<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">9</span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">西南方向七百英里以外，在圣路易斯的盖茨威胶片实验室的咖啡厅，弗朗西斯<font face="times new roman">·</font><font face="宋体">多拉德正等着他点的汉堡。www.xiashucom.com食品保温桌里的开胃菜被覆上了薄膜。他站在收银机旁吸着纸杯里的咖啡。</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">一个红头发的女士穿着实验室工作服走了进来，注视着糖果机。她朝弗朗西斯<font face="times new roman">·</font><font face="宋体">多拉德的背影看了好几次，噘起嘴巴。终于她走上前去，叫了声：</font><font face="times new roman">“d</font><font face="宋体">先生？</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">多拉德转过身。他只要出了胶片暗室总是戴着护目镜。所以她决定把目光停在他的护目镜的鼻架上。</span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">你能和我坐下来谈谈吗？我想和你说点事。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">你能告诉我什么呢，艾琳？</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">我真的觉得很抱歉。鲍伯当时是真喝醉了，你知道，他在到处当小丑。他绝对没有任何恶意。坐下来吧，就一会儿，可以吗？</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">好吧。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">多拉德从来不说</font><font face="times new roman">“</font><font face="宋体">是</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">这个字，因为他的</font><font face="times new roman">“</font><font face="宋体">咝</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">音发不准</font><font face="times new roman">1</font><font face="宋体">。</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">[1<font face="宋体">英文中</font><font face="times new roman">“</font><font face="宋体">是</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">为</font><font face="times new roman">yes</font><font face="宋体">，而有</font><font face="times new roman">s</font><font face="宋体">的地方要发</font><font face="times new roman">“</font><font face="宋体">咝</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">的音，下文中多拉德避免单词复数即避免在单词后面加</font><font face="times new roman">s</font><font face="宋体">，也是同样道理。</font><font face="times new roman">]</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

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<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">他们坐下来。她在手里扯弄着一张纸巾。</span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">大伙在晚会上玩得都很偷快，我们很高兴你也来参加。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">她说。</font><font face="times new roman">“</font><font face="宋体">真的很高兴，而且有点惊讶。你知道鲍伯是个怎样的人，他什么时候都在模仿别人说话</font><font face="times new roman">——</font><font face="宋体">他应该去电台当播音员。他那天学了两三种口音，而且一直在讲笑话</font><font face="times new roman">——</font><font face="宋体">他可以学黑人说话，简直能以假乱真。他模仿另一个声音的时候绝对不是故意想让你难堪。他那时候已经醉得不知道谁在场了。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">他们都在笑，结果他们又</font><font face="times new roman">……</font><font face="宋体">突然不笑了。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">多拉德从来不说</font><font face="times new roman">“</font><font face="宋体">停止</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">这个字因为它有摩擦音</font><font face="times new roman">“</font><font face="宋体">咝</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">。</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">那时候鲍伯意识到了自己干了什么。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">可是他还继续干。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">我知道，</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">她边说边快速扫了一眼他的护目镜，又把目光转回来，</font><font face="times new roman">“</font><font face="宋体">我对他也是这么说的。他说他真的没有任何恶意，他只是把玩笑开到半截才意识到不妥，可又要把玩笑说完。你看到他当时脸有多红。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">他甚至请我和他演双簧。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">他拥抱你而且想把他的两个胳膊搭在你肩上。他想让你也把它当个笑话一笑了之，</font><font face="times new roman">d</font><font face="宋体">先生。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">我是一笑了之的，艾琳。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">鲍伯真是难过极了。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">我可没想让他难过，我不希望那样，请转告他，而且在公司我对他的态度不会因为这件事有任何改变的。说真的，要是我有他那样的天赋，我也会整天说</font><font face="times new roman">——</font><font face="宋体">笑话的。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">多拉德总是在可能的情况下避免用名词的复数</font><font face="times new roman">1“</font><font face="宋体">我们不久又会搞一次聚会的，那时他会知道我有什么感觉。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">[1<font face="宋体">因为单词的复数有摩擦音</font><font face="times new roman">“</font><font face="宋体">咝</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">。</font><font face="times new roman">]</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

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<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">好的，</font><font face="times new roman">d</font><font face="宋体">先生。你知道，别看他到处说笑话，他其实骨子里是个很严肃的人。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">这我信，而且温柔，我猜。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">多拉德的声音被他的手盖住了。在坐着的时候他总爱用食指关节抵住鼻子的下方。</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">您说什么？</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">我认为你对他很有帮助，艾琳。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">我也这么想，真的。他只在周末的时候才喝酒。他刚想放松的时候，他的妻子把电话打到我们在一起的地方。我和他妻子说话的时候他做鬼脸，可是过后我能看出来他很不高兴，女人对此是很敏感的。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font><font face="宋体">她拍了拍多拉德的手腕，尽管隔着护目镜，她仍能看出因为这个小小的身体接触在他眼中引起的变化。</font><font face="times new roman">“</font><font face="宋体">别在意，</font><font face="times new roman">d</font><font face="宋体">先生。咱们这个谈话让我很高兴。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>

<span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';">“<font face="宋体">我也是，艾琳。</font><font face="times new roman">”</font></span><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes'; font-size:14.0000pt; font-family:'times new roman';"></span>