hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第14节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
¨Not much really； papa；〃 David said。
¨No；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨It isnˇt much。〃
¨Andrew never swears in front of mother；〃 David said。
¨Leave me out； David。 Itˇs over； isnˇt it； papa？〃
¨If you boys want to really know how to swear；〃 young Tom said； ¨you ought to read Mr。 Joyce。〃
¨I can swear as much as I need；〃 David said。 ¨At least for now。〃
¨My friend Mr。 Joyce has words and expressions Iˇd never even heard of。 Iˇll bet nobody could outswear him in any language。〃
¨Then after that he made up a whole new language；〃 Roger said。 He was lying on his back on the beach with his eyes closed。
¨I canˇt understand that new language；〃 young Tom said。 ¨I guess Iˇm not old enough for it。 But wait until you boys read Ulysses。〃
¨Thatˇs not for boys；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨It isnˇt really。 You couldnˇt understand it and you shouldnˇt try to。 Really。 You have to wait till youˇre older。〃
¨I read it all；〃 young Tom said。 ¨I couldnˇt understand practically any of it when I first read it； papa； just as you say。 But I kept on reading it and now thereˇs part of it I really understand and I can explain it to people。 Itˇs certainly made me proud that I was one of Mr。 Joyceˇs friends。〃
¨Was he really a friend of Mr。 Joyce； papa？〃 Andrew asked。
¨Mr。 Joyce always used to ask about him。〃
¨Youˇre damn right I was a friend of Mr。 Joyce；〃 young Tom said。 ¨He was one of the best friends I ever had。〃
¨I donˇt think you better explain the book much yet；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Not quite yet。 What part is it that you explain？〃
¨The last part。 The part where the lady talks out loud to herself。〃
¨The soliloquy；〃 David said。
¨Have you read it？〃
¨Oh sure；〃 David said。 ¨Tommy read it to me。〃
¨Did he explain it？〃
¨As well as he could。 Some of itˇs a little old for both of us。〃
¨Where did you get hold of it？〃
¨In the books at home。 I borrowed it and took it to school。〃
¨You what？〃
¨I used to read passages of it out loud to the boys and tell them how Mr。 Joyce was my friend and how much time we used to spend together。〃
¨How did the boys like it？〃
¨Some of the more devout boys thought it was a little strong。〃
¨Did they find out about it at school？〃
¨Sure。 Didnˇt you hear； papa？ No； I guess that was when you were in Abyssinia。 The headmaster was going to expel me but I explained Mr。 Joyce was a great writer and a personal friend of mine so finally the headmaster said heˇd keep the book and sent it home and I promised Iˇd consult him before I read anything else to the boys or attempted to explain any classics。 First； when he was going to expel me； he thought I had a dirty mind。 But I havenˇt got a dirty mind； papa。 That is； not any dirtier than anybody elseˇs。〃
¨Oh yes。 He was going to confiscate it but I explained it was a first edition and that Mr。 Joyce had written in it for you and that he couldnˇt confiscate it because it wasnˇt mine。 I think he was very disappointed not to confiscate it。〃
¨When can I read that book by Mr。 Joyce； papa？〃 Andrew asked。
¨Not for a long time。〃
¨But Tommy read it。〃
¨Tommy is a friend of Mr。 Joyce。〃
¨Boy； Iˇll say I am；〃 said young Tom。 ¨Papa； we never knew Balzac； did we？〃
¨No。 He was before our time。〃
¨Nor Gautier？ I found two swell ones by them at home too。 The Droll Stories and Mademoiselle de Maupin。 I donˇt understand Mademoiselle de Maupin at all yet but I am reading it over to try to and itˇs great。 But if they werenˇt friends of ours I think they would expel me sure if I read them to the boys。〃
¨How are they； Tommy？〃 David asked。
¨Wonderful。 Youˇll like them both。〃
¨Why donˇt you consult the headmaster as to whether you can read them to the boys？〃 Roger said。 ¨Theyˇre better than what the boys will dig up for themselves。〃
¨No； Mr。 Davis。 I donˇt think Iˇd better。 He might get that dirty…mind idea again。 Anyway； with the boys it wouldnˇt be the same as though they were friends of mine like Mr。 Joyce。 Anyway I donˇt understand Mademoiselle de Maupin well enough to explain it and I wouldnˇt have the same authority explaining it as when I had Mr。 Joyceˇs friendship to back me up。〃
¨Iˇd like to have heard that explanation；〃 Roger said。
¨Shucks； Mr。 Davis。 It was very rudimentary。 It wouldnˇt have interested you。 You understand that part perfectly well； donˇt you？〃
¨Pretty well。〃
¨I wish we would have known Balzac and Gautier； though； as friends the way we knew Mr。 Joyce。〃
¨So do I；〃 said Thomas Hudson。
