DOC《Chapter 1》

Chapter

1 The woman stood in front of the prison.

The prison was a big, dirty building in the biggest town of a hot country. The woman was very hot, and she did not like the noise from all the cars in the road. She was an Englishwoman and she did not like hot countries or a lot of noise. She was tall, about fifty years old, with blue eyes and a long face. Her face was red, and she looked tired and angry. She knocked at the door of the prison. For a long time nothing happend. Then a little window opened in the door, and a man looked out at her. '

Yes? What do you want?'

'

I want to see my daughter. It'

s very important.'

'

Name?'

'

Anna Harland.'

'

Is that your name or your daughter'

s name?'

'

It'

s my name. My daughter'

s name is Sarah Harland.'

'

You can'

t visit her today. Come back on Wednesday.'

'

No! I came from England to see her today. It'

s very important. She'

s going to court tomorrow. Please take me to her-now!'

'

Wait a minute.'

The little window closed, but the door did not open. The woman waited in front of the door for a long time. A lot of people in the road looked at her. One or two young men laughed, but she did not move. She stood there in the hot road in front of the prison door, and waited. After twenty minutes, the door opened. '

Come with me,'

the man said. The woman went in with him. It was dark in the prison, and at first she could not see very well. She walked for a long time, past hundreds of doors. Then the man opened one of them. '

In here,'

he said. '

You can have ten minutes.'

Anna Harland walked into the room and the man went in after her. He closed the door behind him. There was a table in the room, and two chairs. On one of the chairs sat her daughter, Sarah. She was a tall girl, about nineteen years old, with big blue eyes. '

Mother!'

she said. '

I'

m very happy to see you.'

And she got up and began to run across the room to her mother. '

Sarah!'

Anna said, and put out her arms. But the man moved quickly and stood between them. '

No,'

he said to Anna. '

I'

m sorry. I know you'

re her mother. You can talk, but that'

s all. Please sit down at the table. I am here to watch you.'

The mother and daughter sat down at the table. Anna'

s hands were near Sarah'

s on the table. She looked carefully at her daughter. Sarah'

s dress and face were dirty. '

She'

s tired, and unhappy,'

Anna thought. '

Sarah, what happened?'

she said. '

We have ten minutes to talk. No more. Tell me, please, quickly. I want to help you.'

Sarah looked at her mother. '

Oh, mother, I'

m happy you'

re here. I wanted you to come. Mother, I ... I didn'

t do it. It isn'

t true. Please believe me.'

'

Of course I believe you, Sarah. But tell me about it. What happened? Quickly. Begin at the beginning.'

'

Yes, but ... I don'

t know ... When did it begin? I don'

t know ... I don'

t understand it.'

'

Why did the police arrest you? When did they bring you to this prison?'

'

Last week, I think. Yes, last week. At the airport, when we arrived ... The police stopped us, and looked in our bags. Then ...'

Sarah looked down at the table. '

She'

s crying,'

Anna thought. '

She'

s very unhappy.'

'

What happened then, Sarah?'

her mother asked. '

They ... they said there were drugs in my bag. Then they took me into a room and told me to take my dress off. They looked for more drugs, but they found nothing. Then ... then they brought me here.'

'

I see. Where were the drugs, then? Where did they find them?'

'

Oh. They didn'

t tell you?'

Sarah stopped crying. She looked up, and there was a smile on her face. But it was not a happy smile. '

The drugs were in a tube of toothpaste. A toothpaste tube with drugs in it ... heroin ... not toothpaste.'

'

And you didn'

t know about it?'

'

No, mother, of course not. Do you think I clean my teeth with heroin?'

Anna Harland smiled. It was difficult to smile, because she was afraid. But she smiled because she wanted to help her daughter. '

I know you don'

t clean your teeth with heroin. You have very good teeth, Sarah. But ... what about Stephen? Did he know about the heroin? Did he put it in the toothpaste tube?'

'

Stephen? No ... why do you ask about Stephen, mother?'

'

Well, is he in prison too? You said us and our bags . Did the police arrest him too?'

