The high grey-flannel fog of winter closed off the Salinas Valley from the sky and from all the rest of the world. On every side it sat like a lid on the mountains and made of the great valley a closed pot. On the broad, level land floor the gang plows bit deep and left the black earth shining like metal where the shares had cut. On the foothill ranches across the Salinas River, the yellow stubble fields seemed to be bathed in pale cold sunshine, but there was no sunshine in the valley now in December. The thick willow scrub along the river flamed with sharp and positive yellow leaves.飄蕩在半空中的冬霧呈現出灰法蘭絨色，將薩利納斯山谷嚴實地罩了起來；同時也把它與外界分隔開。霧氣鎖著山頭，四面象頂蓋子，而山谷則成了一口蓋得嚴嚴實實的深鍋。農民在寬闊平坦的土地上深耕，犁鏵過處，黑色的土地閃著金屬的光澤。在橫臥薩利納斯河的丘陵地上，農場里的茬地泛著黃色，象是沐浴在冷冷的蒼白日光下；不過，現在時至臘月，山谷里沒什么陽光。河邊上密密麻麻的柳叢上的黃葉顏色鮮濃，象著了火似的。It was a time of quiet and of waiting. The air was cold and tender. A light wind blew up from the southwest so that the farmers were mildly hopeful of a good rain before long; but fog and rain do not go together.這是一個安靜，叫人等待的季節。空氣涼涼的，柔柔的。從西南方向吹來一陣輕風，農民們隱隱地感到不久會有一場及時雨，但雨和霧是不 一起來的。Across the river, on Henry Allens foothill ranch there was little work to be done, for the hay was cut and stored and the orchards were plowed up to receive the rain deeply when it should come. The cattle on the higher slopes were becoming shaggy and rough-coated.河對岸亨利埃倫家位于丘陵上的農場里已經沒什么活計了：干草都收割過并存放了起來，果園業已深翻過，好等到有雨的時候澆個透底墑。高處山坡上的牛變得毛皮雜亂粗糙。Elisa Allen, working in her flower garden, looked down across the yard and saw Henry, her husband, talking to two men in business suits. The three of them stood by the tractor shed, each man with one foot on the side of the little Fordson. They smoked cigarettes and studied the machine as they talked.伊利莎埃倫正在花園里干活兒，穿過院子朝遠處望時，她看見丈夫亨利正在與兩個身著工作服的人交談。三個人都站在拖拉機棚邊上，一只腳蹬在那輛小型福特牌拖拉機的一側。說話的時候，他們邊抽著煙，邊打量拖拉機。Elisa watched them for a moment and then went back to her work. She was thirty-five. Her face was lean and strong and her eyes were as clear as water. Her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a mans black hat pulled low down over her eyes, clod-hopper shoes, a figured print dress almost completely covered by a big corduroy apron with four big pockets to hold the snips, the trowel and scratcher, the seeds and the knife she worked with. She wore heavy leather gloves to protect her hands while she worked.伊利莎看了他們一會兒，又繼續忙自己的活兒。她今年三十五歲，臉龐瘦俏并透著堅毅，一雙眼睛清澈如水。由于穿著園藝工作服，她顯得鼓囊囊的、有點兒笨拙。她頭上戴著一頂男式的黑帽子，拉得很低，直到她的眼睛。腳上是一雙粗笨的鞋子。下面穿的印花裙子幾乎全給那個大號的燈心絨圍裙遮蓋了起來。圍裙上有四個大口袋，用來放她干活時用的剪刀、泥鏟、刮管器、種子和刀。干活時她戴著厚厚的皮手套，免得弄傷手。She was cutting down the old years chrysanthemum stalks with a pair of short and powerful scissors. She looked down toward the men by the tractor shed now and then. Her face was eager and mature and handsome; even her work with the scissors was over-eager, over-powerful. The chrysanthemum stems seemed too small and easy for her energy.她這會兒正用一把鋒利的小剪子把去年的菊花枝剪短，還不時朝站在拖拉機棚邊上的三個男人望一望。她的臉上充滿著渴望，看起來成熟漂亮甚至連她拿著剪刀干活的樣子都顯得那么有力，飽含期待，以至于那些菊花的枯桿相比之下都顯得纖細柔弱，容易收拾了。