Carver

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of: • Raymond Carver -
Translation: small b -
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her to Milan for Christmas and want to know what her childhood. He rarely saw her a few times, she always such a request. -
told me, she said. Tell me what time. She sipping liqueur, looked at him intently, waiting. -
She is a stylish, slender, attractive girl, from head to toe impeccable. -
that happened a long time ago. Was twenty years ago, he said. Them in his garden near the Kaxie La Fabuluoni road apartment. -
you want to get up, she said. Then speak Well, let me know. -
what you want to hear? He asked. I can tell you something? I can tell you when you were a baby thing. It is about you, he said. But has little to do. -
told me, she said. But first, give us back a glass of wine, would not be half of the stop. -
he returned from the kitchen holding wine, sit in the chair, began to speak out. -
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the eighteen-year-old boy, and his girlfriend were married seventeen years old when they themselves or their children do, but they love a very tough battle. How often did they add a daughter. -
the child in a cold spell in late November, the birth, are catching up with the peak of waterfowl in the region. Boys like hunting, you understand, this is part of the story. -
boys and girls, now husband and wife, father and mother, they live in a dentist's office following a three-bedroom apartment. They clean the upstairs of the clinic every night, use this to exchange rent and utilities. Summer they have to maintain the grass and flowers, the boy must aisle in the winter and the snow shovel out the road sprinkled with coarse salt. The two children, I tell you, is really very much in love. The most important thing is that they have great ambitions, is the crazy visionaries. They always talk about things to do and places to go. -
he rose from his chair to look out the window a moment, gazing over the slate roof, watching the snow slowly falling light of dusk. -
to say Well, she said. -
boys and girls sleep in the bedroom, the baby sleep in the living room of the baby bed. You know, the baby was only about three weeks large, just starting to sleep overnight. -
one Saturday night, after the boy finished living upstairs, into the dentist's private office, a desk leg to Alice, his father's old friend Carl • fishing hunting Sa Sutherland called telephone. -
Karl, the man picked up the microphone, he said. I did father. We gave birth to a daughter. -
congratulate you, young man, Carl said. What wife? -
she was all right, Carl. Baby is also fine, the boy said. We all good. -
That's good, Carr said. Really happy for you guys. Well, to convey my greetings to your wife. If you called is to hunt something, you listen to me tell you. Dayan crowds are coming here. Played so many years of hunting I have not seen so much from. Today, I played five in the morning two in the afternoon three. I also go there tomorrow morning, if you want, you can go. -
I'm going, the boy said. Why they call you. -
you tomorrow at five thirty this time, and then we set off, Karl said. Bring some more bullets. We better make a good time. See you tomorrow morning. -
boys like Carl • Sutherland. He is the father of his dead friend. After the father died, perhaps to compensate for the loss they both feel, boys and Sutherland began with hunting. Sutherland is a thin, balding man has begun, and he lives alone, usually stern. With them, the boy occasionally embarrassed, wondering if he is not wrong or did something wrong, he was not used to silence people with a long time to be together. But this stubborn old man once talked to death but often, the boy often do not agree with his point of view. Despite this, the boys like and admire his tough personality and jungle experience. -
boy hung up the phone, said the girl downstairs. She looked at him in the side finishing things. Hunting, bullet bag, boots, socks, hunting hats, wool underwear and shotguns. -
you come back? Asked the girl. -
about noon, he said. But it is possible to go to five or six later. Will be too late to do that? -
all right, she said. We are no problem. Do you not go and play happy. This is what you deserve. Maybe tomorrow night we adorn Catherine to see if there Sally. -
good, good idea, he said. To do that. -
sister Sally is a girl. Ten years older than her. Little boys love her, love a little girl as his sister Bessie, another the same. He told the girl said, if we were not married, I would go for Sally. -
Bessie that it? The girl had asked. Although I do not want to admit, but I really think she Bisa Li and I both look good. How is she? -
Bessie also, the boy said as he laughed. And recovery, but do not feel like Sally. Sally kind of things you can not resist. No, I think I would rather go for Sally, if you have to make a choice of words. -
but you really love who? The girl asked. In the world who is your favorite? Who is your wife? You are my wife, the boy said. We will never fall in love? She asked, he could see that she enjoyed such a dialogue. -
forever, the boy said. We will always be together. Like Canada geese, he said, used this metaphor first entered his mind, because these days he always think about them. Their lives with only one pair. These have always been a choice of a good spouse, and then stay together forever. If one died or how, the other will live alone, or despite living in the wild geese, but will remain single, alone in wild geese in the. -
