hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第31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！
¨I am；〃 said Roger。 ¨What sort of people do you think weˇll get off that yacht？〃
¨Customers；〃 said Bobby。 ¨Letˇs drink one more so Iˇll feel like serving them； however they are。〃
While Bobby was squeezing the limes and making the drinks Roger said to Thomas Hudson； ¨I didnˇt mean to be wet about Davy。〃
¨You werenˇt。〃
¨What I meant was。 Oh hell； Iˇll try to work it out simply。 That was a sound crack you made about when I was my own hero。〃
¨Iˇve got no business making cracks。〃
¨You have as far as Iˇm concerned。 The trouble is there hasnˇt been anything in life that was simple for such a damn long time and I try to make it simple all the time。〃
¨Youˇre going to write straight and simple and good now。 Thatˇs the start。〃
¨What if Iˇm not straight and simple and good？ Do you think I can write that way？〃
¨Write how you are but make it straight。〃
¨Iˇve got to try to understand it better； Tom。〃
¨You are。 Remember last time I saw you before this summer was in New York with that cigarette…butt bitch。〃
¨She killed herself；〃 Roger said。
¨When？〃
¨While I was up in the hills。 Before I went on to the Coast and wrote that picture。〃
¨Iˇm sorry；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨She was headed for it all the time；〃 Roger said。 ¨Iˇm glad I stepped out in time。〃
¨You wouldnˇt ever do that。〃
¨I donˇt know；〃 Roger said。 ¨Iˇve seen it look very logical。〃
¨One reason you wouldnˇt do it is because it would be a hell of an example for the boys。 How would Dave feel？〃
¨Heˇd probably understand。 Anyway when you get into that business that far you donˇt think much about examples。〃
¨Now you are talking wet。〃
Bobby pushed over the drinks。 ¨Roger； you talk that kind of stuff you get even me depressed。 Iˇm paid to listen to anything people say。 But I donˇt want to hear my friends talk that way。 Roger； you stop it。〃
¨Iˇve stopped it。〃
¨Good；〃 Bobby said。 ¨Drink up。 We had a gentleman here from New York lived down at the Inn and he used to come here and drink most of the day。 All he used to talk about was how he was going to kill himself。 Made everybody nervous half the winter。 Constable warned him it was an illegal act。 I tried to get Constable to warn him that talking about it was an illegal act。 But Constable said heˇd have to get an opinion on that from Nassau。 After a while people sort of got used to his project and then a lot of the drinkers started siding with him。 Especially one day he was talking to Big Harry and he told Big Harry he was thinking of killing himself and he wanted to take somebody with him。
¨ ˉIˇm your man；ˇ Big Harry told him。 ˉIˇm who youˇve been looking for。ˇ So then Big Harry tries to encourage him that they should go to New York City and really pitch one and stay drunk until they couldnˇt stand it and then jump off of the highest part of the city straight into oblivion。 I think Big Harry figured oblivion was some sort of a suburb。 Probably an Irish neighborhood。
¨Well； the suicide gentleman took kindly to this idea and theyˇd talk it over every day。 Others tried to get in on it and proposed they form an excursion of death seekers and just go as far as Nassau for the preliminaries。 But Big Harry； he held out for New York City and finally he confided to the suicide gentleman that he couldnˇt stand this life no longer and he was ready to go。
¨Big Harry； he had to go out for a couple days crawfishing on a order he had from Captain Ralph and while he was gone the suicide gentleman took to drinking too much。 Then heˇd take some kind of ammonia from up north that would seem to sober him up and heˇd come down to drink here again。 But it was accumulating in him some way。
¨We all called him Suicides by then so I said to him； ˉSuicides； you better lay off or youˇll never live to reach oblivion。ˇ
¨ ˉIˇm bound for it now；ˇ he says。 ˉIˇm en route。 Iˇm headed for it。 Take the money for these drinks。 Iˇve made my dread decision。ˇ
¨ ˉHereˇs your change；ˇ I said to him。
¨ ˉI donˇt want no change。 Keep it for Big Harry so he can have a drink before he joins me。ˇ
