The Long Goodbye level 6.docx
- 文档编号:8796834
- 上传时间:2023-02-01
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:49
- 大小:61.77KB
The Long Goodbye level 6.docx
《The Long Goodbye level 6.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《The Long Goodbye level 6.docx(49页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
TheLongGoodbyelevel6
Introduction
Thatnight,TerrywouldhavetoldmethestoryofhislifeifI'daskedhim.IfIhadasked,andifhehadtoldme,itmighthavesavedacoupleoflives.Itmighthave.
TerryLennoxisadrunk.PhilipMarlowe,privatedetective,knowsit'salwaysamistaketotrytohelpdrunks.Butthen,Marloweisalwaysonthesideoflosers.Perhapsthat'swhyhedecidestohelpLennoxgetawaywhenhe'sintrouble.
ButthenthebodyofSylviaLennoxisfound.Marlowecan'tbelievethatLennoxkilledhiswife,butthepolicecertainlydo.Suddenly,whereverMarlowegoes,whateverhedoes,TerryLennox'sstrangelifeseemstofollowhimaround.
ItwillstaythatwayuntilMarlowecanfindsomeanswers.Buttofindanswers,youhavetoknowwhatthequestionsare...
RaymondChandlerisoneofthegreatestofallmoderndetectivewriters.HeturnedthetoughAmericancrimestoryintoakindofart.Hewasbornin1888inChicago,Illinois,butwasbroughtupandeducatedinEngland.AfterfightinginFranceduringtheFirstWorldWar,hereturnedtotheUnitedStatesandtookamanagerialjobwithanoilcompany.Herosetoahighpositionintheorganizationuntilhewassackedin1932,fornottakinghisjobseriously.Itwasthenthathedecidedtowriteforaliving.By1938hehadwrittensixteenstories.Theheroofhisfirstnovel,TheBigSleep(1939),wasPhilipMarlowe.Thiswasagreatsuccess,andMarloweappearedinseveralotherbooks,includingFarewell,MyLovely(1940),TheHighWindow(1942),TheLadyintheLake(1944),andTheLongGoodbye(1953).
Inhislastfewyears,Chandlersufferedfromdepressionandillhealth,andbegandrinkingheavily.Hediedin1959.
Chapter1BustoLasVegas
ThefirsttimeIsawTerryLennoxhewassittinginaRolls-Royceinfrontofafancyrestaurant,andhewasverydrunk.Hehadayoungman'sfacebuthishairwaswhiteassnow.Youcouldseehewasdrunkbylookingathiseyes;otherwisehelookedlikeanyyoungmanwhohadbeenspendingtoomuchmoneyinaplacethatwastheretotakeyourmoney.
Therewasawomanbesidehim.Herhairwasaprettydarkredandshehadadistantsmileonherlips.
'Ihaveawonderfulidea,darling,'thewomansaid,tryingtobenice.'Whydon'twetakeataxitoyourplaceandgetyourlittlecarout?
It'sawonderfulnightforarideupthecoast.'
Themansaid'Awfullysorry,butIdon'thaveitanymore.Hadtosellit.'Hespokeclearly.
'Soldit,darling?
Whatdoyoumean?
'Sheslidawayfromhim,buthervoiceslidevenfurther.
'Ihadto.Hadtoeat.'
'Oh,Isee.'Apieceoficewouldn'thavemeltedonhernow.
Rightthen,thecardoorseemedtoopenitselfandtheyoungmanfellofftheseatandlanded,sitting,ontheground.SoIwentoverandstuckmynoseintheirbusiness,althoughit'salwaysamistaketointerferewithpeoplewhoaredrunk.Ipickedhimupandputhimonhisfeet.
'Thankyousomuch,'hesaidpolitely.IthoughtIheardanaccent.
'HeissoEnglishwhenhe'sdrunk,'shesaidinahardvoice.'Thanksforcatchinghim.'
'I'llgethiminthebackofthecar,'Isaid.
