brokeback mountain-第1部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Ennis　Del　Mar　wakes　before　five；　wind　rocking　the　trailer；　hissing　in　around　the　aluminum　door　and　window　frames。　The　shirts　hanging　on　a　nail　shudder　slightly　in　the　draft。　He　gets　up；　scratching　the　grey　wedge　of　belly　and　pubic　hair；　shuffles　to　the　gas　burner；　pours　leftover　coffee　in　a　chipped　enamel　pan；　the　flame　swathes　it　in　blue。　He　turns　on　the　tap　and　urinates　in　the　sink；　pulls　on　his　shirt　and　jeans；　his　worn　boots；　stamping　the　heels　against　the　floor　to　get　them　full　on。　The　wind　booms　down　the　curved　length　of　the　trailer　and　under　its　roaring　passage　he　can　hear　the　scratching　of　fine　gravel　and　sand。　It　could　be　bad　on　the　highway　with　the　horse　trailer。　He　has　to　be　packed　and　away　from　the　place　that　morning。　Again　the　ranch　is　on　the　market　and　they've　shipped　out　the　last　of　the　horses；　paid　everybody　off　the　day　before；　the　owner　saying；　〃Give　em　to　the　real　estate　shark；　I'm　out　a　here；〃　dropping　the　keys　in　Ennis's　hand。　He　might　have　to　stay　with　his　married　daughter　until　he　picks　up　another　job；　yet　he　is　suffused　with　a　sense　of　pleasure　because　Jack　Twist　was　in　his　dream。

　　The　stale　coffee　is　boiling　up　but　he　catches　it　before　it　goes　over　the　side；　pours　it　into　a　stained　cup　and　blows　on　the　black　liquid；　lets　a　panel　of　the　dream　slide　forward。　If　he　does　not　force　his　attention　on　it；　it　might　stoke　the　day；　rewarm　that　old；　cold　time　on　the　mountain　when　they　owned　the　world　and　nothing　seemed　wrong。　The　wind　strikes　the　trailer　like　a　load　of　dirt　ing　off　a　dump　truck；　eases；　dies；　leaves　a　temporary　silence。

　　They　were　raised　on　small；　poor　ranches　in　opposite　corners　of　the　state；　Jack　Twist　in　Lightning　Flat　up　on　the　Montana　border；　Ennis　del　Mar　from　around　Sage；　near　the　Utah　line；　both　high　school　dropout　country　boys　with　no　prospects；　brought　up　to　hard　work　and　privation；　both　rough…mannered；　rough…spoken；　inured　to　the　stoic　life。　Ennis；　reared　by　his　older　brother　and　sister　after　their　parents　drove　off　the　only　curve　on　Dead　Horse　Road　leaving　them　twenty…four　dollars　in　cash　and　a　two…mortgage　ranch；　applied　at　age　fourteen　for　a　hardship　license　that　let　him　make　the　hour…long　trip　from　the　ranch　to　the　high　school。　The　pickup　was　old；　no　heater；　one　windshield　wiper　and　bad　tires；　when　the　transmission　went　there　was　no　money　to　fix　it。　He　had　wanted　to　be　a　sophomore；　felt　the　word　carried　a　kind　of　distinction；　but　the　truck　broke　down　short　of　it；　pitching　him　directly　into　ranch　work。

　　In　1963　when　he　met　Jack　Twist；　Ennis　was　engaged　to　Alma　Beers。　Both　Jack　and　Ennis　claimed　to　be　saving　money　for　a　small　spread；　in　Ennis's　case　that　meant　a　tobacco　can　with　two　five…dollar　bills　inside。　That　spring；　hungry　for　any　job；　each　had　signed　up　with　Farm　and　Ranch　Employment　　they　came　together　on　paper　as　herder　and　camp　tender　for　the　same　sheep　operation　north　of　Signal。　The　summer　range　lay　above　the　tree　line　on　Forest　Service　land　on　Brokeback　Mountain。　It　would　be　Jack　Twist's　second　summer　on　the　mountain；　Ennis's　first。　Neither　of　them　was　twenty。

　　They　shook　hands　in　the　choky　little　trailer　office　in　front　of　a　table　littered　with　scribbled　papers；　a　Bakelite　ashtray　brimming　with　stubs。　The　venetian　blinds　hung　askew　and　admitted　a　triangle　of　white　light；　the　shadow　of　the　foreman's　hand　moving　into　it。　Joe　Aguirre；　wavy　hair　the　color　of　cigarette　ash　and　parted　down　the　middle；　gave　them　his　point　of　view。

　　〃Forest　Service　got　designated　campsites　on　the　allotments。　Them　camps　can　be　a　couple　a　miles　from　where　we　pasture　the　sheep。　Bad　predator　loss；　nobody　near　lookin　after　em　at　night。　What　I　want；　camp　tender　in　the　main　camp　where　the　Forest　Service　says；　but　the　HERDER〃　　pointing　at　Jack　with　a　chop　of　his　hand　　〃pitch　a　pup　tent　on　the　q。t。　with　the　sheep；　out　a　sight；　and　he's　goin　a　SLEEP　there。　Eat　supper；　breakfast　in　camp；　but　SLEEP　WITH　THE　SHEEP；　hunderd　percent；　NO　FIRE；　don't　leave　NO　SIGN。　Roll　up　that　tent　every　mornin　case　Forest　Service　snoops　around。　Got　the　dogs；　your　。30…。30；　sleep　there。　Last　summer　had　goddamn　near　twenty…five　percent　loss。　I　don't　want　that　again。　YOU；〃　he　said　to　Ennis；　taking　in　the　ragged　hair；　the　big　nicked　hands；　the　jeans　torn；　button…gaping　shirt；　〃Fridays　twelve　noon　be　down　at　the　bridge　with　your　next　week　list　and　mules。　Somebody　with　supplies'll　be　there　in　a　pickup。〃　He　didn't　ask　if　Ennis　had　a　watch　but　took　a　cheap　round　ticker　on　a　braided　cord　from　a　box　on　a　high　shelf；　wound　and　set　it；　tossed　it　to　him　as　if　he　weren't　worth　the　reach。　〃TOMORROW　MORNIN　we'll　truck　you　up　the　jump…off。〃　Pair　of　deuces　going　nowhere。

