aperfectdayforbananafish.docx
《aperfectdayforbananafish.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《aperfectdayforbananafish.docx(11页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
aperfectdayforbananafish
APerfectDayforBananafish
ByJ.D.Salinger
Therewereninety-sevenNewYorkadvertisingmeninthehotel,and,thewaytheyweremonopolizingthelong-distancelines,thegirlin507hadtowaitfromnoontillalmosttwo-thirtytogethercallthrough.Sheusedthetime,though.Shereadanarticleinawomen’spocket-sizemagazine,called"SexIsFun-orHell."Shewashedhercombandbrush.Shetookthespotoutoftheskirtofherbeigesuit.ShemovedthebuttononherSaksblouse.Shetweezedouttwofreshlysurfacedhairsinhermole.Whentheoperatorfinallyrangherroom,shewassittingonthewindowseatandhadalmostfinishedputtinglacqueronthenailsofherlefthand.
Shewasagirlwhoforaringingphonedroppedexactlynothing.Shelookedasifherphonehadbeenringingcontinuallyeversinceshehadreachedpuberty.
Withherlittlelacquerbrush,whilethephonewasringing,shewentoverthenailofherlittlefinger,accentuatingthelineofthemoon.Shethenreplacedthecaponthebottleoflacquerand,standingup,passedherleft—thewet—handbackandforththroughtheair.Withherdryhand,shepickedupacongestedashtrayfromthewindowseatandcarrieditwithherovertothenighttable,onwhichthephonestood.Shesatdownononeofthemade-uptwinbedsand—itwasthefifthorsixthring—pickedupthephone.
"Hello,"shesaid,keepingthefingersofherlefthandoutstretchedandawayfromherwhitesilkdressinggown,whichwasallthatshewaswearing,exceptmules—herringswereinthebathroom.
"IhaveyourcalltoNewYorknow,Mrs.Glass,"theoperatorsaid.
"Thankyou,"saidthegirl,andmaderoomonthenighttablefortheashtray.
Awoman’svoicecamethrough."Muriel?
Isthatyou?
"
Thegirlturnedthereceiverslightlyawayfromherear."Yes,Mother.Howareyou?
"shesaid.
"I’vebeenworriedtodeathaboutyou.Whyhaven’tyouphoned?
Areyouallright?
"
"Itriedtogetyoulastnightandthenightbefore.Thephonehere’sbeen—."
"Areyouallright,Muriel?
"
Thegirlincreasedtheanglebetweenthereceiverandherear."I’mfine.I’mhot.Thisisthehottestdaythey’vehadinFloridain--."
"Whyhaven’tyoucalledme?
I’vebeenworriedto--."
"Mother,darling,don’tyellatme.Icanhearyoubeautifully,"saidthegirl.Icalledyoutwicelastnight.Oncejustafter--."
Itoldyourfatheryou’dprobablycalllastnight.But,no,hehadto–AreyouallrightMuriel?
Tellmethetruth."
"I’mfine.Stopaskingmethat,please."
"Whendidyougetthere?
"
"Idon’tknow.Wednesdaymorning,early."
"Whodrove?
"
"Hedid,"saidthegirl."Anddon’tgetexcited.Hedroveverynicely.Iwasamazed."
"Hedrove?
Muriel,yougavemeyourwordof-."
"Mother,"thegirlinterrupted,"Ijusttoldyou.Hedroveverynicely.Underfiftythewholeway,asamatteroffact."
"Didhetryanyofthatfunnybusinesswiththetrees?
"
"Isaidhedroveverynicely,Mother.Now,please.Iaskedhimtostayclosetothewhiteline,andall,andheknewwhatImeant,andhedid.Hewaseventryingnottolookatthetrees-youcouldtell.DidDaddygetthecarfixed,incidentally?
"Notyet.Theywantfourhundreddollars,justto--."
"Mother,SeymourtoldDaddythathe’dpayforit.There’snoreasonfor--."
"Well,wellsee.Howdidhebehave—inthecarandall?
