Awomanonaroof英语原文教学资料.docx

Awomanonaroof英语原文教学资料.docx

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Awomanonaroof英语原文教学资料

A_woman_on_a_roof_英语原文

Awomanonaroof

 Itwasduringtheweekofhotsun，thatJune.Threemenwereatworkontheroof，wheretheleadsgotsohottheyhadtheideaofthrowingwaterontocoolthem.Butthewatersteamed，thensizzled；andtheymakejokesaboutgettinganeggfromsomewomanintheflatsundertheflatsunderthem，topoachitfortheirdinner.Bytwoitwasnotpossibletotouchthegutteringtheywerereplacing，andtheyspeculatedaboutwhatworkmendidinregularlyhotcountries.Perhapstheyshouldborrowkitchengloveswiththeegg?

Theywereallabitdizzy，notusedtotheheat；andtheyshedtheircoatsandstoodsidebysidesqueezingthemselvesintoafootwidepatchofshadeagainstachimney，carefultokeeptheirfeetinthethicksocksandbootsoutofthesun.Therewasafineviewacrossseveralacresofroofs.Notfaroffamansatinadeckchairreadingthenewspapers.Thentheysawher，betweenchimneys，aboutfiftyyardsaway.Shelayfacedownonabrownblanket.Theycouldseethetoppartofher：

blackhair，aflushedsolidback，armsspreadout.“She’sstarknaked，”saidStanley，soundingannoyed.

Harry，theoldest，amanofaboutforty-five，said：

“Lookslikeit.”

YoungTom，seventeen，saidnothing，buthewasexcitedandgrinning.

Stanleysaid：

“Someone’llreportherifshedoesn’twatchout.”

“Shethinksnoonecansee，”saidTom，craninghisheadallwaystoseemore.

Atthispointthewoman，stilllyingprone，broughthertwohandsupbehindhershoulderswiththeendsofascarfinthem，tieditbehindherback，andsatup.Sheworearedscarftiedaroundherbreastsandbriefredbikinipants.Thisbeingthefirstdayofthesunshewaswhite，flushingred.Shesatsmoking，anddidnotlookupwhenStanleyletoutawolfwhistle.Harrysaid：

“Smallthingsamusesmallminds，”leadingthewaybacktotheirpartoftheroof，butitwasscorching.Harrysaid：

“Wait，I’mgoingtorigupsomeshade，”anddisappeareddowntheskylightintothebuilding.Nowthathe’dgone，StanleyandTomwenttothefarthestpointtheycouldtopeeratthewoman.Shehadmoved，andalltheycouldseeweretwopinklegsstretchedontheblanket.Theywhistledandshoutedbutthelegsdidnotmove.Harrycamebackwithablanketandshouted：

“Comeon，then.”Hesoundedirritatedwiththem.TheyclamberedbacktohimandhesaidtoStanley：

“Whataboutyourmissus?

”Stanleywasnewlymarried，aboutthreemonths.Stanleysaid，jeering：

“Whataboutmymissus?

”--preservinghisindependence.Tomsaidnothing，buthismindwasfullofthenearlynakedwoman.Harryslungtheblanket，whichhehadborrowedfromafriendlywomandownstairs，fromthestemofatelevisionaerialtoarowofchimney-pots.Thisshadefellacrossthepieceofguttertheyhadtoreplace.Buttheshadekeptmoving，theyhadtoadjusttheblanket，andnotmuchprogresswasmade.Atlastsomeoftheheatlefttheroof，andtheyworkedfast，makingupforlosttime.FirstStanley，thenTom，madeatriptotheendoftherooftoseethewoman.“She’sonherback，”Stanleysaid，addingajestwhichmadeTomsnicker，andtheoldermansmiletolerantly.Tom’sreportwasthatshehadn’tmoved，butitwasalie.Hewantedtokeepwhathehadseentohimself：

hehadcaughtherintheactofrollingdownthelittleredpantsoverherhips，tilltheywerenomorethanasmalltriangle.Shewasonherback，fullyvisible，glisteningwithoil.

Nextmorning，assoonastheycameup，theywenttolook.Shewasalreadythere，facedown，armsspreadout，nakedexceptforthelittleredpants.Shehadturnedbrowninthenight.Yesterdayshewasascarlet-and-whitewoman，todayshewasabrownwoman.Stanleyletoutawhistle.Sheliftedherhead，startled，asifshe’dbeenasleep，andlookedstraightoveratthem.Thesunwasinhereyes，sheblinkedandstared，thenshedroppedherheadagain.Atthisgestureofindifference，theyallthree，Stanley，TomandoldHarry，letoutwhistlesandyells.Harrywasdoingitinparodyoftheyoungermen，makingfunofthem，buthewasalsoangry.Theywereallangrybecauseofherutterindifferencetothethreemenwatchingher.

“Bitch，”saidStanley.

“Sheshouldaskusover，”saidTom，snickering.

HarryrecoveredhimselfandremindedStanley：

“Ifshe’smarried，heroldmanwouldn’tlikethat.”

“Christ，”saidStanleyvirtuously，“ifmywifelayaboutlikethat，foreveryonetosee，I’dsoonstopher.”

Harrysaid，smiling：

“Howdoyouknow，perhapsshe’ssunningherselfatthisverymoment?

