(单词翻译:单击)
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Going Home --Pete Hamill
They were going to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. There were six of them, three boys and three girls, and they got on the bus at 34th Street, carrying sandwiches and wine in paper bags. They were dreaming of golden beaches and sea tides as the grey, cold spring of New York vanished behind them. Vingo was on the bus from the beginning.
As the bus passed through New Jersey, they began to notice that Vingo never moved. He sat in front of the young people, his dusty face masking his age, dressed in a plain brown suit that did not fit him. His fingers were stained from cigarettes and he chewed the inside of his lip a lot. He sat in complete silence and seemed completely unaware of the existence of the others.
Deep into the night, the bus pulled into a Howard Johnson's restaurant and everybody got off the bus except Vingo. The young people began to wonder about him, trying to imagine his life: perhaps he was a sea captain; maybe he had run away from his wife; he could be an old soldier going home. When they went back to the bus, one of the girls became so curious that she decided to engage him in a conversation. She sat down beside him and introduced herself.
"We're going to Florida," the girl said brightly. "You going that far?"
"I don't know," Vingo said.
"I've never been there," she said. " I hear it's beautiful."
"It is," he said quietly, as if remembering something he had tried to forget.
"You live there?"
"I was there in the Navy, at the base in Jacksonville".
"Want some wine?" she said. He smiled and took a swig from the bottle. He thanked her and retreated again into his silence. After a while, she went back to the others as Vingo nodded in sleep.
In the morning they awoke outside another Howard Johnson's and this time Vingo went in. The girl insisted that he join them. He seemed very shy and ordered black coffee and smoked nervously, as the young people chattered about sleeping on beaches. When they got back on the bus, the girl sat with Vingo again. After a while, slowly and painfully, he began to tell his story. He had been in jail in New York for the last four years, and now he was going home.
"Are you married?"
"I don' t know."
"You don't know?" she said.
"Well, when I was in jail I wrote to my wife. I said, 'Martha, I understand if you can't stay married to me.' I said I was going to be away a long time, and that if she couldn't stand it, if the kids kept asking questions, if it hurt her too much, well, she could just forget me. Get a new guy—she's a wonderful woman, really something—and forget about me. I told her she didn't have to write to me or anything, and she didn't. Not for three-and-a-half years."
"And you're going home now, not knowing?"
"Yeah," he said shyly. "Well, last week, when I was sure the parole was coming through I wrote her again. I told her that if she had a new guy, I understood. But, if she didn't, if she would take me back she should let me know. We used to live in Brunswick, and there' s a great oak tree just as you come into town. I told her if she would take me back, she should tie a yellow ribbon to the tree, and I would get off and come home. If she didn't want me, forget it, no ribbon and I'd understand and keep going on through."
"Wow," the girl said. "Wow."
She told the others, and soon all of them were caught up in the approach of Brunswick, looking at the pictures Vingo showed them of his wife and three children. Now they were 20 miles from Brunswick, and the young people took the window seats on the right side, waiting for the approach of the great oak tree. Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face into the ex-con's mask, as if fortifying himself against still another disappointment. Then it was 10 miles, and then five, and the bus became very quiet.
Then suddenly all of the young people were up out of their seats, screaming and shouting and crying, doing small dances, shaking clenched fists in triumph and exaltation. All except Vingo.
Vingo sat there stunned, looking at the oak tree through his misty eyes. The tree was covered with yellow ribbons, 30 of them, 50 of them, maybe hundreds, a tree that stood like a banner of welcome, blowing and billowing in the wind. As the young people shouted, the old con slowly rose from his seat, holding himself tightly, and made his way to the front of the bus to go home.
参考译文
回家--Pete Hamill
三个男孩和三个女孩要去佛罗里达州的劳德代尔堡，他们提着装着三明治和葡萄酒的纸袋，在第34街上了车。他们向往金色的海滩和海潮，将冷春中灰色的纽约甩在身后。温格是从始发站就上车的。
汽车经过新泽西州时，他们才留意到温格一直没动。他坐在年轻人中，满脸的灰尘掩盖了年龄，穿着一件不起眼且不合身的褐色衣服，手指上满是烟熏的痕迹，不停地咬着下嘴唇。他一直沉默地坐着，似乎根本没有意识到旁人的存在。
深夜，汽车停在一家霍华德约翰逊连锁餐馆，所有人都下了车，除了温格。年轻人们对他感到不解，开始想象他的生活：或许他是一名船长，一个抛弃妻子的丈夫，一个回家的老兵。回到车上后，其中的一个很好奇的女孩决定跟他攀谈，她坐到他旁边，做自我介绍。
“我们要去佛罗里达，”女孩愉快地说。“你去过那么远的地方吗？”
“我对那不了解，”温格说。
“我从未去过，”她说。“听说那里很美。”
“是的，”他静静地说，好像想起曾试图忘记的东西。
“你住在那里吗？”
“我在那里的海军驻地，在杰克逊维尔基地。”
“想来点酒吗？”她问道。他笑了笑，拿起瓶子大喝了一口。对她表示谢意后又陷入到沉默之中。后来她回到那群人中，温格则低着头睡着了。
早上，他们醒来时汽车停在另一个约翰逊连锁餐馆前，这回温格也进去了。那个女孩极力邀请他参加他们的团体。但他看起来很腼腆，当那帮年轻人谈论着在海滨该怎么过夜时，他则独自一人呆在一边喝黑咖啡，还不停地抽烟，显得有些局促不安。当他们回到车上时，那个女孩又坐到他身边，过了一会儿，温格才缓慢而且痛楚地诉说起他的经历。他在纽约的监狱里呆了四年，现在他假释回家了。
“你结婚了吗?”
