01-07-象人 [5]
来说是最好的地方。”他慢慢地说完了这些。我问：“你这是什么意思？为什么？”他不看我，他把那束花放在那张照片上，仔细地看着。他说：“灯塔四周是大海，对不对？在那里没有人朝我看，所以在那里我会幸福的。盲人什么也看不见，所以他们也看不见我，是不是？”我说：“约瑟夫，这就是你的家，现在你就住在这儿，你不要离开医院。”
他说：“不可能是今天，但很快。您是一个好人，特里维斯博士。我不能在这儿呆很长时间，我没有钱。”我笑着说：“约瑟夫，现在这儿就是你的家。你难道还不知道你可以在这儿呆一辈子吗？”于是我把如何为了他与《泰晤士报》联系的那封信及有关钱的来历详详细细地告诉了他。
开始我担心他不能理解此事，所以就又说了一遍。他沉默了片刻，然后站起来在房间里很快地来回走动着，并发出一种奇怪的声音，像是在大笑。
■ Chapter 5 An Important Visitor
I did not want Merrick to live by himself, like a man in a lighthouse. He read his books, and talked to me, but I wanted him to talk to more people. And I wanted him to talk to women.
Merrick read about women in his books, but he did not often talk to women. He met the nurses every day, but they did not talk to him very much. For them, he was always a creature, not a man.
One day, one of my friends, a beautiful young woman, came to the hospital. I told her about Merrick, and took her to his room. She opened the door, and smiled at him.
'Good morning, Mr Merrick, 'she said. Then she shook his hand.
Merrick looked at her for a minute with his mouth open. Then he sat down on his bed, with his head in his hand, and cried. He cried for nearly five minutes. The tears ran down his face, between his fingers, and onto the floor.
My friend sat on the bed beside him and put her hand on his arm. She said nothing, but she smiled at him and shookhis hand again before she left.
'Dr Treves, 'he said to me that night. 'That lady was wonderful! My mother smiled at me once, many years ago, but no women smile at me now. But this lady smiled at me too, and she shook my hand! A beautiful lady smiled at me and shook my hand! '
My young lady friend came again the next week, and talked to Merrick for half an hour. The week after that, she came again with a friend. They gave him some books, and had a cup of tea with him. It was wonderful for him. For the first time in his life, he had some friends. He was a very happy man. He sat in his room, and read his books, and said no more about living on a lighthouse.
People began to read about Merrick in the newspapers, sohe had a lot of visitors. Everybody wanted to see him. A lot of important ladies and gentlemen visited him. They smiled at him, shook his hand, and gave him books. Merrick liked talk-ing to these people, and he began to forget about his uglybody. His visitors never laughed at him. He began to feel like a man, not a creature.
One wonderful day, a very important lady came to the hospital to visit him. I met the lady, and took her to his room. Then I opened the door, and smiled at him.
'Good morning, Joseph, 'I said. 'There is a new visitor to see you today. A very famous lady. '
Merrick stood up beside his table. He did not smile, because his face could not smile, but his eyes looked happy.
'That's good, 'he said. 'Who is it？'
I moved away from the door, and the visitor walked in. 'Your Majesty, this is Joseph Merrick, 'I said. 'Joseph, this is Her Majesty, Queen Alexandra, the Queen of England. '
Queen Alexandra smiled at him. 'How do you do, Mr Merrick, 'She said. 'I'm very pleased to meet you. 'Then she shook his hand.
Merrick did not move. For nearly half a minute he stood and looked at her with his mouth open. Then he spoke, in his strange, slow voice.
'How… how do you do, Your Majesty, 'he said. But I don't think the Queen understood him, because he tried to get down on his knees at the same time. It was very difficult for him, because of his enormous legs.
'No, please, Mr Merrick, do get up, 'said the Queen. 'I would like to talk to you. Can we sit at your table？'
'Yes…yes, of course, 'he said. They sat at the table. She took his left hand, the good hand, in hers. She looked at the hand carefully, and then smiled at Merrick again.
