Heroes and Villains (II)

文、譯/肖悅

On a wonderfully grey and rainy Friday, Audric’s patience snapped1snap失去控制；一下子無法自持。.Josh hadn’t even made a joke on Audric’s instrument. It was a small prod,since it was Friday and Josh was feeling lazy.

灰沉沉的一個雨天，奧德里克終于忍無可忍了。喬希甚至都還沒拿他的琴開玩笑，只不過稍稍捅了奧德里克一下。因為那天是周五，喬希有些發懶。

While passing him, Josh shoved Audric with his shoulder a bit, knocking both Audric and his precious cello2cello大提琴。off balance.

[18] “Hey!” Audric protested.

“Hay’s for horses. Get it right, stupid.Your brain’s the size of a needle point sometimes. Anyway, it’s just a cello. We would be much better off if it broke.”

Audric’s hand fl ew up before he had the chance to stop it. He almost hit Josh,barely controlling his frustration.

從奧德里克身邊經過時，喬希就用肩膀頂了他一下，使奧德里克和他那珍貴的大提琴一起失去平衡。

[18]“喂！”奧德里克抗議道。

“喂馬哪！醒醒吧，傻瓜，你那副腦子有時候比不上針尖大。不就是個大提琴嗎，摔壞了對咱們都是好事。”

奧德里克不由自主地出了手，差點兒打中喬希，他又氣又急，控制不住了。

[19] “Will you just shut up? I’m tired of your chattering and stupid comments that no one cares about. Get a life!” Audric immediately wanted to run away.The whole orchestra had stopped during his tirade3tirade（批評或指責性的）長篇激烈講話。to watch the action. Josh was a bit pale in the face and chuckled nervously, looking around for the reactions of his peers.

[19]“你能不能閉上嘴？你那些嘮叨和蠢話煩死了，沒人愿意聽！干點兒正事好不好！”奧德里克馬上想逃開，因為他說出這番指責時整個交響樂團都停下來看熱鬧。喬希臉色有點兒發白，神經質地笑望別人的反響。

All at once, the students began laughing at him. Audric sat down and fumed.He’d been taken for a fool.

[20] “Way to stand up for your cello,Audric,” someone shouted sarcastically from across the orchestra. The conductor shushed4shush叫……別出聲。her and continued on with what he was teaching after giving Audric a strange look.

Audric was disappointed, yet relieved that he’d let his anger out. He walked out of class, believing himself to be unburdened. Josh had not said anything to him after his outburst5outburst大動肝火。. Audric was happier after he stopped pouting6pout繃臉；發脾氣。over the class’s reaction. Ahead of him walked the victim of his fury talking to a friend.

[21] “He’s so thick though. He sways to the music and closes his eyes like he’s praying. But he’s like the smartest kid in the grade. I wouldn’t have wanted to get him mad before tomorrow’s math exam, would I?” Josh’s voice said, drifting back. Audric crashed down from his position on cloud nine7on cloud nine喜出望外；興高采烈。. Josh sat right behind him in their math class.

學生們不約而同地對奧德里克哄笑。奧德里克惱怒地坐下，火冒三丈：他被人當成了傻瓜。

[20]“就應該這樣為你的大提琴挺身而出，奧德里克！”樂團另一邊什么人挖苦地叫道。指揮叫她不要出聲，用異樣的目光看了一眼奧德里克，繼續上課。

奧德里克很失望，但又有幾分釋放出怒氣后的快感。他走出課堂，認為自己心里的壓抑得到了釋放。他發火后喬希還沒跟他說過話。奧德里克不再為同學們的反響而感到悶悶不樂后，心情就好多了。現在，自己發怒的對象正走在前面與伙伴交談。

[21]“他可真愚呢，一聽見音樂就晃悠，閉了眼睛像祈禱似的。可他是班里最聰明的，明天考數學前我總不能觸犯他呀。”喬希的聲音飄來。奧德里克的情緒一落千丈：數學課上喬希就坐在他身后。

“You’re lucky I let you copy off me this year during math. That girl totally knew, but she couldn’t do anything about it,” his companion blubbered,giggling.

