洗衣女工原文及譯文

1、洗衣女工洗衣女工——I.B辛格一塊洗衣皂一塊洗衣皂——弗蘭克.薩杰森作者簡(jiǎn)介作者簡(jiǎn)介：I.B辛格翻譯：張偉偉I.B辛格（1902—1991）猶太裔美國(guó)人，因其短篇小說(shuō)而聞名遐邇。辛格出生于波蘭華沙近郊的村莊，1935年因鄰國(guó)德國(guó)的納粹威脅不斷升級(jí)，辛格移民至美國(guó)并定居紐約，為當(dāng)?shù)匾患乙獾卣Z(yǔ)報(bào)紙擔(dān)任記者開(kāi)始其多產(chǎn)寫(xiě)作生涯。辛格共發(fā)表了18部長(zhǎng)篇小說(shuō)，但其最為人所知的還是他所創(chuàng)作的短篇小說(shuō)。辛格的短篇小說(shuō)收錄于他的文集中，包括《愚人吉姆佩爾

2、》（1957），（1961）及《羽毛王冠》（1970）。1978年辛格被授予諾貝爾文學(xué)獎(jiǎng)。他的短篇小說(shuō)和長(zhǎng)篇小說(shuō)多發(fā)言了其所生活長(zhǎng)大的歐洲東部。TheWashwomanI.B.SingerOurhomehadlittlecontactwithGentiles.ButthereweretheGentilewashwomenwhocametothehousetofetchourlaundry.Mystyisaboutoneofthese.S

3、hewasasmallwomanoldwrinkled.Whenshestartedwashingfusshewasalreadypastseventy.MostJewishwomenofherageweresicklyweakbrokeninbody.Butthiswashwomansmallthinasshewaspossessedastrengththatcamefromgenerationsofpeasantancests.Mo

4、therwouldcountouttoherabagoflaundrythathadaccumulatedoverseveralweeks.Shewouldlifttheheavybagloaditonhernarrowshoulderscarryitthelongwayhome.Itmusthavebeenawalkofanhourahalf.Shewouldbringthelaundrybackabouttwoweekslater.

5、Mymotherhadneverbeensopleasedwithanywithoutbitterness.Onedaythesonwasmarried.Itseemedthathehadmadeagoodmatch.Theweddingtookplaceinachurch.Thesonhadnotinvitedtheoldmothertohisweddingbutshewenttothechurchwaitedatthestepsto

6、seehersonleadthe“younglady”toaltar…Thestyofthefaithlesssonleftadeepimpressiononmymother.Shetalkedaboutitfweeksmonths.Itwasaninsultnotonlytotheoldwomanbuttoallmothers.Motherwouldargue“DoesitpaytomakesacrificesfchildrenThe

7、motherusesupherlaststrengthhedoesnotevenknowthemeaningofloyalty.”Thatwinterwasaharshone.Thestreetswereicy.Nomatterhowmuchweheatedourstovethewindowswerecoveredwithfrost.Thenewspapersreptedthatpeopleweredyingofthecold.Coal

8、becamedear.Thewinterhadbecomesoseverethatparentsstoppedsendingchildrentoschool.Ononesuchdaythewashwomannownearlyeightyyearsoldcametoourhouse.Agooddealoflaundryhadaccumulatedduringthepastweeks.Mothergaveherapotofteatowarm