痛

Ｋｉｍｂｅｒｌｅｙ　Ｈｏｌｍｅｓ

●金佰利·福爾摩斯

瑪麗·瑪格德里又唱起來了，其他人撇開臉不看她。別理他們，她輕聲對孩子說。昨夜那場暴風(fēng)雨讓他們半癲半狂。

今天沒有任何暴風(fēng)雨的征兆。陽光燦爛地潑灑到他們身上，這樣的天氣似乎已經(jīng)持續(xù)了好幾個星期。即便是載著他們的小船，也并沒有因風(fēng)浪遭受什么損傷。但目睹這一切的眼睛卻少了，整整少了14雙。

瑪麗隨著小船顛簸的節(jié)奏搖晃著她的孩子。起初，他們祈禱早日到岸，別被海岸巡邏隊(duì)逮到。現(xiàn)在，他們只祈禱有人來救他們，不管是誰。隨著一個浪頭襲上船沿兒，那位母親爆發(fā)出一聲凄厲的抽泣。飛濺的浪花灼痛了他們的傷口和腫處。瑪麗的大女兒向她伸出手去。

“怎么了，媽媽？”

“是寶寶。她不肯喝水。”

“她已經(jīng)喝飽了。你剛剛喂過她，你忘了？”

瑪麗親了親兩個女兒，蜷起身準(zhǔn)備睡去。大女兒懷中抱著一個氈制麻袋，權(quán)當(dāng)她失去的玩偶。她媽媽懷中抱著一個布制娃娃，權(quán)當(dāng)她失去的孩子。

（金衛(wèi)南摘自《美麗英文》）

Marie Magdalene is singing again and the others look away. Don't mind them, she whispers to the child. They are all half-mad because of the storm last night.

There are no signs of the storm today. The sun is shining brightly-beating down on them for what seems like weeks now. Even the little boat, which imprisons them, looks no worse for the wear. But there are fewer people to make note of these things-fourteen fewer to be exact.

Marie rocks her baby in rhythm with the boat. In the beginning, they prayed to reach land before the coast guard intercepted them. Now they pray for rescue from anyone. A sob erupts from the mother as a wave washes over the vessel. The sea spray stings all their cuts and bruises. Marie's oldest daughter reaches over to her.

"What is it, Mama?"

"The baby. She will not drink."

"But she is full. You just fed her. Don't you remember?"

Marie kisses her daughters as she curls up to sleep. In the daughter's arms is a felt sack to replace her lost doll. In the mother's arms is a cloth doll to replace her lost child.