阿甘正传(英文版)-第15章

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colonel　gooch　get　to　finish　tellin　me　how　to　act　tomorrow。



nex　morning　we　up　bright　an　early　an　walk　on　over　to　the　white　house　where　the　president

live。　it　is　a　real　pretty　house　with　a　big　lawn　an　all　that　look　almost　as　big　as　city　hall　back　in

mobile。　a　lot　of　army　people　be　there　pumpin　my　han　an　tellin　me　what　a　fine　feller　i　am；　an

then　it　is　time　to　get　the　medal。



the　president　is　a　great　big　ole　guy　who　talk　like　he　is　from　texas　or　somethin　an　they　has

assembled　a　whole　bunch　of　people　some　of　which　look　like　maids　an　cleanin　men　an　such；　but

they　is　all　out　in　this　nice　rose　garden　in　the　bright　sunshine。



an　army　guy　mence　to　readin　some　kind　of　bullshit　an　everbody　be　listenin　up　keen；

cept　for　me；　on　account　of　i　is　starvin　since　we　has　not　had　our　breakfast　yet。　finally　the　army

guy　is　thru　an　then　the　president　e　up　to　me　an　take　the　medal　out　of　a　box　an　pin　it　on　my

chest。　then　he　shake　my　han　an　all　these　people　start　takin　pichers　an　clappin　an　such　as　that。



i　figger　it　is　over　then；　an　we　can　get　the　hell　out　of　there；　but　the　president；　he　still　standin

there；　lookin　at　me　kind　of　funny。　finally　he　say；　〃boy；　is　that　your　stomach　that　is　growlin　like

that？〃



i　glance　over　at　colonel　gooch　but　he　jus　roll　his　eyes　up；　an　so　i　nod；　an　say；　〃uh；　huh；〃　an

the　president　say；　〃well；　c'；mon　boy；　lets　go　an　git　us　somethin　to　eat！〃



i　foller　him　inside　an　we　go　into　a　little　roun　room　an　the　president　tell　a　guy　who　is　dressed

up　like　a　waiter　to　bring　me　some　breakfast。　it　jus　the　two　of　us　in　there；　an　wile　we　is　waitin　for

the　breakfast　he　start　axin　me　questions；　such　as　do　i　know　why　we　is　fightin　the　gooks　an　all；　an

is　they　treatin　us　right　in　the　army。　i　jus　nod　my　head　an　after　a　wile　he　stop　axin　me　questions　an

they　is　this　kind　of　silence　an　then　he　say；　〃do　you　want　to　watch　some　television　wile　we　is

waitin　for　your　food？〃



i　nod　my　head　again；　an　the　president　turn　on　a　tv　set　behin　his　desk　an　we　watch　〃the

beverly　hillbillies。〃　the　president　is　most　amused　an　say　he　watches　it　ever　day　an　that　i　sort　of

remin　him　of　jethro。　after　breakfast；　the　president　axe　me　if　i　want　him　to　show　me　aroun　the

house；　an　i　say；　〃yeah；〃　an　off　we　go。　when　we　get　outside；　all　them　photographer　fellers　are

followin　us　aroun　an　then　the　president　decide　to　set　down　on　a　little　bench　an　he　say　to　me；

〃boy；　you　was　wounded；　wasn'；t　you？〃　an　i　nod；　an　then　he　say；　〃well；　look　at　this；〃　an　he　pull　up

his　shirt　an　show　me　a　big　ole　scar　on　his　stomach　where　he　has　had　an　operation　of　some　kind；

an　he　axe；　〃where　was　you　wounded？〃　an　so　i　pull　down　my　pants　an　show　him。　well；　all　them

photographer　fellers　rush　up　an　start　to　take　pichers；　an　several　folks　e　runnin　over　an　i　am

hustled　away　to　where　colonel　gooch　is　waitin。



that　afternoon　back　at　our　hotel；　colonel　gooch　suddenly　e　bustin　into　my　room　with　a

hanful　of　newspapers　an　boy　is　he　mad。　he　begun　hollerin　an　cussin　at　me　an　flung　the　papers

