献给爱米丽的一朵玫瑰 A Rose for Emily（第1页）
献给爱米丽的一朵玫瑰ARoseforEmily
威廉·福克纳>
威廉·福克纳（1897—1962），20世纪前半期美国最伟大的作家之一，他的作品被批评家看成是20世纪美国南方文学发展的顶峰。他于1949年获得诺贝尔文学奖，1950年获美国国家图书奖，1954年和1963年两次获普利策奖。他的作品几乎概括了整个美国南方社会，涉及各个阶级、阶层的人。其代表作有《圣殿》《声音与疯狂》《八月之光》等。
I
WhenMissEmilyGriersondied，ourenttoherfuhroughasortofrespectfulaffeforafallehewomenmostlyoutofcuriositytoseetheinsideofherhouse，whiesaveanoldma—abinedgardenerandcook—hadseeenyears。
Itwasabig，squarishframehousethathadoe，decoratedwithdspiresandscrolledbaltheheavilylightsomestyleofthesevehadonostselectstreet。Butgaragesandshadencroadobliteratedeveneighborhood;onlyMissEmily'shousewasleft，liftingitsstubbornaishdecayabovethewagonsandthegasolinepumps—aneyeseyesores。AndnowMissEmilyhadgoojoiivesofthoseaugustheylayinthecedar-bemusedcemeteryamongtherankedandanonymousgravesofUnionaesoldierswhofellatthebattleofJefferson。
Alive，MissEmilyhadbeenatradition，aduty，aofhereditaryobligatioown，datingfromthatdayin1894wheoris，themayor—hewhofatheredtheedioNegrowomanshouldappearohoutaedhertaxes，thedispensationdatingfromthedeathofherfatheroy。NotthatMissEmilytedcharity。elSartorisiedaotheeffectthatMissEmily'sfatherhadloahetown，whichthetown，asamatterofbusihisaying。OnlyamanofelSartoris'geionandthoughtcouldhavei，andonlyawomancouldhavebelievedit。
&heion，withitsmoremodernideas，becamemayorsahisarraedsomelittledissatisfathefirstoftheyeartheymailedherataxnotice。Februarydtherely。Theywroteheraformalletter，askiocallatthesheriff'sofficeatherce。Aweeklaterthemayorwroteherhimself，tocallortosendhiscarforher，andrereplyanoteonpaperofanarchaicshape，inathin，flohyiotheeffectthatsheoutatall。Thetaxnoticewasalsoehoutent。
TheycalledaspecialmeetingoftheBoardofAldermeiononher，khedhwhiovisitorhadpassedsincesheceasedgivingtinglessoeheywereadmittedbytheoldoadimhallfromwhichastairwaymouillmoreshadow。Itsmelledofdustanddisuse—aksmell。Thehemintotheparlor。Itwasfurnishediher-coveredfurheheblindsofonewindow，theycouldseethattheleatherwascradwhedown，afaintdustrosesluggishlyabhs，spinningwithslowmotesinthesinglesun-ray。ilteaselbeforethefireplacestoodaportraitofMissEmily'sfather。
Theyrosewheered—asmall，fatwomaninblack，withathingolddesgtoherwaistandvanishi，leaningonaneboarnishedgoldhead。Herskeletonare;perhapsthatouldhavebeenmerelyplumpnessinanotherwasobesityinher。Shelookedbloated，likeabodyledier，andofthatpallidhue。Hereyes，lostiyridgesofherface，lookedliketiecesofcoalpressedintoalumpofdoughastheymovedfromoherwhilethevisitorsstatedtheirerrand。
&askthemtosit。Shejuststoodinthedooralyuntilthespokesmaumblinghalt。Thentheycouldheartheiigattheendofthegold。
Hervoicewasdryandcold。"IhavenotaxesinJeffersoorisexplaiome。Perhapsoneofyouaccesstothecityredsatisfyyourselves。"
"Butwehave。WearetheissEmily。Didn'tyougetahesheriff，signedbyhim?"
"Ireceivedapaper，yes，"MissEmilysaid。"Perhapshesidershimselfthesheriff。。。IhavenotaxesinJefferson。"
"Butthereisnothioshowthat，yousee。Wemustgobythe—"
"SeeelSartoris。IhavenotaxesinJefferson。"
"But，MissEmily—"
"SeeelSartoris。"（elSartorishadbeetenyears。）"Ihavenotaxesiobe!"TheNegroappeared，"Showthesege。"
II
Soshevahem，horseandfoot，justasshehadvaheirfathersthirtyyearsbeforeaboutthesmell。Thatwastwoyearsafterherfather'sdeathandashorttimeafterhersweetheart—theonewebelievedwouldmarryher—haddesertedher。Afterherfather'sdeathshewele;afterhersweetheartlehardlysawheratall。Afewoftheladieshadthetemeritytocall，butwerenotredtheonlysigheplacewastheNegroman—ayoungmanthen—goinginandoutwithamarketbasket。
"Justasifaman—anymaproperly。"theladiessaid;sotheywerenotsurprisedwhenthesmelldeveloped。Itwasanotherlihegross，teemingworldandthehighandmightyGriersons。
Aneighbor，alaihemayeSteveyyearsold。
"Butwhatwillyouhavemedoaboutit，madam?"hesaid。
"Why，seostopit，"thewomansaid，"Isn'ttherealaw?"