'Sorry,mister,butI'mlateforanappointment.'Shestartedtodriveoff.'He'sjustalostdog,'sheadded.'Perhapsyoucanfindagoodhomeforhim.'Andthenshewasgone.Andtheguywasasleepinmyarms.
Icarriedhimtomycar.Hewasheavy.AsIputhiminthefrontseat,hewokeupandthankedmeagain,andwentbacktosleep.HewasthepolitestdrunkI'devermet.WhileIdrove,Ilookedathimonceinawhile.Therightsideofhisfacewasonebigscarthatthedoctorshadworkedon.Theyhadn'tfailedbuttheyhadn'tsucceededeither.
IwaslivingthatyearinahouseonYuccaAvenueintheLaurelCanyonarea.Therentwaslow,partlybecausetheownerdidn'twantawrittenagreement,andpartlybecauseofthesteps.Shewasgettingoldandtheyweretoosteepforher.
Igothimupthemsomehow.Inside,Iputhimonthesofaandlethimgobacktosleep.Hesleptforanhour.Whenhewokeup,helookedaroundandatme,andwantedtoknowwherehewas.Itoldhim.HesaidhisnamewasTerryLennoxandthathelivedinWestwood,alone.Hisvoicewassteady.Hesaidhecouldhandleacupofcoffee.
WhenIbroughtit,heaskedmewhyhewashere.Itoldhimhehadpassedoutoutsidearestaurantandhisgirlhaddrivenoffandlefthim.Hesaidhecouldn'tblameher.
'YouEnglish?
'Iasked.
'Ilivedthereonce.Iwasn'tbornthere.'
HefinishedthecoffeeandIdrovehimhome.Hedidn'tsaymuchontheway,exceptthathewassorry.Hehadprobablysaiditsooftenthatitwasautomatic.
Hisapartmentwassmallandempty.Therewasalittlefurniturebutnopersonalitemsatall.Itdidn'tlooklikeaplacewhereanybodylived.Heofferedmeadrink.Isaidno.WhenIleft,hethankedmeagain,butnotasifIhadclimbedamountainforhimandnotasifitwasnothingatall.Hewasshybutverypolite.Whateverhedidn'thave,hehadmanners.
Drivinghome,Ithoughtabouthim.I'msupposedtobetoughbutthisonebotheredme.Ididn'tknowwhy,unlessitwasthewhitehairandthescarandtheclearvoice.TherewasnoreasonIshouldseehimagain,though.Hewasjustalostdog,likethewomansaid.
♦
ItwasamonthlaterwhenIdidseehimagain,aboutthreeblocksfrommyoffice.Therewasapolicecarstoppedinthemiddleofthestreet,andthemeninsidewerestaringatsomethingonthekerb.ThatsomethingwasTerryLennox-orwhatwasleftofhim.Hisshirtwasdirtyandopenattheneck.Hehadn'tshavedforfourorfivedays.Hisskinwassopalethatthescarhardlyshowed.Itwasobviouswhythepolicemenwerelookingathim,soIwentovertherefastandtookholdofhisarm.
'Standupandwalk,'Isaid.'Canyoudoit?
'
Helookedatmeandnoddedslowly.Iwasn'tevensureherecognizedme.'I'mjustalittleempty,'hesaid.
Hemadetheeffortandletmewalkhimtothestreet.Therewasataxithere.Iopenedthebackdoorandgothiminside.Thepolicecarpulledup.Acopwithgreyhairaskedme,'Whathavewegothere?
'
'He'snotdrunk,'Isaid.'He'safriend.'
'That'snice,'thecopsaidsarcastically.HewasstilllookingatTerry.'What'syourfriend'sname,pal?
'
'PhilipMarlowe,'Terrysaidslowly.'HelivesonYuccaAvenueinLaurelCanyon.'
Thecopstaredatusboth.Hewasmakingadecision.Ittookhimalittlewhile.'OK.Gethimoffthestreetatleast.'Thepolicecardroveaway.