'I often read about you in the newspapers, 'she said. 'You are a very interesting man, Mr Merrick. You have a very difficult life, but people say you're happy. Is it true？ Are you happy now？'
'Oh, yes, Your Majesty, yes! 'said Merrick. 'I'm a very happy man! I have a home here now, and friends, and my books. I'm happy every hour of the day! '
他说：“不可能是今天，但很快。您是一个好人，特里维斯博士。我不能在这儿呆很长时间，我没有钱。”我笑着说：“约瑟夫，现在这儿就是你的家。你难道还不知道你可以在这儿呆一辈子吗？”于是我把如何为了他与《泰晤士报》联系的那封信及有关钱的来历详详细细地告诉了他。
开始我担心他不能理解此事，所以就又说了一遍。他沉默了片刻，然后站起来在房间里很快地来回走动着，并发出一种奇怪的声音，像是在大笑。
■ Chapter 5 An Important Visitor
I did not want Merrick to live by himself, like a man in a lighthouse. He read his books, and talked to me, but I wanted him to talk to more people. And I wanted him to talk to women.
Merrick read about women in his books, but he did not often talk to women. He met the nurses every day, but they did not talk to him very much. For them, he was always a creature, not a man.
One day, one of my friends, a beautiful young woman, came to the hospital. I told her about Merrick, and took her to his room. She opened the door, and smiled at him.
'Good morning, Mr Merrick, 'she said. Then she shook his hand.
Merrick looked at her for a minute with his mouth open. Then he sat down on his bed, with his head in his hand, and cried. He cried for nearly five minutes. The tears ran down his face, between his fingers, and onto the floor.
My friend sat on the bed beside him and put her hand on his arm. She said nothing, but she smiled at him and shookhis hand again before she left.
'Dr Treves, 'he said to me that night. 'That lady was wonderful! My mother smiled at me once, many years ago, but no women smile at me now. But this lady smiled at me too, and she shook my hand! A beautiful lady smiled at me and shook my hand! '
My young lady friend came again the next week, and talked to Merrick for half an hour. The week after that, she came again with a friend. They gave him some books, and had a cup of tea with him. It was wonderful for him. For the first time in his life, he had some friends. He was a very happy man. He sat in his room, and read his books, and said no more about living on a lighthouse.
People began to read about Merrick in the newspapers, sohe had a lot of visitors. Everybody wanted to see him. A lot of important ladies and gentlemen visited him. They smiled at him, shook his hand, and gave him books. Merrick liked talk-ing to these people, and he began to forget about his uglybody. His visitors never laughed at him. He began to feel like a man, not a creature.
One wonderful day, a very important lady came to the hospital to visit him. I met the lady, and took her to his room. Then I opened the door, and smiled at him.
'Good morning, Joseph, 'I said. 'There is a new visitor to see you today. A very famous lady. '
Merrick stood up beside his table. He did not smile, because his face could not smile, but his eyes looked happy.
'That's good, 'he said. 'Who is it？'
I moved away from the door, and the visitor walked in. 'Your Majesty, this is Joseph Merrick, 'I said. 'Joseph, this is Her Majesty, Queen Alexandra, the Queen of England. '
Queen Alexandra smiled at him. 'How do you do, Mr Merrick, 'She said. 'I'm very pleased to meet you. 'Then she shook his hand.
Merrick did not move. For nearly half a minute he stood and looked at her with his mouth open. Then he spoke, in his strange, slow voice.
'How… how do you do, Your Majesty, 'he said. But I don't think the Queen understood him, because he tried to get down on his knees at the same time. It was very difficult for him, because of his enormous legs.
'No, please, Mr Merrick, do get up, 'said the Queen. 'I would like to talk to you. Can we sit at your table？'
'Yes…yes, of course, 'he said. They sat at the table. She took his left hand, the good hand, in hers. She looked at the hand carefully, and then smiled at Merrick again.
'I often read about you in the newspapers, 'she said. 'You are a very interesting man, Mr Merrick. You have a very difficult life, but people say you're happy. Is it true？ Are you happy now？'
'Oh, yes, Your Majesty, yes! 'said Merrick. 'I'm a very happy man! I have a home here now, and friends, and my books. I'm happy every hour of the day! '