Curious Case of Benjamin Button.docx
《Curious Case of Benjamin Button.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Curious Case of Benjamin Button.docx（30页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。
CuriousCaseofBenjaminButton
CuriousCaseofBenjaminButton
I
Aslongagoas1860itwastheproperthingtobebornathome.At
present,soIamtold,thehighgodsofmedicinehavedecreedthatthe
firstcriesoftheyoungshallbeutteredupontheanaestheticairof
ahospital,preferablyafashionableone.SoyoungMr.andMrs.Roger
Buttonwerefiftyyearsaheadofstylewhentheydecided,onedayin
thesummerof1860,thattheirfirstbabyshouldbebornina
hospital.Whetherthisanachronismhadanybearinguponthe
astonishinghistoryIamabouttosetdownwillneverbeknown.
Ishalltellyouwhatoccurred,andletyoujudgeforyourself.
TheRogerButtonsheldanenviableposition,bothsocialand
financial,inAntebellumBaltimore.TheywererelatedtotheThis
FamilyandtheThatFamily,which,aseverySouthernerknew,entitled
themtomembershipinthatenormouspeeragewhichlargelypopulated
theConfederacy.Thiswastheirfirstexperiencewiththecharmingold
customofhavingbabies--Mr.Buttonwasnaturallynervous.Hehopedit
wouldbeaboysothathecouldbesenttoYaleCollegein
Connecticut,atwhichinstitutionMr.Buttonhimselfhadbeenknown
forfouryearsbythesomewhatobviousnicknameof"Cuff."
OntheSeptembermorningconsecratedtotheenormouseventhearose
nervouslyatsixo'clockdressedhimself,adjustedanimpeccable
stock,andhurriedforththroughthestreetsofBaltimoretothe
hospital,todeterminewhetherthedarknessofthenighthadbornein
newlifeuponitsbosom.
WhenhewasapproximatelyahundredyardsfromtheMarylandPrivate
HospitalforLadiesandGentlemenhesawDoctorKeene,thefamily
physician,descendingthefrontsteps,rubbinghishandstogetherwith
awashingmovement--asalldoctorsarerequiredtodobytheunwritten
ethicsoftheirprofession.
Mr.RogerButton,thepresidentofRogerButton&Co.,Wholesale
Hardware,begantoruntowardDoctorKeenewithmuchlessdignitythan
wasexpectedfromaSoutherngentlemanofthatpicturesqueperiod.
"DoctorKeene!
"hecalled."Oh,DoctorKeene!
"
Thedoctorheardhim,facedaround,andstoodwaiting,acurious
expressionsettlingonhisharsh,medicinalfaceasMr.Buttondrew
near.
"Whathappened?
"demandedMr.Button,ashecameupinagaspingrush.
"Whatwasit?
Howisshe"Aboy?
Whoisit?
What---"
"Talksense!
"saidDoctorKeenesharply,Heappearedsomewhat
irritated.
"Isthechildborn?
"beggedMr.Button.
DoctorKeenefrowned."Why,yes,Isupposeso--afterafashion."Again
hethrewacuriousglanceatMr.Button.
"Ismywifeallright?
"
"Yes."
"Isitaboyoragirl?
"
"Herenow!
"criedDoctorKeeneinaperfectpassionofirritation,"
I'llaskyoutogoandseeforyourself.Outrageous!
"Hesnappedthe
lastwordoutinalmostonesyllable,thenheturnedawaymuttering:
"Doyouimagineacaselikethiswillhelpmyprofessionalreputation?
Onemorewouldruinme--ruinanybody."
"What'sthematter?
"demandedMr.Buttonappalled."Triplets?
"
"No,nottriplets!
"answeredthedoctorcuttingly."What'smore,you
cangoandseeforyourself.Andgetanotherdoctor.Ibroughtyou
intotheworld,youngman,andI'vebeenphysiciantoyourfamilyfor
fortyyears,butI'mthroughwithyou!
