第一章都市的吸引——流浪队伍中的独身女.docx

第一章都市的吸引流浪队伍中的独身女Chapter1TheMagnetAttracting一Awaifamidforces十八岁的嘉莉妹妹，带着那个年龄特有的聪明伶俐、腼腆羞涩和基于年轻与无知而产生的憧憬和幻想，登上了午后发往芝加哥的列车。她的行李略显单薄，除了交付托运的小箱子外，她随身只带有仿鳄皮的手提包，里面装着零星的梳妆用品、一纸盒聊以充饥的小点心和黄色的钱包，钱包里边有车票、姐姐家的地址和四块钱现金。她跟母亲吻别时泪如泉涌；当列车驶过父亲做工的面粉厂时，她的喉头有些哽咽；周围的绿色田野包裹着熟悉的村落在她眼前渐渐消逝，激起她伤心的叹息。她凝视着窗外，静静地沉思着，自小就听说过的芝加哥到底是什么样子？虽然在那个大城市，人们都很富裕，到处熙熙攘攘、五光十色，但大城市也充满了狡诈和诱惑，那种巨大的诱人力量，以优雅的形式强烈展现着，往往使天真简单的人思想松懈、意志薄弱，最终堕入歧途。嘉莉妹妹的智力尚未成熟，关心个人的得失是她性格的主要特征。虽然处于青春期，还没有发育完全，但她的秀美资质仍掩盖不住地展现了出来一楚楚动人的身段、透着聪颖的眼睛，俨然是漂亮少女的典范。嘉莉妹妹不喜欢读书，对知识亳无兴趣，也没有学会搔首弄姿，而且走路姿势欠佳，总之她那天赋的绰约风姿还有待于充分发挥。耳边忽然响起了男人的声音，这使她忐忑不安。她早已意识到有人在端详她的一头秀发，如今他主动套近乎，本能的矜持和拘束被对方的吸引力所击溃，她竟然接起了话头。对方发现没有被拒绝，就开始滔滔不绝地神侃起来，谈论着眼前这一块所谓的旅游胜地。嘉莉妹妹偷偷看了看这个男人：他面颊饱满红润，嘴边有两撇小胡子，穿着时髦而干净，手上戴着好几枚戒指，口袋外垂着精致的金表链，脚上蹬着锂亮的皮鞋。这是个替厂家到各地兜揽生意的“据客”，也许他更适合“小白脸”这样的称呼，因为他常常以自己的衣着装扮和举止谈吐博取年轻女性的好感。对于这类人来说，漂亮的衣饰是最重要的，否则寸步难行，其次是对女性有强烈的欲望，而惯用的手法是大胆地献媚和取悦对方。如此衣冠楚楚的人一个劲儿地献殷勤，这让嘉莉妹妹不禁有些得意洋洋。他问她是不是要在芝加哥久住，嘉莉妹妹担心自己很难落脚，便没有给出肯定的答复。他信手掏出一张精美的名片，左下角印着查理赫杜鲁埃，又取出一封印有地图的公司信封，告诉她自己公司的所在地。经过了这一番接触，他们彼此之间显得不再那么生疏了，嘉莉妹妹的举止言谈也不再拘谨了，而杜鲁埃始终掌握着交谈主题的主动权，说起话来也更加从容自在了。列车驶进了阴暗的大车棚下，芝加哥车站到了。嘉莉妹妹拒绝了杜鲁埃帮忙提包的请求，礼貌地与他握手告别，随后被下车的旅客们簇拥到车厢门口，这时一个瘦长脸儿、衣着普通的女人急匆匆地朝她赶了过来，是姐姐来接她了。姐姐整日上班干活，显现出阅尽世间沧桑的艰辛神色。在例行的拥抱寒暄之后，嘉莉妹妹瞥见远处杜鲁埃投来的微笑和转身而去的背影，这时候，她突然感到了一阵孤独袭来。y!henCarolineMeeberboardedtheafternoontrainforChicago,hertotaloutfitconsistedofasmalltrunk,acheapimitationalligator-skinsatchel,asmalllunchinapaperbox,andayellowleathersnappurse,containingherticket,ascrapofpaperwithhersister,saddressinVanBurenStreet,andfourdollarsinmoney.ItwasinAugust,1889.Shewaseighteenyearsofage,bright,timid,andfulloftheillusionsofignoranceandyouth.Whatevertouchofregretatpartingcharacterisedherthoughts,itwascertainlynotforadvantagesnowbeinggivenup.Agushoftearsathermother'sfarewellkiss,atouchinherthroatwhenthecarsclackedbytheflourmillwhereherfatherworkedbytheday,apatheticsighasthefamiliargreenenvironsofthevillagepassedinreview,andthethreadswhichboundhersolightlytogirlhoodandhomewereirretrievablybroken.Tobesuretherewasalwaysthenextstation,whereonemightdescendandreturn.Therewasthegreatcity,boundmorecloselybytheseverytrainswhichcameupdaily.ColumbiaCitywasnotsoveryfaraway,evenonceshewasinChicago.What,pray,isafewhoursafewhundredmiles?Shelookedatthelittleslipbearinghersister'saddressandwondered.Shegazedatthegreenlandscape,nowpassinginswiftreview,untilherswifterthoughtsreplaceditsimpressionwithvagueconjecturesofwhatChicagomightbe.Whenagirlleavesherhomeateighteen,shedoesoneoftwothings.Eithershefallsintosavinghandsandbecomesbetter,orsherapidlyassumesthecosmopolitanstandardofvirtueandbecomesworse.Ofanintermediatebalance,underthecircumstances,thereisnopossibility.Thecityhasitscunningwiles,nolessthantheinfinitelysmallerandmorehumantempter.Therearelargeforceswhichallurewithallthesoulfulnessofexpressionpossibleinthemostculturedhuman.Thegleamofathousandlightsisoftenaseffectiveasthepersuasivelightinawooingandfascinatingeye.Halftheundoingoftheunsophisticatedandnaturalmindisaccomplishedbyforceswhollysuperhuman.Ablareofsound,aroaroflife,avastarrayofhumanhives,appealtotheastonishedsensesinequivocalterms.Withoutacounsellorathandtowhispercautiousinterpretations,whatfalsehoodsmaynotthesethingsbreatheintotheunguardedear!Unrecognisedforwhattheyare,theirbeauty,likemusic,toooftenrelaxes,thenweakens,thenpervertsthesimplerhumanperceptions.Caroline,orSisterCarrie,asshehadbeenhalfaffectionatelytermedbythefamily,waspossessedofamindrudimentaryinitspowerofobservationandanalysis.Self-interestwithherwashigh,butnotstrong.Itwas,nevertheless,herguidingcharacteristic.Warmwiththefanciesofyouth,prettywiththeinsipidprettinessoftheformativeperiod,possessedofafigurepromisingeventualshapelinessandaneyealightwithcertainnativeintelligence,shewasafairexampleofthemiddleAmericanclasstwogenerationsremovedfromtheemigrant.Bookswerebeyondherinterest一knowledgeasealedbook.Intheintuitivegracesshewasstillcrude.Shecouldscarcelytossherheadgracefully.Herhandswerealmostineffectual.Thefeet,thoughsmall,weresetflatly.Andyetshewasinterestedinhercharms,quicktounderstandthekeenerpleasuresoflife,ambitioustogaininmaterialthings.Ahalf-equippedlittleknightshewas,venturingtoreconnoitrethemysteriouscityanddreamingwilddreamsofsomevague,far-offsupremacy,whichshouldmakeitpreyandsubjecttheproperpenitent,grovellingatawoman'sslipper.“That,“saidavoiceinherear,“isoneoftheprettiestlittleresortsinWisconsin.”“Isit?”sheanswerednervously.ThetrainwasjustpullingoutofWaukesha.Forsometimeshehadbeenconsciousofamanbehind.Shefelthimobservinghermassofhair.Hehadbeenfidgetting,andwithnaturalintuitionshefeltacertaininterestgrowinginthatquarter.Hermaidenlyreserve,andacertainsenseofwhatwasconventionalunderthecircumstances,calledhertoforestallanddenythisfamiliarity,butthedaringandmagnetismoftheindividual,bomofpastexperiencesandtriumphs,prevailed.Sheanswered.Heleanedforwardtoputhiselbowsuponthebackofherseatandproceededtomakehimselfvolublyagreeable.“Yes,thatisagreatresortforChicagopeople.Thehotelsareswell.Youarenotfamiliarwitht