现代大学英语精读4Unit2SpringSowing原文.docx

现代大学英语精读4Unit2SpringSowing原文.docx

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现代大学英语精读4Unit2SpringSowing原文

SpringSowing

ItwasstilldarkwhenMartinDelaneyandhiswifeMarygotup.Martinstoodinhisshirtbythewindow,rubbinghiseyesandyawning,whileMaryrakedoutthelivecoalsthathadlainhiddenintheashesonthehearthallnight.Outside,cockswerecrowingandawhitestreakwasrisingformtheground,asitwere,andbeginningtoscatterthedarkness.ItwasaFebruarymorning,dry,coldandstarry.

Thecouplesatdowntotheirbreakfastoftea,breadandbutter,insilence.Theyhadonlybeenmarriedthepreviousautumnanditwashatefulleavingawarmbedatsuchandearlyhour.Martin,withhisbrownhairandeyes,hisfreckledfaceandhislittlefairmoustache,lookedtooyoungtobemarried,andhiswifelookedhardlymorethanagirl,red-cheekedandblue-eyed,herblackhairpiledattherearofherheadwithalargecombgleaminginthemiddleofthepile,Spanishfashion.Theywerebothdressedinroughhomespuns,andbothworetheloosewhiteshirtthatInverarapeasantsuseforworkinthefields.

Theyateinsilence,sleepyandyetonfirewithexcitement,foritwasthefirstdayoftheirfirstspringsowingasmanandwife.Andeachfelttheglamourofthatdayonwhichtheyweretoopenuptheearthtogetherandplantseedsinit.Butsomehowtheimminenceofaneventthathadbeenlongexpectedloved,fearedandpreparedformadethemdejected.Mary,withhershrewdwoman'smind,thoughtofasmanythingsasthereareinlifeasawomanwouldinthefirstjoyandanxietyofhermating.ButMartin'smindwasfixedononethought.Wouldhebeabletoprovehimselfamanworthyofbeingtheheadofafamilybydonghisspringsowingwell?

Inthebarnafterbreakfast,whentheyweregettingthepotatoseedsandthelineformeasuringthegroundandthespade,Martinfelloverabasketinthehalf-darknessofthebarn,hesworeandsaidthatamanwouldbebetteroffdeadthan..Butbeforehecouldfinishwhateverhewasgoingtosay,Maryhadherarmsaroundhiswaistandherfacetohis."Martin,"shesaid,"letusnotbeginthisdaycrosswithoneanother."Andtherewasatremorinhervoice.Andsomehow,astheyembraced,alltheirirritationandsleepinessleftthem.AndtheystoodthereembracinguntilatlastMartinpushedherfromhimwithpretendedroughnessandsaid:

"Come,come,girl,itwillbesunsetbeforewebeginatthisrate."

Still,astheywalkedsilentlyintheirrawhideshoesthroughthelittlehamlet,therewasnotasoulabout.Lightswereglimmeringinthewindowsofafewcabins.Theskyhadabiggreycrackinitintheeast,asifitweregoingtoburstinordertogivebirthtothesun.Birdsweresingingsomewhere

atadistance.MartinandMaryrestedtheirbasketsofseedsonafenceoutsidethevillageandMartinwhisperedtoMaryproudly:

"Wearefirst,Mary."Andtheybothlookedbackatthelittleclusterofcabinsthatwasthecentreoftheirworld,withthrobbinghearts.Forthejoyofspringhadnowtakencompleteholdofthem.

Theyreachedthelittlefieldwheretheyweretosow.Itwasalittletriangularpatchofgroundunderanivy-coveredlimestonehill.Thelittlefieldhadbeenmanuredwithseaweedsomeweeksbefore,andtheweedshadrottedandwhitenedonthegrass.Andtherewasabigredheapoffreshseaweedlyinginacornerbythefencetobespreadundertheseedsastheywerelaid.Martin,inspiteofthecold,threwoffeverythingabovehiswaistexcepthisstripedwoolenshirt.Thenhespatonhishands,seizedhisspadeandcried:

"Nowyouaregoingtoseewhatkindofamanyouhave,Mary."

"There,now,"saidMary,tyingalittleshawlcloserunderherchin.

"Aren'tweboastfulthisearlyhourofthemorning?

MaybeI'llwaittillsunsettoseewhatkindofamanIhavegot."

Theworkbegan.Martinmeasuredthegroundbythesouthernfenceforthefirstridge,astripofgroundfourfeetwide,andheplacedthelinealongtheedgeandpeggeditateachend.Thenhespreadfreshseaweedoverthestrip.Maryfilledherapronwithseedsandbegantolaytheminrows.Whenshewasalittledistancedowntheridge,Martinadvancedwithhisspadetothehead,eagertocommence.

"NowinthenameofGod,"hecried,spittingonhispalms,"letusraisethefirstsod!

"

"Oh,Martin,waittillI'mwithyou!

"criedMary,droppingherseedsontheridgeandrunninguptohim.Herfingersoutsideherwoolenmittenswerenumbwiththecold,andshecouldn'twipetheminherapron.Hercheeksseemedtobeonfire.SheputanarmroundMartin'swaistandstoodlookingatthegreensodhisspadewasgoingtocut,withtheexcitementofalittlechild.

"NowforGod'ssake,girl,keepback!