Idon'twanttoseeyouorany
ofyourrelativeseveragain!
Good-bye!
"
Thenheturnedsharply,andwithoutanotherwordclimbedintohis
phaeton,whichwaswaitingatthecurbstone,anddroveseverelyaway.
Mr.Buttonstoodthereuponthesidewalk,stupefiedandtremblingfrom
headtofoot.Whathorriblemishaphadoccurred?
Hehadsuddenlylost
alldesiretogointotheMarylandPrivateHospitalforLadiesand
Gentlemen--itwaswiththegreatestdifficultythat,amomentlater,
heforcedhimselftomountthestepsandenterthefrontdoor.
Anursewassittingbehindadeskintheopaquegloomofthehall.
Swallowinghisshame,Mr.Buttonapproachedher.
"Good-morning,"sheremarked,lookingupathimpleasantly.
"Good-morning.I--IamMr.Button."
Atthisalookofutterterrorspreaditselfovergirl'sface.She
rosetoherfeetandseemedabouttoflyfromthehall,restraining
herselfonlywiththemostapparentdifficulty.
"Iwanttoseemychild,"saidMr.Button.
Thenursegavealittlescream."Oh--ofcourse!
"shecried
hysterically."Upstairs.Rightupstairs.Go--up!
"
Shepointedthedirection,andMr.Button,bathedincool
perspiration,turnedfalteringly,andbegantomounttothesecond
floor.Intheupperhallheaddressedanothernursewhoapproached
him,basininhand."I'mMr.Button,"hemanagedtoarticulate."I
wanttoseemy----"
Clank!
Thebasinclatteredtothefloorandrolledinthedirectionof
thestairs.Clank!
Clank!
Ibeganamethodicaldecentasifsharingin
thegeneralterrorwhichthisgentlemanprovoked.
"Iwanttoseemychild!
"Mr.Buttonalmostshrieked.Hewasonthe
vergeofcollapse.
Clank!
Thebasinreachedthefirstfloor.Thenurseregainedcontrol
ofherself,andthrewMr.Buttonalookofheartycontempt.
"Allright,Mr.Button,"sheagreedinahushedvoice."Very
well!
Butifyouknewwhatastateit'sputusallinthis
morning!
It'sperfectlyoutrageous!
Thehospitalwillneverhave
aghostofareputationafter----"
"Hurry!
"hecriedhoarsely."Ican'tstandthis!
"
"Comethisway,then,Mr.Button."
Hedraggedhimselfafterher.Attheendofalonghalltheyreacheda
roomfromwhichproceededavarietyofhowls--indeed,aroomwhich,in
laterparlance,wouldhavebeenknownasthe"crying-room."They
entered.
"Well,"gaspedMr.Button,"whichismine?
"
"There!
"saidthenurse.
Mr.Button'seyesfollowedherpointingfinger,andthisiswhathe
saw.Wrappedinavoluminouswhiteblanket,andpartlycrammedinto
oneofthecribs,theresatanoldmanapparentlyaboutseventyyears
ofage.Hissparsehairwasalmostwhite,andfromhischindrippeda
longsmoke-coloredbeard,whichwavedabsurdlybackandforth,fanned
bythebreezecominginatthewindow.HelookedupatMr.Buttonwith
dim,fadedeyesinwhichlurkedapuzzledquestion.
"AmImad?
"thunderedMr.Button,histerrorresolvingintorage."Is
thissomeghastlyhospitaljoke?
"Itdoesn'tseemlikeajoketous,"repliedthenurseseverely."And
Idon'tknowwhetheryou'remadornot--butthatismostcertainly
yourchild."
ThecoolperspirationredoubledonMr.Button'sforehead.Heclosed
hiseyes,andthen,openingthem,lookedagain.Therewasno
mistake--hewasgazingatamanofthreescoreandten--ababy
ofthreescoreandten,ababywhosefeethungoverthesidesofthe
cribinwhichitwasreposing.
