Chapter 13

　　Beat. Awkward silence. Suddenly there is tension between them.

　　ROBERTMy mistake. I apologize.

　　FRANCESCAWhat made you ask such a question?

　　ROBERTI thought that's what we weredoing -- asking questions.

　　FRANCESCA(defensive)I thought we were just having aconversation. You seem to be readingall this meaning into it. Meanings Imust be too simple to, uh...

　　interpret or something.

　　ROBERTI already apologized.

　　Silence. Robert remains¹ seated. Francesca remains at the sink.

　　ROBERT (cont'd)It's getting late.

　　(rises)Thank you for dinner.

　　Pause. Francesca feels badly.

　　FRANCESCAListen, I'm sorry I --ROBERTNo, no. Forgive me. I made a mistake.

　　It was an inappropriate thing to ask.

　　FRANCESCA(shrugs it off, then:)... I feel like something's beenspoiled now.

　　Robert smiles and crosses to her. He takes her hand into bothhis hands.

　　ROBERTIt's been a perfect evening. Just theway it is. Thank you.

　　Francesca smiles. The possibility of a kiss hangs in the airbetween them until Robert turns to get his film out of thefridge. As he exits through the screen door, he stops.

　　ROBERT (cont'd)One thing though -- don't kid yourself,Francesca. You're anything but asimple woman.

　　He smiles and exits, catching² the screen door before itslams.

　　Francesca doesn't move for a moment, then crosses to the dooras if to run after him when she is stopped by the PHONERINGING. She picks up.

　　FRANCESCAHello?

　　RICHARD (on phone)Franny?

　　FRANCESCARichard, hi.

　　RICHARD (on phone)How are you?

　　FRANCESCAFine. Everyone settled in okay?

　　RICHARD (on phone)Just fine. We're all in one room.

　　Michael's on the couch andCarolyn's...

　　(continues...)She hears Robert's truck door open and close. She hears themotor being turned on. She half-listens to Richard.

　　FRANCESCAUh-uh... good... Hmmm...

　　She hears the truck driving away as Richard continues:

　　RICHARD (on phone)We got our position in the Fair. Notbad although I would have liked to bethird which is not too early and nottoo late. But I told Carolyn not toworry...

　　(continues, if needed)CUT TO:

　　INT. FRANCESCA BEDROOM - NIGHTFrancesca exits her bathroom, in her bathrobe, shutting thelight. She is brushing her hair and thinking of Robert. Shesits on the edge of the bed. She sees her reflection in amirror on the closet door.

　　She stands and takes her robe off. She steps forward to lookat her body -- running her hands gently around her curves, herneck, down the side of her thighs³, her face, her breasts.

　　She shuts off the lights and gets into bed under the covers.

　　She closes her eyes and tentatively begins to explore herbody. It is awkward for her but we can see her trying to letherself go. Until she opens her eyes in frustration⁴. It's nogood. She can't do it. She feels ashamed. The shame turnsinto anger.

　　INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHTFrancesca sits at a writing table with two large books openedbefore her containing literary quotations⁵. She searches forthe line Robert mentioned in the pasture.

　　A note sits before her as well. On it reads: "Robert. Again,I'm sorry for last night. Would you like supper again tonightafter you're finished. I'd like it very much if I were one ofthose good friends you have in the world. Anytime is fine --Francesca... P.S. By the way, "Of what I call God and Foolscall Nature" was..." She writes the name BROWNING.

　　CUT TO:

　　EXT. ROSEMAN BRIDGE - NIGHTFrancesca is tacking⁶ a note for Robert to the bridge. Sheconsiders taking it down a moment later, but decides not to.

　　She gets back into her truck and drives away.

　　WIDE ANGLE OF BRIDGES - DAWNDISSOLVE TO:

　　The view of the bridge goes in and out of focus until werealize we are seeing it through Robert's camera lens.

　　Once the focus it sets, Robert notices something is tackedonto the bridge. He crosses to it hurriedly -- time for theperfect shot is running out -- pulls it down, thumbtack andall, and shoves it into his pocket, unread. He returns tohis camera to take his shots.