"I'msurethatwon'tbenecessary，"JudgeStevenssaid，"It'sprobablyjustasthatniggerofherskilledintheyard。I'llspeaktohimaboutit。"
&dayhereplaints，onefromamanwhodiffideion。"Wereallymustdosomethingaboutit，Judge。I'dbethelastoobotherMissEmily，butwe'vegottodosomething。"ThatnighttheBoardofAldermehreegraybeardsandoneyoungermaherisiion。
"It'ssimpleenough，"hesaid。"Seohaveherplaedup。Giveheratimetodoitin，andifshedon't。。。"
"Dammit，sir，"JudgeStevenssaid，"Willyouaccusealadytoherfaellingbad?"
Sothe，aftermidnight，fourmenissEmily'slawnandslunkaboutthehouselikeburglars，sniffingalongthebaseofthebridatthecellaropenihemperfularsowingmotionwithhishandoutofasagfromhisshoulder。Theybrokeopenthecellardoorandsprihere，andibuildings。Astheyrecrossedthelathathadbeendarkwaslightedaibehindher，atorsomotiohatofanidol。Theycreptquietlyacrossthelawnandintotheshadowofthelocuststhatli。Afteraweekortwothesmell>
Thateoplehadbeguntofeelreallysorryforher。Peopleinourtown，rememberinghowoldladyWyatt，hergreataunt，hadgoelycrazyatlast，believedthattheGriersohemselvesalittletoohighforwhattheyreallywere。heyouegoodenoughforMissEmilyandsuch。Wehadlongthoughtofthemasatableau;MissEmilyaslenderfigureihebad，herfatheraspraddledsilhouetteinthefround，hisbacktoherandgahorsewhip，thetwoofthemframedbythebagfrontdoors。Sowheobethirtyandwasstillsipleasedexactly，butvindicated;evenwithinsanityinthefamilyshewouldn'thaveturneddownallofhercesiftheyhadreallymaterialized。
&herdied，itgotaboutthatthehousewasallthatwaslefttoher;andinalewereglad。AtlasttheycouldpityMissEmily。Beialone，andapauper，shehadbeanized。oowouldkhrillandtheolddespairofapennymoreorless。
&erhisdeathalltheladiespreparedtocallatthehouseandofferdaid，asisourissEmilymetthematthedoor，dressedasusualandwithnriefooldthemthatherfatherwasnotdead。Shedidthatforthreedays，withtheministersher，atopersuadehertoletthemdisposeofthebody。Justastheywereabouttoresorttolawandforce，shebrokedown，andtheyburiedherfatherquickly。
&sayshewas。Webelievedshehadtodothat。Werememberedalltheyouherhaddrivenathatwith，shewouldhavetogtothatwhichhadrobbedher，aspeoplewill。
III
Shewassickftime。heragain，herhairwasakingherlooklikeagirl，withavagueresemblahoseangelsincoloreddidserene。
&ownhadjustletthetractsfthesidewalks，andinthesummerafterherfather'sdeaththeybegantowork。Thestruewithniggersandmulesandmaery，andaforemannamedHomerBarron，aYankee—abig，dark，readyman，withabigvoideyeslighterthatleboyswouldfollowingroupstohearhimiggers，andtheniggerssingiheriseandfallofpicks。Prettysoonhekneweverybodyintown。Wheneveryouheardalotoflaughithesquare，HomerBarroheterofthegroup。PreseoseehimandMissEmilyonSundayafternintheyellow-wheeledbuggyachedteamofbaysfromtheliverystable。
AtfirstweweregladthatMissEmilywouldhavea，becausetheladiesallsaid，&quriersonwouldnotthinkseriouslyofaNortherner，adaylaborer。"Buttherewerestillothers，olderpeople，whosaidthatevengriefotcausearealladytetnoblesseoblige—withoutgitnoblesseoblige。Theyjustsaid，"PoorEmily。Herkinsfolkshouldetoher。"ShehadsomekininAlabama;butyearsagoherfatherhadfallenoutwiththemovertheestateofoldladyWyatt，thean，andtherewasnounibetweewofamilies。Theyhadnoteveedatthefuneral。
Andassoonastheoldpeoplesaid，"PoorEmily"，thewhisperingbegan。"Doyousupposeit'sreallyso?"theysaidtoo;Ofcourseitis。Whatelsecould。。。"Thisbehindtheirhands:rustlingofedsilkandsatinbehindjalousiescloseduponthesunofSundayafternoohin，swiftclop-clop-atchedteampassed:"PoorEmily。"
Shecarriedherheadhighenough—evenwheshewasfallen。ItwasasifshedemahainityasthelastGrierson;asifithadwaouchofearthioreaffirmherimperviousness。Likewheheratpoison，thearsenic。Thatwasoverayearaftertheyhadbeguntosay"PoorEmily，"awofemaleswerevisitingher。