《芒果街上的小屋》 一本优美纯净的小书,一本“诗小说”。由几十个短篇组成,语言清澈如流水,点缀着零落的韵脚和新奇的譬喻,如一首首长歌短调,各自成韵,又彼此钩连,汇聚出一个清晰世界,各样杂沓人生。所有的讲述都归于一个叙述中心:居住在芝加哥拉美移民社区芒果街上的女孩埃斯佩朗莎。生就对弱的同情心和对美的感觉力,她用清澈的眼打量周围的世界,用美丽稚嫩的语言讲述成长、沧桑、生命的美好与不易和年轻的热望与梦想,梦想有一所自己的房子,梦想在写作中追寻自我,获得自由和帮助别人的能力。
Sally
Sally is a girl with eyes like Egypt and nylons the color of smoke.The boys at school think she`s beautiful because her hair is shiny black like raven feathers and when she laughs,she flicks her hair back like a satin shawl over her shoulders and laughs.
Her father says to be this beautiful is trouble.They are very strict in his religion.They are not supposed to dance.He remembers his sisters and is sad.Then she can`t go out.Sally I mean.
Sally,who taught you to paint your eyes like Cleopatra? And if I roll the little brush with my tongue and chew it to a point and dip it in the muddy cake,the one in the little red box,will you teach me?
萨莉
萨莉是一个描着埃及的眼圈,穿烟灰色尼龙丝袜的女孩。学校的男生认为她很美,因为她的头发像渡乌鸦毛一样乌黑闪亮,她笑的时候,把头发往后一甩,像一面滑缎方巾披在肩膀上,然后大笑起来。
她爸爸说长这么美是麻烦事。他们非常严格地遵从他的信仰。他们不能去跳舞。他想起他的姐妹们,很伤心。于是她就不能出来。我说的是萨莉。
萨莉,是谁教会你把眼睛涂得像克莉奥帕特拉?如果我把这个小刷子用舌头卷一下,舔成尖尖的,蘸到小泥饼里去,那个小红盒子里的,你会教我吗?