名著阅读

"I don't know about lonely," said Denver's mother. "Mad, maybe, but I don't see how it could belonely spending every minute with us like it does.""Must be something you got it wants."Sethe shrugged. "It's just a baby.""My sister," said Denver. "She died in this house."Paul D scratched the hair under his jaw. "Reminds me of that headless bride back behind SweetHome. Remember that, Sethe? Used to roam them woods regular.""How could I forget? Worrisome . . .""How come everybody run off from Sweet Home can't stop talking about it? Look like if it was sosweet you would have stayed.""Girl, who you talking to?"Paul D laughed. "True, true. She's right, Sethe. It wasn't sweet and it sure wasn't home." He shookhis head.
"But it's where we were," said Sethe. "All together. Comes back whether we want it to or not." Sheshivered a little. A light ripple of skin on her arm, which she caressed back into sleep. "Denver,"she said, "start up that stove. Can't have a friend stop by and don't feed him.""Don't go to any trouble on my account," Paul D said.
"Bread ain't trouble. The rest I brought back from where I work. Least I can do, cooking fromdawn to noon, is bring dinner home. You got any objections to pike?""If he don't object to me I don't object to him."At it again, thought Denver. Her back to them, she jostled the kindlin and almost lost the fire.
"Why don't you spend the night, Mr. Garner? You and Ma'am can talk about Sweet Home all nightlong."Sethe took two swift steps to the stove, but before she could yank Denver's collar, the girl leanedforward and began to cry.
"What is the matter with you? I never knew you to behave this way.""Leave her be," said Paul D. "I'm a stranger to her.""That's just it. She got no cause to act up with a stranger. Oh baby, what is it? Did somethinghappen?"But Denver was shaking now and sobbing so she could not speak.
The tears she had not shed for nine years wetting her far too womanly breasts.
"我拿不准是不是孤独，"丹芙的母亲说道，"愤怒倒有可能，可是它这样时时刻刻跟我们在一块儿，我看不出它怎么会孤独。" "你肯定有什么它想要的东西。"塞丝耸耸肩膀。"它只不过是个娃娃。""是我姐姐，"丹芙说，"她死在这房子里。"保罗·D抓了抓下巴上的胡子。"让我想起了-甜蜜之家-后面的那个无头新娘。还记得吗，塞丝？老在那片树林里游荡。""怎么忘得了呢？怪烦人的……""为什么每个从-甜蜜之家-逃走的人都不能不谈它？要是真这么甜蜜的话，看来你们应该留在那儿。""丫头，你这是跟谁说话呢？"保罗·D哈哈大笑。"的确，的确。她说得对，塞丝。那儿并不甜蜜，当然也不是个家。"他摇了摇头。
"可那是我们待过的地方，"塞丝说，"大家都在一起。不管愿不愿意，总会想起来。"她微微哆嗦了一下。胳膊表面皱起了一块，她连忙抚平。①"丹芙，"她说道，"生炉子。不能来了朋友倒不招待他。""甭为我费事了。"保罗·D说。
"烤面包不费什么事。再有就是我从工作的餐馆带回来的东西。从一大早忙活到晌午，我起码能把晚饭带回家。你不讨厌吃梭鱼吧？""要是他不讨厌我，我也不讨厌他。"又来了，丹芙心想。她背对着他们，拐了一下柴火，差点碰灭了火。
"你干吗不在这儿过夜，加纳先生？那样你和太太就能整夜谈-甜蜜之家-了。"塞丝三步并作两步赶到火炉边，可还没抓住丹芙的衣领，那姑娘就向前挣去，哭了起来。
"你怎么了？我从没见过你这么不懂事。""甭管她了。"保罗·D说，"我是个生人。""说的就是这个。她没理由对生人不礼貌。噢，宝贝，怎么回事？到底怎么啦？"可是丹芙这会儿正在颤抖，由于抽泣说不出话来。
九年来从未落过的泪水，打湿了她过于女人味的胸脯。
背景阅读

本书简介：

《宠儿》是托妮·莫里森最震撼人心、最成熟的代表作，现已经成为当代文学史上不朽的经典，也是美国文学史上最畅销的作品之一。小说完成于1987年，1988年即获得美国普利策小说奖。2006年《纽约时报》召集125位知名作家、评论家、编辑及文坛泰斗等选出自己心目中“25年来最佳美国小说”，《宠儿》得票最高，名列第一。

“你的爱太浓了！”——一个不可能重复的故事！！！
女黑奴塞丝怀着身孕只身从肯塔基的奴隶庄园逃到俄亥俄，奴隶主循踪追至；为了使儿女不再重复自己做奴隶的悲惨命运，她毅然杀死了自己刚刚会爬的幼女宠儿……十八年后宠儿还魂重返人间，和塞丝、塞丝的女儿丹芙以及塞丝的情人保罗•D生活在同一幢房子里。她不但加倍地向母亲索取着爱，甚至纠缠和引诱保罗•D，不择手段地扰乱和摧毁母亲刚刚回暖的生活……全书充满苦涩的诗意和紧张的悬念。

作者简介：

托妮·莫里森，美国当代最重要的女作家之一。1931年生于美国俄亥俄州，曾担任兰登书屋编辑、资深编辑，1989年起任普林斯顿大学教授。主要代表作有《最蓝的眼睛》、《秀拉》、《所罗门之歌》、《宠儿》、《爵士乐》、《天堂》等，曾获美国普利策小说奖、美国图书评论协会奖等多项大奖。1993年获诺贝尔文学奖，是历史上得此殊荣的唯一黑人女作家。