She brushed a cloud of hair out of her eyes with the back of her glove, and left a smudge of earth on her cheek in doing it. Behind her stood the neat white farm house with red geraniums close-banked around it as high as the windows. It was a hard-swept looking little house with hard-polished windows, and a clean mud-mat on the front steps.她用手套的背部將眼前的一綹烏發抹開，一點污漬就留在了她的臉頰上。她身后是整潔的白色農舍，紅色的天竺葵緊緊地簇擁著，直到窗戶附近。看得出這座不大的屋子好好打掃過，窗戶也曾細心地擦拭過，就連前面臺階上的擦鞋墊都收拾得干干凈凈。Elisa cast another glance toward the tractor shed. The strangers were getting into their Ford coupe. She took off a glove and put her strong fingers down into the forest of new green chrysanthemum sprouts that were growing around the old roots. She spread the leaves and looked down among the close-growing stems. No aphids were there, no sowbugs or snails or cutworms. Her terrier fingers destroyed such pests before they could get started.伊利莎又朝拖拉機棚的方向看了一眼，那些陌生人正鉆進他們的福特牌小客車里。她脫掉一只手套，將自己有力的手指伸到從老的菊花根部新生的一叢幼苗里，然后分開葉子，在長得郁郁蔥蔥的幼苗里查看。里面蚜蟲、潮蟲、蝸牛、毛蟲什么的都沒有。如果真有的話，她那犀利無比的手指也會在這些害蟲逃跑之前就將它們消滅。Elisa started at the sound of her husbands voice. He had come near quietly, and he leaned over the wire fence that protected her flower garden from cattle and dogs and chickens.聽到丈夫的聲音，伊利莎吃了一驚。原來他已經悄悄地走到了她的旁邊，從鐵絲柵欄那邊俯過身來。鐵絲柵欄把她的花園圈了起來，免得牛呀，狗呀，雞呀這些家畜糟蹋。At it again, he said. Youve got a strong new crop coming. Elisa straightened her back and pulled on the gardening glove again: Yes. Theyll be strong this coming year. In her tone and on her face there was a little smugness. Youve got a gift with things, Henry observed. Some of those yellow chrysanthemums you had this year were ten inches across. I wish youd work out in the orchard and raise some apples that big. Her eyes sharpened. Maybe I could do it, too. Ive a gift with things, all right. My mother had it. She could stick anything in the ground and make it grow. She said it was having planters hands that knew how to do it. Well, it sure works with flowers, he said. Henry, who were those men you were talking to? Why, sure, thats what I came to tell you. They were from the Western Meat Company. I sold those thirty head of three-year-old steers. Got nearly my own price, too.“又侍弄你的花兒啦，”他說，“它們今年長勢好啊。”聽到丈夫搭話，伊利莎直起身，順手把那只手套又戴上：“對，今年長勢會很好。”不管是言語中還是臉上都洋溢著得意。 “你干活兒很有一手，”亨利說，“你今年種的黃菊花中有的有十英寸那么大，真希望你去侍弄果園，也結出那么大的蘋果來。”她的眼睛一亮。“或許我也能。我的確在種植方面有一手，我媽媽也是那樣。她隨便把什么東西往地下一插，就能活。她說是因為有了莊稼人的手才知道怎么去種植。”“嗯，種花也是這樣的，”他說。“亨利，剛才同你說話的那些人是誰呀？”“啊，對了，我正要跟你說呢。他們是西部肉制品公司的。我把那三十頭三歲的菜牛賣給他們，差不多是我要的價格。”Good, she said. Good for you. And I thought, he continued, I thought how its Saturday afternoon, and we might go into Salinas for dinner at a restaurant, and then to a picture show to celebrate, you see. Good, she repeated. Oh, yes. That will be good. Henry put on his joking tone. Theres fights tonight. Howd you like to go to the fights? Oh, no, she said breathlessly. No, I wouldnt like fights. Just fooling, Elisa. Well go to a movie. Lets see. Its two now. Im going to take Scotty and bring down those steers from the hill. Itll take us maybe two hours. Well go in town about five and have dinner at the Cominos Hotel. Like that? Of course Ill like it. Its good to eat away from home. All right, then. Ill go get up a couple of horses. She said, Ill have plenty of time to transplant some of these sets, I guess.