¨We knew some good writers； though； didnˇt we？〃
¨We certainly did；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 It was pleasant and hot on the sand and he felt lazy after working and happy； too。 It made him very happy to hear the boys talk。
¨Letˇs go in and swim and then have lunch；〃 Roger said。 ¨Itˇs getting hot。〃
Thomas Hudson watched them。 Swimming slowly； the four of them swam out in the green water； their bodies making shadows over the clear white sand； bodies forging along； shadows projected on the sand by the slight angle of the sun； the brown arms lifting and pushing forward； the hands slicing in； taking hold of the water and pulling it back； legs beating along steadily； heads turning for air； breathing easily and smoothly。 Thomas Hudson stood there and watched them swimming out with the wind and he was very fond of the four of them。 He thought he ought to paint them swimming； although it would be very difficult。 He would try it； though； during the summer。
He was too lazy to swim although he knew he should and finally he walked out feeling the breeze…cooled water fresh and cool on his sun…warmed legs； feeling it cool around his crotch and then； slipping forward into the ocean river； he swam out to meet them as they came in。 With his head on the same level theirs were on； it was a different picture； now； changed too because they were swimming against the breeze coming in and the chop was bothering both Andrew and David； who were swimming raggedly。 The illusion of them being four sea animals was gone。 They had gone out so smoothly and handsomely but now the two younger boys were having difficulty against the wind and the sea。 It was not real difficulty。 It was just enough to take away any illusion of being at home in the water as they had looked going out。 They made two different pictures and perhaps the second was the better one。 The five swimmers came out on the beach and walked up to the house。
¨Thatˇs why I like it better underwater；〃 David said。 ¨You donˇt have to worry about breathing。〃
¨Why donˇt you goggle…fish with papa and Tommy this aft；〃 Andrew said to him。 ¨Iˇll stay ashore with Mr。 Davis。〃
¨Donˇt you want to go； Mr。 Davis？〃
¨I might stay ashore。〃
¨Donˇt stay in on account of me；〃 Andrew said。 ¨Iˇve got plenty to do。 I just thought maybe you were staying in。〃
¨I think Iˇll stay in；〃 Roger said。 ¨I may lie around and read。〃
¨Donˇt let him maneuver you； Mr。 Davis。 Donˇt let him charm you。〃
¨I feel like staying in；〃 Roger said。
They were up on the porch now and everyone had changed to dry shorts。 Joseph had brought out a bowl of conch salad。 All the boys were eating it； and young Tom was drinking a bottle of beer。 Thomas Hudson was sitting back in a chair and Roger was standing with the shaker。
¨I get sleepy after lunch；〃 he said。
¨Well； weˇll miss you；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Iˇd just as soon stay in； too。〃
¨Come on； you stay in； too； Tom；〃 Andrew said。 ¨Let Papa and David go。〃
¨I wonˇt catch you；〃 young Tom told him。
¨I donˇt want you to catch me。 Thereˇs a Negro boy that will catch me。〃
¨What do you want to be a pitcher for； anyway？〃 Tommy said。 ¨Youˇll never be big enough。〃
¨Iˇll be as big as Dick Rudolph and Dick Kerr。〃
¨Whoever they were；〃 young Tom said。
¨Whatˇs some jockeyˇs name？〃 David whispered to Roger。
¨Earl Sande。〃
¨Youˇll be as big as Earl Sande；〃 David told him。
¨Oh； go and goggle…fish；〃 Andrew said。 ¨Iˇm going to be a friend of Mr。 Davis like Tom was of Mr。 Joyce。 Can I； Mr。 Davis？ Then at school I can say； ˉWhen Mr。 Davis and I spent that summer together on that tropical island writing all those vicious stories while my own father was painting those pictures youˇve all seen of ladies in the nude。ˇ You paint them in the nude； donˇt you papa？〃
¨Sometimes。 Theyˇre quite dark though。〃
¨Oh boy；〃 Andrew said。 ¨I donˇt care about the color。 Tom can have Mr。 Joyce。〃
¨Youˇd be too shy to look at them；〃 David said。
¨Maybe I would。 But Iˇd learn。〃
¨A nude by papa would be nothing like that chapter by Mr。 Joyce；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Itˇs only because youˇre a little boy that there seems to be anything extraordinary about a nude at all。〃
¨OK。 Just the same Iˇll take Mr。 Davis； with illustrations by papa。 Somebody said at school Mr。 Davisˇs stories were truly vicious。〃
¨All right。 Iˇll take Mr。 Davis； too。 Iˇm an old； old friend of Mr。 Davis。〃
¨And of Mr。 Picasso and Mr。 Braque and Mr。 Miro and Mr。 Masson and Mr。 Pascin；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨You knew them a