“這一年讓你抄襲我的數學算是便宜了你。那個女生全知道，可她拿你沒辦法。”喬希的同伴啰嗦著，嘿嘿地笑。

“You’re so dumb,” Josh snickered at him. The other boy just laughed stupidly.

Audric shook his head and quickly passed them. He had no reason to listen in any longer.

[22] The following day, Audric made sure to guard his exam. He carefully positioned himself so that Josh, sitting behind him had no possible way of cheating off of him. In the end, it was a trip to the tissue box that did it. Audric was not anticipating it when Josh got up for a Kleenex. He had his answers wide in the open. Josh took his time blowing his nose.

[23] “You were cheating off of me!”Audric said angrily to Josh later in orchestra. He shrugged.

“Was not.”

“Was too.”

“Was not,” Josh spoke calmly.

“You were too!” Audric exploded.He drew back a fi st.

…

[24] Josh had a reputation of having a sharp tongue. He was also known for his daftness8. Josh had been legitimately scared the fi rst day of attending his new school. And he showed it. The second day, during history, the boy sitting to his left fi nally spoke.

“你可真蠢。”喬希竊聲朝那個男孩笑，對方也傻呵呵地大笑。

奧德里克搖搖頭，盡快超過他倆。他沒有理由再往下聽了。

[22]第二天，奧德里克在考試時仔細防備，小心地擋住考卷，不讓坐在背后的喬希抄他的答案。結果衛生紙還是幫了喬希的忙。奧德里克沒料到喬希會起身去取衛生紙，在沒蓋住的答案前慢吞吞地擤鼻子。

[23]“你考試抄襲我啦！”奧德里克后來在交響樂團里憤憤地說。喬希聳聳肩。

“沒抄。”

“抄了。”

“沒抄。”喬希冷靜地說。

“就是抄了！”奧德里克吼了起來，攥起拳頭。

……

[24]喬希的毒舌和愚笨是出了名的。來新學校頭一天他經歷了例行的嚇唬儀式，而且他顯然被嚇壞了。第二天在歷史課上，坐在他左邊的一個男孩終于開了口。

“Hey you’re the second chair cellist. I remember you. Could you do me and my boys a favor?” he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at two rather mean looking hulks behind him.Josh inwardly sighed. It was just like a cheesy9cheesy拙劣可笑的。scene from one of his dad’s favorite movies.

“嘿，我記得你，你不就是大提琴二席嗎？能不能給我和我哥們兒幫個忙？”那男孩說著，翹起大姆指指向他身后兩個看上去壞壞的大個子。喬希暗暗嘆了口氣。這場景活像他爸爸喜歡的一幕電影里的爛劇情！

[25] “Hey, kid, are you listening? I want you to bug that kid in front of you so bad during orchestra that he wakes up at night screaming your name,” the boy sneered.

[25]“喂，小子，聽著，我要你把樂隊里坐你前面那小子折磨得晚上做噩夢都喊你的名字。”那男孩譏諷說。

“Why should I want to do that?” Josh asked with a wrinkle of the nose. The boy was clearly big on vengeance100 on vengeance報仇。.

“It’s that or my mates will be here to accompany you everywhere between classes, newbie,” the bully threatened.Of course, Josh thought.

“Why would you want to make that kid mad?” he asked curiously.

“Stop asking questions. That’s my business and not yours.”

“我干嘛要那么做？”喬希皺起鼻頭問。那男孩顯然是要報復。

霸道的男孩威脅說：“新來的，你要是不做的話，我這些哥們兒每到課余就給你做伴。”那肯定是的，喬希想。

“你為什么要找他的麻煩？” 他好奇地問。

“少廢話；那是我的事，跟你無關。”

[26] From that day on, Josh had a task. He had to annoy Audric, the first cellist, as much as he could to save his own skin.