Theoldmanlookedplacidlyfromonetotheotherforamoment,and
thensuddenlyspokeinacrackedandancientvoice."Areyoumy
father?
"hedemanded.
Mr.Buttonandthenursestartedviolently.
"Becauseifyouare,"wentontheoldmanquerulously,"Iwishyou'd
getmeoutofthisplace--or,atleast,getthemtoputacomfortable
rockerinhere,"
"WhereinGod'snamedidyoucomefrom?
Whoareyou?
"burstoutMr.
Buttonfrantically.
"Ican'ttellyouexactlywhoIam,"repliedthequerulous
whine,"becauseI'veonlybeenbornafewhours--butmylastnameis
certainlyButton."
"Youlie!
You'reanimpostor!
"
Theoldmanturnedwearilytothenurse."Nicewaytowelcomea
new-bornchild,"hecomplainedinaweakvoice."Tellhimhe'swrong,
whydon'tyou?
"
"You'rewrong.Mr.Button,"saidthenurseseverely."Thisisyour
child,andyou'llhavetomakethebestofit.We'regoingtoaskyou
totakehimhomewithyouassoonaspossible-sometimeto-day."
"Home?
"repeatedMr.Buttonincredulously.
"Yes,wecan'thavehimhere.Wereallycan't,youknow?
"
"I'mrightgladofit,"whinedtheoldman."Thisisafineplaceto
keepayoungsterofquiettastes.Withallthisyellingandhowling,I
haven'tbeenabletogetawinkofsleep.Iaskedforsomethingto
eat"--herehisvoicerosetoashrillnoteofprotest--"andthey
broughtmeabottleofmilk!
"
Mr.Button,sankdownuponachairnearhissonandconcealedhisface
inhishands."Myheavens!
"hemurmured,inanecstasyofhorror.
"Whatwillpeoplesay?
WhatmustIdo?
"
"You'llhavetotakehimhome,"insistedthenurse--"immediately!
"
Agrotesquepictureformeditselfwithdreadfulclaritybeforethe
eyesofthetorturedman--apictureofhimselfwalkingthroughthe
crowdedstreetsofthecitywiththisappallingapparitionstalkingby
hisside.
"Ican't.Ican't,"hemoaned.
Peoplewouldstoptospeaktohim,andwhatwashegoingtosay?
He
wouldhavetointroducethis--thisseptuagenarian:
"Thisismyson,
bornearlythismorning."Andthentheoldmanwouldgatherhis
blanketaroundhimandtheywouldplodon,pastthebustlingstores,
theslavemarket--foradarkinstantMr.Buttonwishedpassionately
thathissonwasblack--pasttheluxurioushousesoftheresidential
district,pastthehomefortheaged....
"Come!
Pullyourselftogether,"commandedthenurse.
"Seehere,"theoldmanannouncedsuddenly,"ifyouthinkI'mgoingto
walkhomeinthisblanket,you'reentirelymistaken."
"Babiesalwayshaveblankets."
Withamaliciouscrackletheoldmanheldupasmallwhiteswaddling
garment."Look!
"hequavered."Thisiswhattheyhadreadyfor
me."
"Babiesalwayswearthose,"saidthenurseprimly.
"Well,"saidtheoldman,"thisbaby'snotgoingtowearanythingin
abouttwominutes.Thisblanketitches.Theymightatleasthavegiven
measheet."
"Keepiton!
Keepiton!
"saidMr.Buttonhurriedly.Heturnedtothe
nurse."What'llIdo?
"
"Godowntownandbuyyoursonsomeclothes."
Mr.Button'sson'svoicefollowedhimdownintothe:
hall:
"Anda
cane,father.Iwanttohaveacane."
Mr.Buttonbangedtheouterdoorsavagely....
2
"Good-morning,"
升级会员 