　　They　found　a　bar　and　drank　beer　through　the　afternoon；　Jack　telling　Ennis　about　a　lightning　storm　on　the　mountain　the　year　before　that　killed　forty…two　sheep；　the　peculiar　stink　of　them　and　the　way　they　bloated；　the　need　for　plenty　of　whiskey　up　there。　He　had　shot　an　eagle；　he　said；　turned　his　head　to　show　the　tail　feather　in　his　hatband。　At　first　glance　Jack　seemed　fair　enough　with　his　curly　hair　and　quick　laugh；　but　for　a　small　man　he　carried　some　weight　in　the　haunch　and　his　smile　disclosed　buckteeth；　not　pronounced　enough　to　let　him　eat　popcorn　out　of　the　neck　of　a　jug；　but　noticeable。　He　was　infatuated　with　the　rodeo　life　and　fastened　his　belt　with　a　minor　bull…riding　buckle；　but　his　boots　were　worn　to　the　quick；　holed　beyond　repair　and　he　was　crazy　to　be　somewhere；　anywhere　else　than　Lightning　Flat。

　　Ennis；　high…arched　nose　and　narrow　face；　was　scruffy　and　a　little　cave…chested；　balanced　a　small　torso　on　long；　caliper　legs；　possessed　a　muscular　and　supple　body　made　for　the　horse　and　for　fighting。　His　reflexes　were　unmonly　quick　and　he　was　farsighted　enough　to　dislike　reading　anything　except　Hamley's　saddle　catalog。

　　The　sheep　trucks　and　horse　trailers　unloaded　at　the　trailhead　and　a　bandy…legged　Basque　showed　Ennis　how　to　pack　the　mules；　two　packs　and　a　riding　load　on　each　animal　ring…lashed　with　double　diamonds　and　secured　with　half　hitches；　telling　him；　〃Don't　never　order　soup。　Them　boxes　a　soup　are　real　bad　to　pack。〃　Three　puppies　belonging　to　one　of　the　blue　heelers　went　in　a　pack　basket；　the　runt　inside　Jack's　coat；　for　he　loved　a　little　dog。　Ennis　picked　out　a　big　chestnut　called　Cigar　Butt　to　ride；　Jack　a　bay　mare　who　turned　out　to　have　a　low　startle　point。　The　string　of　spare　horses　included　a　mouse…colored　grullo　whose　looks　Ennis　liked。　Ennis　and　Jack；　the　dogs；　horses　and　mules；　a　thousand　ewes　and　their　lambs　flowed　up　the　trail　like　dirty　water　through　the　timber　and　out　above　the　tree　line　into　the　great　flowery　Meadows　and　the　coursing；　endless　wind。

　　They　got　the　big　tent　up　on　the　Forest　Service's　platform；　the　kitchen　and　grub　boxes　secured。　Both　slept　in　camp　that　first　night；　Jack　already　*****ing　about　Joe　Aguirre's　sleep…with…the…sheep…and…no…fire　order；　though　he　saddled　the　bay　mare　in　the　dark　morning　without　saying　much。　Dawn　came　glassy　orange；　stained　from　below　by　a　gelatinous　band　of　pale　green。　The　sooty　bulk　of　the　mountain　paled　slowly　until　it　was　the　same　color　as　the　smoke　from　Ennis's　breakfast　fire。　The　cold　air　sweetened；　banded　pebbles　and　crumbs　of　soil　cast　sudden　pencil…long　shadows　and　the　rearing　lodgepole　pines　below　them　massed　in　slabs　of　somber　malachite。

　　During　the　day　Ennis　looked　across　a　great　gulf　and　sometimes　saw　Jack；　a　small　dot　moving　across　a　high　meadow　as　an　insect　moves　across　a　tablecloth；　Jack；　in　his　dark　camp；　saw　Ennis　as　night　fire；　a　red　spark　on　the　huge　black　mass　of　mountain。

　　Jack　came　lagging　in　late　one　afternoon；　drank　his　two　bottles　of　beer　cooled　in　a　wet　sack　on　the　shady　side　of　the　tent；　ate　two　bowls　of　stew；　four　of　Ennis's　stone　biscuits；　a　can　of　peaches；　rolled　a　smoke；　watched　the　sun　drop。

　　〃I'm　mutin　four　hours　a　day；〃　he　said　morosely。　〃e　in　for　breakfast；　go　back　to　the　sheep；　evenin　get　em　bedded　down；　e　in　for　supper；　go　back　to　the　sheep；　spend　half　the　night　jumpin　up　and　checkin　for　coyotes。　By　rights　I　should　be　spendin　the　night　here。　Aguirre　got　no　right　a　make　me　do　this。〃〃You　want　a　switch？〃　said　Ennis。　〃I　wouldn't　mind　herdin。　I　wouldn't　mind　sleepin　out　there。〃〃That　ain't　the　point。　Point　is；　we　both　should