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RopebyKatherineAnnePorterOnthethirddayaftertheymovedtothecountryhecamewalkingbackfromthevillagecarryingabasketofgroceriesandatwenty-four-yardcoilofrope.Shecameouttomeethim,wipingherhandsonhergreensmock.Herhairwastumbled,hernosewasscarletwithsunburn;hetoldherthatalreadyshelookedlikeaborncountrywoman.Hisgrayflannelshirtstucktohim,hisheavyshoesweredusty.Sheassuredhimhelookedlikearuralcharacterinaplay.他们搬到乡下的第三天，他从村上走回来，提着一篮吃的，还有一卷二十四码长的绳子。她一边在身上的绿罩衣上擦手，一边走出来接他。她的头发乱蓬蓬，鼻子给太阳晒得通红；他跟她说，她看起来已经像个土生土长的乡下女人了。他的灰色法兰绒衬衫紧紧地粘在身上，沉重的皮鞋上尽是尘土。她完全有把握地告诉他，他看上去好像戏剧中的乡巴佬角色。Hadhebroughtthecoffee?Shehadbeenwaitingalldaylongforcoffee.Theyhadforgotitwhentheyorderedatthestorethefirstday.他带咖啡来了吗？她等咖啡已经等了整整一天了。他们第一天向食品铺订货的那会儿，把咖啡忘了。Gosh,no,hehadn't.Lord,nowhe'dhavetogoback.Yes,hewouldifitkilledhim.Hethought,though,hehadeverythingelse.Sheremindedhimitwasonlybecausehedidn'tdrinkcoffeehimself.Ifhedidhewouldrememberitquickenough.Supposetheyranoutofcigarettes?Thenshesawtherope.Whatwasthatfor?Well,hethoughtitmightdotohangclotheson,orsomething.Naturallysheaskedhimifhethoughttheyweregoingtorunalaundry?Theyalreadyhadafifty-footlinehangingrightbeforehiseyes?Why,hadn'thenoticedit,really?Itwasablotonthelandscapetoher.啊呀，没有，他没带来。主啊，现在他只得回去了。可不是，哪怕是要他的命，他也会回去的。不过，他以为其他的东西他都办来了。她提醒这只因为他自己不喝咖啡。他要是喝咖啡的话，很快就会记起来的。假定说他们的烟卷抽完了，那会怎么样呢？接着她看到了绳。那有什么用？哦，他想，绳可以用来晾衣服，或是用在别的什么上。她顺理成章地问他，他是不是以为他们要开洗衣铺？他们不是已经明明有一条五十英尺长的绳挂在他的眼前了吗？嘿，难道他真的没看到吗？对她来说，这条绳破坏了风景。Hethoughttherewerealotofthingsaropemightcomeinhandyfor.Shewantedtoknowwhat,forinstance.Hethoughtafewseconds,butnothingoccurred.Theycouldwaitandsee,couldn'tthey?Youneedallsortsofstrangeoddsandendsaroundaplaceinthecountry.Shesaid,yes,thatwasso;butshethoughtjustatthattimewheneverypennycounted,itseemedfunnytobuymorerope.Thatwasall.Shehadn'tmeantanythingelse.Shehadn'tjustseen,notatfirst,whyhefeltitwasnecessary.他以为绳儿可以用来派很多用处。她想要知道，绳有什么用，举个例子吧。他想了一会儿，一个用场也想不出。他们能等着瞧嘛，对不对？你把家安在乡下，需要各种各样稀奇古怪、零零碎碎的东西。她说，是啊，这话不错；可是眼下每个子儿都得掂掇着花，又去买绳儿似乎有点怪。就是这么一回事。她的话并没有别的意思。她只是想不出，一开头就想不出，干吗他觉得需要这么办。Well,thunder,hehadboughtitbecausehewantedto,andthatwasalltherewastoit.Shethoughtthatwasreasonenough,andcouldn'tunderstandwhyhehadn'tsaidso,atfirst.Undoubtedlyitwouldbeuseful,twenty-fouryardsofrope,therewerehundredsofthings,shecouldn'tthinkofanyatthemoment,butitwouldcomein.Ofcourse.Ashehadsaid,thingsalwaysdidinthecountry.得了，少噜苏，他买绳儿，就因为他要买，事情就是这样，没有别的理由。她认为这倒算得上是个理由，可弄不懂他一开头干吗不这么说。不用说，绳总是有用的，二十四码绳嘛，能派几百种用处哪，眼下她一种也想不出，可是将来会用上的。当然喽。他刚才说过，乡下老是有这样那样的事情发生。