Text B The Chrysanthemums（第1页）

TextBThethemums

JohnSteinbeck

Thehighgray-flannelfogofwiheSaliheskyandfromalltherestoftheworld。Oneverysideitsatlikealidoainsahegreatvalleyaclosedpot。Onthebroad，levellandflplowsbitdeepaheblackearthshialwheretheshareshadthefoothillranchesacrosstheSaliheyellowstubblefieldsseemedtobebathedinpaleshiherewasnosuhevalleyhethickwilltheriverflamedositiveyello>

Itwasatimeofquietandofwaiting。Theairwasdtender。Alightwindblewupfromthesouthwestsothatthefarmersweremildlyhopefulofagoodrainbef;butfogandraindidnotgotogether。

Acrosstheriver，onHehillraleworktobedohehaywasdstoredandtheorchardswereploweduptoreceivetheraindeeplywhenitshoulde。Thethehigherslopeswerebeingshaggyandrough-coated。

ElisaAllen，winherflarden，lookeddownacrosstheyardandsawHenry，herhusband，talkingtotwomenis。Thethreeofthemstoodbythetractorshed，eawithoohelittleFord-son。Theysmokedcigarettesahemaeastheytalked。

&chedthemforamomebacktoherwork。Shewasthirty-five。Herfacewasleanandstrongandhereyeswereasclearaswater。Herfigurelookedblodheavyinhergardeninge，aman’sblackhatpulledlowdownoverhereyes，clod-hoppershoes，afiguredpripletelycoveredbyabigcorduroyapronwithfpocketstoholdthesrowelandscratcher，theseedsandtheknifesheworkedwith。Sheworeheavyleatherglovestoprotedswhilesheworked。

&ingdowntheoldyear’sthemumstalksairofshortandpowerfulscissors。Shelookeddowntowardthemeorshednowandthen。Herfacewaseagerandmatureandhandsome;evenherworkwiththescissorswaser，over-powerful。Thethemumstemsseemedtoosmallandeasyfy。

Shebrushedacloudofhairoutofhereyeswiththebacklove，aasmudgeofearthonherdoingit。Behiheefarmhousewithredgeraniumskedarounditashighastheasahard-sweptlookinglittlehouse，olishedwindows，andamud-matoeps。

&anlahetractorshed。ThestraingintotheirFordcoupe。Shetookoffaglovearongfingersdowofnewgreenthemumsproutsthatweregrowingarous。Shespreadtheleavesandlookeddownamongthes。Noaphidswerethere，nosowbugsorsnailsors。Herterrierfiroyedsuchpestsbeforetheycouldgetstarted。

&artedatthesoundofherhusband’svoice。Hehadely，andheleahewirefeprotectedherflardenfromddogsands。

“Atitagain，”hesaid。“You’vegnewing。

&raightenedherbadpulledloveagaihey’llbestrongthisingyear。”Ioneaherewasalittlesmugness。

“You’vegotagiftwiththings，”Henryobserved。“Someofthoseyellowthemumsyouhadthisyearwereteninchesacross。Iwishyou’dworkoutintheordraisesomeapplesthatbig。”

Hereyessharpened。“MaybeIcoulddoit，too。I’veagiftwiththings，allright。Mymotherhadit。Shecouldstiginthegroundagrow。Shesaiditlanters’handsthatkodoit。”

&sureers，”hesaid。“Henry，whowerethosemealkingto?”

“Why，sure，that’swhatIcametotellyou。TheywerefromtheWesterpany。Isoldthosethirtyheadofthree-year-otnearlymyowoo。”

“Good，”shesaid。“Goodforyou。”

“AndIthought，”heued，“Ithoughthowit’sSaturdayafternoogointoSalinasfordiarestaurant，aoapictureshow—tocelebrate，yousee。”

“Good，”sherepeated。“Oh，yes。Thatwillbegood。”

&onhisjokihere’sfightstonight。How’dyouliketogotothefights?”

“Oh，no，”shesaidbreathlessly。“No，Iwoulds。”

“Justfooling，Elisa。We’llgotoamovie。Let’ssee。It’stwonow。I’mgoiyandbringdoweersfromthehill。It’lltakeusmaybetwohours。We’llgointownaboutfiveandhavediheihat?”

“OfcourseI’lllikeit。It’sgoodtoeatawayfromhome。”

“Allright，then。I’llgogetupacoupleofhorses。”

Shesaid，“I’llhaveplentyoftimetransplahesesets，Iguess。”

SheheardherhusbandgSbythebarn。Andalittlelatershesawthetwomehepaleyellowhillsideihesteers。

Therewasalittlesquaresafthethemums。Withhertrowelsheturhesoiloverandover，aafirm。Theereoreceivethesets。Backatthethemumbedshepulledoutthelittleedofftheleavesofeaewithhersdlaiditonasmallorderlypile。

Asqueakoflodofhoofstheroad。Elisalookedup。Thetryrthedensebankofwillowsand-woodsthatborderedtheriver，andupthisroadcameacuriousvehicle，curiouslydrawn。Itring-wagon，witharoundvastopohecoverofaprairieser。Itwasdrawnbyanoldbayhorseandalittlegreyand-whiteburro。Abigstubble-beardedmahecoverflapsahegteam。Uhewagohehindwheels，aleanandrangymwalkedsedately。Wordswerepaiheclumsy，crookedletters。“Pots，pans，knives，scissors，lawnmores，Fixed。”Tworowsofartidthetriumphaive“Fixed”beloainthadrundowninlittlesharppoiheachletter。

Elisa，squattingonthegrouoseethecrazy，loose-jointedassby。Butitdidn’tpass。Itturhefarmroadinfrontofherhouse，crookedoldwheelsskirlingaherangydogdartedfrombetweenthewheelsaaherdsflewoutathim。Theopped，andwithstiffaails，withtautstraightlegs，withambassadnity，theyslowlyciriffingdaintily。ThepulleduptoElisa’swirefeopped。Nowthenewerdog，feelingoutnumbered，loweredhistailahewagonwithraisedhadbaredteeth。

&hewagocalledout，“That’sabaddoginafightwheed。”

Elisalaughed。“Iseeheis。Howsoondoeshegeed?”

Themancaughtupherlaughteraheartily。“Sometimesnotforweeksandweeks，”hesaid。Heclimbedstifflydowhewheel。Thehorseandthedonkeydroopedlikeunwateredflowers。

Elisasawthathewasaverybigman。Althoughhishairandbeardweregrayilookold。Hiswornblacksuitwasottedwithgrease。Thelaughterhaddisappearedfromhisfadeyesthemomenthislaughingvoiceceased。Hiseyesweredark，andtheywerefullthatgetsieamstersandofsailors。Thecallousedhahewirefencewerecradeverycrackwasablae。Hetookoffhisbatteredhat。

“I’moffmygeneralroad，ma’am，”hesaid。“DoesthisdirtroadcutoveracrosstherivertotheLosAngeleshigh>

&oodupahicksherapro。“Well，yes，itdoes，butitwindsarouheriver。Idon’tthinkyourteamcouldpullthroughthesand。”