阿甘正传(英文版)-第13章

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after　bout　a　week　or　so；　they　move　me　to　another　part　of　the　hospital　where　everbody　be　put

so'；s　they　can　get　well；　but　ever　day　i　gone　back　to　the　tensive　care　ward　an　set　for　a　wile　with

dan。　sometimes　i　played　him　a　tune　on　my　harmonica；　which　he　like　very　much。　my　mama　had

sent　me　a　package　of　hershey　bars　which　finally　catch　up　to　me　at　the　hospital　an　i　wanted　to

share　them　with　dan；　cept　he　can'；t　eat　nothin　but　what　goin　into　him　thru　the　tubes。



i　think　that　settin　there　talkin　to　dan　was　a　thing　that　had　a　great　impression　on　my　life。　i

know　that　bein　a　idiot　an　all；　i　ain'；t　sposed　to　have　no　philosophy　of　my　own；　but　maybe　it'；s　just

because　nobody　never　took　the　time　to　talk　to　me　bout　it。　it　were　dan'；s　philosophy　that　everythin

that　happen　to　us；　or　for　that　matter；　to　anythin　anywhere；　is　controlled　by　natural　laws　that

govern　the　universe。　his　views　on　the　subject　was　extremely　plicated；　but　the　gist　of　what　he

say　begun　to　change　my　whole　outlook　on　things。



all　my　own　life；　i　ain'；t　understood　shit　about　what　was　goin　on。　a　thing　jus　happen；　then

somethin　else　happen；　then　somethin　else；　an　so　on；　an　haf　the　time　nothin　makin　any　sense。　but

dan　say　it　is　all　part　of　a　scheme　of　some　sort；　an　the　best　way　we　can　get　along　is　figger　out　how

we　fits　into　the　scheme；　an　then　try　to　stick　to　our　place。　somehow　knowin　this；　things　get　a　good

bit　clearer　for　me。



anyhow；　i'；s　gettin　much　better　in　the　next　weeks；　an　my　ass　heal　up　real　nice。　doctor　say　i

got　a　hide　like　a　〃rhinoceros〃　or　somethin。　they　got　a　rec　room　at　the　hospital　an　since　they

wadn'；t　much　else　to　do；　i　wandered　over　there　one　day　an　they　was　a　couple　of　guys　playin　pingpong。

after　a　wile；　i　axed　if　i　could　play；　an　they　let　me。　i　lost　the　first　couple　of　points；　but　after

a　wile；　i　beat　both　them　fellers。　〃you　shore　is　quick　for　such　a　big　guy；〃　one　of　them　say。　i　jus

nod。　i　tried　to　play　some　ever　day　an　got　quite　good；　believe　it　or　not。



in　the　afternoons　i'；d　go　see　dan；　but　in　the　mornins　i　was　on　my　own。　they　let　me　leave　the

hospital　if　i　wanted；　an　they　was　a　bus　what　took　fellers　like　me　into　the　town　so'；s　we　could　walk

aroun　an　buy　some　of　the　shit　they　sold　in　the　gook　shops　in　danang。　but　i　don'；t　need　any　of　that；

so　i　jus　walk　aroun；　taking　in　the　sights。



they　is　a　little　market　down　by　the　waterfront　where　folks　sells　fish　an　srimp　an　stuff；　an　one

day　i　went　down　there　an　bought　me　some　srimp　an　one　of　the　cooks　at　the　hospital　boil　em　for

me　an　they　sure　was　good。　i　wished　ole　dan　could　of　ate　some。　he　say　maybe　if　i　squash　em　up



