麦田里的守望者（第一章）Catcher in the Rye（Chapter One）by Jerome David Salinger
文章点睛
《麦田守望者》是一部曾经被那些文学批评家、评论家们很诟病的一部书。尽管备受争议，但是它仍然受到大批读者的喜爱，是美国最受欢迎的畅销书之一。这部小说带有作者年轻时一段自传的性质。小说讲述了一个16岁少年，霍尔顿？考尔菲德，在暑假前际因为5门功课有四门不及格被学校开除后，在极度压抑、颓废、矛盾中度过的几天经历。早熟但幼稚的霍尔顿发现现实世界的丑恶跟他理想的童年世界的“纯真”形成巨大的反差、在看到了成人世界的种种丑恶、虚伪后沉湎于理想、纯真的童年世界里不能自拔，一直幻想能做个“纯真”保护神，最后精神几乎崩溃，被送进一家精神病医院疗养。在医院疗养康复中他以第一人称叙述了自己的故事。
小说客观又深刻地指出了青少年在成长过成中所面临的种种问题，如酗酒、功课压力、精神压抑、性行为等。后来人们流行把鸭嘴帽反戴，正是由于模仿小说里面的主人公霍尔顿？考尔菲德。青春期的茫然，青春期的冲动，青春期的渴望，青春期的忐忑，在这部第一人称的小说之中淋漓尽致地展示了出来。霍尔顿是个性复杂而又矛盾的青少年的典型。他有一颗纯洁善良、追求美好生活和崇高理想的童心。他对那些热衷于谈女人和酒的人十分反感，对校长的虚伪势利非常厌恶，看到墙上的下流字眼便愤愤擦去，遇到修女为受难者募捐就慷慨解囊。他对妹妹菲芯真诚爱护，百般照顾。为了保护孩子，不让他们掉下悬崖，他还渴望终生做一个“麦田里的守望者”，发出“救救孩子”的呼声。让我们知道，这个世界尽管很不美好，但是这片麦田却有着忠实的守望者。
If you really want to hear about it，the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born，an what my lousy[1]childhood was like，and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me，and all that David Copperfield kind of crap[2]，but I don’t feel like going into it，if you want to know the truth.In the first place，that stuff bores me，and in the second place，my parents would have about two hemorrhages[3]apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them.They’re quite touchy[4]about anything like that，especially my father.They’re nice and all-I’m not saying that-but they’re also touchy as hell.Besides，I’m not going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or anything.I’ll just tell you about this madman stuff that happened to me around last Christmas just before I got pretty run-down and had to come out here and take it easy.I mean that’s all I told D.B.about，and he’s my brother and all.He’s in Hollywood.
That isn’t too far from this crumby[5]place，and he comes over and visits me practically every weekend.He’s going to drive me home when I go home next month maybe.He just got a Jaguar.One of those little English jobs that can do around two hundred miles an hour.It cost him damn near four thousand bucks.He’s got a lot of dough，now.He didn’t use to.He used to be just a regular writer，when he was home.He wrote this terrific book of short stories，The Secret Goldfish，in case you never heard of him.The best one in it was“The Secret Goldfish.”It was about this little kid that wouldn’t let anybody look at his goldfish because he’d bought it with his own money.It killed me.Now he’s out in Hollywood，D.B{L-End}
，being a prostitute[6].If there’s one thing I hate，it’s the movies.Don’t even mention them to me.
Where I want to start telling is the day I left Pencey Prep.Pencey Prep is this school that’s in Agerstown，Pennsylvania[7].You probably heard of it.You’ve probably seen the ads，anyway.They advertise in about a thousand magazines，always showing some hotshot[8]guy on a horse jumping over a fence.Like as if all you ever did at Pencey was play polo[9]all the time.I never even once saw a horse anywhere near the place.And underneath the guy on the horse’s picture，it always says：“Since 1888 we have been molding boys into splendid，clear-thinking young men.”Strictly for the birds.They don’t do any damn more molding at Pencey than they do at any other school.And I didn’t know anybody there that was splendid and clear-thinking and all.Maybe two guys.If that many.And they probably came to Pencey that way.
Anyway，it was the Saturday of the football game with Saxon Hall.The game with Saxon Hall was supposed to be a very big deal around Pencey.It was the last game of the year，and you were supposed to commit suicide or something if old Pencey didn’t win.I remember around three o’clock that afternoon I was standing way the hell up on top of Thomsen Hill，right next to this crazy cannon that was in the Revolutionary War and all.You could see the whole field from there，and you could see the two teams bashing[10]each other all over the place.You couldn’t see the grandstand[11]too hot，but you could hear them all yelling，deep and terrific on the Pencey side，because practically the whole school except me was there，and scrawny[12]and faggy[13]on the Saxon Hall side，because the visiting team hardly ever brought many people with them.
