阿甘正传(英文版)-第16章

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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　destiny　to　be　the　best。〃



i　nod　an　it　is　time　to　go　on　back　out　there；　an　after　that；　i　did　not　lose　a　single　point；　an　i　go

on　to　the　finals　an　win　the　whole　tournament。



i　was　there　for　about　three　days；　an　dan　an　me　got　to　spend　some　time　together。　i　would　roll

him　aroun　in　his　wheelchair；　sometimes　out　in　the　garden　where　he　could　get　some　sun；　an　at

night　i　would　play　my　harmonica　for　him　like　i　did　for　bubba。　mostly；　he　liked　to　talk　bout

things—　all　sorts　of　things—　such　as　history　and　philosophy；　an　one　day　he　is　talkin　bout　einstein'；s

theory　of　relativity；　an　what　it　mean　in　terms　of　the　universe。　well；　i　got　me　a　piece　of　paper　an　i

drawed　it　out　for　him；　the　whole　formula；　cause　it　was　somethin　we　had　to　do　in　the　intermediate

light　class　back　at　the　university。　he　look　at　what　i　have　done；　an　he　say；　〃forrest；　you　never

cease　to　amaze　me。〃



one　day　when　i　was　back　at　fort　dihovelin　coal　in　the　steam　heat　pany；　a　feller

from　the　pentagon　showed　up　with　a　chest　full　of　medals　an　a　big　smile　on　his　face；　an　he　say；

〃p。f。c。　gump；　it　is　my　pleasure　to　inform　you　that　you　is　been　chosen　as　a　member　of　the　united

states　ping…pong　team　to　go　to　red　china　an　play　the　chinese　in　ping…pong。　this　is　a　special

honor；　because　for　the　first　time　in　nearly　twenty…five　years　our　country　is　having　anything　to　do

with　the　chinamen；　an　it　is　an　event　far　more　important　than　any　damn　ping…pong　game。　it　is

diplomacy；　and　the　future　of　the　human　race　might　be　at　stake。　do　you　understand　what　i　am

saying？〃



i　shrug　my　shoulders　an　nod　my　head；　but　somethin　down　in　me　sinkin　fast。　i　am　jus　a　po　ole

idiot；　an　now　i　have　got　the　whole　human　race　to　look　after。　　


　．．



阿甘正传（英文版）9

　　



here　i　am；　halfway　roun　the　world　again；　this　time　in　peking；　china。



the　other　people　that　play　on　the　ping…pong　team　are　real　nice　fellers　what　e　from　ever

walk　of　life；　an　they　is　specially　nice　to　me。　the　chinamen　is　nice；　too；　an　they　is　very　different

sorts　of　gooks　from　what　i　seen　in　vietnam。　first　off；　they　is　neat　an　clean　an　very　polite。　second；

they　is　not　tryin　to　murder　me。



the　american　state　department　have　sent　a　feller　with　us　who　is　there　to　tell　us　how　to

behave　aroun　the　chinamen；　an　of　all　i　have　met；　he　is　the　only　one　not　so　nice。　in　fact；　he　is　a

turd。　mister　wilkins　is　his　name；　an　he　have　a　little　thin　moustache　and　always　carry　a　briefcase

an　worry　about　whether　or　not　his　shoes　is　shined　an　his　pants　is　pressed　or　his　shirt　is　clean。　i　bet

in　the　mornin　he　get　up　an　spit…shines　his　asshole。



mister　wilkins　is　always　on　my　case。　〃gump；〃　he　say；　〃when　a　chinaman　bow　to　you；　you

gotta　bow　back。　gump；　you　gotta　quit　adjustin　yoursef　in　public。　gump；　what　are　them　stains　on

your　trousers？　gump；　you　have　got　the　table　manners　of　a　hog。〃



in　that　last；　maybe　he　is　right。　them　chinamen　eat　with　two　little　sticks　an　it　is　almost

impossible　to　shovel　any　food　in　your　mouth　with　em；　an　so　a　lot　of　it　wind　up　on　my　clothes。　no