Wewenttoaplacewhereyoucouldgethamburgersthatyoucouldactuallyeat.IfedLennoxacoupleandabottleofbeerandtookhimtomyplace.Anhourlater,hewasshavedandclean,andhelookedhumanagain.Imadetwoverymilddrinksandwetalkedaswedrank.
'Luckyyourememberedmyname,'Isaid.
'Notonlythat,'hesaid.'Ilookedupyourphonenumber,too.'
'Sowhydidn'tyoucall?
Ilivehereallthetime.'
'WhyshouldIbotheryou?
'
'Lookslikeyououghttohavebotheredsomeone.'
'Askingforhelpisn'teasy,'hesaid.'Especiallywhenit'sallyourownfault.'Helookedupwithatiredsmile.'MaybeIcanstopdrinkingoneofthesedays.Theyallsaythat,don'tthey?
'
'Ittakesaboutthreeyears.'
'Threeyears?
'Helookedshocked.
Heturnedandlookedattheclockandchangedthesubject.'IhaveasuitcaseworthtwohundreddollarsdownattheHollywoodbusstation.Icouldgetmoneyforit.Maybenottwohundreddollars,butenoughforabustickettoLasVegas,andIcouldgetajobthere.'
Ididn'tsayanything.
'AmanIknewwellinthearmyrunsabigclubthere.Hisname'sRandyStarr.'
Somethingmusthaveshownonmyface.'Yes,'hecontinued,'he'spartgangsterbuttheyallare,andtheotherpartofhimisn'tbad.'
'Icangiveyouthebusfareandsomeextra,'Isaid.
Heshookhishead.
'Iwantyououtofmyhair,'Iexplained.'I'vegotafeelingaboutyou.'
'Youhave?
'Helookeddownintohisglass.'We'veonlymettwice.Whatsortoffeeling?
'
'Afeelingthatnexttimewemeet,I'llfindyouinworsetroublethanIcangetyououtof.Idon'tknowwhyIhavethisfeeling,butIdo.'
Hetouchedhisscargently.'Maybeit'sthis.Makesmelookliketrouble,Isuppose.ButIgotithonestly.'
'It'snotthat,'Isaid.'It'sthis.I'maprivatedetectiveandyou'reaproblemthatIdon'thavetosolve.Buttheproblem'sthere.Maybethatgirldidn'tdriveawaythattimejustbecauseyouweredrunk.Maybeshehadafeeling,too.'
Hesmiledfaintly.'Iwasmarriedtoheronce.HernameisstillLennox.Imarriedherforhermoney.'Whenhesawmyface,hissmiledisappeared.'You'rewonderingwhyIdidn'taskherforhelp.Didyoueverhearofpride?
'
'You'rekillingme,Lennox.'
'Myprideisdifferent.It'stheprideofamanwhohasnothingelse.Sorryifitbothersyou.'
Itbotheredmeandhebotheredme,too,althoughIcouldn'tunderstandexactlywhy.AnymorethanIknewwhyamanwouldstarveandwalkthestreetsbeforehe'dsellasuitcase.Whateverhisruleswere,though,heplayedbythem.
Iwentdowntothebusstationandgothissuitcaseforhim.WhenIcameback,hesaidhehadcalledhispalinLasVegas.'HewassoreatmebecauseIhadn'tcalledhimbefore.'
'Ittakesastrangertohelpyou,'Isaid,andputahundreddollarsinfrontofhim.'Andtakethesuitcasewithyou.Youmightneedtosellitlater.'
'Idon'twantit,'hesaid.'Ifyoulike,youcankeepitforme.'
Hechangedhisclothesandwewentoutfordinner.Nodrinks.Afterwards,hecaughtthebusandIdrovehomethinkingaboutthisandthat.
♦
Atnine-thirty,thetelephonerangandthevoicethatspokewasoneIhadheardoncebefore.
'IsthisMrPhilipMarlowe?
'
'Itis.'
'ThisisSylviaLennox,MrMarlowe.Wemetforamomentonenightlastmonth.Iheardafterwardsthatyouhadbeenkindeno
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- The Long Goodbye level