There were never many girls at all at the football games.Only seniors were allowed to bring girls with them.It was a terrible school，no matter how you looked at it.I like to be somewhere at least where you can see a few girls around once in a while，even if they’re only scratching their arms or blowing their noses or even just giggling or something.Old Selma Thurmer-she was the headmaster’s daughter-showed up at the games quite often，but she wasn’t exactly the type that drove you mad with desire.She was a pretty nice girl，though.I sat next to her once in the bus from Agerstown and we sort of struck up a conversation.I liked her.She had a big nose and her nails were all bitten down and bleedy-looking and she had on those damn falsies that point all over the place，but you felt sort of sorry for her.What I liked about her，she didn’t give you a lot of horse manure[14]about what a great guy her father was.She probably knew what a phony[15]slob[16]he was.
The reason I was standing way up on Thomsen Hill，instead of down at the game，was because I’d just got back from New York with the fencing team.I was the goddam manager of the fencing team.Very big deal.We’d gone in to New York that morning for this fencing meet with McBurney School.Only，we didn’t have the meet.I left all the foils and equipment and stuff on the goddam subway.It wasn’t all my fault.I had to keep getting up to look at this map，so we’d know where to get off.So we got back to Pencey around two-thirty instead of around dinnertime.The whole team ostracized[17]me the whole way back on the train.It was pretty funny，in a way.
The other reason I wasn’t down at the game was because I was on my way to say good-by to old Spencer，my history teacher.He had the grippe[18]，and I figured I probably wouldn’t see him again till Christmas vacation started.He wrote me this note saying he wanted to see me before I went home.He knew I wasn’t coming back to Pencey.
I forgot to tell you about that.They kicked me out.I wasn’t supposed to come back after Christmas vacation on account of I was flunking[19]four subjects and not applying myself and all.They gave me frequent warning to start applying myself-especially around midterms，when my parents came up for a conference with old Thurmer-but I didn’t do it.So I got the ax.They give guys the ax quite frequently at Pencey.It has a very good academic rating，Pencey.It really does.
Anyway，it was December and all，and it was cold as a witch’s teat，especially on top of that stupid hill.I only had on my reversible[20]and no gloves or anything.The week before that，somebody’d stolen my camel’s-hair coat right out of my room，with my fur-lined gloves right in the pocket and all.Pencey was full of crooks[21].Quite a few guys came from these very wealthy families，but it was full of crooks anyway.The more expensive a school is，the more crooks it has-I’m not kidding.Anyway，I kept standing next to that crazy cannon，looking down at the game and freezing my ass off.Only，I wasn’t watching the game too much.What I was really hanging around for，I was trying to feel some kind of a good-by.I mean I’ve left schools and places I didn’t even know I was leaving them.I hate that.I don’t care if it’s a sad good-by or a bad goodby，but when I leave a place I like to know I’m leaving it.If you don’t，you feel even worse.
I was lucky.All of a sudden I thought of something that helped make me know I was getting the hell out.I suddenly remembered this time，in around October，that I and Robert Tichener and Paul Campbell were chucking[22]a football around，in front of the academic building.They were nice guys，especially Tichener.It was just before dinner and it was getting pretty dark out，but we kept chucking the ball around anyway.It kept getting darker and darker，and we could hardly see the ball any more，but we didn’t want to stop doing what we were doing.Finally we had to.This teacher that taught biology，Mr.Zambesi，stuck his head out of this window in the academic building and told us to go back to the dorm and get ready for dinner.If I get a chance to remember that kind of stuff，I can get a good-by when I need one-at least，most of the time I can.As soon as I got it，I turned around and started running down the other side of the hill，toward old Spencer’s house.He didn’t live on the campus.He lived on Anthony Wayne Avenue.
I ran all the way to the main gate，and then I waited a second till I got my breath.I have no wind，if you want to know the truth.I’m quite a heavy smoker，for one thing-that is，I used to be.They made me cut it out.Another thing，I grew six and a half inches last year.That’s also how I practically got t.b.and came out here for all these goddam checkups[23]and stuff.I’m pretty healthy，though.
Anyway，as soon as I got my breath back I ran across Route 204.It was icy as hell and I damn near fell down.I don’t even know what I was running for-I guess I just felt like it.After I got across the road，I felt like I was sort of disappearing.It was that kind of a crazy afternoon，terrifically cold，and no sun out or anything，and you felt like you were disappearing every time you crossed a road.