“太好了，”她說，“真有你的。” “我想，”他接著說，“現在是周六下午，我們可以去薩利納斯的一家飯店吃頓飯，再去看場電影，慶祝一下，你看怎么樣。”“太好了，”她重復道。“真是好極了。”亨利接著開玩笑說，“今天晚上有拳擊賽，你愿意看嗎？”“不，”她緊張地說，“我可不喜歡拳擊賽。”“騙你哪，伊利莎。我們去看電影。讓我想一下，現在是下午兩點，我去叫斯哥迪，把牛趕下山。這大概要兩個鐘頭。我們會在五點鐘到城里，去克民諾斯酒店吃晚飯。你覺得怎么樣？”“當然可以，在外面吃飯好。”“那好，我去準備幾匹馬。”“我想我會有充裕的時間把這些苗兒種上的。”伊利莎說。She heard her husband calling Scotty down by the barn. And a little later she saw the two men ride up the pale yellow hillside in search of the steers. There was a little square sandy bed kept for rooting the chrysanthemums. With her trowel she turned the soil over and over, and smoothed it and patted it firm. Then she dug ten parallel trenches to receive the sets. Back at the chrysanthemum bed she pulled out the little crisp shoots, trimmed off the leaves of each one with her scissors and laid it on a small orderly pile.繼而，她聽到丈夫在谷倉那兒叫斯哥迪。又過了一會兒，她看見他們兩個騎著馬，走上灰黃的山坡找菜牛。花園里有一塊四四方方的沙地，是用來種菊花幼苗的。她用泥鏟把土翻了又翻，又弄平，再拍結實。然后又挖了十道平行的小溝，好栽種菊苗。她從菊花園里拔了些脆嫩的幼苗，用剪刀剪掉葉子，然后整齊地放在一起。A squeak of wheels and plod of hoofs came from the road. Elisa looked up. The country road ran along the dense bank of willows and cottonwoods that bordered the river, and up this road came a curious vehicle, curiously drawn. It was an old spring-wagon, with a round canvas top on it like the cover of a prairie schooner. It was drawn by an old bay horse and a little grey-and-white burro. A big stubble-bearded man sat between the cover flaps and drove the crawling team. Underneath the wagon, between the hind wheels, a lean and rangy mongrel dog walked sedately. Words were painted on the canvas, in clumsy, crooked letters. Pots, pans, knives, scissors, lawn mowers. Fixed. Two rows of articles, and the triumphantly definitive Fixed below. The black paint had run down in little sharp points beneath each letter.路邊這時傳來了車輪的吱嘎聲和馬蹄的聲響。伊利莎抬起了頭。河邊上密密麻麻的柳樹和楊樹旁是條鄉間小路，沿著這條路來了一輛奇怪的車，走的樣子很怪。那是一輛老式的帶彈簧的四輪馬車，上面的帆布圓頂子象是拓荒者用的大篷車的頂篷。拉著它的是匹栗色的馬和一頭灰白的小毛驢。在車頂蓋的下面坐著個胡子拉碴的人，趕著這輛車往前爬行。在馬車后輪之間，一條瘦骨嶙峋的長腿雜種狗不聲不響地跟著。車蓬的上面歪歪扭扭地寫著“修理鍋、罐、刀、剪子、割草機”。修理的器皿寫了兩行，“修理”兩個字在下面，顯得很自信。寫字用的黑色顏料在每個字母下面都流成了一個 個小尖頭。Elisa, squatting on the ground, watched to see the crazy, loose-jointed wagon pass by. But it didnt pass. It turned into the farm road in front of her house, crooked old wheels skirling and squeaking. The rangy dog darted from between the wheels and ran ahead. Instantly the two ranch shepherds flew out at him. Then all three stopped, and with stiff and quivering tails, with taut straight legs, with ambassadorial dignity, they slowly circled, sniffing daintily. The caravan pulled up to Elisas wire fence and stopped. Now the newcomer dog, feeling out-numbered, lowered his tail and retired under the wagon with raised hackles and bared teeth.