'

Oh ... no,'

Sarah'

s face was unhappy. '

No. I wasn'

t with Stephen, mother. You see, Stephen and I ... well, we aren'

t friends now. I left him about two months ago ... and then I met Hassan.'

'

Hassan?'

'

Yes. I was with Hassan at the airport. Stephen was on the plane too-I don'

t know why-but he wasn'

t with me. It'

s Hassan-he was with me. Hassan'

s important to me now, not Stephen.'

Anna looked at her daughter. '

I see. And did the police arrest this Hassan too? Is he in prison?'

'

Yes, he is. They arrested him but I can'

t see him. I asked them. I wanted to see him. But they said no . Mother, I'

m sure Hassan didn'

t know about the heroin. He'

s a good man ... he didn'

t know, I'

m sure.'

'

Then why was the heroin in your bag, Sarah?'

'

I don'

t know, mother ... I don'

t know.'

The man looked at the clock in the room. '

I'

m sorry, Mrs Harland,'

he said. '

But that'

s ten minutes. It'

s time to go.'

Anna Harland stood up slowly. '

All right,'

she said. '

But don'

t be afraid, Sarah. I'

m coming to the court tomorrow.'

'

Yes, mother,'

Sarah said. '

Thank you. The police are bringing Hassan to court tomorrow too, I think. You can see him there. He'

s a good man, mother, and ... I'

m sure he didn'

t know about the drugs.'

'

Perhaps,'

Anna said. She walked slowly to the door, and then stood by the door and looked at her daughter again. '

Sarah ... you are telling me the truth, aren'

t you?'

Sarah began to cry again. '

Yes, mother, of course I am. I always tell you the truth, you know that.'

Anna smiled. '

Yes, Sarah,'

she said quietly. '

Yes, I believe you.'

She went through the door and the man went out after her. Sarah sat quietly at the table in the room, and looked at her hands. '

Yes,'

she thought. '

I told you the truth, mother. I always tell you the truth. But I didn'

t tell you everything ...'

She put her head in her hands.

