《美食祈禱和戀愛》Chapter 51 (110):印度村莊

We have our favorite visits in town, always stopping to pay respects to the temple, and to say hello to Mr. Panicar, the tailor, who shakes our hands and says, "Congratulations to meet you!" every time. We watch the cows mill about enjoying their sacred status (I think they actu-ally abuse the privilege, lying right in the middle of the road just to drive home the point that they are holy), and we watch the dogs scratch themselves like they're wondering how the heck they ever ended up here. We watch the women doing road work, busting up rocks under the sweltering sun, swinging sledgehammers, barefoot, looking so strangely beautiful in their jewel-colored saris and their necklaces and bracelets. They give us dazzling smiles which I can't begin to understand—how can they be happy doing this rough work under such terrible conditions? Why don't they all faint and die after fifteen minutes in the boiling heat with those sledgehammers? I ask Mr. Panicar the tailor about it and he says it's like this with the villa-gers, that people in this part of the world were born to this kind of hard labor and work is all they are used to.

我們去城裏自己喜歡的地方逛逛，經常在寺院停下來朝拜，跟裁縫先生帕尼卡打招呼，每回他總跟我們握手說：“恭喜認識你！”我們看牛在路上亂轉，享受它們的神聖地位（我認爲它們簡直濫用特權，大剌剌躺在路中間，只爲闡明自己神聖不可侵犯）；我們看狗給自己搔癢，彷彿在想自己怎麼會在這兒。我們看婦女從事道路施工，在炎炎烈日下敲石頭，赤腳揮着大錘，身穿珠寶色的紗麗、戴項鍊和手鐲，看起來美得出奇。她們對我們嫣然而笑；我無法明白的是，她們怎能在這樣可怕的環境下，如此快樂地從事粗重的活兒？在酷暑中扛着大槌，十五分鐘過後，怎麼不會昏死過去？我問裁縫先生帕尼卡，他說村民都像這樣，此地的人生來就得做這些苦工，他們習慣勞動。

"Also," he adds casually, "we don't live very long around here."

“還有，”他又輕描淡寫地說，“我們這兒的人活不太長。”

It is a poor village, of course, but not desperate by the standards of India; the presence (and charity) of the Ashram and some Western currency floating around makes a significant difference. Not that there's so much to buy here, though Richard and I like to look around in all the shops that sell the beads and the little statues. There are some Kashmiri guys—very shrewd salesmen, indeed—who are always trying to unload their wares on us. One of them really came after me today, asking if madam would perhaps like to buy a fine Kashmiri rug for her home?

當然，這是個貧窮村莊，可是就印度的標準而言，並不太窮；道場的存在（與慈善事業）以及西方貨幣的流通，使情況大爲改善。這兒能買的東西不多，儘管理查和我喜歡逛幾家賣寶石和小雕像的商店。有幾個喀什米爾小夥子——很精明的推銷員——老是想向我們傾銷商品。其中有個人今天跟在我身後，問這位女士或許想買一條喀什米爾地毯來裝飾她家？

This made Richard laugh. He enjoys, among other sports, making fun of me for being homeless.

這讓理查發笑。他的消遣包括喜歡取笑我無家可歸。

"Save your breath, brother," he said to the rug salesman. "This old girl ain't got any floors to put a rug on."

“省省力氣吧，老兄，”他對地毯銷售員說，“這位老姐沒有地板來鋪地毯。”

Undaunted, the Kashmiri salesman suggested, "Then perhaps madam would like to hang a rug on her wall?"

喀什米爾推銷員毫不氣餒地提議“那麼或許女士想在牆上掛張毯子？”

"See, now," said Richard, "that's the thing—she's a little short on walls these days, too."

“聽着，”理查說道，“是這樣的——近來她連牆壁都缺。”

"But I have a brave heart!" I piped up, in my own defense.

“可是我不缺勇敢的心。”我高聲說道，爲自己辯護。

"And other sterling qualities," added Richard, tossing me a bone for once in his life. Eat, Pray, Love

“以及其他美德。”理查又說，他這輩子總算丟了一次骨頭給我。