飘 节选

bsp; Hope was rolling high in every Southern heart as the summer of 1863 came in. The
Yankees were proving a hard nut to crack but they were cracking at last.
Christmas of 1862 had been a happy one for Atlanta, for the whole South. The
Confederacy had scored a smashing victory at Fredericksburg and the Yankee dead
and wounded were counted in the thousands.
Spring came and the fighting recommenced. May came and the Confederacy won
another great victory at Chancellorsville.
The first days of July came and with them the rumor, later confirmed by dispatch-
es, that Lee was marching into Pennsylvania. Lee in the enemy's territory! Lee forcing
battle! This was the last fight of the war!
On the third of July, a sudden silence fell on the wires from the north, a silence
that lasted till midday of the fourth when fragmentary and garbled reports began to trick-
le into headquarters in Atlanta. There had been hard fighting in Pennsylvania, near a lit-
tle town named Gettysburg, a great battle with all Lee's army massed.
Suspense grew and the beginnings of dread slowly crawled over the town. Nothing
was so bad as not knowing what was happening.
Crowds formed at the depot, hoping for news from incoming trains, at the tele-
graph office, in front of the harried headquarters, before the locked doors of the news-
papers.
There was hardly a house in town that had not sent away a son, a brother, a fa-
ther, a lover, a husband, to this battle. They ail waited to hear the news that death had
come to their homes.
Scarlett, Melanie and Miss Pittypat sat in front of the Daily Examiner office in the
carriage with the top back, sheltered beneath their parasols. Melanie sat as though
carved of stone, her dark eyes growing larger and larger as time went by.
There was a movement on the outskirts of the crowd and those on foot gave way
as Rhett Butler carefully edged his horse toward Aunt Pitty's carriage.
"1 came to tell you ladies, "he said loudly, "that I have been to headquarters and
the first casualty lists are coming in."
At these words a hum rose among those near enough to hear his remark, and the
crowd surged, ready to turn and run down Whitehall Street toward headquarters.
第十四章
一八六三年夏天到来时，每个南方人心头都满怀希望。北方佬
的确是颗难敲的硬核桃，可是他们终于要被敲破了。
对于亚特兰大，对于整个南方来说，一八六二年的圣诞节都是
个快乐的圣诞节。南方邦联在弗雷德里克堡打了一个大胜仗，北方
佬的伤亡数以千计。
春天到了，战斗又开始了。五月，南方邦联军队又在钱塞勒斯
维尔打了个大胜仗。
七月初，先传来小道消息，然后官方快报也证实了：李将军在
向宾夕法尼亚挺进。李将军打进了敌占区!李将军迫使敌人应战!
这是这场战争的*后一战了!
七月三日，从北方来的电报线突然沉默了，一直到四号中午，
才有断断续续、含含糊糊的消息开始传到亚特兰大的司令部。在宾
夕法尼亚发生了激战，就在一个名叫葛底斯堡的小镇附近，是一场
大仗，李将军的全部兵力都投进去了。
人们越来越焦虑，恐惧开始慢慢地遍布全城。*糟糕的莫过于
不知道到底发生什么了。
人群聚集在火车站，希望进站的列车带来消息，或者在电报
局，或在倍受追问的司令部，或在锁着门的报馆前。
城里几乎每家都有人上前线，或是儿子，或是兄弟，或是父
亲，或是情人，或是丈夫。他们都在等着听消息，说他们家已经有
人牺牲。
斯嘉丽、梅兰妮和皮蒂帕特小姐坐着马车待在《观察日报》
报社门前，马车的顶篷掀到车后，她们打着阳伞。梅兰妮就像一
尊石雕一样坐着，随着时间流逝，她那双黑眼睛睁得愈来愈大。
人群外围出现了一阵骚动，步行的人都让开路来，瑞特·巴特
勒小心地策马向皮蒂姑妈的马车走来。
“我是来告诉太太小姐们，”他大声说， “我刚才到过司令部，
**批伤亡名单已经来了。”
这句话在周围那些听得到他说话的人中引起一阵嗡嗡声，人群
骚动起来，准备沿着白厅街跑去司令部。
"Don't go, "he called, rising in his saddle and holding up his hand. "The lists
have been sent to both newspapers and are now being printed. Stay where you are!"