"
"Allright,"saidthegirl.
"Didhekeepcallingyouthatawful--."
"No.Hehassomethingnewnow."
"What?
"
"Oh,what’sthedifference,Mother?
"Muriel,Iwanttoknow.Yourfather--."
"Allright,allright.HecallsmeMissSpiritualTrampof1948,"thegirlsaid,andgiggled.
"Itisn’tfunny,Muriel.Itisn’tfunnyatall.It’shorrible.It’ssad,actually.WhenIthinkhow--"
"Mother,"thegirlinterrupted,"listentome.YourememberthatbookhesentmefromGermany?
Youknow,thoseGermanpoems.What’dIdowithit?
I’vebeenrackingmy-."
"Youhaveit."
‘Areyousure?
"saidthegirl.
"Certainly.Thatis,Ihaveit.It’sinFreddy’sroom.YouleftithereandIdidn’thaveroomforitinthe—Why?
Doeshewantit?
"
"No.Only,heaskedmeaboutit,whenweweredrivingdown.HewantedtoknowifI’dreadit."
"ItwasinGerman!
"
"Yes,dear.Thatdoesn’tmakeanydifference,"saidthegirl,crossingherlegs."Hesaidthatthepoemshappentobewrittenbytheonlygreatpoetofthecentury.HesaidIshould’veboughtatranslationorsomething.Orlearnedthelanguage,ifyouplease."
"Awful.Awful.It’ssad,actually,iswhatitis.Yourfathersaidlastnight—."
"Justasecond,Mother,"thegirlsaid.Shewentovertothewindowseatforhercigarettes,litone,andreturnedtoherseatonthebed."Mother",shesaid,exhalingsmoke.
"Muriel.Now,listentome."
"I’mlistening."
"YourfathertalkedtoDr.Sivetski."
"Oh?
"saidthegirl.
"Hetoldhimeverything.Atleast,hesaidhedid—youknowyourfather.Thetrees.Thatbusinesswiththewindow.ThosehorriblethingshesaidtoGrannyaboutherplansforpassingaway.WhathedidwithallthoselovelypicturesfromBermuda—everything."
"Well?
"saidthegirl.
"Well.Inthefirstplace,hesaiditwasaperfectcrimetheArmyreleasedhimfromthehospital–mywordofhonor.Heverydefinitelytoldyourfatherthere’sachance–averygreatchance,hesaid,thatSeymourmaycompletelylosecontrolofhimself.Mywordofhonor."
"There’sapsychiatristhereatthehotel,"saidthegirl.
"Who?
What’shisname?
"
"Idon’tknow.Rieserorsomething.He’ssupposedtobeverygood."
"Neverheardofhim."
‘Well,he’ssupposedtobeverygood,anyway."
"Muriel,don’tbefresh,please.We’reveryworriedaboutyou.Yourfatherwantedtowireyoulastnighttocomehome,asamatteroff—."
"I’mnotcominghomerightnow,Mother.Sorelax."
"Muriel.Mywordofhonor.Dr.SivetskisaidSeymourmaycompletelylosecontr—."
‘Ijustgothere,Mother.ThisisthefirstvacationI’vehadinyears,andI’mnotgoingtojustpackeverythingandcomehome,"saidthegirl."Icouldn’ttravelnowanyway.I’msosunburnedIcanhardlymove."
"You’rebadlysunburned?
Didn’tyouusethatfarofBronzeIputinyourbag?
Iputitright—."
"Iusedit.I’mburnedanyway."
"That’sterrible.Whereareyouburned?
"
"Allover,dear,allover."
"That’sterrible."
"I’lllive."
"Tellme,didyoutalktothispsychiatrist?
’
"Well,sortof,"saidthegirl.
"What’dhesay?
WherewasSeymourwhenyoutalkedtohim?
"
"IntheOceanRoom,playingthepiano.He’splayedthepianobothnightswe’vebeenhere."
"Well,what’dhesay?
