hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第15章
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¨What did Mr。 Joyce talk about？〃 Roger asked young Tom。
¨Gee； Mr。 Davis； I canˇt remember much about that time。 I think it was about Italian writers and about Mr。 Ford。 Mr。 Joyce couldnˇt stand Mr。 Ford。 Mr。 Pound had gotten on his nerves； too。 ˉEzraˇs mad； Hudson；ˇ he said to papa。 I can remember that because I thought mad meant mad like a mad dog and I remember sitting there and watching Mr。 Joyceˇs face； it was sort of red with awfully smooth skin； cold weather skin； and his glasses that had one lens even thicker than the other； and thinking of Mr。 Pound with his red hair and his pointed beard and his nice eyes； with white stuff sort of like lather dripping out of his mouth。 I thought it was terrible Mr。 Pound was mad and I hoped we wouldnˇt run into him。 Then Mr。 Joyce said； ˉOf course Fordˇs been mad for years；ˇ and I saw Mr。 Ford with his big； pale； funny face and his pale eyes and his mouth with the teeth loose in it and always about half open and that awful lather dripping down his jaws too。〃
¨Donˇt say any more；〃 Andrew said。 ¨Iˇll dream about it。〃
¨Go on please；〃 David said。 ¨Itˇs like werewolves。 Mother locked up the werewolf book because Andrew had such bad dreams。〃
¨Did Mr。 Pound ever bite anybody？〃 Andrew asked。
¨No； horseman；〃 David told him。 ¨Itˇs just a way of talking。 He means mad out of his head mad。 Not hydrophobia mad。 Why did he think they were mad？〃
¨I canˇt tell you；〃 young Tom said。 ¨I wasnˇt as young then as when we used to shoot pigeons in the gardens。 But I was too young to remember everything and the idea of Mr。 Pound and Mr。 Ford with that dreadful slaver coming out of their mouths all ready to bite； drove everything out of my head。 Did you know Mr。 Joyce； Mr。 Davis？〃
¨Yes。 He and your father and I were very good friends。〃
¨Papa was much younger than Mr。 Joyce。〃
¨Papa was younger than anybody； then。〃
¨Not than me；〃 young Tom said proudly。 ¨I figure I was probably about Mr。 Joyceˇs youngest friend。〃
¨Iˇll bet he misses you a lot；〃 Andrew said。
¨It certainly is a shame he never could have met you；〃 David said to Andrew。 ¨If you hadnˇt been hanging around Rochester all the time he could have had the privilege。〃
¨Mr。 Joyce was a great man；〃 young Tom said。 ¨He wouldnˇt have wanted to have anything to do with you two punks。〃
¨Thatˇs your opinion；〃 Andrew said。 ¨Mr。 Joyce and David might have been pals。 David writes for the paper at school。〃
¨Papa； tell us some more about when you and Tommy and Tommyˇs mother were poor。 How poor did you ever get？〃
¨They were pretty poor；〃 Roger said。 ¨I can remember when your father used to make up all young Tomˇs bottles in the morning and go to the market to buy the best and the cheapest vegetables。 Iˇd meet him coming back from the market when I would be going out for breakfast。〃
¨I was the finest judge of poireaux in the sixth arrondissement；〃 Thomas Hudson told the boys。
¨Whatˇs poireaux？〃
¨Leeks。〃
¨It looks like long； green； quite big onions；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Only itˇs not bright shiny like onions。 Itˇs dull shiny。 The leaves are green and the ends are white。 You boil it and eat it cold with olive oil and vinegar mixed with salt and pepper。 You eat the whole thing； top and all。 Itˇs delicious。 I believe Iˇve eaten as much of it as maybe anyone in the world。〃
¨Whatˇs the sixth whatever it is？〃 Andrew asked。
¨You certainly hold up conversation；〃 David told him。
¨If I donˇt know French I have to ask。〃
¨Paris is divided into twenty arrondissements or city districts。 We lived in the sixth。〃
¨Papa； can we skip the arrondissements and you tell us something else？〃 Andrew asked。
¨You canˇt stand to learn anything； you athlete；〃 David said。
¨I want to learn；〃 Andrew said。 ¨But arrondissements is too old for me。 Youˇre always telling me things are too old for me。 I admit that is too old for me。 I canˇt follow it。〃
¨Whatˇs Ty Cobbˇs lifetime batting average？〃 David asked him。
¨Three sixty…seven。〃
¨Thatˇs not too old for you。〃
¨Cut it out； David。 Some people like baseball and you like arrondissements。〃
¨I suppose we donˇt have arrondissements in Rochester。〃
¨Oh cut it out。 I just thought papa and Mr。 Davis knew things that would be more interesting to everybody than those damnOh hell； I canˇt even remember the name of them。〃
¨Youˇre not supposed to swear when we are around；〃 Thomas Hudson corrected。
¨Iˇm sorry； papa；〃 the small boy said。 ¨I canˇt help it that Iˇm so damn young。 Iˇm sorry again。 I mean so young。〃
He was upset and hurt。 David could tease him pretty successfully。
¨Youˇll get over being young；〃 Thomas Hudson told him。 ¨I know itˇs hard not to swear when your feelings get working。 Only donˇt swear in front of grown people。 I donˇt care what you say by yourselves。〃
¨Please； papa。 I said I was sorry。〃
¨I know；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨I wasnˇt bawling you out。 I was just explaining。 I see you guys so seldom it makes a lot of explaining。〃
¨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。 J
