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第7章

hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第7章

小说: hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream 字数: 每页4000字

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¨Hi;〃 said Johnny。 ¨Didnˇt hear you ring。 I was telling Tom I didnˇt know what they got you on but that it wasnˇt jailbait。〃
¨Good;〃 said Roger。 ¨Letˇs drop the subject。〃
¨Donˇt be so powerful;〃 Johnny said。
¨Iˇm not being powerful;〃 Roger said。 ¨I asked politely。 Do you drink on this boat?〃 He looked at the cabin cruiser that lay with her stern toward them。 ¨Whoˇs that?〃
¨The people at the Ponce。 Didnˇt you hear?〃
¨Oh;〃 said Roger。 ¨Well; letˇs have a drink anyway even though they have set us a bad example。〃
¨Boy;〃 Johnny called。 Fred came out of the cabin。 ¨Yes sir;〃 he said。
¨Enquire what the pleasure of these Sahibs is。〃
¨Gentlemen?〃 Fred asked。
¨Iˇll take whatever Mr。 Tom is drinking;〃 Roger said。 ¨Heˇs my guide and counselor。〃
¨Many boys at camp this year?〃 Johnny asked。
¨Just two so far;〃 Roger said。 ¨My counselor and I。〃
¨My counselor and me;〃 Johnny said。 ¨How the hell do you write books?〃
¨I can always hire someone to put in the grammar。〃
¨Or get someone free;〃 Johnny said。 ¨Iˇve been talking with your counselor。〃
¨Counselor says heˇs quite happy and contented here。 Heˇs hit the beach for good。〃
¨You ought to see the place;〃 Tom told him。 ¨He lets me come in for a drink once in a while。〃
¨Womens?〃
¨No womens。〃
¨What do you boys do?〃
¨Iˇve been doing it all day。〃
¨But you were here before。 What did you do then?〃
¨Swim; eat; drink。 Tom works; read; talk; read; fish; fish; swim; drink; sleep〃
¨No womens?〃
¨Still no womens。〃
¨Sounds unhealthy to me。 Sort of unwholesome atmosphere。 You boys smoke much opium?〃
¨Tom?〃 Roger asked。
¨Only the best;〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Got a nice stand of marijuana planted?〃
¨Any planted; Tom?〃 Roger asked。
¨Was a bad year;〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Rain gave the crop hell。〃
¨Whole thing sounds unwholesome;〃 Johnny drank。 ¨Only saving aspect is you still take a drink。 You boys gone in for religion? Has Tom Seen The Light?〃
¨Tom?〃 Roger asked。
¨Relations with the Deity about the same;〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Cordial?〃
¨We are tolerant;〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Practice any faith you wish。 Got a ball field up the island where you can practice。〃
¨Iˇll give the Deity a fast one high and inside if he crowds the plate;〃 Roger said。
¨Roger;〃 said Johnny reproachfully。 ¨Itˇs after dark。 Didnˇt you see twilight fall and dusk set in and darkness come? And you a writer。 Never a good idea to speak slightingly of the Deity after dark。 Heˇs liable to be right behind you with his bat poised。〃
¨Iˇll bet heˇd crowd the plate; too;〃 Roger said。 ¨Iˇve seen him crowding it lately。〃
¨Yes sir;〃 Johnny said。 ¨And heˇd step into your fast one and knock your brains out。 Iˇve seen him hit。〃
¨Yes; I guess you have;〃 Roger agreed。 ¨So has Tom and so have I。 But Iˇd still try and get my fast ball by him。〃
¨Letˇs cut out the theological discussion;〃 Johnny said。 ¨And get something to eat。〃
¨That decrepit old man you keep to tool this thing around the ocean still know how to cook?〃 Thomas Hudson asked。
¨Chowder;〃 Johnny said。 ¨And a yellow rice tonight with plover。 Golden plover。〃
¨You sound like a damned Interior decorator;〃 Tom said。 ¨Thereˇs no gold on them this time of year; anyway。 Whereˇd you shoot the plover?〃
¨On South Island when we went in to anchor and swim。 I whistled the flock back twice and kept knocking them down。 Thereˇs two apiece。〃
It was a fine night and after they had eaten dinner they sat out in the stern with coffee and cigars; and a couple of other people; both worthless sporting characters; came over from one of the other boats with a guitar and a banjo and the Negroes gathered on the dock and there was some sporadic singing。 In the dark; up on the dock; the boys would lead off with a song and then Fred Wilson; who had the guitar; would sing and Frank Hart would fake along on the banjo。 Thomas Hudson could not sing; so he sat back in the dark and listened。
