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When Dad played his fiddle, the world became a bright star. To him violin was an instrument of faith, hope and charity. At least a thousand times, my mother said, “Your papa would play his fiddle if the world was about to blow up.”
每当爸爸拉起小提琴,世界就变成一颗闪亮的星星。对爸爸来说,小提琴是一种能带来信念、希望和善意的乐器。“即使世界下一秒就要灰飞湮灭,你爸爸还是会拉他的小提琴。”这样的话,妈妈曾说过不下一千次。
And once Dad came about as close to that as could ever be possible.
有一回,爸爸几近要面临那可能发生的一幕。
Everything on Nubbin Ridge—and on a majority of the small farms in Texas—was built around cotton as the money crop. But in the early years of the century, the 3)boll weevil began 4)devastating the cotton farms in the south.
纽宾山,以及德克萨斯州大部分的小农场的一切,都是建立在棉花这种经济作物上的。然而在上世纪初期,棉铃象甲开始侵嗜美国南部的棉花农场。
And in May of 1910 folks all over the nation were in a space-age state of 5)turmoil over 6)Halley's Comet. There were all sorts of frightening stories about the comet, the main one being that the world would pass through its tail, said to be millions of miles long.
1910年5月,全美国人民都笼罩在一片对哈雷彗星的恐慌之下,如处于太空时代般躁动不安。关于彗星耸人听闻的说法云云种种,传得最厉害的就是地球将穿过彗星的彗尾——据说彗尾长达数百万英里。
Between the threats of comet and weevils, the farmers were running low on optimism. One night, the farmers gathered at our farm to discuss what to do. When everyone had found seats, Will Bowen suggested, “Charley, how about getting down your fiddle and 7)bow and giving us a little music?”
面对着彗星和棉铃象甲的双重威胁,农场主们都一筹莫展。一天晚上,农场主们聚集在我们的农场商量大计。当大家纷纷落座,威尔·鲍温建议:“查理,把你的小提琴和琴弓拿出来,给大伙来点儿音乐怎么样?”
“Aw, I don't think anybody'd want to hear me saw the 8)gourd tonight,” Dad replied.
“噢,我觉得今晚没人想听我拉那葫芦吧。”爸爸回应说。
“Come on, Mr. Nordyke,” one of the younger women urged, “why don't you play for us.”
“来吧,诺达克先生,”一个年轻妇女催促说,“你就给我们拉一把吧。”