　



they　could　put　em　down　his　tube。　he　say　he　gonna　axe　the　nurse　about　it；　but　i　know　he　jus

kiddin。



that　night　i　be　lyin　on　my　cot　thinkin　of　bubba　an　how　much　he　might　of　liked　them　srimp

too；　an　about　our　srimp　boat　an　all。　po　ole　bubba。　so　the　next　day　i　axed　dan　how　is　it　that　bubba

can　get　kilt；　an　what　kind　of　haf…assed　nature　law　would　allow　that。　he　think　bout　it　for　a　wile；　an

say；　〃well；　i'；ll　tell　you；　forrest；　all　of　these　laws　are　not　specially　pleasing　to　us。　but　they　is　laws

nonetheless。　like　when　a　tiger　pounce　on　a　monkey　in　the　jungle—　bad　for　the　monkey；　but　good

for　the　tiger。　that　is　jus　the　way　it　is。〃



couple　of　days　later　i　gone　on　back　to　the　fish　market　an　they　is　a　little　gook　sellin　a　big　bag

of　srimp　there。　i　axed　him　where　he　got　them　srimp；　an　he　start　jabberin　away　at　me；　count　of　he

don'；t　understan　english。　anyway；　i　make　sign　language　like　a　indian　or　somethin；　an　after　a　wile

he　catch　on；　an　motion　for　me　to　follow　him。　i　be　kind　of　leary　at　first；　but　he　smilin　an　all；　an　so'；s

i　do。



we　must　of　walked　a　mile　or　so；　past　all　the　boats　on　the　beach　an　everthin；　but　he　don'；t　take

me　to　a　boat。　it　is　a　little　place　in　a　swamp　by　the　water；　kind　of　a　pond　or　somethin；　an　he　got

wire　nets　laid　down　where　the　water　from　the　china　sea　e　in　at　high　tide。　that　sumbitch　be

growin　srimp　in　there！　he　took　a　little　net　an　scoop　up　some　water　an　sure　enough；　ten　or　twelve

srimp　in　it。　he　give　me　some　in　a　little　bag；　an　i　give　him　a　hershey　bar。　he　so　happy　he　could

shit。



that　night　they　is　a　movie　outdoors　near　field　force　headquarters　an　i　go　on　over　there；

cep'；n　some　fellers　in　the　front　row　start　a　great　big　fight　over　somethin　an　somebody　get　hissef

heaved　through　the　screen　an　that　be　the　end　of　the　movie。　so　afterwards；　i　be　layin　on　my　cot；

thinkin；　an　suddenly　it　e　to　me。　i　know　what　i　gotta　do　when　they　let　me　out　of　the　army！　i

goin　home　an　find　me　a　little　pond　near　the　gulf　an　raise　me　some　srimp！　so　maybe　i　can'；t　get　me

a　srimp　boat　now　that　bubba　is　gone；　but　i　sure　can　go　up　in　one　of　them　marshes　an　get　me　some

wire　nets　an　that'；s　what　i'；ll　do。　bubba　would　of　like　that。



ever　day　for　the　next　few　weeks　i　go　down　in　the　mornin　to　the　place　where　the　little　gook　is

growin　his　srimp。　mister　chi　is　his　name。　i　jus　set　there　an　watched　him　an　after　a　wile　he　showed

me　how　he　was　doin　it。　he'；d　catched　some　baby　srimps　aroun　the　marshes　in　a　little　han　net；　an

dump　them　in　his　pond。　then　when　the　tide　e　in　he　thowed　all　sorts　of　shit　in　there—　scraps

and　stuff；　which　cause　little　teensey　slimy　things　to　grow　an　the　srimps　eat　them　an　get　big　an　fat。

it　was　so　simple　even　a　imbecile　could　do　it。



a　few　days　later　some　muckity…mucks　from　field　force　headquarters　e　over　to　the

hospital　all　excited　an　say；　〃private　gump；　you　is　been　awarded　the　congressional　medal　of

honor　for　extreme　heroism；　an　is　bein　flown　back　to　the　u。s。a。　day　after　tomorrow　to　be

decorated　by　the　president　of　the　united　states。〃　now　that　was　early　in　the　mornin　an　i　had　jus

been　lyin　there；　thinkin　about　going　to　the　bathroom；　but　here　they　are；　expectin　me　to　say

somethin；　i　guess；　an　i'；m　bout　to　bust　my　britches。　but　this　time　i　jus　say；　〃thanks；〃　an　keep　my

big　mouth　shut。　perhaps　it　be　in　the　natural　scheme　of　things。



anyhow；　after　they　is　gone；　i　go　on　over　to　the　tensive　care　ward　to　see　dan；　but　when　i　git

there；　his　cot　is　empty；　an　the　mattress　all　folded　up　an　he　is　gone。　i　am　so　scant　somethin　has

happen　to　him；　an　i　run　to　fine　the　orderly；　but　he　ain'；t　there　either。　i　seen　a　nurse　down　the　hall

an　i　axed　her；　〃what　happen　to　dan；〃　an　she　say　he　〃gone。〃　an　i　say；　〃gone　where？〃　an　she　say；

