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第7章

hemingway, ernest - men without women-第7章

小说: hemingway, ernest - men without women 字数: 每页4000字

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d one at each side。 Manuel stood alone; facing the bull。
   Manuel waved back the men with the capes。 Stepping back cautiously; they saw his face was white and sweating。
   Didnˇt they know enough to keep back? Did they want to catch the bullˇs eye with the capes after he was fixed and ready? He had enough to worry about without that kind of thing。
   The bull was standing; his four feet square; looking at the muleta。 Manuel furled the muleta in his left hand。 The bullˇs eyes watched it。 His body was heavy on his feet。 He carried his head low; but not too low。
   Manuel lifted the muleta at him。 The bull did not move。 Only his eyes watched。
   Heˇs all lead; Manuel thought。 Heˇs all square。 Heˇs framed right。 Heˇll take it。
   He thought in bullfight terms。 Sometimes he had a thought and the particular piece of slang would not come into his mind and he could not realize the thought。 His instincts and knowledge worked automatically; and his brain worked slowly and in words。 He knew all about bulls。 He did not have to think about them。 He just did the right thing。 His eyes noted things and his body performed the necessary measures without thought。 If he thought about it; he would be gone。
   Now; facing the bull; he was conscious of many things at the same time。 There were the horns; the one splintered; the other smoothly sharp; the need to profile himself toward the left horn; lance himself short and straight; lower the muleta so the bull would follow it; and; going in over the horns; put the sword all the way into a little spot about as big as a five…peseta piece straight in back of the neck; between the sharp pitch of the bullˇs shoulders。 He must do all this; and must then come out from between the horns。 He was conscious he must do all this; but his only thought was in words: ¨Corto y derecho。〃
   ¨Corto y derecho;〃 he thought; furling the muleta。 Short and straight。 Corto y derecho; he drew the sword out of the muleta; profiled on the splintered left horn; dropped the muleta across his body; so his right hand with the sword on the level with his eye made the sign of the cross; and; rising on his toes; sighted along the dipping blade of the sword at the spot high up between the bullˇs shoulders。
   Corto y derecho he lanced himself on the bull。
   There was a shock; and he felt himself go up in the air。 He pushed on the sword as he went up and over; and it flew out of his hand。 He hit the ground and the bull was on him。 Manuel; lying on the ground; kicked at the bullˇs muzzle with his splippered feet。 Kicking; kicking; the bull after him; missing him in his excitement; bumping him with his head; driving the horns into the sand。 Kicking like a man keeping a ball in the air; Manuel kept the bull from getting a clean thrust at him。
   Manuel felt the wind on his back from the capes flopping at the bull; and then the bull was gone; gone over him in a rush。 Dark; as his belly went over。 Not even stepped on。
   Manuel stood up and picked up the muleta。 Fuentes handed him the sword。 It was bent where it had struck the shoulder…blade。 Manuel straightened it on his knee and ran towards the bull; standing now beside one of the dead horses。 As he ran; his jacket flopped where it had been ripped under the armpit。
   ¨Get him out of there;〃 Manuel shouted to the gypsy。 The bull had smelled the blood of the dead horse and ripped into the canvas cover with his horns。 He charged Fuentesˇs cape; with the canvas hanging from his splintered horn; and the crowd laughed。 Out in the ring; he tossed his head to rid himself of the canvas。 Hernandez; running up from behind him; grabbed the end of the canvas and neatly lifted it off the horn。
   The bull followed it in a half…charge and stopped still。 He was on the defensive again。 Manuel was walking towards him with the sword and muleta。 Manuel swung the muleta before him。 The bull would not charge。
   Manuel profiled toward the bull; sighting along the dipping blade of the sword。 The bull was motionless; seemingly dead on his feet; incapable of another charge。
   Manuel rose to his toes; sighting along the steel; and charged。
   Again there was the shock and he felt himself being borne back in a rush; to strike hard on the sand。 There was no chance of kicking this time。 The bull was on top of him。 Manuel lay as though dead; his head on his arms; and the bull bumped him。 Bumped his back; bumped his face in the sand。 He felt the horn go into the sand between his folded arms。 The bull hit him in the small of the back。 His face drove into the sand。 The horn drove through one of his sleeves and the bull ripped it off。 Manuel was tossed clear and the bull followed the capes。
   Manuel got up; found the sword and muleta; tried the point of the sword with his thumb; and then ran towards the barrera for a new sword。
   Retanaˇs man handed him the sword over the edge of the barrera。
   ¨Wipe off your face;〃 he said。
   Manuel; running again towards the bull; wiped his bloody face with his handkerchief。 He had not seen Zurito。 Where was Zurito?〃
   The cuadrilla had stepped away from the bull and waited with their capes。 The bull stood; heavy and dull again after the action。
   Manuel walked towards him with the muleta。 He stopped and shook it。 The bull did not respond。 He passed it right and left; left and right before the bullˇs muzzle。 The bullˇs eyes watched it and turned with the swing; but he would not charge。 He was waiting for Manuel。
   Manuel was worried。 There was nothing to do but go in。 Corto y derecho。 He profiled close to the bull; crossed the muleta in front of his body and charged。 As he pushed in the sword; he jerked his body to the left to clear the horn。 The bull passed him and the sword shot up in the air; twinkling under the arc…lights; to fall red…hilted on the sand。
   Manuel ran over and picked it up。 It was bent and he straightened it over his knee。
   As he came running towards the bull; fixed again now; he passed Hernandez standing with his cape。
   ¨Heˇs all bone;〃 the boy said encouragingly。
   Manuel nodded; wiping his face。 He put the bloody handkerchief in his pocket。
   There was the bull。 He was close to the barrera now。 Damn him。 Maybe he was all bone。 Maybe there was not any place for the sword to go in。 The hell there wasnˇt! Heˇd show them。
   He tried a pass with the muleta and the bull did not move。 Manuel chopped the muleta back and forth in front of the bull。 Nothing doing。
   He furled the muleta; drew the sword out; profiled and drove in on the bull。 He felt the sword buckle as he shoved it in; leaning his weight on it; and then it shot in the air; end…over…ending into the crowd。 Manuel had jerked clear as the sword jumped。
   The first cushions thrown down out of the dark missed him。 Then one hit him in the face; his bloody face looking towards the crowd。 They were coming down fast。 Spotting the sand。 Somebody threw an empty champagne bottle from close range。 It hit Manuel on the foot。 He stood there watching the dark; where the things were coming from。 Then something whished through the air and struck by him。 Manuel leaned over and picked it up。 It was his sword。 He straightened it over his knee and gestured with it to the crowd。
   ¨Thank you;〃 he said。 ¨Thank you。〃
   Oh; the dirty bastards! Dirty bastards! Oh; the lousy; dirty bastards! He kicked into a cushion as he ran。
   There was the bull。 The same as ever。 All right; you dirty; lousy bastard!
   Manuel passed the muleta in front of the bullˇs black muzzle。
   Nothing doing。
   You wonˇt。 All right。 He stepped close and jammed the sharp peak of the muleta into the bullˇs damp muzzle。
   The bull was on him as he jumped back and as he tripped on a cushion he felt the horn go into him; into his side。 He grabbed the horn with his two hands and rode backward; holding tight on to the place。 The bull tossed him and he was clear。 He lay still。 It was all right。 The bull was gone。
   He got up coughing and feeling broken and gone。 The dirty bastards!
   ¨Give me the sword;〃 he shouted。 ¨Give me the stuff。〃
   Fuentes came up with the muleta and the sword。
   Hernandez put his arm around him。
   ¨Go on to the infirmary; man;〃 he said。 ¨

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