There was once that he stopped for a day, and the result was that he was pulled aside after class.

“This is your only warning. You don’t stop,” the mean boy, whose name Josh had learned was Sico Tye, snarled.

[26]從那天起，喬希便有要務在身。為保全自己，他得盡全力找大提琴首席奧德里克的麻煩。

有一天他沒惹事，課后就被揪到一邊。

“就警告你這一次，一天都不許停。”那個叫西科·泰伊的壞男孩惡狠狠地叫道。

“Got it,” Josh said, cringing. He was released and then scampered off.

“知道了。”喬希一邊退縮一邊敷衍說；一被放開就撒腿跑掉了。

[27] He didn’t feel any regret. He pushed Audric just as Sico pushed him.He found a friend in a stupid, but nice boy named Marco who seemed to idolize Josh’s every step. Josh lied that the reason he pushed Audric around was that he was stupid. Marco hung onto every word.

[28] They laughed about how Audric turned red when he became angry and how he loved to move to the music.They joked a lot about how Audric never even flinched11flinch退縮,畏縮。when an insult was fi red. Josh compared to him to a volcano and Marco gave a poor imitation of what a human volcano would look like.Those were the good times.

And then Audric exploded.

…

[29] Josh winced as Audric’s fist hit home. He doubled over, the breath knocked clear out of him. For such a skinny guy, Audric could give quite a blow.

“Have you ever thought about boxing?” Josh panted12pant氣喘吁吁地說。after he could breathe. Audric’s eyes burned as his fi st prepared to strike a second time.

Josh put his hands up in mock surrender.

“I’m sorry,” he said apologetically.

[30] “No, you’re not,” Audric growled and made a fierce jab at Josh’s abdomen. Josh barely blocked with an arm.

“Ow!” he cried, trying to shake off the pain.

[27]他一點兒也不愧疚。他騷擾奧德里克跟西科騷擾他沒什么區別。他結交了一個名叫馬克的傻呵呵的乖男孩。馬克唯他馬首是瞻。喬希撒謊說他騷擾奧德里克不為別的，只因奧德里克太蠢。馬克對此深信不疑。

[28]他們取笑奧德里克，說他惱火時臉紅，隨音樂晃身子，挨罵時也無動于衷。喬希把他比做火山，馬克則拙劣地模仿起人體火山的樣子。那都是美好的時光啊。

然后，奧德里克就爆發了。

……

[29]奧德里克一拳下去，喬希縮成一團，喘不上氣了。別看奧德里克瘦，下手并不輕。

“你想沒想過當職業拳擊手呀？”喬希緩過氣來，氣喘吁吁地說。奧德里克眼睛又紅了，提起拳頭準備繼續出擊。

喬希舉手假作投降。

“對不起嘍。”他道歉說。

[30]“我不信。”奧德里克咆哮著朝喬希腹部猛擊一拳。喬希用手臂擋之不及。

“唉喲！”他哀嚎了一聲，想把疼痛甩掉。

[31] “Stop it, you two! Break it up,”the conductor shouted and grabbed both boys.

Audric lunged13lunge猛沖；猛撲。and Josh knew it was the end. This was his payment for pushing Audric to the limit.

Stars fl ew and Josh hit the hard fl oor.His nose was bleeding and his vision blurred.

[32] Josh would later smile wryly at the irony. ■

[31]“你們兩個！住手！別打了！”指揮喊道，一把抓住兩個男孩。奧德里克再朝他撲來時，喬希明白一切都完了：他把奧德里克逼到了極限，這下遭報應了。

喬希一頭栽到堅實的地面上，兩眼金星四濺，鼻血橫流，視線模糊了。

[32]后來每每想起這樁糗事，喬希都會露出苦笑。 □