down　on　my　bed　an　there　i　am；　on　the　front　page；　showin　my　big　ass　an　the　president　is　showin

his　scar。　one　of　the　papers　has　drawn　a　little　black　mask　over　my　eyes　so　they　can'；t　recognize　me；

like　they　do　with　dirty　pitchers。



the　caption　say；　〃president　johnson　and　war　hero　relaxing　in　the　rose　garden。〃



〃gump；　you　idiot！〃　colonel　gooch　say。　〃how　could　you　do　this　to　me？　i　am　ruint。　my

career　is　probly　finished！〃



〃i　dunno；〃　i　says；　〃but　i　am　tryin　to　do　the　right　thing。〃



　



anyhow；　after　that　i　be　in　the　doghouse　again；　but　they　has　not　give　up　on　me　yet。　the　army

have　decided　that　i　will　go　on　the　recruitment　tour　to　try　to　get　fellers　to　sign　up　for　the　war；　an

colonel　gooch　has　gotten　somebody　to　write　up　a　speech　that　they　expect　me　to　make。　it　is　a　long

speech；　an　filled　with　such　things　as　〃in　time　of　crisis；　nothin　is　more　honorable　an　patriotic　than

to　serve　your　country　in　the　armed　forces；〃　an　a　whole　bunch　of　shit　like　that。　trouble　was；　i

could　not　never　get　the　speech　learnt。　oh；　i　could　see　all　the　words　in　my　head　okay；　but　when　it

e　time　to　say　it；　everthin　get　all　muddled　up。



colonel　gooch　is　beside　hissef。　he　make　me　stay　up　till　almost　midnight　ever　day；　tryin　to

get　the　speech　right；　but　finally　he　thowed　up　his　hans　an　say；　〃i　can　see　this　is　not　gonna　work。〃



then　he　e　up　with　a　idea。　〃gump；〃　he　say；　〃here'；s　what　we　is　gonna　do。　i　am　gonna　cut

this　speech　shorter；　an　so　all　you　will　have　to　do　is　say　a　few　things。　let　us　try　that。〃　well；　he　cut

it　shorter　an　shorter　an　shorter；　till　he　is　finally　satisfied　that　i　can　remember　the　speech　an　not

look　like　a　idiot。　in　the　end；　all　i　have　got　to　say　is　〃join　the　army　an　fight　for　your　freedom。〃



our　first　stop　on　the　tour　is　a　little　college　an　they　have　got　some　reporters　an　photographers

there；　an　we　is　in　a　big　auditorium　up　on　the　stage。　colonel　gooch　get　up　an　he　begin　givin　the

speech　i　done　sposed　to　have　made。　when　he　is　thru；　he　say；　〃an　now；　we　will　have　a　few

remarks　from　the　latest　congressional　medal　of　honor　winner；　p。f。c。　forrest　gump；〃　an　he

motion　for　me　to　e　forward。　some　people　are　clappin；　an　when　they　stop；　i　lean　forward　an

say；　〃join　the　army　an　fight　for　your　freedom。〃



i　reckon　they　be　expectin　somethin　more；　but　that'；s　all　i　been　tole　to　say；　so　i　jus　stand　there；

everbody　lookin　at　me；　me　lookin　back　at　them。　then　all　of　a　sudden　somebody　in　the　front　shout

out；　〃what　do　you　think　of　the　war？〃　an　i　say　the　first　thing　that　e　into　my　mind；　which　is；　〃it

is　a　bunch　of　shit。〃



colonel　gooch　e　an　grapped　the　microphone　away　from　me　an　set　me　back　down；　but

all　the　reporters　be　scribblin　in　they　notebooks　an　the　photographers　be　takin　pichers；　an　everbody

in　the　audience　goin　wild；　jumpin　up　an　down　an　cheerin。　colonel　gooch　get　me　out　of　there

pronto；　an　we　be　in　the　car　drivin　fast　out　of　town；　an　the　colonel　ain'；t　sayin　nothin　to　me；　but　he