Butshewasalittledisappointedaboutthecoffee,andoh,look,look,lookattheeggs!Oh,my,they'reallrunning!Whathadheputontopofthem?Hadn'theknowneggsmustn'tbesqueezed?Squeezed,whohadsqueezedthem,hewantedtoknow.Whatasillythingtosay.Hehadsimplybroughtthemalonginthebasketwiththeotherthings.Iftheygotbrokeitwasthegrocer'sfault.Heshouldknowbetterthantoputheavythingsontopofeggs.不过，她对喝不上咖啡有一点儿失望，啊呀，瞧，瞧，瞧那些鸡蛋！啊呀，天啊，蛋都碎啦！他把什么摆在鸡蛋上面来着？难道他不知道鸡蛋是压不得的吗？压，谁压它们来着，他倒想要知道。说这种话的人真蠢。他只是把鸡蛋跟别的东西一起放在篮子里提回来。蛋要是压碎了的话，那是食品商的过错。他应该懂得不要把重东西压在鸡蛋上面。Shebelieveditwastherope.Thatwastheheaviestthinginthepack,shesawhimplainlywhenhecameinfromtheroad,theropewasabigpackageontopofeverything.Hedesiredthewholewideworldtowitnessthatthiswasnotafact.Hehadcarriedtheropeinonehandandthebasketintheother,andwhatwastheuseofherhavingeyesifthatwasthebesttheycoulddoforher?她认为是绳。绳是提篮里最重的东西；他从大路上走过来的那会儿，她清楚地看到他，那一大卷绳压在一切东西的顶上。他巴不得全世界的人都来作见证，证明这不是事实。他是一只手拿绳，另一只手提篮的；要是她的眼睛对她最好的效劳只能是这样的话，那她长着眼睛有什么用呢？Well,anyhow,shecouldseeonethingplain:noeggsforbreakfast.They'dhavetoscramblethemnow,forsupper.Itwastoodamnedbad.Shehadplannedtohavesteakforsupper.Noice,meatwouldn'tkeep.Hewantedtoknowwhyshecouldn'tfinishbreakingtheeggsinabowlandsettheminacoolplace.得了，不管怎么样，有一件事情她知道得挺清楚：早饭没有鸡蛋吃了。他们现在就得把蛋炒好，当晚饭吃。糟透了。她原来晚饭打算吃牛排。没有冰，肉摆不久、他倒想要知道她干吗不能把蛋一股脑儿打在一个碗里，放在阴凉的地方。Coolplace!ifhecouldfindoneforher,she'dbegladtosetthemthere.Well,then,itseemedtohimtheymightverywellcookthemeatatthesametimetheycookedtheeggsandthenwarmupthemeatfortomorrow.Theideasimplychokedher.Warmed-overmeat,whentheymightaswellhavehaditfresh.Secondbestandscrapsandmakeshifts,eventothemeat!Herubbedhershoulderalittle.Itdoesn'treallymattersomuch,doesit,darling?Sometimeswhentheywereplayful,hewouldrubhershoulderandshewouldarchandpurr.Thistimeshehissedandalmostclawed.Hewasgettingreadytosaythattheycouldsurelymanagesomehowwhensheturnedonhimandsaid,ifhetoldhertheycouldmanagesomehowshewouldcertainlyslaphisface.阴凉的地方！他要是能给她找到一个阴凉的地方的话，她哪会不高兴把蛋放在那儿。唉，那么，在他看来，他们满可以既烤牛肉又煮鸡蛋嘛，然后明天热上一热再吃。这主意简直要她的命。他们完全可以吃新鲜的，可偏偏要把肉热上一热。不做最好的打算，鸡零狗碎的，凑合应付，哪怕煮块肉也是这样！他轻轻地蹭蹭她的肩膀。这实在算不上什么大事情，对不对，亲爱的？有时候，他们开玩笑，他会蹭蹭她的肩膀；她呢，会弓起身子，像猫似的高兴得喵呜喵呜叫。这一回，她却咬牙切齿地发出嘘嘘的声音，差一点没用手抓。他正准备说，他们当然能够想办法对付过去喽；这时候，她恶狠狠地冲着他说，他要是告诉她，他们能够想办法对付过去的话，她肯定掴他耳刮子。Heswallowedthewordsredhot,hisfaceburned.Hepickeduptheropeandstartedtoputitonthetopshelf.Shewouldnothaveitonthetopshelf,thejarsandtinsbelongedthere;positivelyshewouldnothavethetopshelfclutteredupwithalotofrope.Shehadborneallthecluttershemeanttobearintheflatintown,therewasspacehereatleastandshemeanttokeepthingsinorder.他把这些火一样的话硬吞下去，脸臊得通红。他