He loves his grown kids. Look at him, and you'd call him the soberest of sober citizens. He has never had anything to do with another woman since he got married. He wouldn p t know how to go about it, and isn't about to try. And that's the story of this fellow. Just as silly as this girlfriend of yours, except that he doesn't talk about it. There are millions of such people." Pamela Tudsbury said, "A naval16 officer, you say?" "Yes, he's a naval officer." "Sounds like somebody I might like." The girl's voice was grainy and kind. Through the automobile17 noises outside, a vague sweeter sound drew nearer, and defined itself as a hand or an. "Oh listen!" Pam jumped up and went to the window. "When did you last hear one of those?" "A few of them wander around Washington all the time." He was at her side, looking down five stories to the organ grinder, who was almost hidden in a crowding circle of children. She slipped her hand in his and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Let's go down and watch the monkey. There must be one." "Sure." "First let me kiss you good-bye. On the street, I can't." She put her thin arms around him and kissed his mouth. Far below, the music of the hurdygurdy thumped18 and jangled. "What is that song?" she said, the breath of her mouth warm on his lips. "I don't recognize it. It's a little like Handel's Messiah." "It's called 'Yes, We Have No Bananas."' "How moving." "I love you," said Victor Henry, considerably19 surprising himself. She caressed20 his face, her eyes looking deep into his. "I love you. Come." On the street, in the hot late sunshine, the children were squealing21 and shouting as a monkey on the end of a light chain, with a red hat stuck fast on its head, turned somersaults. The hurdygurdy was still grinding the same song. The animal ran to Victor Henry, and balancing itself with its long curled tail, took off the hat and held it out. He dropped in a quarter. Taking the coin and biting it, the monkey tipped the hat, somersaulted back to his master, and dropped the coin in a box. It sat on the organ, grinning, chattering22, and rapidly tipping the hat. "If that critter could be taught to salute23," said Victor Henry, "he might have a hell of a naval career." Pamela looked up in his face and seized his hand. "You're doing as much as anybody I know-anybody, anybody-about this accursed war.""Well, Pam, have a safe trip home." He kissed her hand and walked rapidly off, leaving her among the laughing children. Belu'nd him the barrel organ wheezily started again on "Yes, We Have No Bananas." Acouple of days later, Victor Henry received an order to escort to the Memorial Day parade the oldest naval survivor24 of the Civil War. This struck him as strange, but he pushed aside a mound25 of work to obey. He picked the man up at a veterans' home, and drove with him to the reviewing stand on Pennsylvania Avenue. The man wore a threadbare uniform like an old play costume, and the dim eyes in his bony, withered26, caved-in face were cunningly alert. President Roosevelt's white linen28 suit and white straw hat glared in the bright sun, as he sat in his open car beside the stand. He gave the tottering29 ancient a strong handshake and bellowed30 at the box of his hearing aid, "Well, well! You look better than I do, old top. I bet you feel better." "I don't have your worries," quavered the veteran. The President threw his head back and laughed. "How would you like to watch the parade with me?" "Better than-bee bee-marching in it." "Come along. Come on, Pug, you sit with me too." The veteran soon fell asleep in the sunshine, and not even the booming and crashing of the brass31 bands could wake him. Roosevelt saluted32, waved, put his straw hat over his heart when a flag went by, and smiled obligingly for the newsreel men and photographers crowding around the slumbering33 veteran beside the President. "The Navy's my favorite," he said to Victor Henry, as blue Annapolis ranks swung by with set young faces under the tall hats. "They march better than those West Point cadets. Don't ever tell any Army men I said so! Say, Pug, incidentally, whom can I send over to London to head up our convoy command?" Pug sat dumbstruck. Ever since the press conference, the President had been sticking firmly to his no-convoy stance. "Well? Don't you know of anybody? We'll call him a 'special naval observer," of course, or something, until we get things started." The President's voice did not carry over the blaring brasses34 to the chauffeur35, nor to his naval aide in front, nor to the Secret Service men flanking the automobile. "Sir, are we going to convoy?" "You know perfectly36 well we will. We've got to."'When, Mr. President?" The President smiled wearily at Pug's bitter emphasis. He fumbled37 in his pocket. "I had an interesting chat with General Marshall this morning. This was the upshot." He showed Victor Henry a chit of paper scrawled38 with his own handwriting: Victor Henry read these frustrating39 figures while American flags streamed past him and the marine40 band blared out "The Stars and Stripes Forever." Meanwhile Roosevelt was searching through more chits, He handed another to Pug, while taking the salute of the marine formation as it stalked splendidly past. This was in another handwriting, in green ink, with the last line ringed in red: tv, 19-41 0 L7 170 "I'll take that," Roosevelt said, retrieving41 the chit. "Those are the figures, Pug, for the day after my speech." "Convoying would be a Navy job, sir. We're all ready." "If we get into war," said the President through a broad smile and a wave at schoolchildren cheering him "-and convoying might just do it -Hitler will at once walk into French West Africa. He'll have the Luftware at Dakar,"where they can jump over to Brazil. He'll put new sub marine pens there, too. The Azores will be in his palm. The people who are screaming for convoy now just ignore these things. Also the brute42 fact that eighty-two percent, eighty-two percent of our people don't want to go to war. Eighty-two percent." The Navy veteran was sitting up now, blinking, and working In", bony jaws43 and loose sunken mouth. "My, this is a fine parade. I still remember marching past President Lincoln," he said reedily. "There he stood, the President himself, all in black." The old man peered at the President. "And you're all in white. And you're sitting, bee bee." Victor Henry shrank with embarrassment44. Roosevelt laughed gaily45, "Well, there you are. Every President does things a little differently." He lit a cigarette in his long holder46, and puffed47. Boy Scouts48 in a brown mass Went stepping by, with heads and bright eyes turned toward the President. He waved his hat at them. "So far this year, Pug, we've produced twenty percent more automobiles49 than we made last year. And Congress wouldn't dream of giving me the power to stop it. Well? What about London? You didn't suggest anybody." Victor Henry diffidently named three well-known rear admirals. " "I know them," the President nodded. "The fact is, I was thinking of you. "It wouldn't work, Mr. President. Our man's opposite number in the Royal Navy will have flag rank.""Oh, that could be fixed50 up. We could make you an admiral temporarily." From the surprise, and perhaps a little from the beating sun overhead, Pug felt dizzy. "Mr. President, as you know, I just go where I'm ordered." 