wonder　you　do　not　see　a　lot　of　fat　chinamen　aroun。　you　would　think　they　would　of　learnt　to　use　a

fork　by　now。



anyway；　we　is　playin　a　whole　lot　of　matches　against　the　chinamen　an　they　has　got　some

very　good　players。　but　we　is　holdin　our　own。　at　night　they　has　almost　always　got　somethin　for　us

to　do；　such　as　go　out　for　supper　someplace；　or　listen　to　a　concert。　one　night；　we　is　all　sposed　to　go

out　to　a　restaurant　called　the　peking　duck；　an　when　i　get　down　to　the　lobby　of　the　hotel；　mister

wilkins　say；　〃gump；　you　has　got　to　go　back　to　your　room　an　change　that　shirt。　it　look　like　you

has　been　in　a　food　fight　or　somethin。〃　he　take　me　over　to　the　hotel　desk　an　get　a　chinaman　who

speak　english　to　write　a　little　note　for　me；　saying　in　chinese　that　i　am　goin　to　the　peking　duck

restaurant；　an　tell　me　to　give　it　to　the　cab　driver。



〃we　are　going　ahead；〃　mister　wilkins　say。　〃you　give　the　driver　the　note　an　he　will　take　you

there。〃　so　i　gone　on　back　to　my　room　an　put　on　a　new　shirt。



anyhow；　i　find　a　cab　in　front　of　the　hotel　an　get　in；　an　he　drive　away。　i　be　searchin　for　the

note　to　give　him；　but　by　the　time　i　figger　out　i　must　of　lef　it　in　my　dirty　shirt；　we　is　long　gone　in

the　middle　of　town。　the　driver　keep　jabberin　back　at　me；　i　reckon　he'；s　axin　me　where　i　want　to

go；　an　i　keep　sayin；　〃peking　duck；　peking　duck；〃　but　he　be　thowin　up　his　hans　an　givin　me　a　tour

of　the　city。



all　this　go　on　for　bout　a　hour；　an　let　me　tell　you；　i　have　seed　some　sights。　finally　i　tap　him

on　the　shoulder　an　when　he　turn　aroun；　i　say；　〃peking　duck；〃　an　start　to　flap　my　arms　like　they　is

ducks'；　wings。　all　of　a　sudden；　the　driver　get　a　big　ole　smile；　an　he　start　noddin　an　drive　off。　ever

once　in　a　wile　he　look　back　at　me；　an　i　start　flappin　my　wings　again。　bout　a　hour　later；　he　stop　an

i　look　out　the　winder　an　damn　if　he　ain'；t　took　me　to　the　airport！



well；　by　this　time；　it　is　gettin　late；　an　i　ain'；t　had　no　dinner　or　nothin；　an　i'；m　gettin　bout

starved；　so　we　pass　this　restaurant　an　i　tole　the　driver　to　let　me　out。　i　han　him　a　wad　of　this　gook

money　they　give　us；　an　he　han　me　some　back　an　away　he　go。



i　went　in　the　restaurant　an　set　down　an　i　might　as　well　of　been　on　the　moon。　this　lady　e

over　an　look　at　me　real　funny；　an　han　me　a　menu；　but　it　is　in　chinese；　so　after　a　wile；　i　jus　point　to

four　or　five　different　things　an　figger　one　of　them　has　to　be　eatable。　actually；　they　was　all　pretty

good。　when　i　am　thru；　i　paid　up　an　went　on　out　on　the　street　an　try　to　fine　my　way　back　to　the

hotel；　but　i　be　walkin　for　hours　i　guess；　when　they　pick　me　up。



next　thing　i　knowed；　i　has　been　thown　in　jail。　they　is　a　big　ole　chinaman　what　speak