　　CUT TO:

　　INT. JOHNSON BEDROOM - MORNINGFrancesca is making her bed when she hears a truck drivingdown the road. She looks out the window to see:

　　Robert's truck. However, it passes right by her house.

　　Francesca's spirit sinks. She feels silly, ashamed andrejected. She sits on the bed.

　　FANTASY:

　　Inside the truck, Robert drives by the house and chuckles⁷ tohimself at the foolishness of some boring, frustratedhousewife. Francesca's note has been crumbled⁸ and stuffedinto a dirty ashtray⁹.

　　END OF FANTASY:

　　Francesca enters her bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

　　INT. KITCHEN - LATER THAT MORNINGFrancesca sits at the kitchen table in her bathrobe with acup of coffee -- a comic portrait of shame and self-pity. Herhair is a mess, she hasn't showered or dressed and she staresinto space while listening to the bluesy¹⁰ Chicago radiostation.

　　The sink is full of dirty dishes she refuses to clean. Besideit is an ashtray of butts¹² from the night before. She carriesit over to the table and begins fingering for a butt¹¹ tosmoke in desperation. She lights up and stares into space.

　　FANTASY:

　　Robert is in Africa talking to TWO ZULU TRIBE MEMBERS. THEDIALOGUE IS SUBTITLED IN SWAHILI:

　　ROBERT(laughs)... and then she tacks¹³ this note onthe bridge asking me to have dinnerwith her again!

　　One Zulu turns to the tower and remarks.

　　ZULUHow pathetic.

　　END OF FANTASY:

　　Francesca put out her cigarette and suddenly gets an idea.

　　She goes to the phone, reads a number off of a slip of paperand dials.

　　FRANCESCA (on phone)Hello? Is Richard Johnson stayingthere?... No, I don't want to leavea message. Maybe you can help me --I'm his wife and I live in WintersetIowa -- I wanted to surprise them bydriving up tonight. What would be thefastest route, the Interstate?... Huh-huh... Hold it, let me get a pen.

　　CUT TO:

　　可是这里的生活还不止于此.可以预见是一回事,怕改娈又是一回事.理查德就是怕改变他们婚后生活的任何改变他都害怕.总的说来连谈也不愿意谈.特别不愿谈性爱.性感这东西对他说来是危险的,在他的思想方法中是不体面的.

　　可是他决不是绝无仅有的,而且也决不能责怪他.在这里树起的拒自由于外的屏障是什么?不仅存在于农场上,而是存在于乡村文化之中,就这一点而言,也可能是城市文化.为什么要树起这些围墙,篱笆来阻挠男女之间自然的关系?为什么缺少亲密的关系,为什么没有性爱妇女杂志正在谈论这些事,女人们开始不仅对自己生活中卧室里发生的事情有所期待,而且对自己在更大范围的设计图中的地位也有所期待.像理查德这样的男人-她猜想大多数男人-受到这捉期待的威胁.从某种意义上讲,女人正在要求男人们既是诗人同时又是勇猛而热情奔放的情人.

　　女人看不出二者之间有什么矛盾,男人们却认为是矛盾的.他们生活中的更衣室,男人的晚会,弹子房和男女分开的聚会都定出一套男性的特点,这里面是容不下诗间或者任何含蓄细致的情调的.所以,如果性爱是一种细致的感情,本身是一种艺术-弗朗西丝卡认为是的-那么,在他们的生活结构中是不存在的.于是男女双方在巧妙的互相应付中继续过着同床异梦的生活.与此同时女人们在麦迪逊县的漫漫长夜只有面壁叹息.

　　而罗伯特.金凯的头脑中有某种东西对这一切心领神会.这点她能肯定.

　　她披着毛巾走进卧室时注意到已经十点过了一点儿.天还很热,不过洗澡使她凉快下来.她从衣橱里拿出新衣服.

　　她把长长的头发拢到后面用一个银发卡卡住,戴上一幅大圈圈的银耳环,还有也是那天早晨在得梅音买的开口的银手镯.

　　还是"风歌"牌香水.在拉丁式的高颧骨的两颊薄施胭脂,那粉红色比她的衣服还要淡.她平时穿着短裤短衫在田间劳动而晒黑了的皮肤衬托得全套服饰更加鲜亮.裙子下面露出两条修长的腿,十分好看.

