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雙語(yǔ)閱讀《象人》節(jié)選
《象人》的主人公約翰•梅力因?yàn)槟X袋碩大無(wú)比，身體畸形酷似大象而被人稱(chēng)為“象人”，不過(guò)這個(gè)人物并不是劇作家杜撰出來(lái)的，而是真實(shí)存在于19世紀(jì)的倫敦。1923年，以他為研究對(duì)象的醫(yī)生弗瑞迪•崔佛士出版了《象人和他的回憶》的手記。1973年，另一位作家Ashley Montagu又出版了《象人——人的尊嚴(yán)的研究》一書(shū)。被這兩本書(shū)深深打動(dòng)的劇作家以此為藍(lán)本寫(xiě)成了劇本《象人》。這部作品在1979年倫敦公演時(shí)備受好評(píng)，之后在百老匯也是長(zhǎng)演不衰的劇目。獲得1979年托尼獎(jiǎng)最佳戲劇獎(jiǎng)。
《象人》The Elephant Man
The Last Letter
Six months later, in April 1890, I found him dead inbed. He was on his back in bed, so at first I thought he was asleep. I talked to him, but he did not move. Then I saw that the skin on his face was blue, so I knew he was dead.
He did not usually sleep on his back. His enormous head was very heavy, so he usually sat up in bed with his arms round his legs, and his head on his knees. He could sleep well like this.
But he wanted to sleep on his back like you and me. Hetried to sleep on his back that night, but his heavy head came off the bed, and he broke his neck. He died very quickly.
Next day, the Chairman of the London Hospital, Mr Carr Gomm, wrote to the editor of The Times again.
The Times, April 16th, 1890
Dear Sir,
Three and a half years ago I wrote to you about a man called Joseph Merrick. This man was called‘The Elephant Man' because he aws born with a very ugly body. Merrick was not ill, but he could not work, and he had no money.
The readers of The Times felt sorry for him, and they gave me a lot of money for Merrick. Because of this money, we could giveMerrick a home in the Lon-don Hospital. It was his first good home, and for three and a half years he lived here happily. The doctors and nurses of the hospital helped him, and many important people visited him. He read many books, he went to the the atre, and in the summer he stayed in the country for six weeks. Because of your readers’ money, we couldgive him a happy life.
Last night Joseph Merrick died quietly in his bed. He was a man with a very ugly body, but he was a good, kind man, and he had a lot of friends. We liked to talk to him, and we are all very sorry because he is dead. A lot of people are going to remember him for a longtime.
There is some money left, so I am going to give it to the hospital. Thank you, sir, for your help.
Yours faithfully
F. C. Carr Gomm
Chairman of The London
Hospital
最后一封信
過(guò)了六個(gè)月，也就是1890年4月，我發(fā)現(xiàn)他死在床上。他仰面朝天，開(kāi)始我以為他睡著了，我朝他說(shuō)話他不動(dòng)，后來(lái)我見(jiàn)他臉上的皮膚發(fā)青，才知道他死了。
他通常不能躺著睡覺(jué)，因?yàn)樗哪X袋又大又重，所以他常常坐在床上，用手抱著腿，把頭放在膝蓋上，這樣他能睡得很好。
可是他也想像你我這樣躺著睡覺(jué)。那天晚上他試著躺下來(lái)睡，結(jié)果他那個(gè)龐大的頭跌下床，折斷了脖子。他很快就死了。
第二天倫敦醫(yī)院院長(zhǎng)卡爾.戈蒙又給《泰晤士報(bào)》的編輯寫(xiě)了一封信：
摘自1890年4月16日的《泰晤士報(bào)》
親愛(ài)的先生：
三年半以前我寫(xiě)信給你介紹了一個(gè)名叫約瑟夫.麥里克的男人，這個(gè)人被叫做“象人”，他天生有一個(gè)像大象一樣的丑陋身軀。麥里克沒(méi)有病，但他不能工作，也沒(méi)有錢(qián)。
《泰晤士報(bào)》的讀者們很同情他，給了他許多錢(qián)。有了這些錢(qián)，我們可以在倫敦醫(yī)院里給他安個(gè)家，這是他的第一個(gè)家。三年半以來(lái)他一直生活得很幸福，醫(yī)院里的醫(yī)生和護(hù)士都幫助他，許多要人來(lái)拜訪他。他讀了許多書(shū)，去看過(guò)戲，在鄉(xiāng)間避暑待了六個(gè)星期。有了讀者們給的錢(qián)，我們把他的生活安排得很幸福。
昨天晚上約瑟夫.麥里克在床上靜靜死去。他是一個(gè)很丑的人，但是很好、很善良，他有許多朋友。我們都喜歡與他交談，我們都很遺憾，他死了。許多人會(huì)永遠(yuǎn)記著他的。
現(xiàn)在還剩下一些錢(qián)，我準(zhǔn)備把這些錢(qián)捐給醫(yī)院。感謝你的幫助。
謹(jǐn)致
倫敦醫(yī)院院長(zhǎng)F.C.卡爾.戈蒙
1890年4月16日
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