was too miserable, the girl said. This live even worse, I think, and the other to be together but living alone, more than even his miserable stay in one place alone. -
is miserable, the boy said. But this is nature. -
Have you had one of them to kill it? She asked, you know what I mean. -
He nodded, he said, so two or three times, I killed a goose, a couple of minutes, you will see the other geese flew back out to start goose lying on the ground around round and round and call. -
you shoot up to it? She asked, worried. -
if possible, he answered. Sometimes missed. This does not make you feel uneasy? She said. Never. Do it when you can not think so. You know, I like the wild geese, not hunting, I will be very happy looking at them. But life is full of contradictions. You can not dwell on these contradictions. -
After dinner, he transferred a large fire, helped her to the baby shower. He again surprised the baby's appearance, the baby half the features (eyes and mouth), like him, and half (chin and nose) like a girl. He gave this little rub on the body powder, sprinkled between the fingers and toes went, the point of powder. He watched the girls will be wrapped into the baby diapers and pajamas. -
he poured into the bath water shower after the pool on the floor. Cold weather outside. He called out one by one in the air. Was the place looks like a piece of lawn canvas, seems stiff in the gray street below. Accumulation of snow on both sides of the aisle. A car before, he heard the tires sound of sand. He imagined the situation tomorrow, wild geese in his head spinning, gun hit his shoulder. -
Then he locked the door and down the stairs. -
something they want to go to bed later, but both fell asleep, first her hand stuck in a blanket magazine. His eyelids closed, but he forced himself to wake up, checked the alarm clock, off the lamp. -
he was awakened by the cries of children. Living room lights on. He could see the girl stood in a small bed, swinging his arms, baby. After a while she put the baby turn out the light, back to bed. -
time is two in the morning, the baby fell asleep again. -
crying baby woke him again. The girl did not move nest. Babies cry intermittently for a while and stopped. The boy was a moment, then dozed off. -
he opened his eyes. Brightly lit living room. He sat up and open the lamp. -
I do not know how it is, the girl said, holding the child back and forth. I've changed her diapers, and fed her. But she was crying. She kept crying. I am tired, really worried that she fell from my hands. -
you go to bed, the boy said. I hold her for a while. -
He got up and took the child, the girl back to bed to lie down. -
shaking her a little while longer, the girl said in the bedroom. Maybe she fell asleep. -
boy holding a child sitting on the sofa. He gently bounced her knees until she closed her eyes. His eyes were nearly shut. He carefully stood up, put the baby into the baby bed. -
It is quarter to four, he can sleep in fourth fifteen minutes. He climbed into bed. -
but after a few minutes, the baby began to cry again. The two people are climbing up, the boy cursed loudly. -
heaven's sake, this is how you? The girl said to him. Maybe she was sick. Maybe we should give her a bath. -
boy picked up the baby. Teng Chiao kicking a baby, crying. You see, the boy said, I really do not think she has any disease. -
how do you know? The girl said. Over, gave her to me. I know I gave her some medicine, but I do not know what to eat. -
Then, after a few minutes, the child not to cry, the girl put her down again. When the child opened his eyes began to cry, the boys and girls looked at the child, and looked the other one. -
girl holding the baby, baby, baby, eyes, tears in her eyes when she spoke. -
her stomach problems may be, the boy said. -
girl did not care for him. She kept shaking his arms, baby, that do not care about the boy's existence. -
boy waited for a while, went to the kitchen fire in Sheung Shui, for coffee. He put on his wool underwear, fasten buttons. Then start to wear clothes. -
are you doing? The girl said to him. -
go hunting, he said. -
I think you should go, she said. If the child is good, you may be late to go. But I think you should not go this morning. Ku Cheng kids so I do not want one to be alone -
Carl plan I go with him, the boy said that we planned. -
I do not care what you and Carl planned, she said. Karl and I do not care. I do not even know this man. The point is I do not want to let you go. I think in this case you do not have to go to the idea. -
Carl seen your past, you know him, the boy said. You say you do not know what he meant? -
This is not the point, you know, the girl said. The key is the child sick, and her move along I do not want a -
Wait a minute, the boy said. You do not understand. -
No, you do not understand, the girl said. I'm your wife. This is your child. She was sick, or how. Look at her. Why is she crying? You can not leave us to go hunting. -
do not make the hysterical, the boy said -
I want to say any time you can go hunting, she said. Now you have to throw our kids wrong to go hunting. -
she began to cry. She put the baby back into the small bed, but she cried on the. Girl busy with her sleeve pajamas rubbing under the eyes, and lifted her up. -
boy slowly tied shoelaces, put on shirts, sweaters and jackets. Kitchen kettle on the stove screamed. -
you must make a choice, the girl said. Carl or us. I'm serious, you have to choose one. -
What do you mean? The boy said. -
you hear what I said, the girl replied. If you want a home, you have to make a choice. -
