19-5-27【英语美文】万元美金，一条人命，电影《魔盒》原著小说《Button Button 》

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Button, Button

By RichardMatheson, edited version  

1.       The package was lying by thefront door: a cube-shaped carton sealed with tape, their name andaddress printed on it: "Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Lewis, 21 7 E. Thirty-seventhStreet, New York, New York 10016." Norma picked it up, and went into theapartment. It was just getting dark. After she put the lamb chops in the broiler, she sat down to open thepackage.

Inside the carton was apush-button unit fastened to a small wooden box. She alsosaw a folded piece of paper Scotch-taped to the bottom of the box. She pulled it off: "Mr. Steward will call on youat 8:00P.M." Norma put the button unit beside her on the couch. She rereadthe typed note, smiling.

2.       The doorbell rang at eighto'clock. ''I'll get it," Norma called from the kitchen. Arthur was in theliving room, reading. There was a small man in the hallway. He removed his hatas Norma opened the door. "Mrs. Lewis?" he inquired politely."Yes?" ''I'm Mr. Steward." "Oh, yes." Norma repressed a smile. She was sure now itwas a sales pitch. "May I comein?" asked Mr. Steward. ''I'm rather busy," Norma said, ''I'll getyou your whatchamacallit,though." She started to turn.

3.       "Don't you want to know whatit is?" Norma turned back and frowned. She didn't like his attitude."What are you trying to sell?" she asked. ''I'm not sellinganything," he answered. Arthur came out of the living room."Something wrong?" Mr. Steward introduced himself. "Oh,the-" Arthur pointed toward the living room and smiled. "What is that gadget, anyway?" "It won'ttake long to explain," replied Mr. Steward.

4.       They went into the living roomand Mr. Steward sat in Norma's chair. "So what's it for?" askedArthur. "If you push the button," Mr. Steward told him,"somewhere in the world someone you don't know will die. In return forwhich you will receive a payment of $50,000." Norma stared at the smallman. He was smiling. "What are you talking about?" Arthur asked him.Mr. Steward looked surprised. "But I've just explained," he said."Is this a practical joke?" asked Arthur. "Not at all. The offeris completely genuine."

5.       "You aren't making sense,"Arthur said. "You expect us to believe-" "Whom do you represent?"demanded Norma. Mr. Steward looked embarrassed. ''I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to tell you that," hesaid. "However, I assure you, the organization is of international scope." "I think you'd betterleave," Arthur said, standing. Mr. Steward rose. "Of course.""And take your button unit with you." "Are you sure you wouldn'tcare to think about it for a day or so? I will leave my card in case,"said Mr. Steward. He placed it on the table by the door. When he was gone,Arthur tore it in half and tossed away the pieces.

6.       Norma was still sitting on thesofa. "What do you think it was?" she asked. "I don't care toknow," he answered. She tried to smile but couldn't. "Aren't youcurious at all?" "No." He shook his head.  "Why won't you talk about it?" Normaasked. “Doesn't it intrigue you?" "It offends me," Arthur said. "I know, but doesn't it intrigue you, too? Youthink it's a practical joke?"she asked. "If it is, it's a sick one." Norma did not give up. "Maybesome eccentric millionaire is doingit." "Maybe." "Wouldn't you like to know?" Arthurshook his head. "Why?" "Because it's immoral," he told her.Norma slid beneath the covers."Well, I think it's intriguing," she said. Arthur turned off the lampand leaned over to kiss her. "Good night," he said. "Goodnight." Norma closed her eyes. “Fifty thousand dollars…”, she thought.

7.       The next day, the package was somehowlying by the front door; Norma saw it. “Well… of all the nerve!”, she thought. She picked up the package andcarried it into the kitchen, leaving it on the table. She sat in the livingroom, but after a while, she went back into the kitchen to turn the cutlets in the broiler. She put thepackage in a bottom cabinet. She'dthrow it out in the morning, she thought to herself.  

8.       "Maybe some eccentricmillionaire is playing games with people," she said. Arthur looked up fromhis dinner. "I don't understand you. Let it go," he told her. Normaate in silence. Suddenly, she put her fork down. "Suppose it's a genuineoffer?" she said. Arthur stared at her. He looked incredulous. "What would you like to do? Get the button backand push it? Murder someone?" Norma looked disgusted. "Murder! Howcan you call it murder if you don't even know the person?" Arthur looked astounded. "Are you saying what Ithink you are?" "If it's some old peasant ten thousand miles away?Some diseased native in Congo?""How about a baby boy in Pennsylvania?" Arthur countered. "Somebeautiful little girl on the next block?"

9.       "The point is,Norma," he continued, "what's the difference whom you kill? It'sstill murder." "The point is," Norma broke in, "if it'ssomeone you've never seen in your life and never will see, someone whose deathyou don't even have to know about, you still wouldn't push the button?"Arthur stared at her, appalled."You mean you would?" "Fifty thousand dollars, Arthur.""What has the amount-" "Fifty thousand dollars, Arthur,"Norma interrupted. "A chance to take that trip to Europe we've always talkedabout." "Norma, no." "A chance to buy that cottage on the island.""Norma, no." His face was white. She shuddered. "All right, take it easy, why are you getting soupset? It's only talk." After dinner, Arthur said, ''I'd rather notdiscuss it anymore, if you don't mind.” Norma shrugged. "Fine withme."

10.   When Arthur had gone to work,Norma remained at the table, staring into her breakfast coffee. Suddenly, sheturned abruptly, and took the package from the bottom cabinet. She stared atthe button. “How ridiculous”, she thought. “All this furore over a meaningless button.” Reaching out, she pressed itdown. “For us”, she thought angrily. She shuddered. Was it happening? A chill of horror swept across her. In a moment, it had passed. She made a contemptuous noise. Ridiculous, shethought. To get so worked up overnothing. She threw the button unit into the wastebasket and hurried to dress for work.  She was just about to go when the telephonerang. She picked up the receiver. "Mrs. Lewis?" Mr. Steward asked. Itcouldn’t be her voice shrieking so much. Mr. Steward spoke and she startedcrying. This couldn’t be true! It couldn't be. "You said I wouldn't knowthe one that died!" she screamed. "My dear lady," Mr. Stewardsaid. "Do you really think you knew your husband?"