Chapter 4

 And, while Leora Duncan was posing for her portrait, into the waitingroom bounded Dr. Hitz himself. He was seven feet tall, and he boomed with importance, accomplishments¹, and the joy of living.

 

"Well, Miss Duncan! Miss Duncan!" he said, and he made a joke. "What are you doing here?" he said. "This isn't where the people leave. This is where they come in!"

 

"We're going to be in the same picture together," she said shyly.

 

"Good!" said Dr. Hitz heartily². "And, say, isn't that some picture?"

 

"I sure am honored to be in it with you," she said.

 

"Let me tell you," he said, "I'm honored to be in it with you. Without women like you, this wonderful world we've got wouldn't be possible."

 

He saluted³ her and moved toward the door that led to the delivery rooms. "Guess what was just born," he said.

 

"I can't," she said.

 

"Triplets!" he said.

 

"Triplets!" she said. She was exclaiming over the legal implications of triplets.

 

The law said that no newborn child could survive unless the parents of the child could find someone who would volunteer to die. Triplets, if they were all to live, called for three volunteers.

 

"Do the parents have three volunteers?" said Leora Duncan.

 

"Last I heard," said Dr. Hitz, "they had one, and were trying to scrape another two up."

 

"I don't think they made it," she said. "Nobody made three appointments with us. Nothing but singles going through today, unless somebody called in after I left. What's the name?"

 

"Wehling," said the waiting father, sitting up, red-eyed and frowzy⁴. "Edward K. Wehling, Jr., is the name of the happy father-to-be."

 

He raised his right hand, looked at a spot on the wall, gave a hoarsely⁵ wretched chuckle⁶. "Present," he said.

 

"Oh, Mr. Wehling," said Dr. Hitz, "I didn't see you."

 

"The invisible man," said Wehling.

 

"They just phoned me that your triplets have been born," said Dr. Hitz. "They're all fine, and so is the mother. I'm on my way in to see them now."

 

"Hooray," said Wehling emptily.

 

"You don't sound very happy," said Dr. Hitz.

 

"What man in my shoes wouldn't be happy?" said Wehling. He gestured with his hands to symbolize⁷ care-free simplicity⁸. "All I have to do is pick out which one of the triplets is going to live, then deliver my maternal⁹ grandfather to the Happy Hooligan, and come back here with a receipt."

 

1 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

3 saluted   

v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂

参考例句：

• The sergeant stood to attention and saluted. 中士立正敬礼。
• He saluted his friends with a wave of the hand. 他挥手向他的朋友致意。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 frowzy   

adj.不整洁的；污秽的

参考例句：

• The drowsy browser knits its brows to browbeat the frowzy crow.昏昏欲睡的吃草动物皱眉头恐吓邋遢的乌鸦。
• The frowzy street was disgusting.那条肮脏的街道令人作呕。

5 hoarsely   

adv.嘶哑地

参考例句：

• "Excuse me," he said hoarsely. “对不起。”他用嘶哑的嗓子说。
• Jerry hoarsely professed himself at Miss Pross's service. 杰瑞嘶声嘶气地表示愿为普洛丝小姐效劳。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

6 chuckle   

vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑

参考例句：

• He shook his head with a soft chuckle.他轻轻地笑着摇了摇头。
• I couldn't suppress a soft chuckle at the thought of it.想到这个，我忍不住轻轻地笑起来。

7 symbolize   

vt.作为...的象征，用符号代表

参考例句：

• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。
• Dolphins symbolize the breath of life.海豚象征着生命的气息。

8 simplicity   

n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯

参考例句：

• She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
• The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

9 maternal   

adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的

参考例句：

• He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
• The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。