第31章
《THE CATCHER IN THE RYE(麦田里的守望者英文版)》章节:第31章,宠文网网友提供全文无弹窗免费在线阅读。!
Down by
Central Park South?"
"The what?"
"The lagoon. That little lake, like, there. Where the ducks are. You know."
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Well, you know the ducks that swim around in it? In the springtime and all? Do
you happen to know where they go in the wintertime, by any chance?"
"Where who goes?"
"The ducks. Do you know, by any chance? I mean does somebody come around
in a truck or something and take them away, or do they fly away by themselves--go south
or something?"
Old Horwitz turned all the way around and looked at me. He was a very
impatient-type guy. He wasn't a bad guy, though. "How the hell should I know?" he said.
"How the hell should I know a stupid thing like that?"
"Well, don't get sore about it," I said. He was sore about it or something.
"Who's sore? Nobody's sore."
I stopped having a conversation with him, if he was going to get so damn touchy
about it. But he started it up again himself. He turned all the way around again, and said,
"The fish don't go no place. They stay right where they are, the fish. Right in the goddam
lake."
"The fish--that's different. The fish is different. I'm talking about the ducks," I
said.
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"What's different about it? Nothin's different about it," Horwitz said. Everything
he said, he sounded sore about something. "It's tougher for the fish, the winter and all,
than it is for the ducks, for Chrissake. Use your head, for Chrissake."
I didn't say anything for about a minute. Then I said, "All right. What do they do,
the fish and all, when that whole little lake's a solid block of ice, people skating on it and
all?"
Old Horwitz turned around again. "What the hellaya mean what do they do?" he
yelled at me. "They stay right where they are, for Chrissake."
"They can't just ignore the ice. They can't just ignore it."
"Who's ignoring it? Nobody's ignoring it!" Horwitz said. He got so damn excited
and all, I was afraid he was going to drive the cab right into a lamppost or something.
"They live right in the goddam ice. It's their nature, for Chrissake. They get frozen right
in one position for the whole winter."
"Yeah? What do they eat, then? I mean if they're frozen solid, they can't swim
around looking for food and all."
"Their bodies, for Chrissake--what'sa matter with ya? Their bodies take in
nutrition and all, right through the goddam seaweed and crap that's in the ice. They got
their pores open the whole time. That's their nature, for Chrissake. See what I mean?" He
turned way the hell around again to look at me.
"Oh," I said. I let it drop. I was afraid he was going to crack the damn taxi up or
something. Besides, he was such a touchy guy, it wasn't any pleasure discussing anything
with him. "Would you care to stop off and have a drink with me somewhere?" I said.
He didn't answer me, though. I guess he was still thinking. I asked him again,
though. He was a pretty good guy. Quite amusing and all.
"I ain't got no time for no liquor, bud," he said. "How the hell old are you,
anyways? Why ain'tcha home in bed?"
"I'm not tired."
When I got out in front of Ernie's and paid the fare, old Horwitz brought up the
fish again. He certainly had it on his mind. "Listen," he said. "If you was a fish, Mother
Nature'd take care of you, wouldn't she?