Boy，I rang that doorbell fast when I got to old Spencer’s house.I was really frozen.My ears were hurting and I could hardly move my fingers at all.“C’mon，c’mon，”I said right out loud，almost，“somebody open the door.”Finally old Mrs.Spencer opened.it.They didn’t have a maid or anything，and they always opened the door themselves.They didn’t have too much dough.
“Holden！”Mrs.Spencer said.“How lovely to see you！Come in，dear！Are you frozen to death？”I think she was glad to see me.She liked me.At least，I think she did.
Boy，did I get in that house fast.“How are you，Mrs.Spencer？”I said.“How’s Mr.Spencer？”
“Let me take your coat，dear，”she said.She didn’t hear me ask her how Mr.Spencer was.She was sort of deaf.
She hung up my coat in the hall closet，and I sort of brushed my hair back with my hand.I wear a crew cut quite frequently and I never have to comb it much.“How’ve you been，Mrs.Spencer？”I said again，only louder，so she’d hear me.
“I’ve been just fine，Holden.”She closed the closet door.“How have you been？”The way she asked me，I knew right away old Spencer’d told her I’d been kicked out.
“Fine，”I said.“How’s Mr.Spencer？He over his grippe yet？”
“Over it！Holden，he’s behaving like a perfect-I don’t know what……He’s in his room，dear.Go right in.”
杰罗姆？大卫？塞林格
你要是真想听我讲，你想要知道的第一件事可能是我在什么地方出生，我倒楣的童年是怎样度过，我父母在生我之前干些什么，以及诸如此类的大卫科波菲尔式废话，可我老实告诉你，我无意告诉你这一切。首先，这类事情叫我腻烦；其次，我要是细谈我父母的个人私事，他们俩准会大发脾气。对于这类事情，他们最容易生气，特别是我父亲。他们为人倒是挺不错―我并不想说他们的坏话―可他们的确很容易生气。再说，我也不是要告诉你我整个自传。我想告诉你的只是我在去年圣诞节前所过的那段荒唐生活，后来我的身体整个儿垮了，不得不离家到这儿来休养一阵。我是说这些事情都是我告诉DB的，他是我哥哥，在好莱坞。那地方离我目前可怜的住处不远，所以他常常来看我，几乎每个周末都来，我打算在下个月回家，他还要亲自开车送我回去。他刚买了辆“美洲豹”，那是种英国小轿车，一个小时可以驶两百英里左右，买这辆车花了他将近四千块钱。最近他十分有钱。过去他并不有钱。过去他在家里的时候，只是个普通作家，写过一本了不起的短篇小说集《秘密金鱼》，不知你听说过没有。这本书里最好的一篇就是《秘密金鱼》，讲的是一个小孩怎样不肯让人看他的金鱼，因为那鱼是他自己花钱买的。
这故事动人极了，简直要了我的命。这会儿他进了好莱坞，但是我最最讨厌电影。最好你连提也不要向我提起。
我打算从我离开潘西中学那天讲起。潘西这学校在宾夕法尼亚州埃杰斯镇。你也许听说过。也许你至少看见过广告。他们差不多在一千份杂志上登了广告，总是一个了不起的小伙子骑着马在跳篱笆。好象在潘西除了比赛马球就没有事可做似的。