¨So he goes out in a rush and he dives off of Johnny Blackˇs dock into the channel with the tide going out and itˇs dark and no moon and nobody sees him any more until he washes up on the point in two days。 Everybody looked for him good that night； too。 I figured he must have struck his head on some old concrete and went out with the tide。 Big Harry come in and he mourned him until the change was all drunk up。 It was change from a twenty…dollar bill too。 Then Big Harry said to me； ˉYou know； Bobby； I think old Suicides was crazy。ˇ He was right； too； because when his family sent for him the man who came explained to Commissioner old Suicides had suffered from a thing called Mechanicˇs Depressive。 You never had that； did you； Roger？〃
¨No；〃 said Roger。 ¨And now I think I never will。〃
¨Thatˇs the stuff；〃 Mr。 Bobby said。 ¨And donˇt you ever fool with that old oblivion stuff。〃
¨Fuck oblivion；〃 said Roger。
XI
LUNCH WAS EXCELLENT； the steak was browned outside and striped by the grill。 A knife slipped through the outer part and inside the meat was tender and juicy。 They all dipped up juice from their plates and put it on the mashed potatoes and the juice made a lake in their creamy whiteness。 The lima beans； cooked in butter； were firm； the cabbage lettuce was crisp and cold and the grapefruit was chilly cold。
Everyone was hungry with the wind and Eddy came up and looked in while they were eating。 His face looked very bad and he said； ¨What the hell do you think of meat like that？〃
¨Itˇs wonderful；〃 young Tom said。
¨Chew it good；〃 Eddy said。 ¨Donˇt waste that eating it fast。〃
¨You canˇt chew it much or itˇs gone；〃 young Tom told him。
¨Have we got dessert； Eddy？〃 David asked。
¨Sure。 Pie and ice cream。〃
¨Oh boy；〃 Andrew said。 ¨Two pieces？〃
¨Enough to founder you。 Ice creamˇs as hard as a rock。〃
¨What kind of pie？〃
¨Loganberry pie。〃
¨What kind of ice cream？〃
¨Coconut。〃
¨Whereˇd we get it？〃
¨Run…boat brought it。〃
They drank iced tea with the meal and Roger and Thomas Hudson had coffee after the dessert。
¨Eddyˇs a wonderful cook；〃 Roger said。
¨Some of itˇs appetite。〃
¨That steak wasnˇt appetite。 Nor that salad。 Nor that pie。〃
¨He is a fine cook；〃 Thomas Hudson agreed。 ¨Is the coffee all right？〃
¨Excellent。〃
¨Papa；〃 young Tom asked； ¨if the people on the yacht go to Mr。 Bobbyˇs can we go down and practice Andy being a rummy on them？〃
¨Mr。 Bobby might not like it。 He might get in bad with Constable。〃
¨Iˇll go down and tell Mr。 Bobby and Iˇll speak to Constable。 Heˇs a friend of ours。〃
¨All right。 You tell Mr。 Bobby and keep a look out for when the yacht people show up。 What will we do about Dave？〃
¨Canˇt we carry him？ Heˇd look good that way。〃
¨Iˇll put on Tomˇs sneakers and walk；〃 David said。 ¨Have you got it worked out； Tommy？〃
¨We can make it up as we go along；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Can you still turn your eyelids inside out？〃
¨Oh sure；〃 said David。
¨Donˇt do it now； please；〃 Andrew said。 ¨I donˇt want to be sick right after lunch。〃
¨For a dime Iˇd make you throw up now； horseman。〃
¨No please donˇt。 Later on I wonˇt mind。〃
¨Do you want me to go with you？〃 Roger asked young Tom。
¨Iˇd love it；〃 young Tom said。 ¨We can work it out together。〃
¨Letˇs go then；〃 Roger said。 ¨Why donˇt you take a nap； Davy？〃
¨I might；〃 said David。 ¨Iˇll read till I go to sleep。 What are you going to do； papa？〃
¨Iˇm going to work in the lee out on the porch。〃
¨Iˇll lie out there on the cot and watch you work。 Will you mind？〃
¨No。 Make me work better。〃
¨Weˇll be back；〃 Roger said。 ¨What about you； Andy？〃
¨Iˇd like to come and study it。 But I think I better not because the people might be there。〃
¨Thatˇs smart；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Youˇre smart； horseman。〃
They went off and Thomas Hudson worked all afternoon。 Andy watched for a while and then went out somewhere and David watched and read and did not talk。
Thomas Hudson wanted to paint the leap of the fish first because painting him in the water was going to be much more difficult and he made two sketches； neither of which he liked； and finally a third one that he did like。
¨Do you think that gets it； Davy？〃
¨Gee； papa； it looks wonderful。 But water comes up with him when he comes out； doesnˇt it？ I mean not just when he splashed back。〃
¨It must；〃 his father agreed。 ¨Because he has to burst the surface。〃
¨He came up so long。 A lot must have come up。 I suppose it really drips off him or pours off him if you could see it fast enough。 Is he on his way up or on his way down？〃
¨This is just the sketch。 I thought of him as just at the top。〃
¨I know itˇs just the sketch； papa。 You forgive me if I butt in。 I donˇt mean to act as though I knew。〃
¨I like you to tell me。〃
¨You know whoˇd know would be Eddy。 He sees faster than a camera and he remembers。 Donˇt you think Eddy is a