第一章 监狱前面站着一个女人.这个监狱是个又大又破的建筑物,坐落在一个气候炎热的国家最大的城镇里.女人感到很热,她还很讨厌路上飞驰而过的汽车的噪音.她是个英国人,既不喜欢气候炎热的国家,也不喜欢嘈杂.她高高的个子,大约有50岁,蓝眼睛,长脸.她的脸红红的,看起来很疲惫,而且满面怒色. 她敲打着监狱的门.很长一段时间过去了,但一点动静也没有.接着,门上开了一扇小窗,一个男人向外看着她. 嗨,你有什么事儿吗? 我要见我女儿,这很重要. 叫什么名字? 安娜・哈兰. 这是你的名字,还是你女儿的名字? 我的名字.我女儿的名字叫萨拉・哈兰. 今天你不能见她,星期三再来吧. 不!我从英格兰赶来,就是要在今天见她.这很重要.她明天就上法庭了.请您带我去见她吧--就现在! 请稍候. 那扇小窗关上了,门却没有开.女人又在门前等了很长时间.路上的很多人都在看她.有一两个年轻人还冲着她笑,但是她没有离开.她站在监狱门前热得发烫的路上,等着. 20分钟后,门开了. 跟我来, 那人说.女人就跟着他进去了.监狱里很暗,开始时,她看不大清楚.她走了很长时间,经过了成百上千扇门.然后,那人打开了其中的一扇门. 在里面, 他说, 你有10分钟的时间. 安娜・哈兰走进了那个房间,那人也跟着她进来了.他随手关上了门.房间里有一张桌子和两把椅子.其中一把椅子上坐着她的女儿,萨拉.她是一个高个子女孩,大约19岁,蓝色的眼睛大大的. 妈妈! 她喊道, 能见到你我太高兴了! 她站起来,要穿过房间,奔向她的妈妈. 萨拉! 安娜说着,伸出了双臂.但是那人很快冲了过来,站在她们的中间. 不行, 他对安娜说, 很抱歉,我知道你是她的母亲.你们可以交谈,但仅此而已.请坐在桌子旁边.我在这儿看着你们. 母女在桌前相视而坐.安娜的手放在桌子上,离萨拉的手很近.她仔细地打量着女儿.萨拉的衣服和脸都很脏. 她很累,而且不开心. 安娜想. 萨拉,出了什么事? 她问, 我们可以谈10分钟,只有10分钟.来,快点告诉我.我想帮助你. 萨拉看着她的母亲. 噢,妈妈,我很高兴你能来这儿.我一直盼着你来.妈妈,我......我没有那样做.那不是真的.请你相信我. 我当然相信你,萨拉.但是告诉我是怎么回事儿,到底发生了什么?快点,从头开始讲. 好吧,但是......我不知道......这是什么时候开始的呢?我不知道......我也不明白. 警察为什么要逮捕你?他们是什么时候把你带到这个监狱来的? 我想是上个星期.是的,是上个星期.在机场,我们刚到的时候......警察拦住了我们,检查我们的包.然后...... 萨拉低头看着桌子. 她在哭, 安娜想, 她很伤心. 后来呢,萨拉? 她妈妈问道. 他们......他们说我的包里有毒品.他们把我带到一个房间里,让我脱下衣服.他们想找到更多的毒品,却什么也没发现.然后......然后他们就把我带到这儿来了. 我知道了.那么,毒品在哪儿呢?他们在哪儿发现的? 喔,他们没告诉你? 萨拉不再哭了.她抬起头,脸上还带着微笑,但那不是开心的笑, 毒品在牙膏管里.牙膏管里面装的是毒品......海洛因......而不是牙膏. 那你以前不知道这些吗? 当然不知道啦,妈妈.你以为我会用海洛因刷牙吗? 安娜・哈兰笑了.笑得很艰难,因为她很害怕.但她还是笑了,因为她想帮助自己的女儿. 我知道你不会用海洛因刷牙.你的牙齿很好,萨拉.但是......斯蒂芬呢?他知道海洛因的事吗?是他把海洛因装到牙膏管里的吗? 斯蒂芬?不......你为什么要问起斯蒂芬,妈妈? 喔,他也在监狱里吗?你刚才说'

我们'

还有'

我们的包'

.警察也把他抓起来了吗? 噢......不是的, 萨拉看起来不太高兴, 不,我没有和斯蒂芬在一起,妈妈.你知道,我和斯蒂芬......是这样的,我们现在不是朋友了.大约两个月前,我和他分手了......然后我遇到了哈桑. 哈桑? 是的.在机场的时候,我和哈桑在一起.斯蒂芬也在飞机上--我不知道为什么--但是他没和我在一起.是哈桑--他和我在一起.现在哈桑对我很重要,而不是斯蒂芬. 安娜看着自己的女儿. 我明白了.警察也逮捕这个哈桑了吗?他在监狱里吗? 是的,他也在监狱里.他们也逮捕了他,但是我不能见他.我问过他们.我想见他,但是他们不准.妈妈,我敢保证哈桑不知道包里有海洛因.他是个好人......他不知道,我保证. 那海洛因怎么会在你的包里,萨拉? 我不知道,妈妈......我不知道. 那人看了看房间里的时钟. 对不起,哈兰太太, 他说, 已经10分钟了.您得出去了. 安娜・哈兰慢慢地站了起来. 好吧, 她说, 但是,别害怕,萨拉.我明天会去法庭旁听的. 好的,妈妈, 萨拉说, 谢谢你.我想,明天警察也会把哈桑带上法庭的.在那儿,你就能看到他了.他人不错,妈妈,并且......我保证他不知道毒品的事. 也许吧, 安娜说.她慢慢地向门口走去,然后站在门边,回头看着她的女儿, 萨拉,你跟我说的都是实话......是吗? 萨拉又开始哭了. 是的,妈妈.我告诉你的当然是实话.你知道的,我从不撒谎. 安娜笑了. 是的,萨拉, 她平静地说, 我相信你. 她穿过门走了出去,那个男人也跟在她后面出去了. 在房间里,萨拉................