"
"Oh.Nothingmuch.Hespoketomefirst.IwassittingnexttohimatBingolastnight,andheaskedmeifthatwasn’tmyhusbandplayingthepianointheotherroom.Isaidyes,itwas,andheaskedmeifSeymour’sbeensickorsomething.SoIsaid–."
"Why’dheaskthat?
"
"Idon’tknow,Mother.Iguessbecausehe’ssopaleandall,"saidthegirl."Anyway,afterBingoheandhiswifeaskedmeifIwouldn’tliketojointhemforadrink.SoIdid.Hiswifewashorrible.YourememberthatawfuldinnerdresswesawinBonwit’swindow?
Theoneyousaidyou’dhavetohaveatiny,tiny—."
"Thegreen?
"
"Shehaditon.Andallhips.ShekeptaskingmeifSeymour’srelatedtothatSuzanneGlassthathasthatplaceonMadisonAvenue-themillinery."
"What’dhesay,though?
Thedoctor."
"Oh.Well,nothingmuch,really.Imeanwewereinthebarandall.Itwasterriblynoisy."
"Yes,butdid-didyoutellhimwhathetriedtodowithGranny’schair?
"
"No,Mother.Ididn’tgointodetailsverymuch,"saidthegirl."I’IIprobablygetachancetotalktohimagain.He’sinthebaralldaylong."
"Didhesayhethoughttherewasachancehemightget-youknow-funnyoranything?
Dosomethingtoyou!
"
"Notexactly,"saidthegirl."Hehadtohavemorefacts,Mother.Theyhavetoknowaboutyourchildhood-allthatstuff.Itoldyou,wecouldhardlytalk,itwassonoisyinthere."
"Well.How’syourbluecoat?
"
"Allright.Ihadsomeofthepaddingtakenout."
"Howaretheclothesthisyear?
"
"Terrible.Butoutofthisworld.Youseesequins–everything,"saidthegirl.
"How’syourroom?
"
"Allright.Justallright,though.Wecouldn’tgettheroomwehadbeforethewar,"’saidthegirl."Thepeopleareawfulthisyear.Youshouldseewhatsitsnexttousinthediningroom.Atthenexttable.Theylookasiftheydrovedowninatruck."
‘Well,it’sthatwayallover.How’syourballerina?
"
"It’stoolong.Itoldyouitwastoolong."
"Muriel,I’monlygoingtoaskyouoncemore-areyoureallyallright?
"
"Yes,Mother,"saidthegirl."Fortheninetiethtime."
"Andyoudon’twanttocomehome?
"
"No,Mother."
"Yourfathersaidlastnightthathe’dbemorethanwillingtopayforitifyou’dgoawaysomeplacebyyourselfandthinkthingsover.Youcouldtakealovelycruise.Weboththought–."
"No,thanks,"saidthegirl,anduncrossedherlegs."Mother,thiscalliscostingafor-"
"WhenIthinkofhowyouwaitedforthatboyallthroughthewar-Imeanwhenyouthinkofallthosecrazylittlewiveswho—."
"Mother,"saidthegirl,"we’dbetterhangup.Seymourmaycomeinanyminute."
"Whereishe?
"
"Onthebeach."
"Onthebeach?
Byhimself?
Doeshebehavehimselfonthebeach?
"
"Mother,"saidthegirl,"youtalkabouthimasthoughhewerearavingmaniac-"
"Isaidnothingofthekind,Muriel."
"Well,yousoundthatway.Imeanallhedoesisliethere.Hewon’ttakehisbathrobeoff."
"Hewon’ttakehisbathrobeoff?
Whynot?
"
"Idon’tknow.Iguessbecausehe’ssopale."
"Mygoodness,heneedsthesun.Can’tyoumakehim?
"
"YouknowSeymour,"saidthegirl,andcrossedherlegsagain."Hesayshedoesn’twantalotoffoolslookingathistattoo."
"Hedoesn’thaveanytatoo!
DidhegetoneintheArmy?
"
"No,Mother.No,dear,"