"saidMartingruffly."Supposeanybodysawuslikethisinthefieldofourspringsowing,whatwouldtheytakeusforbutapairofuseless,soft,empty-headedpeoplethatwouldbesuretodieofhunger?

Huh!

"Hespokeveryrapidly,andhiseyeswerefixedonthegroundbeforehm.Hiseyeshadawild,eagerlightinthemasifsomeprimevalimpulsewereburningwithinhisbrainanddrivingouteveryotherdesirebutthatofassertinghismanhoodandofsubjugatingtheearth.

"Oh,whatdowecarewhoislooking?

"saidMary;butshedrewbackatthesametimeandgazeddistantlyattheground.ThenMartincutthesod,andpressingthespadedeepintotheearthwithhisfoot,heturnedupthefirstsodwithacrunchingsoundasthegrassrootsweredraggedoutoftheearth.Marysighedandwalkedbackhurriedlytoherseedswithfurrowedbrows.Shepickedupherseedsandbegantospreadthemrapidlytodriveoutthesuddenterrorthath

adseizedheratthatmomentwhenshesawthefierce,hardlookinherhusband'seyesthatwereunconsciousofherpresence.Shebecamesuddenlyafraidofthatpitiless,cruelearth,thepeasant'sslavemasterthatwouldkeepherchainedtohardworkandpovertyallherlifeuntilshewouldsinkagainintoitsbosom.Hershort-livedlovewasgone.Henceforthshewasonlyherhusband'shelpertotilltheearth.AndMartin,absolutelywithoutthought,workedfuriously,coveringtheridgewithblockearth,hissharpspadegleamingwhiteashewhirleditsidewaystobeatthesods.

Then,asthesunrose,thelittlevalleybeneaththeivy-coveredhillsbecamedottedwithwhiteshirts,andeverywheremenworkedmadly,withoutspeaking,andwomenspreadseeds.Therewasnoheatinthelightofthesun,andtherewasasharpnessinthestillthinairthatmadethemenjumpontheirspadehaltsferociouslyandbeatthesodsasiftheywerelivingenemies.Birdshoppedsilentlybeforethespades,withtheirheadscockedsideways,watchingforworms.Madebravebyhunger,theyoftendashedunderthespadestosecuretheirfood.

Then,whenthesunreachedacertainpoint,allthewomenwentbacktothevillagetogetdinnerfortheirmen,andthemenworkedonwithoutstopping.Thenthe

womenreturned,almostrunning,eachcarryingatincanwithaflanneltiedarounditandalittlebundletiedwithawhitecloth,MartinthrewdownhisspadewhenMaryarrivedbackinthefield.Smilingatoneanothertheysatunderthehillfortheirmeal.Itwasthesameastheirbreakfast,teaandbreadandbutter.

"Ah,"saidMartin,whenhehadtakenalongdraughtofteaformhismug,"isthereanythinginthisworldasfineaseatingdinneroutintheopenlikethisafterdoingagoodmorning'swork?

There,Ihavedonetworidgesandahalf.That'smorethananymaninthevillagecoulddo.Ha!

"Andhelookedathiswifeproudly.

"Yes,isn'titlovely,"saidMary,lookingatthebackridgeswistfully.Shewasjustmunchingherbreadandbutter.Thehurriedtriptothevillageandthetroubleofgettingtheteareadyhadrobbedherofherappetite.Shehadtokeepblowingattheturffirewiththerimofherskirt,andthesmokenearlyblindedher.Butnow,sittingonthatgrassyknoll,withthevalleyallroundglisteningwithfreshseaweedandalightsmokerisingfromthefreshlyturnedearth,astrangejoysweptoverher.Itoverpoweredthatotherfellingofdreadthathadbeenwithherduringthemorning.

Martinateheartily,revelinginhisgreatthirstandhisgreathunger,witheveryporeofhisbodyopentothepureair.And

helookedaroundathisneighbors'fieldsboastfully,comparingthemwithhisown.Thenhelookedathiswife'slittleroundblackheadandfeltveryproudofhavingherashisown.Heleanedbackonhiselbowandtookherhandinhis.Shylyandinsilence,notknowingwhattosayandashamedoftheirgentlefeelings,theyfinishedeatingandstillsathandinhandlookingawayintothedistance.Everywherethesowerswererestingonlittleknolls,men,womenandchildrensittinginsilence.Andthegreatcalmofnatureinspringfilledtheatmospherearoundthem.Everythingseemedtositstillandwaituntilmiddayhadpassed.Onlythegleamingsunchasedwestwardsatamightypace,inandoutthroughwhiteclouds.

Theninadistantfieldanoldmangotup,tookhisspadeandbegantocleantheearthfromitwithapieceofstone.Theraspingnoisecarriedalongwayinthesilence.Thatwasthesignalforageneralrisingallalongthelittlevalley.Youngmenstretchedthemselvesandyawned.Theywalkedslowlybacktotheirridges.

Martin'sbackandhiswristsweregettingsore,andMaryfeltthatifshestoopedagainoverherseedsherneckwouldbreak,butneithersaidanythingandsoontheyhadforgottentheirtirednessinthemechanicalmovementoftheirbodies.Thestrongsmelloftheupturnedearthactedlikeadrugontheirnerves.

Intheafternoon,whenthesunwasstrongest,theoldmenofthevillagecameouttolookattheirpeoplesowing.Martin'sgrandfather,almostbentdoubleoverhisthickstickstoppedinthelandoutsidethefieldandgroaningloudl