“我不知道。”
“你不知道?”那女孩很奇怪。
“是这样，我在狱中时曾给我妻子写过一封信”他说，“告诉她我要离开很长一段时间，如果她忍受不了，如果孩子不断追问，如果这使她非常痛苦，那么她可以忘了我，我会理解的。我叫她重新嫁人――我知道她是个很不错的女人，真的不一般――我让她忘了我，我让她别给我写回信，因为这没有用，她也真没回信，我已有三年半没有她的音信了。”
“那么你就这样盲目地回家去?”
“也不是，”他略带腼腆地说：“上周当我确知假释得到批准时，我又给她写过一封信。告诉她如果她已另嫁他人，我会理解的。但是，如果还没有，如果她愿意接纳我，她应该让我知道。过去我们住在布伦斯威克，在进城去的路上有一棵高大的橡树。我告诉她，如果她愿意我回来，就在树上挂一方黄手帕，我就下车回家。如果她不要我，就忘掉这件事，看不见手帕，我会明白，也就不下车了。”
“噢，是吗?”那个女孩惊讶极了。
她把这事告诉了同伴们，于是他们都盼着快点到布伦斯威克。温格又给他们看了一张他妻子与三个孩子的照片。现在他们离布伦斯威克只有20英里了，那班年轻人占据了车右边靠窗的座位，等待着那棵橡树的出现。温格则低下头，一副囚犯们所特有的绷紧的面容，不敢往外看，好象是防备着又一次失望的打击。离布伦斯威克只有十英里了，五英里了，
汽车里一片阴暗和肃静。突然，那班年轻人全都叫着从座位上跳了起来，高兴得手舞足蹈，只有温格例外。
温格目瞪口呆地坐在那儿，望着窗外的橡树，那上面挂满了黄手帕。30块，50块，也许有好几百块，这棵树站在那儿，就象一面欢迎的大旗，在风中飘扬。在年轻人的叫喊声中，那个往日的囚徒站起来，走到车门前，然后向家走去。
词汇释义
1.mask v. 戴面具,掩饰,化装
例句：
Her smile masked true feelings.
她的微笑掩饰了她的感情。
2.billow v. 像巨浪般汹涌,像巨浪般波动
例句：
The wind blew hard and the sea was billowing.
疾风劲吹，海浪汹涌。
3.chew v. 咀嚼,嚼碎,细想
例句：
Chew your food properly before swallowing it.
食物嚼碎後再咽下.
4.clench v. 紧握,牢牢地抓住,确定
例句：
He clenched his teeth and refused to tell anything.
他咬紧牙关，什么也不肯说。
5.exaltation n. (成功带来的)得意,高兴
例句：
The news filled us with exaltation .
这消息使我们欣喜万分。
6.fortify v. 设要塞,加强
例句：
The medieval town is fortified with a high wall and a deep moat.
这座中世纪的城市用高墙深沟来加强防御。
7.parole n. 誓言,释放宣言,语言
例句：
He's hoping to get parole.
他希望获得假释.
8.retreat v. 撤退,隐退,向后倾
例句：
The enemy was forced to retreat.
敌人被迫撤退。
9.scream v. 尖叫,大笑
例句：
The boy was screaming with pain.
这男孩痛得尖叫起来。
10.vanish v. 消失,不见了
例句：
Many types of animals have now vanished from the earth.
很多种类的动物现在已经从地球上绝迹了。
相关歌曲欣赏
Tie a Yellow Ribbon round the Old Oak Tree
（老橡树上的黄丝带）
原唱: Tony Orlando
I'm coming home, I've done my time
我的刑期已满，正要赶回家
Now I've got to know what is and isn't mine
我必须知道有哪些东西还属於我
If you received my letter
若你收到了我的信
Telling you I'd soon be free
告诉你我将重获自由
Then you'll know just what to do
那麼，你知道该怎麼做
If you still want me, if you still want me
如果你还要我的话
Whoa, Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree
在老橡树上系条黄丝带
It's been three long years
漫长的三年过去了
Do you still want me
你还要我吗？
If I don't see a ribbon round the old oak tree
如果我看见老橡树上没有系黄丝带的话
I'll stay on the bus, forget about us
我会留在巴士上，忘了我俩的过去
Put the blame on me
责怪我自己
If I don't see a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree
如果我看见老橡树上没有系黄丝带的话
Bus driver, please look for me
司机先生，请帮我看一下
Cause I couldn't bear to see what I might see
因为我无法承受即将看到的
I'm really still in prison
我其实仍在监牢
And my love she holds the key
只有吾爱握有钥匙
A simple yellow ribbon 's what I need to set me free
我需要的仅是黄丝带，即可将我释放
I wrote and told her please
我已写信告诉过她
Whoa, Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree
在老橡树上系条黄丝带
It's been three long years
漫长的三年过去了
Do you still want me
你还要我吗？
If I don't see a ribbon round the old oak tree
如果我看见老橡树上没有系黄丝带的话
I'll stay on the bus, forget about us
我会留在巴士上，忘了我俩的过去
Put the blame on me
责怪我自己
If I don't see a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree
如果我看见老橡树上没有系黄丝带的话
Now the whole damned bus is cheering
现在，整车的乘客都在欢呼
And I can't believe I see
我无法相信我所看到的--------
A hundred yellow ribbons round the old oak tree
老橡树上挂满了上百条的黄丝带！