”

“Notachance，notonourroof.”ThesafetyofhiswifeputStanleyintoagoodhumor，andtheywenttowork.Buttodayitwashotterthanyesterday；andseveraltimesoneortheothersuggestedtheyshouldtellMatthew，theforeman，andasktoleavetheroofuntiltheheatwavewasover.Buttheydidn’t.Therewasworktobedoneinthebasementofthebigblockofflats，butupheretheyfeltfree，onadifferentlevelfromordinaryhumanityshutinthestreetsorthebuildings.Alotmorepeoplecameoutontotheroofsthatday，foranhouratmidday.Somemarriedcouplessatsidebysideindeckchairs，thewomen’slegsstockinglessandscarlet，themeninvestswithreddeningshoulders.

Thewomanstayedonherblanket，turningherselfoverandover.Sheignoredthem，nomatterwhattheydid.WhenHarrywentofftofetchmorescrews，Stanleysaid：

“Comeon.”Herroofbelongedtoadifferentsystemofroofs，separatedfromtheirsatonepointbyabouttwentyfeet.Itmeantascramblingclimbfromoneleveltoanother，edgingalongparapets，clingingtochimneys，whiletheirbigbootsslippedandheredslithered，butatlasttheystoodonasmallsquareprojectingrooflookingstraightdownather，close.Shesatsmoking，readingabook.Tomthoughtshelookedlikeaposter，oramagazinecover，withtheblueskybehindherandherlegsstretchedout.BehindheragreatcraneatworkonanewbuildinginOxfordStreetswungitsblackarmacrossroofsinagreatarc.Tomimaginedhimselfatworkonthecrane，adjustingthearmtoswingoverandpickherupandswingherbackacrosstheskytodrophernearhim.

Theywhistled.Shelookedupatthem，coolandremote，thenwentonreading.Again，theywerefurious.Or，rather，Stanleywas.Hissun-heatedfacewasscrewedintoarageashewhistledagainandagain，tryingtomakeherlookup.YoungTomstoppedwhistling.HestoodbesideStanley，excited，grinning；buthefeltasifheweresayingtothewoman：

Don’tassociatemewithhim，forhisgrinwasapologetic.Lastnighthehadthoughtoftheunknownwomanbeforeheslept，andshehadbeentenderwithhim.Thistendernesshewasrememberingasheshiftedhisfeetbythejeering，whistlingStanley，andwatchedtheindifferent，healthybrownwomanafewfeetoff，withthegapthatplungedtothestreetbetweenthem.Tomthoughtitwasromantic，itwaslikebeinghighontwohilltops.ButtherewasashoutfromHarry，andtheyclamberedback.Stanley’sfacewashard，reallyangry.Theboykeptlookingathimandwonderedwhyhehatedthewomansomuch，forbynowhelovedher.

Theyplayedtheirlittlegameswiththeblanket，tryingtotrapshadetoworkunder；butagainitwasnotuntilnearlyfourthattheycouldworkseriously，andtheywereexhausted，allthreeofthem.Theyweregrumblingabouttheweatherbynow.Stanleywasinathoroughlybadhumor.Whentheymadetheirroutinetriptoseethewomanbeforetheypackedupfortheday，shewasapparentlyasleep，facedown，herbackallnakedsaveforthescarlettriangleonherbuttocks.“I’vegotagoodmindtoreporthertothepolice，”saidStanley，andHarrysaid：

“What’seatingyou?

Whatharm’sshedoing?

”“Itellyou，ifshewasmywife!

”

“Butsheisn’t，isshe?

”TomknewthatHarry，likehimself，wasuneasyatStanley’sreaction.Hewasnormallyasharpyoungman，quickathiswork，makingalotofjokes，goodcompany.

“Perhapsitwillbecoolertomorrow，”saidHarry.

“Butitwasn’t；itwashotter，ifanything，andtheweatherforecastsaidthegoodweatherwouldlast.Assoonastheywereontheroof，Harrywentovertoseeifthewomanwasthere，andTomknewitwastopreventStanleygoing，toputoffhisbadhumor.Harryhadgrownupchildren，aboythesameageasTom，andtheyouthtrustedandlookeduptohim.

Harrycamebackandsaid：

“She’snotthere.”

“Ibetheroldmanhasputhisfootdown，”saidStanley，andHarryandTomcaughteachother’seyesandsmiledbehindtheyoungmarriedman’sback.

Harrysuggestedtheyshouldgetpermissiontoworkinthebasement，andtheydid，thatday.ButbeforepackingupStanleysaid：

“Let’shaveabreathoffreshair.”AgainHarryandTomsmiledateachotherastheyfollowedStanleyuptotheroof，TominthedevoutconvictionthathewastheretoprotectthewomanfromStanley.Itwasaboutfive-thirty，andacalm，fullsunlightlayovertheroofs.ThegreatcranestillswungitsblackarmfromOxfordStreettoabovetheirheads.Shewasnotthere.Thentherewasaflutterofwhitefrombehindaparapet，andshestoodup，inabelted，whitedressing-gown.Shehadbeenthereallday，probably，butonadifferentpatchofroof，tohidefromthem.Stanleydidnotwhistle；hesaidnothing，butwatchedthewomanbendtocollectpapers，books，cigarettes，thenfoldtheblanketoverherarm.Tomwasthinking：

Iftheyweren’there，I’dgooverandsay...what?

Butheknewfromhisnightlydreamsofherthatshewaskindandfriendly.Perhapsshewouldaskhimdowntoherflat?

Perhaps...Hestoodwatchingherdisappeardowntheskylight.Asshewent，Stanleyletoutashrillderisiveyell；shestarted，anditseemedasifshenearlyfell.Sheclutchedtosaveherself，theycouldhearthingsfalling.Shelookedstraightatthem，angry.Harrysaid，facetiously：

“Betterbecarefulonthoseslipperyladders，love.”TomknewhesaidittosaveherfromStanley，butshecouldnotknowit.Shevanished，frow