the hunger games-飢餓遊戲(英文版)

第6部分 (第3/7頁)

g　water。　We　donˇt　have　hot　water　at　home；　unless　we　boil　it。

There　are　drawers　filled　with　fine　clothes；　and　Effie　Trinket　tells　me　to　do　anything　I　want；　wear　anything　I　want；　everything　is　at　my　disposal。　Just　be　ready　for　supper　in　an　hour。　I　peel　off　my　motherˇs　blue　dress　and　take　a　hot　shower。　Iˇve　never　had　a　shower　before。　Itˇs　like　being　in　a　summer　rain；　only　warmer。　I　dress　in　a　dark　green　shirt　and　pants。

At　the　last　minute；　I　remember　Madgeˇs　little　gold　pin。　For　the　first　time；　I　get　a　good　look　at　it。　Itˇs　as　if　someone　fashioned　a　small　golden　bird　and　then　attached　a　ring　around　it。　The　bird　is　connected　to　the　ring　only　by　its　wing　tips。　I　suddenly　recognize　it。　A　mockingjay。

Theyˇre　funny　birds　and　something　of　a　slap　in　the　face　to　the　Capitol。　During　the　rebellion；　the　Capitol　bred　a　series　of　geically　altered　animals　as　weapons。　The　mon　term　for　them　was　muttations；　or　sometimes　mutts　for　short。　One　was　a　special　bird　called　a　jabberjay　that　had　the　ability　to　memorize　and　repeat　whole　human　conversations。　They　were　homing　birds；　exclusively　male；　that　were　released　into　regions　where　the　Capitolˇs　enemies　were　known　to　be　hiding。　After　the　birds　gathered　words；　theyˇd　fly　back　to　centers　to　be　recorded。　It　took　people　awhile　to　realize　what　was　going　on　in　the　districts；　how　private　conversations　were　being　transmitted。　Then；　of　course；　the　rebels　fed　the　Capitol　endless　lies；　and　the　joke　was　on　it。　So　the　centers　were　shut　down　and　the　birds　were　abandoned　to　die　off　in　the　wild。

Only　they　didnˇt　die　off。　Instead；　the　jabberjays　mated　with　female　mockingbirds　creating　a　whole　new　species　that　could　replicate　both　bird　whistles　and　human　melodies。　They　had　lost　the　ability　to　enunciate　words　but　could　still　mimic　a　ran