对写作很有用的三本薄书✔
It was a savagely red land,blood-colored after rains,brick dust in droughts,the best cotton land in the world.It was a pleasant land of white houses,
peaceful plowed fields and sluggish yellow rivers,but a land of contrasts,of brightest sun glare and densest shade.The plantation clearings and miles of cotton fields smiled up to a warm sun,placid,complacent.At their edges rose the virgin forests,dark and cool even in the hottest noons,mysterious,a little sinister,the soughing pines seeming to wait with an age-old
patience,to threaten with soft sighs:“Be careful!Be careful!We had you
once.We can take you back again.”
To the ears of the three on the porch came the sounds of hooves,the
jingling of harness chains and the shrill careless laughter of negro voices,as the field hands and mules came in from the fields.From within the
house floated the soft voice of Scarlett's mother,Ellen O'Hara,as she
called to the little black girl who carried her basket of keys.The
high-pitched,childish voice answered “Yas'm,”and there were sounds of
footsteps goingout the back way toward the smokehouse where Ellen would ration out the food to the home-coming hands.There was the click of china and the rattle of silver as Pork,the valet-butler of Tara,laid the table for supper.
At these last sounds,the twins realized it was time they were starting home.But they were loath to face their mother and they lingered on the porch of Tara,momentarily expecting Scarlett to give them an invitation to supper.
“Look,Scarlett. About tomorrow,”said Brent.“Just because we've been away and didn't know about the barbecue and the ball,that's no reason why we shouldn't get plenty of dances tomorrow night.You haven't promised them all,have you?”
“Well,I have!How did I know you all would be home?I couldn't risk being a wallflower just waiting on you two.”
“You a wallflower!”The boys laughed uproariously.
“Look,honey.You've got to give me the first waltz and Stu the last one and you've got to eat supper with us.We'll sit on the stair landing like we did at the last ball and get Mammy Jincy to come tell our fortunes again.”
“I don't like Mammy Jincy's fortunes.You know she said I was going to marry a gentleman with jet-black hair and a long black mustache,and I don't like black-haired gentlemen.”
“You like'em red headed,don't you,honey?”
grinned Brent.“Now,come on, promise us all the waltzes and the supper.”
“If you'll promise,we'll tell you a secret,”said Stuart.
“What?”cried Scarlett,alert as a child at the word.
“Is it what we heard yesterday in Atlanta,Stu?If it is,you know we promised not to tell.”
“Well,Miss Pitty told us.”
“Miss Who?”
“You know,Ashley Wilkes'cousin who lives in Atlanta,Miss Pittypat Hamilton—Charles and Melanie Hamilton's aunt.”
“I do,and a sillier old lady I never met in all my life.”
“Well,when we were in Atlanta yesterday,waiting for the home train,her carriage went by the depot and she stopped and talked to us,and she told us there was going to be an engagement announced tomorrow night at
the Wilkes ball.”
“Oh,I know about that,”said Scarlett in disappointment.“That silly
nephew of hers,Charlie Hamilton,and Honey Wilkes.Everybody's known
for years that they'd get married some time,even if he did seem kind of
lukewarm about it.”
“Do you think he's silly?”questioned Brent.“Last Christmas you sure let him buzz round you plenty.”
“I couldn't help him buzzing,”Scarlett shrugged negligently.“I think he's an awful sissy.”
“Besides,it isn't his engagement that's going to be announced,”said
Stuart triumphantly.“It's Ashley's to Charlie's sister,Miss Melanie!”
这是一片血红色一样的大地，雨后更加殷红，在干旱的季节，尘土如砖灰。这是世界上最好的产棉地。
这里是一片欢快的土地，有白色的房屋，有宁静的耕地，有缓缓流动的黄色浊流，但是土地却不是这样，明亮的眼光灼人睁不开眼睛，衬出一幅稠浓的阴影。庄园前开垦的土地和一望无际的棉田对着一轮暖洋洋的太阳微笑，安宁祥和又怡然自得。在庄园的四周耸立着原始森林，即使在最炎热的太阳底下，也显得幽暗、阴凉和神秘。飒飒作响的松树似乎还在耐心的等待着，低声威胁着说：“要当心！我们曾经拥有过你们，以后我们还要夺回来。”
黑人和骡子从田野间回来了，坐在长廊的三个人耳边突然传来一阵马蹄声，挽具铁链的叮当声和黑人无忧无虑的欢笑声。屋里传来斯嘉丽的母亲埃伦·奥哈拉温柔的声音，她正在叫那个提着钥匙篮的黑人小女孩。只听见一个尖细的纯真的童声在回答“是，太太”，接着便是朝后面熏肉房走去的一阵脚步声，埃伦要在那里给刚刚干活回来的黑人准备吃的。然后又听见塔拉庄园的总管波克摆放饭桌时传来瓷器和银器碰撞的响声。
听到杯盘的声响。兄弟俩知道该回家了。可他们又不情愿回去见母亲，便在塔拉庄园的走廊里磨磨蹭蹭地盼着斯嘉丽请他们留下来吃晚饭。
“斯嘉丽，我们来谈谈明天的事。”布伦特说，“因为前几天我们不在，不知道宴会和舞会的事，明天晚上你一定要和我们多跳几曲，你还没答应我们呢。”
“唉，我答应过了，可是谁知道你们什么时候会回家啊，我可不能专门为了等你俩而冒没有舞伴的风险啊？”
“你没舞伴？”兄弟俩听了哈哈大笑。
“听我说，宝贝。你得和我跳第一支华尔兹，和司徒特跳最后一支华尔兹，你还得和我们一起吃晚饭。再像上次那样坐在楼梯平台上，让锦西妈妈给我们算算卦。”
“我不喜欢让锦西妈妈算卦。你们知道的，她说我以后会嫁给一个头发漆黑、胡子又黑又长的男人，我可不喜欢黑头发的男人。”
“那你喜欢红头发的，是吗？”布鲁特傻笑着说，“好吧，快答应我们跳华尔兹和吃晚饭吧。”
“你如果答应的话，我就告诉你一个秘密。”司徒特说。
“什么？”一听这话，斯嘉丽像个孩子似的大声嚷着说。
“你说的是我们昨天在亚特兰大听说的事吧，如果是这事，你知道我是不会说出去的。”
“这事，是佩蒂小姐告诉我们的。”
“哪个佩蒂小姐？”
“你知道的，就是阿西里·威尔克斯的表亲，住在亚特兰大的佩蒂帕特·汉密顿小姐——查尔斯和梅兰妮的姑妈。”
“我知道这人，她是我这辈子见过最蠢的老太太了。”
“是这样的，昨天我们在亚特兰大等回家的火车，她正好乘马车路过车站，就停下来告诉我们，维尔克斯家开舞会时要宣布一桩婚事。”
“哦。这件事我知道，”斯嘉丽怅然若失地说，“就是她那个傻侄子查尔斯·汉密顿跟哈尼·威尔克斯的婚事呗，这事大家都知道好几年了，都说他们终究是要成的，尽管汉密顿好像不太上心。”
“你真的觉得他傻吗？”布伦特责问说，“去年圣诞节你不是让他围着你团团转吗？”
“是他要围着我转，我有什么办法？”斯嘉丽不以为然地耸耸肩说，“我觉得他这人有点女里女气的。”
“再说，明天要宣布的不是他的婚礼，司徒特得意洋洋地说，是阿西里和查理的妹妹梅兰妮小姐订婚。”
未完待续~~~~~~~~
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