　



english；　an　he　is　axin　me　all　sorts　of　questions　an　offerin　me　cigarettes；　jus　like　they　did　in

them　old　movies。　it　were　the　nex　afternoon　before　they　finally　got　me　out；　mister　wilkins　e

down　to　the　jail　an　he　is　talkin　for　bout　a　hour；　an　they　let　me　go。



mister　wilkins　is　hoppin　mad。　〃do　you　realize；　gump；　that　they　think　you　are　a　spy？〃　he

say。　〃do　you　know　what　this　can　do　to　this　whole　effort？　are　you　crazy？〃



i　started　to　tell　him；　〃no；　i　is　jus　a　idiot；〃　but　i　let　it　go。　anyhow；　after　that；　mister　wilkins

buy　a　big　balloon　from　a　street　vender　an　tied　it　on　my　shirt　button；　so　he　can　tell　where　i　is　〃at　all

times。〃　also；　from　then　on；　he　pinned　a　note　on　my　lapel；　sayin　who　i　was　an　where　i　am　stayin。

it　made　me　feel　like　a　fool。



one　day　they　load　us　up　in　a　bus　an　take　us　way　out　of　town　to　a　big　river　an　they　is　a　lot　of

chinamen　standin　aroun　lookin　official　an　all；　an　the　reason；　we　find　out　soon　enough；　is　that　the

head　chinaman　of　them　all；　chairman　mao；　is　there。



chairman　mao　is　a　big　ole　fat　budda…lookin　guy；　an　he　has　taken　off　his　pajaymas　an　is　in

his　swimming　trunks　an　they　says　chairman　mao　at　the　age　of　eighty　is　gonna　swim　this　river　by

hissef　an　they　want　us　to　watch　him　do　it。



well；　the　chairman；　he　wade　on　in　an　start　swimming　an　folks　is　takin　pichers　an　all　them

other　chinamen　be　chatterin　away　an　lookin　pleased。　he　is　bout　halfway　cross　the　river；　when　he

stop　an　raise　his　han　an　wave　at　us。　everbody　wave　back。



bout　a　minute　later；　he　wave　again；　an　everbody　wave　back。



not　too　long　after　that；　chairman　mao　wave　for　a　third　time；　an　suddenly　it　begun　to　dawn

on　everbody　that　he　is　not　waving；　he　is　drownin！



well；　the　shit　done　hit　the　fan；　an　i　finally　understan　what　a　〃chinese　fire　drill〃　is。　people　is

jumpin　in　the　water　an　boats　is　racin　out　from　the　other　side　of　the　river　an　everbody　on　shore　is

cryin　an　leapin　up　an　down　an　smackin　they　palms　against　the　side　of　they　heads。　i　say；　the　hell

with　this；　cause　i　saw　where　he　went　under；　an　i　thowed　off　my　shoes　an　into　the　river　i　went。　i

past　all　the　chinamen　who　was　swimming　out　there　an　got　to　the　place　where　chairman　mao　had

gone　under。　the　boat　be　circlin；　an　people　lookin　over　the　sides　like　they　is　gonna　see　somethin；

which　was　kind　of　silly　since　the　river　is　bout　the　same　color　as　sewer　water　back　home。



anyhow；　i　dived　down　three　or　four　times　an　sure　enough；　i　bumped　into　the　ole　bastid

floatin　aroun　underwater。　i　haul　him　up　an　some　chinamen　grapped　him　an　thowed　him　in　the

boat　an　took　off。　didn'；t　even　bother　to　take　me　along；　an　so'；s　i　have　got　to　swim　all　the　way　back

by　mysef。



when　i　get　to　the　bank；　all　the　people　there　be　jumpin　up　an　down　an　cryin　an　slappin　me　on

the　back；　an　they　pick　me　up　an　carry　me　on　they　shoulders　to　the　bus。　but　when　we　is　on　the

road　again；　mister　wilkins　e　up　to　me　an　be　shakin　his　head。　〃you　big　dumb　goof；〃　he　say；

〃do　you　not　realize　that　the　best　thing　that　could　of　happened　for　the　united　states　was　to　let　that

sumbitch　drown！　you；　gump；　is　lost　us　the　opportunity　of　a　lifetime。〃



so　i　guess　i　done　s