is　talkin　to　hissef　an　laughin　this　weird；　nutty　little　laugh。



next　mornin　we　is　in　a　hotel　ready　to　give　our　second　speech　on　the　tour　when　the　phone

ring。　it　is　for　colonel　gooch。　whoever　on　the　other　end　of　the　line　seem　to　be　doin　all　the　talkin；

an　the　colonel　is　doin　the　listenin　an　sayin　〃yessir〃　a　whole　lot；　an　ever　so　often　he　is　glarin　over

at　me。　when　he　finally　put　the　phone　down；　he　be　starin　at　his　shoes　an　he　say；　〃well；　gump；

now　you　has　done　it。　the　tour　is　canceled；　i　have　been　reassigned　to　a　weather　station　in　iceland；

an　i　do　not　know　or　care　what　is　to　bee　of　your　sorry　ass。〃　i　axed　colonel　gooch　if　we　could

get　ourselfs　a　co'；cola　now；　an　he　jus　look　at　me　for　a　minute；　then　start　that　talkin　to　hissef　again

an　laughin　that　weird；　nutty　laugh。



they　sent　me　to　fort　dix　after　that；　an　assign　me　to　the　steam　heat　pany。　all　day　an　haf

the　night　i　be　shovelin　coal　into　the　boilers　that　keep　the　barracks　warm。　the　pany

mander　is　a　kind　of　ole　guy　who　don'；t　seem　to　give　much　of　a　damn　bout　nothin；　an　he　say

when　i　get　there　i　has　just　got　two　more　years　left　in　the　army　before　i　am　discharged；　an　to　keep

my　nose　clean　an　everthin　will　be　okay。　an　that　is　what　i　am　tryin　to　do。　i　be　thinkin　a　lot　about

my　mama　an　bout　bubba　an　the　little　srimp　bidness　an　jenny　curran　up　at　harvard；　an　i　am

playin　a　little　ping…pong　on　the　side。



one　day　next　spring　there　is　a　notice　that　they　is　gonna　have　a　post　ping…pong　tournament　an

the　winner　will　get　to　go　to　washington　to　play　for　the　all　army　championship。　i　signed　mysef

up　an　it　was　pretty　easy　to　win　on　account　of　the　only　other　guy　that　was　any　good　had　got　his



　



fingers　blowed　off　in　the　war　an　kep　droppin　his　paddle。



next　week　i　am　sent　to　washington　an　the　tournament　is　bein　helt　at　walter　reed　hospital；

where　all　the　wounded　fellers　can　set　an　watch　us　play。　i　won　pretty　easy　the　first　roun；　an　the

secont　too；　but　in　the　third；　i　have　drawn　a　little　bitty　feller　who　puts　all　sorts　of　spin　on　the　ball

an　i　am　havin　a　terrible　time　with　him；　an　gettin　my　ass　whipped。　he　is　leadin　me　four　games　to

two　an　it　look　like　i　am　gonna　lose；　when　all　of　a　sudden　i　look　over　in　the　crowd　an　who　should

be　settin　there　in　a　wheelchair　but　lieutenant　dan　from　the　hospital　back　at　danang！



we　have　a　little　break　between　games　an　i　go　over　to　dan　an　look　down　at　him　an　he　ain'；t

got　no　legs　no　more。



〃they　had　to　take　them　off；　forrest；〃　he　say；　〃but　other　than　that；　i　am　jus　fine。〃



they　have　also　taken　off　the　bandages　from　his　face；　an　he　is　terrible　scarred　an　burnt　from

where　his　tank　caught　fire。　also；　he　still　have　a　tube　runnin　into　him　from　a　bottle　hooked　onto　a

pole　on　his　wheelchair。



〃they　say　they　gonna　leave　that　like　it　is；〃　dan　say。　〃they　think　it　looks　good　on　me。〃



anyhow；　he　lean　forward　an　look　me　in　the　eye；　an　say；　〃forrest；　i　believe　that　you　can　do

any　damn　thing　you　want　to。　i　have　been　watchin　you　play；　an　you　can　beat　this　little　guy　because

you　play　a　hell　of　a　game　of　ping…pong　an　it　is　your