There was quite a lot of celebration going on at Bobbyˇs place and you could see the lights from the open door over the water。 The tide was still ebbing strong; and out where the light shone fish were jumping。 They were gray snappers mostly; Tom thought; feeding on the bait fish that fell out with the tide。 A few Negro boys were fishing with hand lines and you could hear them talking and cursing softly when they lost a fish; and hear the snappers flopping on the dock when they landed one。 There were big snappers out there and the boys were baiting them up with chunks of marlin meat from a fish one of the boats had brought in early that afternoon and that had already been hung up; photographed; weighed; and butchered。
There was quite a crowd on the dock now with the singing and Rupert Pinder; a very big Negro who was said to have once carried a piano on his back; unaided; from the Government dock all the way up the Kingˇs Highway to the old club that the hurricane blew away; and who fancied himself as a fighting man; called down from the dock; ¨Captain John; boys say they getting thirsty。〃
¨Buy something inexpensive and healthful; Rupert。〃
¨Yes sir; Captain John。 Rum。〃
¨Thatˇs what I had in mind;〃 John said。 ¨Why not try for a demijohn? Better value; I think。〃
¨Many thanks; Captain John;〃 Rupert said。 Rupert moved off through the crowd which thinned rapidly and fell in behind him。 Thomas Hudson could see them all heading toward Royˇs place。
Just then; from one of the boats tied up at Brownˇs dock; a rocket rose with a whoosh high into the sky and burst with a pop to light up the channel。 Another went whooshing up at an angle and burst; this time; just over the near end of their dock。
¨Damn;〃 said Fred Wilson。 ¨We should have sent over to Miami for some。〃
The night was lighted now with rockets whishing and popping and; in the light; Rupert and his followers were coming back out onto the dock; Rupert carrying a big wicker demijohn on his shoulder。
Someone fired a rocket from one of the boats and it burst just over the dock; lighting up the crowd; the dark faces; necks; and hands; and Rupertˇs flat face; wide shoulders; and thick neck with the wicker…covered jug resting tenderly and proudly alongside his head。
¨Cups;〃 he said to his followers; speaking over his shoulder。 ¨Enameled cups。〃
¨Got tin cups; Rupert;〃 one boy said。
¨Enameled cups;〃 Rupert said。 ¨Get them。 Buy them from Roy。 Hereˇs money。〃
¨Get the Verey pistol of ours; Frank;〃 Fred Wilson said。 ¨We might as well shoot up those flares and get some fresh ones。〃
While Rupert waited grandly for the cups someone brought a saucepan and Rupert poured into it and it was passed around。
¨For the little people;〃 Rupert said。 ¨Drink up; unimportant people。〃
Singing was proceeding steadily and with little organization。 Along with the rockets some of the boats were firing off rifles and pistols and from Brownˇs dock a Tommy gun was skipping tracers out over the channel。 It fired a burst of threes and fours; then loosed off a full clip; rattling the red tracers out in a lovely looping arc over the harbor。
The cups came at the same time as Frank Hart dropped down into the stern carrying a case with a Verey pistol and an assortment of flares and one of Rupertˇs assistants started pouring and handing cups around。
¨God bless the Queen;〃 Frank Hart said and loaded and fired a flare past the end of the dock directly at the open door of Mr。 Bobbyˇs place。 The flare hit the concrete wall beside the door; burst; and burned brightly on the coral road; lighting everything with a white light。
¨Take it easy;〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Those things can burn people。〃
¨The hell with take it easy;〃 Frank said。 ¨Let me see if I can bag the Commissionerˇs house。〃
¨Youˇll burn it;〃 Roger told him。
¨If I burn it Iˇll pay for it;〃 Frank said。
The flare arced up toward the big white…porched house but it was short and burned brightly just this side of the Commissionerˇs front porch。
¨Good old Commissioner;〃 Frank rel

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