Heroes and Villains (II)

文、译/肖悦

On a wonderfully grey and rainy Friday, Audric’s patience snapped1snap失去控制；一下子无法自持。.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.

灰沉沉的一个雨天，奥德里克终于忍无可忍了。乔希甚至都还没拿他的琴开玩笑，只不过稍稍捅了奥德里克一下。因为那天是周五，乔希有些发懒。

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.

从奥德里克身边经过时，乔希就用肩膀顶了他一下，使奥德里克和他那珍贵的大提琴一起失去平衡。

[18]“喂！”奥德里克抗议道。

“喂马哪！醒醒吧，傻瓜，你那副脑子有时候比不上针尖大。不就是个大提琴吗，摔坏了对咱们都是好事。”

奥德里克不由自主地出了手，差点儿打中乔希，他又气又急，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（批评或指责性的）长篇激烈讲话。to watch the action. Josh was a bit pale in the face and chuckled nervously, looking around for the reactions of his peers.

[19]“你能不能闭上嘴？你那些唠叨和蠢话烦死了，没人愿意听！干点儿正事好不好！”奥德里克马上想逃开，因为他说出这番指责时整个交响乐团都停下来看热闹。乔希脸色有点儿发白，神经质地笑望别人的反响。

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……别出声。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大动肝火。. Audric was happier after he stopped pouting6pout绷脸；发脾气。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；兴高采烈。. Josh sat right behind him in their math class.

学生们不约而同地对奥德里克哄笑。奥德里克恼怒地坐下，火冒三丈：他被人当成了傻瓜。

[20]“就应该这样为你的大提琴挺身而出，奥德里克！”乐团另一边什么人挖苦地叫道。指挥叫她不要出声，用异样的目光看了一眼奥德里克，继续上课。

奥德里克很失望，但又有几分释放出怒气后的快感。他走出课堂，认为自己心里的压抑得到了释放。他发火后乔希还没跟他说过话。奥德里克不再为同学们的反响而感到闷闷不乐后，心情就好多了。现在，自己发怒的对象正走在前面与伙伴交谈。

[21]“他可真愚呢，一听见音乐就晃悠，闭了眼睛像祈祷似的。可他是班里最聪明的，明天考数学前我总不能触犯他呀。”乔希的声音飘来。奥德里克的情绪一落千丈：数学课上乔希就坐在他身后。

“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.

“这一年让你抄袭我的数学算是便宜了你。那个女生全知道，可她拿你没办法。”乔希的同伴啰嗦着，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。”乔希窃声朝那个男孩笑，对方也傻呵呵地大笑。

奥德里克摇摇头，尽快超过他俩。他没有理由再往下听了。

[22]第二天，奥德里克在考试时仔细防备，小心地挡住考卷，不让坐在背后的乔希抄他的答案。结果卫生纸还是帮了乔希的忙。奥德里克没料到乔希会起身去取卫生纸，在没盖住的答案前慢吞吞地擤鼻子。

[23]“你考试抄袭我啦！”奥德里克后来在交响乐团里愤愤地说。乔希耸耸肩。

“没抄。”

“抄了。”

“没抄。”乔希冷静地说。

“就是抄了！”奥德里克吼了起来，攥起拳头。

……

[24]乔希的毒舌和愚笨是出了名的。来新学校头一天他经历了例行的吓唬仪式，而且他显然被吓坏了。第二天在历史课上，坐在他左边的一个男孩终于开了口。

“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，我记得你，你不就是大提琴二席吗？能不能给我和我哥们儿帮个忙？”那男孩说着，翘起大姆指指向他身后两个看上去坏坏的大个子。乔希暗暗叹了口气。这场景活像他爸爸喜欢的一幕电影里的烂剧情！

[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，听着，我要你把乐队里坐你前面那小子折磨得晚上做噩梦都喊你的名字。”那男孩讥讽说。

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

“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？”乔希皱起鼻头问。那男孩显然是要报复。

霸道的男孩威胁说：“新来的，你要是不做的话，我这些哥们儿每到课余就给你做伴。”那肯定是的，乔希想。

“你为什么要找他的麻烦？” 他好奇地问。

“少废话；那是我的事，跟你无关。”

[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]从那天起，乔希便有要务在身。为保全自己，他得尽全力找大提琴首席奥德里克的麻烦。

有一天他没惹事，课后就被揪到一边。

“就警告你这一次，一天都不许停。”那个叫西科·泰伊的坏男孩恶狠狠地叫道。

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

“知道了。”乔希一边退缩一边敷衍说；一被放开就撒腿跑掉了。

[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退缩,畏缩。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气喘吁吁地说。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]他一点儿也不愧疚。他骚扰奥德里克跟西科骚扰他没什么区别。他结交了一个名叫马克的傻呵呵的乖男孩。马克唯他马首是瞻。乔希撒谎说他骚扰奥德里克不为别的，只因奥德里克太蠢。马克对此深信不疑。

[28]他们取笑奥德里克，说他恼火时脸红，随音乐晃身子，挨骂时也无动于衷。乔希把他比做火山，马克则拙劣地模仿起人体火山的样子。那都是美好的时光啊。

然后，奥德里克就爆发了。

……

[29]奥德里克一拳下去，乔希缩成一团，喘不上气了。别看奥德里克瘦，下手并不轻。

“你想没想过当职业拳击手呀？”乔希缓过气来，气喘吁吁地说。奥德里克眼睛又红了，提起拳头准备继续出击。

乔希举手假作投降。

“对不起喽。”他道歉说。

[30]“我不信。”奥德里克咆哮着朝乔希腹部猛击一拳。乔希用手臂挡之不及。

“唉哟！”他哀嚎了一声，想把疼痛甩掉。

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

Audric lunged13lunge猛冲；猛扑。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]“你们两个！住手！别打了！”指挥喊道，一把抓住两个男孩。奥德里克再朝他扑来时，乔希明白一切都完了：他把奥德里克逼到了极限，这下遭报应了。

乔希一头栽到坚实的地面上，两眼金星四溅，鼻血横流，视线模糊了。

[32]后来每每想起这桩糗事，乔希都会露出苦笑。 □