伊利莎蹲在地上，看著這輛怪模怪樣、松松垮垮的馬車駛過去。但它并沒有從她的眼前過去，而是彎上了經過她家門前的農場小路，破舊的車輪吱嘎吱嘎尖厲地響著。車下面輪子間的那條瘦骨嶙峋的長腿狗沖到了馬車的前面，馬上，兩條牧羊犬朝著它沖了上去。于是，三條狗都站住了，尾巴直豎著、顫抖著，繃緊了腿，帶著外交官般的莊重神情。它們互相圍著打轉，挑剔地嗅著對方。大篷車在伊利莎家的鐵絲柵欄邊上停了下來。那條初來乍到的狗這時感覺到數量上的眾寡懸殊，垂下尾巴，退回到車下，脖子上的毛豎著，牙齒露在外面。The man on the wagon seat called out, Thats a bad dog in a fight when he gets started. Elisa laughed. I see he is. How soon does he generally get started? The man caught up her laughter and echoed it heartily. Sometimes not for weeks and weeks,” he said. He climbed stiffly down, over the wheel. The horse and the donkey drooped like unwatered flowers. Elisa saw that he was a very big man. Although his hair and beard were greying, he did not look old. His worn black suit was wrinkled and spotted with grease. The laughter had disappeared from his face and eyes the moment his laughing voice ceased. His eyes were dark, and they were full of the brooding that gets in the eyes of teamsters and of sailors. The calloused hands he rested on the wire fence were cracked, and every crack was a black line. He took off his battered hat.坐在車上的男人喊道，“這條狗打架受驚時不是條好狗。”伊利莎笑道，“我看是的，它一般要多久就會受驚？”那人被伊利莎的笑聲感染，也大聲地笑了起來。“ 有時好幾周也不會，”他說。說著，他生硬地從車輪上爬下車。那匹馬和那頭毛驢耷拉著腦袋，象缺了水的花。伊利莎看得出他是個大塊頭，雖然頭發胡子都白了，卻并不顯老。襤褸的黑色西裝皺皺巴巴的，還有星星點點的油漬。笑聲一停，他眼角眉梢的笑容也頓時沒了。他雙眼烏黑，充滿憂郁，這種眼神通常只出現在卡車司機或水手的眼里。他放在鐵絲柵欄上的手打滿了老繭，裂著一條條黑乎乎的口子。他脫下了那頂破爛的帽子。Im off my general road, maam, he said. Does this dirt road cut over across the river to the Los Angeles highway? Elisa stood up and shoved the thick scissors in her apron pocket. Well, yes, it does, but it winds around and then fords the river. I dont think your team could pull through the sand. He replied with some asperity, It might surprise you what them beasts can pull through. When they get started? she asked. He smiled for a second. Yes. When they get started. Well, said Elisa, I think youll save time if you go back to the Salinas road and pick up the highway there. He drew a big finger down the chicken wire and made it sing. I aint in any hurry, maam. I go from Seattle to San Diego and back every year. Takes all my time. About six months each way. I aim to follow nice weather.“夫人，我走岔路了，”他說，“沿這條土路過河上得了去洛山磯的公路嗎？”伊利莎站了起來，把那把大剪子放到圍裙口袋里。“啊，上得了。不過，這條路要繞很遠，然后還要從水中蹚過河，我想你很難走過那片沙灘。”他粗暴地回答，“要是你知道這些家伙都走過什么樣的地方，或許會吃驚的。”“一旦它們受驚嗎？” 她問。他笑了一笑。“是的，一旦它們受驚。”“嗯，”伊利莎說，“我想，要是你拐回去到薩利納斯的路，再從那兒上公路，會省些時間。”他用一個大手指彈了一下柵欄，它響了起來。“我一點兒都不著急，夫人。我每年從西雅圖走到圣地亞哥，再回來，總是不慌不忙。一趟大概半年光景，哪兒的天氣好我就往哪兒走。”