'Now, Pug, none of that. Frankly51, I like you right where you are. Deciding who gets what weapons and supplies is a big job. I'm glad you're working on it, because you have sense. But think about London." "Aye aye, sir." Pug returned the veteran to his nursing home, and went back to a piled-up desk. He got through a high heap of work and walked home, to give himself a chance to think. The city lay in holiday quiet. Connecticut Avenue was almost empty, the evening air was sweet and clear. Think about Londont Young couples on the benches in Dupont Circle turned and laughed, looking after the stocky man in Navy whites, striding along and humming a tune52 that had been popular before some of them were born. "Hey, what the Sam Hill?" Pug exclaimed, as he entered the living room. "Champagne53? And why are you gussied up like that? Whose birthday is it?" "Whose birthday, you old fool?" Rhoda stood, splendid in a pink silk frock, her eyes glittering with tears. "Don't you know? Can't you guess?" "I suppose I'm fouled54 up on my dates." "It's Victor Henry's birthday, that's whose birthday it is." "Are you potted? Mine's in March." "Oh, God, how dense55 the man is. Pug, at four o'clock this afternoon, Janice had a boy! You're a grandfather, you poor man, and his name is Victor Henry. And I'm a doddering old grandmother. And I love it. I love it! Oh, Pug!" Rhoda threw herself in his arms. They talked about the great event over the champagne, downing a whole bottle much too fast. Janice and her baby were in fine shape. The little elephant weighed nine and a half whole pounds! Rhoda had raced up to the naval hospital for a look at him in the glass cage. "He's the image of you, Pug," she said. "A small pink copy." "Poor kid," said Pug. "He'll have no luck with the women." "I like that!" exclaimed Rhoda, archly giggling56. "Didn't you have Marvelous luck? Anyway, Janice and the baby are coming to stay with us. She doesn't want to take him back to Hawaiifor a while. SO that makes the house decision urgent. Now, Pug, just today I got that old latin, in Foxhall Road to come down another five thousand! I say let's grab it'. That glorious lawn, those fine old elms! Sweetie, let's enjoy these coming years, let's wither27 in style, side by side, Grandma and Grandpa Henry. And let's always have lots of spare room for the grandchildren. Don't you think so?" Victor Henry stared at his wife for such a long time that she began to feel odd. He heaved a deep sigh and made a curious upward gesture with both palms. "Well, I'll tell you, Grandma. I couldn't agree with you moreThe time has come. Let's go to Foxhall Road by all means. And there we'll wither, side by side. Well said." "Oh, how Marvelous! I love you. I'll call the Charleroi Agency in the morning. Now let me see what's happened to the dinner." She hurried out, slim silky hips57 swaying. Pug Henry upended the champagne bottle over his glass, but only a drop or two ran out, as he sang softly: But yes, we have no bananas, We have no bananas today. Three weeks later the Germans invaded the Soviet58 union.
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1
bastard
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| n.坏蛋，混蛋；私生子 | |
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convoy
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| vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队 | |
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bulging
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| 膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱 | |
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lumbered
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| 砍伐（lumber的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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civilian
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| adj.平民的，民用的，民众的 | |
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civilians
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| 平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓 | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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maudlin
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| adj.感情脆弱的，爱哭的 | |
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agonizing
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| adj.痛苦难忍的；使人苦恼的v.使极度痛苦；折磨(agonize的ing形式) | |
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giggle
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| n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说 | |
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rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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automobile
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| n.汽车，机动车 | |
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thumped
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| v.重击， （指心脏）急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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caressed
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| 爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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squealing
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的现在分词 ) | |
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chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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23
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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survivor
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| n.生存者，残存者，幸存者 | |
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mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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wither
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| vt.使凋谢，使衰退，(用眼神气势等)使畏缩；vi.枯萎，衰退，消亡 | |
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linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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tottering
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| adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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brasses
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| n.黄铜( brass的名词复数 )；铜管乐器；钱；黄铜饰品（尤指马挽具上的黄铜圆片） | |
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35
chauffeur
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| n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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38
scrawled
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| 乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
frustrating
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| adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧 | |
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40
marine
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| adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵 | |
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41
retrieving
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| n.检索（过程），取还v.取回( retrieve的现在分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息） | |
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42
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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44
embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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holder
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| n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物 | |
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47
puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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48
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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automobiles
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| n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 ) | |
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50
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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52
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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champagne
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| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
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fouled
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| v.使污秽( foul的过去式和过去分词 )；弄脏；击球出界；（通常用废物）弄脏 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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giggling
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的现在分词 ) | |
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57
hips
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| abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的 | |
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Soviet
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| adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃 | |
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