其实我在学校附近连一匹马的影儿也没见过。在这幅跑马图底下，总是这样写着：“自从一八八八年起，我们就把孩子栽培成优秀的、有脑子的年轻人。”完全是骗人的鬼话。在潘西也像在别的学校一样，根本没栽培什么人材。而且在那里我也没见到任何优秀的、有脑子的人。也许有那么一两个。可他们很可能在进学校时候就是那样的人。
嗯，那天正好是星期六，要跟萨克逊？霍尔中学赛橄榄球。跟萨克逊？霍尔的这场比赛被看作是潘西附近的一件大事。这是年内最后一场球赛，要是潘西输了，看样子大家非自杀不可。我记得那天下午三点左右，我爬到高高的汤姆孙山顶上看赛球，就站在那尊曾在独立战争中使用过的混帐大炮旁边。从这里可以望见整个球场，看得见两队人马到处冲杀。看台里的情况虽然看不很清楚，可你听得见他们的呦喝声，一片震天呐喊声为潘西叫好，因为除了我，差不多全校的人都在球场上，不过给萨克逊？霍尔那边叫好的声音却是稀稀拉拉的，因为到客地来比赛的球队，带来的人总是不多的。
在每次橄榄球比赛中总很少见到女孩子。只有高班的学生才可以带女孩子来看球。这确实是个阴森可怕的学校，不管你从哪个角度看它。我总希望自己所在的地方至少偶尔可以看见几个姑娘，哪怕只看见她们在搔胳膊、擤鼻子，甚至在吃吃地傻笑。
赛尔玛？绥摩―她是校长的女儿―倒是常常出来看球，可像她这样的女人，实在引不起你多大兴趣。其实她为人倒挺不错。有一次我跟她一起从埃杰斯镇坐公共汽车出去，她就坐在我旁边，我们俩随便聊起天来。我挺喜欢她。她的鼻子很大，指甲都已剥落，像在流血似的，假胸，往四面八方直挺，可你见了，只觉得她可怜。我喜欢她的地方，是她从来不瞎吹她父亲有多伟大。也许她知道他是个假模假式的饭桶。
我之所以站在汤姆孙山顶，没下去看球，是因为我刚跟击剑队一道从纽约回来。我还是这个击剑队的倒楣领队。真了不起。我们一早出发到纽约去跟麦克彭尼中学比赛击剑。只是这次比赛没有比成。
我们把比赛用的剑、装备和一些别的东西一古脑儿落在地铁上了。这事也不能完全怪我。我得不住地站起来看地图，好知道在哪儿下车。结果，我们没到吃晚饭时间，在下午两点三十分就已回到了潘西。乘火车回来的时候全队的人一路上谁也不理我。说起来，倒也挺好玩哩。
我没下去看球的另一原因，是我要去向我的历史老师老斯宾塞告别。他患着流行性感冒，我揣摩在圣诞假期开始之前再也见不到他了。他写了张条子给我，说是希望在我回家之前见我一次。他知道我这次离开潘西后再也不回来了。
我忘了告诉你这件事。他们把我踢出了学校，过了圣诞假后不再要我回来，原因是我有四门功课不及格，又不肯好好用功。他们常常警告我，要我好好用功―特别是学期过了一半，我父母来校跟老绥摩谈过话以后―可我总是当耳边风。于是我就被开除了。他们在潘西常常开除学生。潘西在教育界声誉挺高。这倒是事实。
嗯，那是十二月，天气冷得像巫婆的****，尤其是在这混帐的小山顶上。我只穿了件晴雨两用的风衣，没戴手套什么的。上个星期，有人从我的房间里偷走了我的骆驼毛大衣，大衣袋里还放着我那副毛皮里子的手套。潘西有的是贼。不少学生都是家里极有钱的，可学校里照样全是贼。学校越贵族化，里面的贼也越多，我不开玩笑。嗯，我当时一动不动地站在那尊混帐大炮旁边，看着下面的球赛，冻得我屁股都快掉了。只是我并不在专心看球。我流连不去的真正目的，是想跟学校悄悄告别。我是说过去我也离开过一些学校，一些地方，可我在离开的时候自己竞不知道。我痛恨这类事情。
我不在乎是悲伤的离别还是不痛快的离别，只要是离开一个地方，我总希望离开的时候自己心中有数。
要不然，我心里就会更加难受。
总算我运气好。刹那间我想起了一件事，让我感觉到自己******就要滚出这个地方了。我突然记起在十月间，我怎样跟罗伯特？铁奇纳和保尔？凯姆伯尔一起在办公大楼前扔橄榄球。他们都是挺不错的小伙子，尤其是铁奇纳。那时正是在吃晚饭前，外面天已经很黑了，可是我们照样扔着球。天越来越黑，黑得几乎连球都看不见了，可我们还是不肯歇手。最后我们被迫歇手了。那位教生物的老师，柴柏西先生，从教务处的窗口探出头来，叫我们回宿舍去准备吃晚饭。我要是运气好，能在紧要关头想起这一类事情，我就可以好好作一番告别了―至少绝大部分时间都可以做到。因此我一有那感触，就立刻转身奔下另一边山坡，向老斯宾塞的家奔去。他并不住在校园内。他住在安东尼？魏思路。
我一口气跑到大门边，然后稍停一下，喘一喘气。我的气很短，我老实告诉你说。我抽烟抽得凶极了，这是一个原因―那是说，我过去抽烟抽得极凶。现在他们让我戒掉了。另一个原因，我去年一年内竟长了六英寸半。正因为这个缘故，我差点儿得了肺病，现在离家来这儿作检查治疗那一套。其实，我身上什么毛病也没有。