Elisa took off her gloves and stuffed them in the apron pocket with the scissors. She touched the under edge of her mans hat, searching for fugitive hairs. That sounds like a nice kind of a way to live, she said. He leaned confidentially over the fence. Maybe you noticed the writing on my wagon. I mend pots and sharpen knives and scissors. You got any of them things to do? Oh, no, she said quickly. Nothing like that. Her eyes hardened with resistance. Scissors is the worst thing, he explained. Most people just ruin scissors trying to sharpen em, but I know how. I got a special tool. Its a little bobbit kind of thing, and patented. But it sure does the trick. No. My scissors are all sharp. All right, then. Take a pot, he continued earnestly, a bent pot, or a pot with a hole. I can make it like new so you dont have to buy no new ones. Thats a saving for you. No, she said shortly. I tell you I have nothing like that for you to do.伊利莎脫下手套，把它們放在裝著剪子的圍裙口袋里。她碰了碰自己那頂男式帽子的底沿，看有沒有頭發從里面跑出來。“聽起來很不錯的活法，”她說。他把身子彎向柵欄里面，顯出很親密的樣子，說，“或許你看到了我馬車上的那些字，我修理鍋，磨剪子磨菜刀。你有什么東西要修嗎？”“哦，沒有，”她忙說。“沒什么要修的。”她的眼神堅定起來，透出拒絕的神情。“剪子是最難對付的東西，”他解釋說。“大部分人只知道拼命磨它，結果卻糟蹋了它，可我知道怎么能把剪子磨快又不糟蹋它。我有專門的工具，是一件小玩意兒，還取得了專利，好用得很。”“不過，我的剪子都很快。”“那好吧。”他繼續勸說著，“拿口鍋修修吧，不管是癟了的還是有洞的，我都能修得象新的一樣，這樣你就不用買新鍋了。這你不是省錢了嗎？”“不用，”她簡短地答道。“我告訴過你我沒什么要修的東西。”His face fell to an exaggerated sadness. His voice took on a whining undertone. I aint had a thing to do today. Maybe I wont have no supper tonight. You see Im off my regular road. I know folks on the highway clear from Seattle to San Diego. They save their things for me to sharpen up because they know I do it so good and save them money. Im sorry, Elisa said irritably. I havent anything for you to do. His eyes left her face and fell to searching the ground. They roamed about until they came to the chrysanthemum bed where she had been working. Whats them plants, maam? The irritation and resistance melted from Elisas face. Oh, those are chrysanthemums, giant whites and yellows. I raise them every year, bigger than anybody around here. Kind of a long-stemmed flower? Looks like a quick puff of colored smoke? he asked. Thats it. What a nice way to describe them. They smell kind of nasty till you get used to them, he said. Its a good bitter smell, she retorted, not nasty at all. He changed his tone quickly. I like the smell myself. I had ten-inch blooms this year, she said.他的臉頓時變得一種夸張的痛苦，就連聲音也變得嗚咽了。“我今天一件活兒都沒干成，或許今晚飯都吃不上。你看我走錯了路，我認識從西雅圖到圣地亞歌沿途所有的人，他們都把那些壞的家伙放起來等我來修，因為他們知道我活兒干得好，給他們省錢。”“對不起，”伊利莎有些著惱。“我沒什么東西好讓你修。”他的目光離開了她的臉，落到了地上，四處瞥了瞥，最后停到伊利莎忙碌著的那片菊花地上。“夫人，那些是什么呀？”聽到這話，伊利莎臉上的惱怒和拒絕緩和了。“ 啊，那是菊花，巨白菊和黃菊。我每年都種，開起來比方圓左近的人種的都大。”“是一種長莖花嗎？看起來象是一朵彩色煙霧？”他問。“正是，你這樣比喻太恰當了。”“要是不習慣它的香味，聞起來有點兒難受，”他說。“那是一種好聞的苦香，”她反駁道，“一點兒也不難受。”他馬上改了口。“我就很喜歡那種香味。”“我今年有直徑十英寸那么大的花，”她說。The man leaned farther over the fence. Look. I know a lady down the road a piece, has got the nicest garden you ever seen. Got nearly every kind of flower but no chrysanthemums. Last time I was mending a copper-bottom washtub for her (thats a hard job but I do it good), she said to me, If you ever run across some nice chrysanthemums I wish youd try to get me a few seeds. Thats what she told me.”Elisas eyes grew alert and eager. She couldnt have known much about chrysanthemums. You can raise them from seed, but its much easier to root the little sprouts you