人生的一课

　　快一年了，大部分时间我都泡在家里、店铺、学校和教堂里，就像一块旧饼干，又脏又难以下咽。

　　For nearly a year， I sopped around the house， the Store， the school and the church， like an old biscuit， dirty and inedible.

　　这时我遇到或者说认识了抛给我第一根救生索的那位夫人。

　　Then I met， or rather got to know， the lady who threw me first lifeline.

　　波萨？弗劳尔斯夫人是斯坦普司黑人区中的出类拔萃的人物。

　　Mrs. Bertha Flowers was the aristocrat of Black Stamps.

　　她动作优雅，即使在最冷的天气里也不缩手缩脚，而在阿肯色州的夏日里，她似乎又有属于自己的微风环绕在她的身旁，给她带来凉爽。

　　She had the grace of control to appear warm in the coldest weather， and one the Arkansas summer days it seemed she had a private breeze which swirled around， cooling her.

　　她的皮肤深黑迷人，如果被挂住就会像李子皮一样剥落，但没有人敢离她近点，碰皱她的衣服，更不要说挂住她的皮肤了。

　　Her skin was a rich black that would have peeled like a plum if snagged， but then no one would have thought of getting close enough to Mrs. Flowers to ruffle her dress， let alone snag her skin.

　　她不太喜欢亲近，另外她还带着手套。

　　She didn't encourage familiarity. She wore gloves too.

　　她是我所知道的为数不多的有气质的女士之一，并且是我做人的楷模，影响了我一生。

　　She was one of the few gentlewomen I have ever known， and has remained throughout my life the measure of what a human being can be.

　　我被她深深地吸引，因为她像是我从没有亲身遇到过的那些人。

　　She appealed to me because she was like people I had never met personally.

　　她就像英国小说中的女人，走在沼泽地里（不管是什么地方），一群忠实的狗奔跑在她们的身旁，并与她们保持一定的距离以示尊敬。

　　Like women in English novels who walked the moors （whatever they were） with their loyal dogs racing at a respectful distance.

　　她就像坐在炉火熊熊的壁炉前的女人，不时从装满蛋糕和松脆饼的银盘中取东西喝。

　　Like the women who sat in front of roaring fireplaces， drinking tea incessantly from silver trays full of scones and crumpets.

　　她就像走在“石南丛生的荒野”中，读着用摩洛哥山羊皮装订的书的那些女人，而且有用连字符隔开的两个姓。

　　Women who walked over the “heath” and read morocco-bound books and had two last names spani

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