"Oh, Captain Butler, "cried Melly, turning to him with tears in her eyes. "How
kind of you to come and tell us! When will they be posted?"
"They should be out any minute, Madam. The reports have been in the offices for
half an hour now. Ah! Look!"
The side window of the newspaper office opened and a hand was extended,
bearing a sheaf of long narrow galley proofs, smeared with fresh ink and thick with
names closely printed. The crowd fought for them.
"Hold the reins, "said Rhett shortly, swinging to the ground and tossing the bridle
to Uncle Peter. In a while he was back, with half a dozen in his hands. He tossed one
to Melanie and distributed the others among the ladies in the nearest carriages.
"Quick, Melly, "cried Scarett, her heart in her throat, exasperation sweeping her
as she saw that Melly's hands were shaking so that it was impossible for her to read.
"Take it, "whispered Melly, and Scarlett snatched it from her. The Ws. Where
were the Ws? Oh, there they were at the bottom and al smeared up. "White, "she
read and her voice shook, "Wilkens ... Winn ... Zebulon ... Oh, Melly, he's not on it!
He's not on it! Oh, for God's sake, Auntie, Melly, pick up the salts! Hold her up,
Melly."
weeping, weeping openly with happiness, steadied Miss Pitty's rolling head and held
the smelling salts under her nose. Scarlett braced the fat old lady on the other side, her
heart singing with joy. Ashley was alive. He wasn't even wounded. How good God was
to pass him by!
"Melly! Melly! "cried Maybelle, joy in her voice, "Rene is safe! "Her voice
changed, swiftly, "Melly, look! -Mrs. Meade, please! Darcy isn't--?"
Mrs. Meade was looking down into her lap and she did not raise her head when
her name was called, but the face of little Phil beside her was an open book that all
might read.
"There, there, Mother, "he said, helplessly. Mrs. Meade, looked up, meeting
Melanie' s eyes.
"He won't need those boots now, "she said.
"Oh, darling! "cried Melly, beginning to sob, as she shoved Aunt Pitty onto
Scarlett's shoulder and scrambled out of the carriage and toward that of the doctor's
wife.
"Mother, you've still got me, "said Phil. "And if you'll just let me, I'll go kill all
the Yank--"
"Phil Meade, you hush your mouth! "hissed Melanie, climbing in beside Mrs.
Meade and taking her in her arms. "Drive us home, quick!"
She turned to Scarett as Phil picked up the reins.
"As soon as you take Auntie home, come over to Mrs. Meade's. Captain Butler,
can you get word to the doctor? He's at the hospital."
Scarlett bent her head over the blurred lists, reading rapidly, to find names of
friends. How heavy the toll from Atlanta, from all of Georgia.

飘 内容简介

《飘》以19世纪60年代的美国南北战争为背景,以斯嘉丽和瑞特的爱情故事为主线描写了美国庄园主女儿斯嘉丽的坎坷命运。小说塑造了顽强、勇敢而又自私、浅薄的斯嘉丽和精明、世故的商人瑞特这两个深入人心的形象。小说是“献给南方的一曲挽歌”,表现了战争前后美国南方社会的方方面面。
由小说改编的电影《飘》(又译《乱世佳人》)于1939年被搬上荧屏,由老牌影星克拉克·盖博和费雯丽主演。该片于1940年荣获第12届奥斯卡*佳影片、*佳导演、*佳女主角、*佳女配角、*佳改编剧本、*佳艺术指导、*佳影片剪辑、*佳摄影等八项大奖,成为美国电影史上的经典。

飘 作者简介

玛格丽特·米切尔(1900～1949)
美国女作家，年轻时活跃于社交界，
做过记者。1926年开始创作长篇小说
《飘》，历时十年，小说问世