。

塞缪尔回到家，天已近黄昏。伯尔去教堂进行晚祷告，儿子和母亲待在一起。

在暮色下，塞缪尔把手伸进衣兜，摸到了他的支票簿和信用证。他是满怀抱负回到这儿的。他有一个手提箱，里面装满了送给父母亲的礼物。他想帮助这个村庄，他不仅带回了他自己的钱，还带回了纽约伦特欣协会的基金。但是这座村庄什么也不需要。教堂里传出了人们吟唱圣歌的声音。沉寂了一天的蟋蟀又开始了鸣叫。伯尔莎开始摇摆着身体，哼着从她母亲和祖母那辈那儿学来的圣歌。

Key Words:

cow [kau]

n. 母牛，母兽

vt. 恐吓

settled ['setld]

adj. 固定的；稳定的 v. 解决；定居

silence ['sailəns]

n. 沉默，寂静

vt. 使安静，使沉默

gadgets [gæ,dʒets]

n. 小配件；小工具（gadget的复数）

abdicate ['æbdikeit]