see there. Oh, he said. I spose I cant take none to her, then. Why yes you can, Elisa cried. I can put some in damp sand, and you can carry them right along with you. Theyll take root in the pot if you keep them damp. And then she can transplant them. Shed sure like to have some, maam. You say theyre nice ones? Beautiful, she said. Oh, beautiful. Her eyes shone. She tore off the battered hat and shook out her dark pretty hair. Ill put them in a flower pot, and you can take them right with you. Come into the yard.那人又朝柵欄里邊靠了靠。“喂，我認識下面離這兒不遠的一位太太，從沒見過那么好的花園，里面幾乎什么花兒都有，就是沒有菊花。我上次給她修了一個銅底洗衣盆。那可是件棘手的活兒，不過我干得很好。她跟我說，如果你能碰上什么好的菊花，希望你能給我帶點兒種子來。她這么跟我說。”伊利莎眼睛一亮，變得熱切起來。她不可能知道很多關于菊花的知識。你可以下種，但插幼苗的方法更容易，就是你在那邊看到的那些。”“啊，”他叫道。“這樣的話，我估計一棵也給她帶不去了。” “為什么不能？你可以，”伊利莎大聲說，“我可以把幼苗種在濕的沙土里，你就可以隨身帶著了。只要保持沙土不干，這些幼苗就會在花盆里生根，然后她就可以移栽它們了。”“她肯定很高興有這些菊花，夫人。它們是很漂亮的菊花，對吧？”“漂亮，”她說，“啊，非常漂亮。”她的雙眼這會兒炯炯有神。她一把拉下了那頂破舊的帽子，烏黑漂亮的頭發散了開來。“我把它們栽到一個花盆里，你再帶走。到院里來吧。”While the man came through the picket gate Elisa ran excitedly along the geranium-bordered path to the back of the house. And she returned carrying a big red flower pot. The gloves were forgotten now. she kneeled on the ground by the starting bed and dug up the sandy soil with her fingers and scooped it into the bright new flower pot. Then she picked up the little pile of shoots she had prepared. With her strong fingers she pressed them into the sand and tamped around them with her knuckles. The man stood over her. Ill tell you what to do, she said. You remember so you can tell the lady. Yes, Ill try to remember. Well, look. These will take root in about a month. Then she must set them out, about a foot apart in good rich earth like this, see? She lifted a handful of dark soil for him to look at. Theyll grow fast and tall. Now remember this: In July tell her to cut them down, about eight inches from the ground. Before they bloom? he asked. Yes, before they bloom. Her face was tight with eagerness. Theyll grow right up again. About the last of September the buds will start.那男人進了尖木樁做的大門，而伊利莎興奮地沿著兩邊都是天竺葵的小路跑到房子后面，回來的時候抱著一個大個兒的紅花盆。手套已經不知道扔哪兒去了。她跪在苗床旁的地上，用手指挖些沙土，然后捧到那個新的紅花盆里。接著她撿起準備好的一小捆苗，用自己有力的手指將它們插到沙子里，然后再用指節在周圍拍了拍。男人低頭看著她。“我會告訴你怎么做的，”她說。“你得記著，好告訴那位太太。”“好的，我盡力記住。”“那好，記著，這些幼苗會在一個月左右扎根。然后她就得把它們移栽出來，移到象這樣肥沃的土壤里，每隔一英尺種一棵，你明白嗎？”她抓起一滿把黑色的土壤讓他看。“它們會長得很快很高。你記著：告訴她七月的時候把它們剪短，剪到距地面大概八英寸高。”“在它們開花前嗎?”他問。“是的，在開花前。”她的臉因為興奮繃得緊緊的。“它們很快就會長起來；九月末就開始打花骨朵了。”She stopped and seemed perplexed. Its the budding that takes the most care, she said hesitantly. I dont know how to tell you. She looked deep into his eyes, searchingly. Her mouth opened a little, and she seemed to be listening. Ill try to tell you,” she said. “Did you ever hear of planting hands? Cant say I have, maam. Well, I can only tell you what it feels like. Its when youre picking off the buds you dont want. Everything goes right down into your fingertips. You watch your fingers work. They do it themselves. You can feel how it is. They