〃i　don'；t　know；　it　didn'；t　happen　on　my　shif。〃　i　foun　the　head　nurse　an　axe　her；　an　she　say　dan　been

flown　back　to　america　on　account　of　they　can　take　better　care　of　him　there。　i　axed　her　if　he　is

okay；　an　she　say；　〃yeah；　if　you　can　call　two　punctured　lungs；　a　severed　intestin；　spinal　separation；

a　missing　foot；　a　truncated　leg；　an　third　degree　burns　over　haf　the　body　okay；　then　he　is　jus　fine。〃　i

thanked　her；　an　went　on　my　way。



i　didn'；t　play　no　ping…pong　that　afternoon；　cause　i　was　so　worried　bout　dan。　it　e　to　me



　



that　maybe　he　went　an　died；　an　nobody　want　to　say　so；　cause　of　that　bidness　bout　notifying

nex　of　kin　first；　or　somethin。　who　knows？　but　i　am　down　in　the　dumps；　an　go　wanderin　aroun　by

mysef；　kickin　rocks　an　tin　cans　an　shit。



when　i　finally　get　back　to　my　ward；　there　is　some　mail　lef　on　my　bed　for　me　that　finally

catch　up　with　me　here。　my　mama　have　sent　a　letter　sayin　that　our　house　done　caught　on　fire；　an　is

totally　burnt　up；　an　there　is　no　insurance　or　nothin　an　she　is　gonna　have　to　go　to　the　po　house。　she

say　the　fire　begun　when　miss　french　had　washed　her　cat　an　was　dryin　it　with　a　hair　dryer；　an

either　the　cat　or　the　hair　dryer　caught　afire；　an　that　was　that。　from　now　on；　she　say；　i　am　to　send

my　letters　to　her　in　care　of　the　〃little　sisters　of　the　po。〃　i　figger　there　will　be　many　tears　in　the

years　to　e。



they　is　another　letter　addressed　to　me　which　say；　〃dear　mister　gump：　you　has　been　chosen

to　win　a　bran　new　pontiac　gto；　if　only　you　will　send　back　the　enclosed　card　promising　to　buy　a

set　of　these　wonderful　encyclopedias　an　a　updated　yearbook　every　year　for　the　rest　of　your　life　at

a　75　per　year。〃　i　thowed　that　letter　in　the　trash。　what　the　hell　would　a　idiot　like　me　want　with

encyclopedias　anyway；　an　besides；　i　can'；t　drive。



but　the　third　letter　is　personally　writ　to　me　an　on　the　back　of　the　envelope　it　say；　〃j。　curran；

general　delivery；　cambridge；　mass。〃　my　hans　is　shakin　so　bad；　i　can　hardly　open　it。



〃dear　forrest；〃　it　say；　〃my　mama　has　forwarded　your　letter　to　me　that　your　mama　gave　to

her；　and　i　am　so　sorry　to　hear　that　you　have　to　fight　in　that　terrible　immoral　war。〃　she　say　she

know　how　horrible　it　must　be；　with　all　the　killin　an　maimin　goin　on　an　all。　〃it　must　tax　your

conscience　to　be　involved；　although　i　know　you　are　being　made　to　do　it　against　your　will。〃　she

write　that　it　must　of　been　awful　not　to　have　no　clean　clothes　an　no　fresh　food；　an　all；　but　that　she

do　not　understand　what　i　mean　when　i　wrote　about　〃havin　to　lie　face…down　in　officer　shit　for　two

days。〃



〃it　is　hard　to　believe；〃　she　say；　〃that　even　th