their view for a while. Boys take on his hunting equipment on the floor. He started the car up and around to the front window, as do pieces of hard to do like, blowing the top of the ice. -
temperatures drop down in the night, the day was clear, the stars are out. Them in the sky over his head flashing. Driving a car, the boy looking out the stars, think of their distance, he moved. -
Carl porch lights on, he was the station wagon parked in the driveway, the motor is running idle. Open to the street when the boy was walking out of Carl. Boy has made a decision. -
You might have to park far enough away from the road point, Carr said the boy took to the aisle. I'm ready, so I put the lights are off. I think her work cut out, really, he continued down said. I thought you slept, I called just to your place. Your wife said you out. I feel terrible. -
nothing, the boy said, weigh the say. He put weight on one leg, ruffled collar. Hand into his jacket pocket. She got up, Carl. Both of us together will be the one. I guess a little baby, I do not know, the baby kept crying, I mean, yes, I think this time I can not go, Carl. -
you give me a phone call on the line, the children, Carl said. It was nothing. You do not need come and tell me about it. See his ghost hunting to go can not. It was not an important thing. You a cup of coffee? -
I'd better go back, the boy said. -
Well, I'll go myself, Karl said. He looked at the boy. -
boy still stood in the doorway there, but said nothing. -
fine, and Karl said. This morning, I do not expect to play too many good hunting. It seems that you have nothing to regret. -
boy nodded. It Goodbye, Karl, he said. -
back to see, Carl said. Hey, do not control how people say, Carl said. You are a lucky boy, I am not casual. -
boy to start the car up and waited. He looked at Carl walk in the house was, all the lights are off. Then, the boy slipped it into gear, and drove off. -
the living room lights on, but the girl had been asleep in bed, the child sleeping beside her. -
boy took off his boots, pants and shirts. He softly to doing this. He was wearing only socks and wool underwear, sitting on the sofa watching morning. -
quickly washed out the outside. Girls and children continue to sleep. After a child, the boy went to the kitchen and start frying bacon. -
few minutes later, the girl came out wearing a robe, with his arm around him, but said nothing. -
Hey, do not point the robe, the boy said. She according to him, but also next to the stove. -
thing before I'm sorry, she said. I do not know how I was. Do not know why I talk like that. -
nothing, he said. Here, let me put the clip up bacon. -
took the liberty I do not want to forward, she said. Was awful. -
I was wrong, he said. How is Catherine? -
She is now better. I do not know how she was earlier. After you left I gave her diaper changed, she'll be fine. What she did not, suddenly fell asleep. I do not know in the end how it was. Do not angry with us. -
boy smiled. Not lived your gas. Do not be silly, he said. Listen to me, let me do something with this frying pan again. -
you sit, the girl said. I do breakfast. Waffles with fried bacon and how? -
sounds great, he said. I'm starving. -
her bacon taken out from the frying pan, and bake bread to do a good face. He sat at the table, looked at her ease in the kitchen busy. -
she left the kitchen to the bedroom door. Put her in the living room Both of them like a record. -
then the one who we do not want to wake the girl said. -
Why, yes, the boy said as he laughed. -
she put a plate in front of him, which has bacon, a fried egg and a Zhang Huafu cake. She also put on the table for themselves a plate. Ready, she said. -
cake looks Xuan, he said. He painted the butter and syrup on the cake. But when he cut the cake, the plate tipped to his lap. -
how to engage, he said, jumped up from the table -
girls look at him, looked at his face. She laughed. -
If you go look in the mirror, she said, still kept laughing. -
He looked down at his breast sticky syrup in his underwear, and the adhesion of the bread pieces in syrup, bacon and eggs. He laughed. -
I'm starving, he said, shaking his head. -
you are hungry, she said, laughing. -
he Paxia wool underwear, fling it to the bathroom there. Then he opened his arms, her drilled into the room. -
we do not fight, she said. I do not feel, is not it? -
too right, he said. -
we will not fight, she said. .-
boy said, no. He kissed her. -
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he rose from his chair, filling the glass to their. -
finished, he said, the story is over. I admit that this not really, what kind of story. -
very interesting, she said. I tell you this is a very interesting story. What happened then? She said. I mean, what happened was. -
He shrugged his shoulders, holding his wine to the window. Already dark, but the snow is still falling. -
things are changing, he said. I do not know how they change. But always unconsciously, not according to your desire to change. -
Yes, that is the case, but she is only a start, did not say anything. -
she put aside the subject. Reflections from the window he saw she was wondering where her nails. Later she looked up, cheerfully asked him how to play not to bring her a visit to the city. -
he said, put on your boots, let go. -
but he still stayed the window, remembering that period of life. They've laughed. They had huddled, laughing to tears started to flow out, and all other cold weather and he will not go to the place where in his mind, at least temporarily so. -
Subscribe to the reading room -
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