77

77

The workman and his wife from the west country are busy digging to make bricks of the kiln.

西乡来的工人和他的妻子正忙着替砖窖挖土。

Their little daughter goes to the landing-place by the river; there she has no end of scouring and scrubbing of the pots and pans.

他们的小女儿到河边的渡头上;她无休无息地擦洗锅盘。

Her littler brother, with shaven head and brown, naked mud-covered limbs, follows after her and waits patiently on the high bank at her bidding.

她的小弟弟,光着头,赤裸着黧黑的涂满泥土的身躯,跟着她,听她的话,在高高的河岸上耐心地等着她。

She goes back home with the full pitcher poised on her head, the shining brass pot in her left hand, holding the child with her right——she the tiny servant of her mother, grave with the weight of the household cares.

她顶着满瓶的水,平稳地走回家去,左手提着发亮的铜壶,右手拉着那个孩子——

她是妈妈的小丫头,繁重的家务使她变得严肃了。

One day I saw this naked boy sitting with legs outstretched.

有一天我看见那赤裸的孩子伸着腿坐着,

In the water his sister sat rubbing a drinking-pot with a handful of earth, turning it round and round.

他姐姐坐在水里,用一把土在转来转去地擦洗一把水壶。

Near by a soft-haired lamb stood gazing along the bank.

一只毛茸茸的小羊,在河岸上吃草。

It came close to where the boy sat and suddenly bleated aloud, and the child started up and screamed.

它走过这孩子身边,忽然大叫了一声,孩子吓得哭喊起来。

His sister left off cleaning her pot and ran up.

他姐姐放下水壶跑上岸来。

She took up her brother in one arm and the lamb in the other, and dividing her caresses between them bound in one bond of affection the offspring of beast and man.

她一只手抱起弟弟,一只手抱起小羊,把她的爱抚分成两半,人类和动物的后代在慈爱的连结中合一了。