Гроздья гнева/The Grapes of Wrath (Джон Стейнбек). Страница 529 из 563

Понятно

Понятно

Для того чтобы воспользоваться закладками, необходимо

Войти или зарегистрироваться

Отмена

Для того чтобы воспользоваться озвучкой предложений, необходимо

Войти или зарегистрироваться

Отмена

Озвучка предложений доступна при наличии PRO-доступа

Купить PRO-доступ

Отмена

Предыдущая страница

Ma

said

,

«

Better

go

back

an

’

get

more

.

Burns

up

awful

quick

.

Be

dark

purty

soon

.

»

Ruthie

and

Winfield

dripped

in

and

threw

their

sticks

on

the

pile

.

They

turned

to

go

again

.

«

You

stay

,

"

Ma

ordered

.

«

Stan

’

up

close

to

the

fire

an

’

get

dry

.

»

The

afternoon

was

silver

with

rain

,

the

roads

glittered

with

water

.

Hour

by

hour

the

cotton

plants

seemed

to

blacken

and

shrivel

.

Pa

and

Al

and

Uncle

John

made

trip

after

trip

into

the

thickets

and

brought

back

loads

of

dead

wood

.

They

piled

it

near

the

door

,

until

the

heap

of

it

nearly

reached

the

ceiling

,

and

at

last

they

stopped

and

walked

toward

the

stove

.

Streams

of

water

ran

from

their

hats

to

their

shoulders

.

The

edges

of

their

coats

dripped

and

their

shoes

squished

as

they

walked

«

Awright

,

now

,

get

off

them

clothes

,

"

Ma

said

.

«

I

got

some

nice

coffee

for

you

fellas

.

An

’

you

got

dry

overhalls

to

put

on

.

Don

’

stan

’

there

.

»

Отключить рекламу

The

evening

came

early

.

In

the

boxcars

the

families

huddled

together

,

listening

to

the

pouring

water

on

the

roofs

.

Over

the

high

coast

mountains

and

over

the

valleys

the

gray

clouds

marched

in

from

the

ocean

.

The

wind

blew

fiercely

and

silently

,

high

in

the

air

,

and

it

swished

in

the

brush

,

and

it

roared

in

the

forests

.

The

clouds

came

in

brokenly

,

in

puffs

,

in

folds

,

in

gray

crags

;

and

they

piled

in

together

and

settled

low

over

the

west

.

And

then

the

wind

stopped

and

left

the

clouds

deep

and

solid

.

The

rain

began

with

gusty

showers

,

pauses

and

downpours

;

and

then

gradually

it

settled

to

a

single

tempo

,

small

drops

and

a

steady

beat

,

rain

that

was

gray

to

see

through

,

rain

that

cut

midday

light

to

evening

.

And

at

first

the

dry

earth

sucked

the

moisture

down

and

blackened

.

For

two

days

the

earth

drank

the

rain

,

until

the

earth

was

full

.

Then

puddles

formed

,

and

in

the

low

places

little

lakes

formed

in

the

fields

.

The

muddy

lakes

rose

higher

,

and

the

steady

rain

whipped

the

shining

water

.

At

last

the

mountains

were

full

,

and

the

hillsides

spilled

into

the

streams

,

built

them

to

freshets

,

and

sent

them

roaring

down

the

canyons

into

the

valleys

.

The

rain

beat

on

steadily

.

And

the

streams

and

the

little

rivers

edged

up

to

the

bank

sides

and

worked

at

willows

and

tree

roots

,

bent

the

willows

deep

in

the

current

,

cut

out

the

roots

of

cottonwoods

and

brought

down

the

trees

.

The

muddy

water

whirled

along

the

bank

sides

and

crept

up

the

banks

until

at

last

it

spilled

over

,

into

the

fields

,

into

the

orchards

,

into

the

cotton

patches

where

the

black

stems

stood

.

Level

fields

became

lakes

,

broad

and

gray

,

and

the

rain

whipped

up

the

surfaces

.

Then

the

water

poured

over

the

highways

,

and

cars

moved

slowly

,

cutting

the

water

ahead

,

and

leaving

a

boiling

muddy

wake

behind

.

The

earth

whispered

under

the

beat

of

the

rain

,

and

the

streams

thundered

under

the

churning

freshets

.

When

the

first

rain

started

,

the

migrant

people

huddled

in

their

tents

,

saying

,

It

’

ll

soon

be

over

,

and

asking

,

How

long

’

s

it

likely

to

go

on

?

Отключить рекламу

And

when

the

puddles

formed

,

the

men

went

out

in

the

rain

with

shovels

and

built

little

dikes

around

the

tents

.

The

beating

rain

worked

at

the

canvas

until

it

penetrated

and

sent

streams

down

.

And

then

the

little

dikes

washed

out

and

the

water

came

inside

,

and

the

streams

wet

the

beds

and

the

blankets

.

The

people

sat

in

wet

clothes

.

They

set

up

boxes

and

put

planks

on

the

boxes

.

Then

,

day

and

night

,

they

sat

on

the

planks

.

Beside

the

tents

the

old

cars

stood

,

and

water

fouled

the

ignition

wires

and

water

fouled

the

carburetors

.

The

little

gray

tents

stood

in

lakes

.

And

at

last

the

people

had

to

move

.

Then

the

cars

wouldn

’

t

start

because

the

wires

were

shorted

;

and

if

the

engines

would

run

,

deep

mud

engulfed

the

wheels

.

And

the

people

waded

away

,

carrying

their

wet

blankets

in

their

arms

.

They

splashed

along

,

carrying

the

children

,

carrying

the

very

old

,

in

their

arms

.

And

if

a

barn

stood

on

high

ground

,

it

was

filled

with

people

,

shivering

and

hopeless

.

Then

some

went

to

the

relief

offices

,

and

they

came

sadly

back

to

their

own

people

.

Предыдущая страница

Предыдущая

Следующая

Следующая страница

Следующая страница