芒果街上的小屋

TheHouonMangoStreet

Wedidn'thatwelived

onLoomisonthethirdfloor,andbeforethatwelivedonKeeler.

BeforeKeeleritwasPaulina,andbeforethatIcan'tremember.

meitemed

there'imewegottoMangoStreet

weweresix—Mama,Papa,Carlos,Kiki,mysisterNennyandme.

墨西哥小女孩Esperanza一家搬进芒果街，先前租住过不少的房子，每一次搬家大大

小小的行李不说，还能多出个新崽子，到了芒果街，他们家一共六口人。

ThehouonMangoStreetisours,andwedon'thaveto

payrenttoanybody,orsharetheyardwiththepeople

downstairs,orbecarefulnottomaketoomuchnoi,andthere

isn'nso,

it'snotthehouwe'dthoughtwe'dget.

erpipes

brokeandthelandlordwouldn'tfixthembecauthehou

usingthewashroom

's

whyMamaandPapalookedforahou,andthat'swhywe

movedintothehouonMangoStreet,faraway,ontheother

sideoftown.

先前租住的房子又糟又吵，跟邻居挤在一起，还要忍受房东时不时操起扫帚怼自

家的地板，那些设施老旧的房子甚至房东也不愿多搭理一眼，一家人才从一处辗转到另

一处同样破旧的落脚点。芒果街上的房子也不例外。

Theyalwaystoldusthatonedaywewouldmoveintoa

hou,arealhouthatwouldbeoursforalwayssowe

wouldn'houwouldhave

ideitwouldhave

realstairs,nothallwaystairs,butstairsinsidelikethehouson

'dhaveabamentandatleastthreewashroomsso

whenwetookabathwewouldn'

houwouldbewhitewithtreesaroundit,agreatbigyardand

sthehouPapatalked

aboutwhenheheldalotteryticketandthiswasthehou

Mamadreamedupinthestoriesshetoldusbeforewewentto

bed.

Esperanza想象中的房子也不奢华，普普通通有不那么拥挤的空间，要是可以的话

最好有个大院子和可以疯长的草坪，她爸爸常说只要等他中了彩票，他们一家就可以住

进这样的房子了。

ButthehouonMangoStreetisnotthewaytheytoldit

'ssmallandredwithtightstepsinfrontandwindowsso

smallyou'dthinktheywereholdingtheirbreath.

Bricksarecrumblinginplaces,到处是碎砖块

andthefrontdoorissoswollenyouhavetopushhardtogetin.

大门已经肿胀变型很难推开

Thereisnofrontyard,onlyfourlittleelmsthecityplantedby

thecurb.

没有所谓的院子，门前就是栽着榆树的人行道

Outbackisasmallgarageforthecarwedon'townyetanda

smallyardthatlookssmallerbetweenthetwobuildingson

restairsinourhou,butthey'reordinary

hallwaystairs,ody

hastoshareabedroom—MamaandPapa,CarlosandKiki,me

andNenny.

好房子是买不起的，芒果街上的小屋还是离梦想差了十万八千里，一家人只能继

续挤在这样一所房子里，唯一的好处是不用交房租了。

OncewhenwewerelivingonLoomis,anunfrommy

ndromat

downstairshadbeenboardedupbecauithadbeenrobbed

twodaysbeforeandtheownerhadpaintedonthewoodYES

WE'REOPENsoasnottolobusiness.

Wheredoyoulive?sheasked.

There,Isaidpointinguptothethirdfloor.

Youlivethere?looktowhereshepointed—

thethirdfloor,thepaintpeeling,woodenbarsPapahadnailed

onthewindowssowewouldn'ethere?Theway

there.I

nodded.

sisn'onMangoStreetisn't

timebeing,ary,

knowhowthothingsgo.

曾经租房的时候，学校的一个修女路过Esperanza的房子，她指着墙皮脱落，窗子

用钉板修修补补的小破层，向小小的Esperanza再三确认，让她心里特别不是滋味，年少

懵懂的Esperanza下定决心以后要住上一所“真正”的房子，而芒果街上的房子，至多不

过是寓居之处。