諾貝爾文學經典:《寵兒》第13章Part 2

Mr. Garner laughed. "Nothing to be scared of, Jenny. Just keep your same ways, you'll be all right."She covered her mouth to keep from laughing too loud.
"These people I'm taking you to will give you what help you need. Name of Bodwin. A brotherand a sister. Scots. I been knowing them for twenty years or more."Baby Suggs thought it was a good time to ask him something she had long wanted to know.
"Mr. Garner," she said, "why you all call me Jenny?"'"Cause that what's on your sales ticket, gal. Ain't that your name? What you call yourself?""Nothings" she said. "I don't call myself nothing."Mr. Garner went red with laughter. "When I took you out of Carolina, Whitlow called you Jennyand Jenny Whitlow is what his bill said. Didn't he call you Jenny?""No, sir. If he did I didn't hear it.""What did you answer to?""Anything, but Suggs is what my husband name.""You got married, Jenny? I didn't know it.""Manner of speaking.""You know where he is, this husband?""No, sir.""Is that Halle's daddy?""No, sir.""why you call him Suggs, then? His bill of sale says Whitlow too, just like yours.""Suggs is my name, sir. From my husband. He didn't call me Jenny.""What he call you?"
"Baby.""Well," said Mr. Garner, going pink again, "if I was you I'd stick to Jenny Whitlow. Mrs. BabySuggs ain't no name for a freed Negro."Maybe not, she thought, but Baby Suggs was all she had left of the "husband" she claimed. Aserious, melancholy man who taught her how to make shoes. The two of them made a pact: whichever one got a chance to run would take it; together if possible, alone if not, and no lookingback. He got his chance, and since she never heard otherwise she believed he made it. Now howcould he find or hear tell of her if she was calling herself some bill-of-sale name? She couldn't getover the city. More people than Carolina and enough whitefolks to stop the breath. Two-storybuildings everywhere, and walkways made of perfectly cut slats of wood. Roads wide as Garner'swhole house.
"This is a city of water," said Mr. Garner. "Everything travels by water and what the rivers can'tcarry the canals take. A queen of a city, Jenny. Everything you ever dreamed of, they make it righthere. Iron stoves, buttons, ships, shirts, hairbrushes, paint, steam engines, books. A sewer systemmake your eyes bug out. Oh, this is a city, all right. If you have to live in a city — this is it."The Bodwins lived right in the center of a street full of houses and trees. Mr. Garner leaped out andtied his horse to a solid iron post.

加納先生大笑起來。"沒什麼可怕的，珍妮。原來怎麼着，往後還怎麼着，你不會出事的。"她捂着嘴，以免笑得太響。
"我帶你去見的人會給你一切幫助。姓鮑德溫。一兄一妹。蘇格蘭人。我認識他們有二十多年了。"貝比·薩格斯認爲這是個好時機，去問問她好久以來一直想知道的事情。
"加納先生，"她問道，"你們爲什麼都叫我珍妮？""因爲那寫在你的出售標籤上，姑娘。那不是你的名字嗎？你怎麼稱呼自己呢？""沒有，"她說，"我自個兒沒稱呼。"加納先生笑得滿臉通紅。"我把你從羅來納帶出來的時候，惠特婁叫你珍妮，他的標籤上就寫着你叫珍妮·惠特婁。他不叫你珍妮嗎？""不叫，先生。就算他叫過，我也沒聽見。""那你怎麼答應呢？""隨便什麼。可薩格斯是我丈夫的姓。""你結婚了，珍妮？我還不知道呢。""可以這麼說吧。""你知道他在哪兒嗎，這個丈夫？""不知道，先生。""是黑爾的爸爸嗎？""不是，先生。""那你爲什麼叫他薩格斯？他的標籤上也寫着惠特婁，跟你一樣。""薩格斯是我的姓，先生。隨我丈夫。他不叫我珍妮。""他叫你什麼？"
"貝比。""是嗎，"加納先生說着，又一次笑粉了臉，"我要是你，就一直用珍妮·惠特婁。貝比·薩格斯太太對一個自由的黑奴來說，聽着不像個名字。"也許不像，她心想，可"貝比·薩格斯"是她的所謂"丈夫"留下來的一切。是個嚴肅、憂鬱的男人，教會了她做鞋。他們兩人達成了協議：誰有機會逃就先逃走；如果可能就一起逃，否則就單獨逃，再也不回頭。他得到了一個機會，她從此再沒了他的音訊，所以她相信他成功了。現在，如果她用某個賣身標籤上的名字稱呼自己，他怎麼能夠找到她、聽說她呢？她適應不了城市。人比卡羅來納還多，白人多得讓你窒息。二層樓房比比皆是，人行道是用切得整整齊齊的木板做的。路面像加納先生的整幢房子一樣寬。
"這是一座水城，"加納先生說，"所有東西都從水上運來，河水運不了的就用運河。一個城市裏的女王啊，珍妮。你夢想過的一切，他們這裏都能造出來。鐵爐子、釦子、船、襯衫、頭髮刷子、油漆、蒸汽機、書。裁縫行能讓你眼珠子掉出來。噢，沒錯，這纔是座城市呢。你要是必須住在城裏——就是這兒啦。"鮑德溫兄妹就住在一條擠滿房屋和樹木的大街的中段。加納先生跳下大車，把馬拴在結實的鐵樁上。