　　她在镜台前转过来又转过去打量自己.她想,我已是尽力而为了,然后又高兴地说出声,"不过还是挺不错的."她走进厨房时罗伯特.金凯正在喝第二杯啤酒,并且在重新把相机装进包里.他抬头看着她."天哪,"他柔声说.所有的感觉,所有的寻觅和苦思冥想,一生的感觉,寻觅和苦思冥想此时此刻都到眼前来.于是他爱上了弗朗西丝卡.约翰逊-多年前来自那不勒斯的,依阿华州麦迪逊县的农夫之妻.我想说,人,照得人眼花缭乱晕头转向.我是认真的.你是绝代美人,弗朗西丝卡,是从这个词的最纯正的意义上说."她可以感觉得出来他的倾慕是真诚的.她尽情享受这欢乐和得意,沐浴其中,听凭漩涡没顶,像是多年前抛弃了自己今又归来的不知何方仙女双手洒下的甘油浸透每个毛孔.

　　就在这一刹那间,她爱上了罗伯特.金凯-来自华盛顿州贝灵汉的,开着一辆名叫哈里的旧卡车的摄影家-作家.

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

3 thighs   

n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿

参考例句：

• He's gone to London for skin grafts on his thighs. 他去伦敦做大腿植皮手术了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The water came up to the fisherman's thighs. 水没到了渔夫的大腿。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

5 quotations   

n.引用( quotation的名词复数 )；[商业]行情（报告）；（货物或股票的）市价；时价

参考例句：

• The insurance company requires three quotations for repairs to the car. 保险公司要修理这辆汽车的三家修理厂的报价单。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These quotations cannot readily be traced to their sources. 这些引语很难查出出自何处。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 tacking   

（帆船）抢风行驶，定位焊[铆]紧钉

参考例句：

• He was tacking about on this daily though perilous voyage. 他在进行这种日常的、惊险的航行。
• He spent the afternoon tacking the pictures. 他花了一个下午的时间用图钉固定那些图片。

7 chuckles   

轻声地笑( chuckle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Father always chuckles when he reads the funny papers. 父亲在读幽默报纸时总是低声发笑。
• [Chuckles] You thought he was being poisoned by hemlock? 你觉得他中的会是芹叶钩吻毒吗？

8 crumbled   

（把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏

参考例句：

• He crumbled the bread in his fingers. 他用手指把面包捻碎。
• Our hopes crumbled when the business went bankrupt. 商行破产了，我们的希望也破灭了。

9 ashtray   

n.烟灰缸

参考例句：

• He knocked out his pipe in the big glass ashtray.他在大玻璃烟灰缸里磕净烟斗。
• She threw the cigarette butt into the ashtray.她把烟头扔进烟灰缸。

10 bluesy   

adj.布鲁斯乐的（一种摇摆乐）

参考例句：

• As a teenager I was obsessed ragtime, and bluesy guitar guys like Johnny Winter. 当我十几岁的时候我迷上了雷鬼，和JohnnyWinter那样的布鲁斯吉他手。 来自互联网
• Lips Accentuate your new bluesy beat in simply sensational LipSlicks Hint of Mauve. 为了强调新布鲁斯乐的节奏，涂上紫红色的唇彩是最自然的。 来自互联网

11 butt   

n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶

参考例句：

• The water butt catches the overflow from this pipe.大水桶盛接管子里流出的东西。
• He was the butt of their jokes.他是他们的笑柄。

12 butts   

笑柄( butt的名词复数 )； （武器或工具的）粗大的一端； 屁股； 烟蒂

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。
• The house butts to a cemetery. 这所房子和墓地相连。

13 tacks   

大头钉( tack的名词复数 )； 平头钉； 航向； 方法

参考例句：

• Never mind the side issues, let's get down to brass tacks and thrash out a basic agreement. 别管枝节问题，让我们讨论问题的实质，以求得基本一致。
• Get down to the brass tacks,and quit talking round the subject. 谈实质问题吧，别兜圈子了。