《往期》听力磨耳朵：对话体小说New York to Detroit

今天尝试读了一个微型对话体小说“New York to Detroit”

是我非常喜欢的女性作家Dorothy Parker的作品

她在上世纪前叶刻画的男男女女，到今天仍然显得无比生动深刻，好像就是我们身边发生的故事。

这一篇的背景是一个身在纽约的女人打电话给一个在底特律的男人，可以当作听力练习，后面更精彩哦˜

"Already with Detroit," said the telephone operator.

"Hello," said the girl in New York.

"Hello?"

said the young man in Detroit.

"Oh, Jack!"

she said.

"Oh, darling, it's so wonderful to hear you.

You don’t know how much I — "

"Hello?"

he said.

"Ah, can't you hear me?"

she said.

"Why, I can hear you just as if youwere right beside me.

Is this any better, dear?

Can you hear me now?"

"Who did you want to speak to?"

he said.

"You, Jack!"

she said.

"You, you.

This is Jean, darling.

Oh, please try to hear me.

This is Jean "

"Who?"

he said.

"Jean," she said.

"Ah, don't you know my voice?

It's Jean, dear.

Jean."

"Oh, hello there," he said.

"Well.

Well, for heaven’s sake.

How are you?"

"I'm all right," she said.

"Oh, I'm not, either, darling.

I — oh, its justterrible.

I can’t stand it any more.

Aren't you coming back?

Please, when are you coming back!

You don't know how awful it is, withoutyou.

It's been such a long time, dear — you said it would be just fouror five days, and it s nearly three weeks.

It's like years and years.

Oh, it’s been so awful, sweetheart — it's just — "

"Hey, I'm terribly sorry," he said,"but I can't hear one damn thing you’re saying.

Can't you talk louder, or something?"

"I'll try, I'll try," she said.

"Is this better?

Now can you hear?"

"Yeah, now I can, a little," he said.

"Don't talk so fast, will you?

What did you say, before?"

"I said it's just awful without you," she said.

"It's such a long time, dear.

And I haven't had a word from you.

I — oh, I've just been nearly crazy, Jack.

Never even a postcard, dearest, or a — "

"Honestly, I haven't had a second," he said,"I've been working like a fool.

God, I've been rushed."

"Ah, have you?"

she said.

"I'm sorry, dear.

I've been silly.

But it was just — oh, it was just hell, never hearing a word.

I thought maybeyou'd telephone to say good night, sometimes, — you know, the way you used to, when you were away."

"Why, I was going to, a lot of times," he said,"but I thought you’d probably be out, or something."

"I haven't been out," she said.

"I've been staying here, all by myself.

It’s — it's sort of better, that way.

I don't want to see people.

Everybody says, 'When's Jack coming back?'

and 'What do you hearfrom Jack?'

and I'm afraid I'll cry in front of them.

Darling, it hurts soterribly when they ask me about you, and I have to say I don’t — "

"This is the damnedest, lousiest connection I ever saw in my life," hesaid.

"What hurts?

What's the matter?"

"I said, it hurts so terribly when people ask me about you," she said,"and I have to say — Oh, never mind.

Never mind.

How are you, dear?

Tell me how you are."

"Oh, pretty good," he said.

"Tired as the devil.

You, all right?"

"Jack, I — that's what I wanted to tell you," she said.

"I'm terribly worried.

I'm nearly out of my mind.

Oh, what will I do, dear, what arewe going to do?

Oh, Jack, Jack, darling!"

"Hey, how can I hear you when you mumble like that?"

he said.

"Can't you talk louder?

Talk right into the what-you-call-it."

"I can’t scream it over the telephone!"

she said.

"Haven’t you any sense?

Don't you know what I’m telling you?

Don't you know?

Don’t you know?"

"I give up," he said.

"First you mumble, and then you yell.

Look this doesn't make sense.

I can’t hear anything, with this rottenconnection.

Why don't you write me a letter, in the morning?

Do that, why don't you?

And I'll write you one.

See?"

"Jack, listen, listen!"

she said.

"You listen to me!

I've got to talk to you.

I tell you I'm nearly crazy.

Please, dearest, hear what I'm saying.

Jack, I — "

"Just a minute," he said.

"Someone's knocking at the door.

^ Come in.

Well, for cryin' out loud!

Come on in, bums.

¹ Hang your coats up onthe floor, and sit down.

The Scotch is in the closet, and there's ice inthat pitcher.

Make yourselves at home — act like you were in a regular bar.

Be with you right away.

Hey, listen, there's a lot of crazyIndians just come in here, and I can't hear myself think.

You go-ahead and write me a letter tomorrow.

Will you?"

"Write you a letter!"

she said.

"Oh, God, don't you think I'd havewritten you before, if I'd known where to reach you?

I didn't even know that, till they told me at your office today.

I got so — "

"Oh, yeah, did they?"

he said.

"I thought I — ^ Ah, pipe down, will you?

Give a guy a chance.

This is an expensive talk going on here.

Say, look, this must be costing you a million dollars.

You oughtn't to-do this."

"What do you think I care about that?"

she said.

"I'll die if I don't talkto you.

I tell you I'll die, Jack.

Sweetheart, what is it?

Don't you want to talk to me?

Tell me what makes you this way.

Is it — don't youreally like me anymore?

Is that it?

Don't you, Jack?"

"Hell, I can't hear," he said.

"Don't what?"

"Please," she said.

"Please, please.

Please, Jack, listen.

When are you coming back, darling?

I need you so.

I need you so terribly.

When are you coming back?"

"Why, that's the thing," he said.

"That's what I was going to write youabout tomorrow.

^ Come on, now, how about shutting up just aminute?

A joke's a joke.

Hello.

Hear me all right?

Why, you see, theway things came out today, it looks a little bit like I’d have to go on toChicago for a while.

Looks like a pretty big thing, and it won’t mean avery long time?

I don’t believe.

Looks as if I’d be going out there nextweek, I guess."

"Jack, no!"

she said.

"Oh, don't do that!

You can't do that.

You can’t leave me alone like this.

I've got to see you, dearest.

I've got to.

You've got to come back, or I've got to come there to you.

I can’t go through this.

Jack, I can't, I — "

"Look, we better say good-night now," he said,"No use trying tomake out what you say, when you talk all over yourself like that.

And there’s so much racket here — ^ Hey, can the harmony,3 will you!

Cod, it's terrible.

Want me to be thrown out of here!

You go get agood night's sleep, and I'll write you all about it tomorrow."

"Listen!"

she said.

"Jack, don't go 'way!

Help me, darling.

Say something to help me through tonight.

Say you love me, for God’ssake say you still love me.

Say it.

Say it."

"Ah, I can't talk," he said.

"This is fierce.

I'll write you first thing in themorning.

"Bye.

Thanks for calling up."

"Jack!"

she said.

"Jack, don't go.

Jack, wait a minute.

I've got to talk toyou.

I'll talk quietly.

I won't cry.

I'll talk so you can hear me.

Please, dear, please — "

"All through4 with Detroit?"

said the operator.

"No!"

she said.

"No, no, no!

Get him," get him back again right away!

Get him back.

No, never mind.

Never mind it now.

Never — "