新视野大学英语第四册unit6atheweightmen.pdf

男人背负的重担

WhenIwasaboygrowingupoffthegridintheCommonwealthof

Virginia,themenIknewlaboredwiththeirbodiesfromthefirst

roostercrowinthemorningtosundown.Theyweremarginalfarmers,

shepherds,justscrapingby,orwelders,steelworkers,carpenters;

theybuiltcabinets,dugditches,minedcoal,ordrovetrucks,their

forearmsthickwithmuscle.Theytrainedhorses,stockedfurnaces,

madetires,stoodonassemblylines,weldingpartsonto

refrigeratorsorlubricatingcarengines.Intheeveningsandon

weekends,theylaboredequallyhard,workingontheirownsmall

tractofland,fixingbroken-downcars,repairingbrokenshutters

anddraftywindows.Intheirlittlefreetime,theydrownedtheir

liversinbeerfromcheapcoppermugsatabarnearthelocalbrewery

orracecourse.当我还是个小男孩时，我住在弗吉尼亚州一个偏远的地

区，那时我所认识的男人们从清晨的第一声公鸡啼鸣一直劳作到日落。他

们都是些不起眼的农民、牧羊人，勉强度日，或是焊接工、钢铁工或木匠；

他们制作橱柜、挖掘沟渠、开采煤炭，或驾驶卡车，这使他们拥有肌肉结

实的上臂。他们训练马匹、填塞炉膛、制造轮胎，站在装配线上将零件焊

接到冰箱，或是给汽车发动机上润滑剂。到了傍晚或周末，他们也要同样

辛苦地劳作，在自己的一小片土地上耕作，修理出了问题的汽车，修复坏

掉的百叶窗和漏风的窗户。在仅剩的闲暇时间里，他们会在当地的啤酒作

坊或赛马场附近的酒馆里用盛在廉价铜杯中的啤酒将自己灌得烂醉。

ThebodiesofthemenIknewweretwistedandwoundedinways

visibleandinvisible.Heavyliftinghadgivenmanyofthemspinal

problemsandappallinginjuries.Somehadbrokenribsandlost

fingers.Racingagainstconveyorbeltshadgivensomeulcers.Their

anklesandkneesachedfromyearsofstandingonconcrete.Somehad

partialvisionlossastheglowoftheweldingflamedamagedtheir

opticreceptors.Thereweretimes,studyingthem,whenIdreaded

growingup.Allaroundus,thefathersalwaysseemedolderthanthe

mothers.Menworeoutsooner,beingmartyrsofconstantwork.Only

womenlivedintooldage.

我所认识的那些男人的身躯遭受着种种看得见或看不也的扭曲和伤

痛。搬运沉重的物品给他们很多人造成了脊柱病和可怕的伤痛。有些人断

了肋骨，掉了手指。在传输带上不停地工作使他们有些人患了溃疡。他们

的脚踝和膝盖由于经年累月站立在水泥地上疼痛不已。有些人由于焊接火

光损伤视觉感官而遭受部分视觉缺失的折磨。有些