第9章
《THE CATCHER IN THE RYE(麦田里的守望者英文版)》章节:第9章,宠文网网友提供全文无弹窗免费在线阅读。!
I said. "I've asked you about
fifty--"
"He's got this goddam superior attitude all the time," Ackley said. "I don't even
think the sonuvabitch is intelligent. He thinks he is. He thinks he's about the most--"
"Ackley! For Chrissake. Willya please cut your crumby nails over the table? I've
asked you fifty times."
He started cutting his nails over the table, for a change. The only way he ever did
anything was if you yelled at him.
I watched him for a while. Then I said, "The reason you're sore at Stradlater is
because he said that stuff about brushing your teeth once in a while. He didn't mean to
insult you, for cryin' out loud. He didn't say it right or anything, but he didn't mean
anything insulting. All he meant was you'd look better and feel better if you sort of
brushed your teeth once in a while."
"I brush my teeth. Don't gimme that."
"No, you don't. I've seen you, and you don't," I said. I didn't say it nasty, though. I
felt sort of sorry for him, in a way. I mean it isn't too nice, naturally, if somebody tells
you you don't brush your teeth. "Stradlater's all right He's not too bad," I said. "You don't
know him, thats the trouble."
"I still say he's a sonuvabitch. He's a conceited sonuvabitch."
"He's conceited, but he's very generous in some things. He really is," I said.
"Look. Suppose, for instance, Stradlater was wearing a tie or something that you liked.
Say he had a tie on that you liked a helluva lot--I'm just giving you an example, now.
You know what he'd do? He'd probably take it off and give it ta you. He really would.
Or--you know what he'd do? He'd leave it on your bed or something. But he'd give you
the goddam tie. Most guys would probably just--"
"Hell," Ackley said. "If I had his dough, I would, too."
"No, you wouldn't." I shook my head. "No, you wouldn't, Ackley kid. If you had
his dough, you'd be one of the biggest--"
"Stop calling me 'Ackley kid,' God damn it. I'm old enough to be your lousy
father."
"No, you're not." Boy, he could really be aggravating sometimes. He never missed
a chance to let you know you were sixteen and he was eighteen. "In the first place, I
wouldn't let you in my goddam family," I said.
"Well, just cut out calling me--"
All of a sudden the door opened, and old Stradlater barged in, in a big hurry. He
was always in a big hurry. Everything was a very big deal. He came over to me and gave
me these two playful as hell slaps on both cheeks--which is something that can be very
annoying. 'Listen," he said. "You going out anywheres special tonight?"
"I don't know. I might. What the hell's it doing out--snowing?" He had snow all
over his coat.
"Yeah. Listen. If you're not going out anyplace special, how 'bout lending me
your hound's-tooth jacket?"
"Who won the game?" I said.
"It's only the half. We're leaving," Stradlater said. "No kidding, you gonna use
your hound's-tooth tonight or not? I spilled some crap all over my gray flannel."
"No, but I don't want you stretching it with your goddam shoulders and all," I
said. We were practically the same heighth, but he weighed about twice as much as I did.
He had these very broad shoulders.
"I won't stretch it." He went over to the closet in a big hurry. "How'sa boy,
Ackley?" he said to Ackley. He was at least a pretty friendly guy, Stradlater. It was partly
a phony kind of friendly, but at least he always said hello to Ackley and all.
Ackley just sort of grunted when he said "How'sa boy?"