嗯，等我喘过气来以后，我就奔过了第二零四街。天冷得像在地狱里一样，我差点儿摔了一交。我甚至都不知道自己为什么要奔跑―我揣摩大概是一时高兴。我穿过马路以后，觉得自己好像失踪了似的。那是个混帐的下午，天气冷得可怕，没太阳什么的，在每次穿越马路之后，你总会有一种像是失踪了的感觉。
嘿，我一到老斯宾塞家门口，就拼命按起铃来。我真的冻坏了。我的耳朵疼得厉害，手上的指头连动都动不了。“喂，喂，”我几乎大声喊了起来，“快来人开门哪。”最后老斯宾塞太太来开门了。他们家里没有佣人，每次总是他们自己出来开门。他们并不有钱。“霍尔顿！”斯宾塞太太说。“见到你真高兴！进来吧，亲爱的！你都冻坏了吧？”我觉得她的确乐于见到我。她喜欢我。至少我是这样觉得。
嘿，我真是三脚两步跨进了屋。“您好，斯宾塞太太？”我说。“斯宾塞先生好？”
“我来给你脱大衣吧，亲爱的，”她说。她没听见我问候斯宾塞先生的话。她的耳朵有点聋。
她把我的大衣挂在门厅的壁橱里，我随便用手把头发往后一掠。我经常把头发理得很短，所以用不着用梳子梳。“您好吗，斯宾塞太太？”我又说了一遍，只是说得更响一些，好让她听见。
“我挺好，霍尔顿。”她关上了橱门。“你好吗？”从她问话的口气里，我立刻听出老斯宾塞已经把我被开除的事告诉她了。
“挺好，”我说。“斯宾塞先生好吗？他的感冒好了没有？”
“好了没有！霍尔顿，他完全跟好人一样了―我不知道怎么说合适……他就在他自己的房里，亲爱的。进去吧。”
作者简介
About the Author
Jerome David Salinger：一九一九年生于美国纽约城，父亲是做奶酪和火腿进口生意的犹太商人，家境相当富裕。塞林格十五岁的时候，被父母送到宾夕法尼亚州一个军事学校里住读，据说《麦田里的守望者》中关于寄宿学校的描写，很大部分是以那所学校为背景的。一九三六年，塞林格在军事学校毕业，取得了他毕生唯一的一张文凭。
从一九四？年在《小说》杂志上发表他的头一个短篇小说起，到一九五一年出版他的长篇小说《麦田里的守望者》止，在十余年中他共发表了二十多个短篇，有些短篇还在《老爷》《纽约人》等著名刊物上发表。成名后他隐居到乡下，特地为自己造了一个只有一扇天窗的水泥斗室作书房，每天早晨八点半就带了饭盒入内写作，直到下午五点半才出来，家里任何人都不准进去打扰他；如有要事，只能用电话联系。
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词汇扫雷
ocabulary
1.lousy：糟糕的，极坏的
2.crap：屎
3.hemorrhage：大出血
4.touchy：敏感的
5.crumby：低等的
6.prostitute：妓女，以****为生的女子
7.Pennsylvania：美，宾夕法尼亚州
8.hotshot：大人物
9.polo：马球戏
10.bash：痛打
11.grandstand：看台
12.scrawny：骨瘦如柴的
13.faggy：女性化的
14.manure：粪便
15.phony：装腔作势的人
16.slob：粗俗汉，笨蛋
17.ostracize：摒弃，排斥
18.grippe：流感
19.flunk：考试挂科，不及格
20.reversible：可逆的
21.crook：窃贼
22.chuck：扔，抛
23.checkup：体格检查
小编点评
《麦田里的守望者》的故事梗概几乎像每天媒体上都能读到的故事一样简单：一个被学校开除的问题少年，混迹于纽约街头，一天两夜的时间，花了一些钱，抽了几包烟，好像也没有什么特别的际遇，一不留神却成了“现代经典”。
据说在上世纪中期，小说一出版，就受到美国社会的追捧，校园里随处可见对小说主人公霍尔顿的模仿―身穿风衣，倒戴红色鸭舌帽，学着霍尔顿的言语动作。他不愿重复前人的生活，急着开始自己的生活。可又不知道自己的生活应该是什么样的，但他朦胧感觉到自己的生活不应该是当下这个样子的。
“我老是在想象，有一群小孩子在一大块麦田里做游戏。几千几万个小孩子，附近没有一个人―没一个大人，我是说―除了我。我呢，就站在那混账的悬崖边。我的职务是在那儿守望，要是有哪个孩子往悬崖边奔来，我就把他捉住，我是说孩子们都在狂奔，也不知道自己是在往哪儿跑，我得从什么地方出来，把他们捉住。我整天就干这样的事。我只想当个麦田里的守望者。”霍尔顿是一个自由过的人，他知道哪里是悬崖绝境。他决不会像他的父辈那样絮絮叨叨绊住孩子们自由的脚步，他只是在悬崖边像一块立在那里的警示牌默默守护。
