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Text A A Woman on a Roof（第1页）

TextAAWomanonaRoof

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DorisLessing

[1]Itwasdurisun，thatJuhreemeworkontheroof，wheretheleadsgotsohottheyhadtheideawateronto.Butthewatersteamed，theheymakejokesaboutgettinganeggfromsomewomasusuopoachitfortheirdiossibletotouchthegutteringtheywererepladtheyspeculatedaboutwhatworkmendidinregularlyhottries.Perhapstheyshouldborrowkitgloveswiththeegg?Theywereallabitdizzy，heheat;aheirdstoodsidebysidesqueezioafootwidepatchofshadeagainstaey，carefultokeeptheirfeetihicksodbootsoutofthesun.Therewasafineviewacrossseveralacresofroofs.Notfaroffamansatinadeckchairreadingtheheysawher，betweefiftyyardsaway.Shelayfaabrowheycouldseethetoppartofher:blackhair，aflushedsolidback，armsspreadout.“She’sstarknaked，”

saidStanley，soundingannoyed.

[2]Harry，theoldest，amanofaboutforty-five，said:“Lookslikeit.”

[3]Youeen，saidnothing，buthewasexdgrinning.

[4]Stanleysaid:“Someoherifshedoesn’twatchout.”

[5]“Shethinksnoohisheadallwaystoseemore.

[6]Atthispointthewoman，stilllyihertbehindhershoulderswiththeendsofasthem，tieditbehindherbadsatup.Sheworearedscarftiedarousandbriefredbikinipants.Thisbeidayofthesue，flushismoking，anddidnotlookupwheawolfwhistle.Harrysaid:“Smallthingsamusesmallmihewaybacktotheirpartoftheroof，butitwassg.Harrysaid:“Wait，I’mgupsomeshade，”

anddisappeareddowintothebuilding.Nowthathe’dgoomwepoiopeeratthewoman.Shehadmoved，andalltheycouldseeweretwopitheblaledahelegsdidnotmove.Harrycamebackwithablaandshouted:“eon，then.”

Hesouedwiththem.TheyclamberedbaaoStaaboutyourmissus?”

Stanleywasnewlymarried，aboutthreemonths.Stanleysaid，jeering:“Whataboutmymissus?”

—preservinghisiomsaidnothing，buthismindwasfullofthenearlynakedwthebla，whichhehadborrowedfromafriendlywomandownstairs，fromthestemofatelevisiooarowofey-pots.Thisshadefellacrossthepieceofguttertheyhadtoreplace.Buttheshadekeptmovioadjustthebla，andnresswasmade.Atlastsomeoftheheatlefttheroof，andtheyworkedfast，makingupforlosttime.FirstStaom，madeatriptotheeoseethewoman.“She’sonherbaleysaid，addiwhisheoldermaly.Tom’sreportwasthatshehadwasalie.Hewahehadseentohimself:hehadcaughtheridowleredpantsoverherhips，tilltheywerehanasmalltriangle.Shewasonherback，fullyvisible，glisteningwithoil.

&m，assoonastheycameup，theywenttolook.Shewasalreadythere，fasspreadout，helittleredpaurnedbrow.Yesterdayshewasasd-whitewoman，todaysheomaawhistle.Sheliftedherhead，startled，asifshe’dbeenasleep，araightoveratthem.Thesunwasinhereyes，shebliared，thenshedrain.Atthisgestureofiheyallthree，StaomandoldHarry，letoutwhistlesandyells.Harrywasdoingitinparodyoftheyoungermen，makingfuhewasalsoangry.Theywereallangrybecauseofherutterihethreemenwatgher.

[8]“Bitch，”

saidStanley.

[9]“Sheshouldaskusover，”

saidTom，snig.

[10]Harryreselfaanley:“Ifshe’smarried，heroldmanwould.”

[11]“Christ，”

saidStauously，“ifmywifelayaboutlikethat，foreveryoosee，I’dsoonstopher.”

[12]Harrysaid，smiling:“Howdoyouknosshe’ssuthisverymoment?”

[13]“Notaotonourroof.”

ThesafetyofhiswifeputStaoagoodhumor，aowork.Buttodayitwashotterthaerday;aimesohersuggestedtheyshouldtellMatthew，theforeman，andasktoleavetheroofuwavewasover.Buttheydidn’t.Therewasworktobedoofthebigblockofflats，butupheretheyfeltfree，olevelfromordinaryhumanityshutihebuildings.Alotmorepeoplecameoutohatday，foranhouratmidday.Somemarriedcouplessatsidebysideindeckchairs，thewomeoglessahemehreddeningshoulders.

[14]Thewomanstayedo，turningherselfoverandterwhattheydid.Wheofetchmorescrews，Stanleysaid:“eon.”

Herroofbelooadifferentsystemofroofs，separatedfromtheirsatobyabouttwemeantasgoher，edgingalos，gtoeys，whiletheirbigbootsslippedahered，butatlasttheystoodonasmallsquareprojegrooflhtdownather，close.Shesatsmabook.Tomthoughtshelookedlikeapaziheblueskybehindherachedout.Behieatworkonanewbuildinginitsblackarmacrossroofsiomimagiworkonthee，adjustioswingoverandpickherupandswingherbackacrosstheskytodrophernearhim.

[15]Theywhistled.Shelookedupatthem，ote，theain，theywerefurious.Or，rather，Stanleywas.Hissuedfacewassteashewhistledagainandagain，tryingtomakeherlookup.YoungTomstoppedwhistlioodbesideStaed，grinniasifheweresayingtothewoman:Don’tassociatemewithhim，frinologetiighthehadthoughtoftheunknownwoma，andshehadbeehhim.Thistendernesshewasrememberiedhisfeetbythejeering，whistlingStanley，aheihybrownwomaoff，withthegapthatpluhestreetbetweehoughtitwasromantic，itwaslikebeinghighontwohilltops.ButtherewasashoutfromHarry，andtheyclamberedbaley’sfacewashard，reallyalookingathimandwonderedwhyhehatedthewomansomuch，forbynowhelovedher.

[16]Theyplayedtheirlittlegameswiththeblaryingtotrapshadetowainitwasnotuntilnearlyfourthattheycouldworkseriously，andtheywereexhausted，allthreeofthem.Theyweregrumblingabouttheweatherbynow.Stanleywasinathhlybadhumor.Wheheirroutioseethewomaheypackedupfortheday，shearentlyasleep，fa，herbaakedsaveforthescarlettriaocks.“I’vegotagoodmihertothepolice，”

saidStanley，andHarrysaid:“What’seatingyou?Whatharm’sshedoing?”

“Itellyou，ifshewasmywife!”

[17]“Butsheisn’t，isshe?”

TomkHarry，likehimself，wasuaion.Hewasnormallyasharpyoungman，quickathiswalotofjokes，goodpany.

[18]“Perhapsitwillbeorro>

[19]“Butitwasn’t;itwashotter，ifanything，aherforecastsaidthegoodweatherwouldlast.Assoonastheywereontheroof，HarryweoseeifthewomaomkreventStanleygoing，toputoffhisbadhumrownup，aboythesameageasTom，arustedaohim.

[20]Harrycamebadsaid:“She’snotthere.”