A Silver Dish1984Word格式.docx
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A Silver Dish1984Word格式.docx
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Fiction
ASilverDish
bySaulBellow
September25,1978TextSize:
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Chicago,Illinois;
Death;
Fathers;
Religion;
Stealing
Whatdoyoudoaboutdeath—inthiscase,thedeathofanoldfather?
Ifyou’reamodernperson,sixtyyearsofage,andamanwho’sbeenaround,likeWoodySelbst,whatdoyoudo?
Takethismatterofmourning,andtakeitagainstacontemporarybackground.How,againstacontemporarybackground,doyoumournanoctogenarianfather,nearlyblind,hisheartenlarged,hislungsfillingwithfluid,whocreeps,stumbles,givesofftheodors,themoldinessorgassinessofoldmen.Imean!
AsWoodyputit,berealistic.Thinkwhattimestheseare.Thepapersdailygiveittoyou—theLufthansapilotinAdenisdescribedbythehostagesonhisknees,beggingthePalestinianterroristsnottoexecutehim,buttheyshoothimthroughthehead.Latertheythemselvesarekilled.Andstillothersshootothers,orshootthemselves.That’swhatyoureadinthepress,seeonthetube,mentionatdinner.Weknownowwhatgoesdailythroughthewholeofthehumancommunity,likeaglobaldeath-peristalsis.
Woody,abusinessmaninSouthChicago,wasnotanignorantperson.Heknewmoresuchphrasesthanyouwouldexpectatilecontractor(offices,lobbies,lavatories)toknow.Thekindofknowledgehehadwasnotthekindforwhichyougetacademicdegrees.AlthoughWoodyhadstudiedfortwoyearsinaseminary,preparingtobeaminister.TwoyearsofcollegeduringtheDepressionwasmorethanmosthigh-schoolgraduatescouldafford.Afterthat,inhisownvital,picturesque,originalway(Morris,hisoldman,wasalso,inhisdaysofnature,vitalandpicturesque)Woodyhadreaduponmanysubjects,subscribedtoScienceandothermagazinesthatgaverealinformation,andhadtakennightcoursesatDePaulandNorthwesterninecology,criminology,existentialism.AlsohehadtravelledextensivelyinJapan,Mexico,andAfrica,andtherewasanAfricanexperiencethatwasespeciallyrelevanttomourning.Itwasthis:
OnalaunchneartheMurchisonFallsinUganda,hehadseenabuffalocalfseizedbyacrocodilefromthebankoftheWhiteNile.Thereweregiraffesalongthetropicalriver,andhippopotamuses,andbaboons,andflamingosandotherbrilliantbirdscrossingthebrightairintheheatofthemorning,whenthecalf,steppingintotherivertodrink,wasgrabbedbythehoofanddraggeddown.Theparentbuffaloescouldn’tfigureitout.Underthewaterthecalfstillthreshed,fought,churnedthemud.Woody,therobusttraveller,tookthisinashesailedby,andtohimitlookedasiftheparentcattlewereaskingeachotherdumblywhathadhappened.Hechosetoassumethattherewaspaininthis,hereadbrutegriefintoit.OntheWhiteNile,Woodyhadtheimpressionthathehadgonebacktothepre-Adamitepast,andhebroughtreflectionsonthisimpressionhometoSouthChicago.HebroughtalsoabundleofhashishfromKampala.Inthishetookachancewiththecustomsinspectors,bankingperhapsonhisbroadbuild,frankface,highcolor.Hedidn’tlooklikeawrongdoer,abadguy;
helookedlikeagoodguy.Buthelikedtakingchances.Riskwasawonderfulstimulus.Hethrewdownhistrenchcoatonthecustomscounter.Iftheinspectorssearchedthepockets,hewaspreparedtosaythatthecoatwasn’this.Buthegotawaywithit,andtheThanksgivingturkeywasstuffedwithhashish.Thiswasmuchenjoyed.ThatwaspracticallythelastfeastatwhichPop,whoalsorelishedriskordefiance,waspresent.ThehashishWoodyhadtriedtoraiseinhisbackyardfromtheAfricaseedsdidn’ttake.Butbehindhiswarehouse,wheretheLincolnContinentalwasparked,hekeptapatchofmarijuana.TherewasnoharmatallinWoodybuthedidn’tlikebeingentirelywithinthelaw.Itwassimplyaquestionofself-respect.
AfterthatThanksgiving,Popgraduallysankasifhehadaslowleak.Thiswentonforsomeyears.Inandoutofthehospital,hedwindled,hismindwandered,hecouldn’tevenconcentrateenoughtocomplain,exceptinexceptionalmomentsontheSundaysWoodyregularlydevotedtohim.Morris,anamateurwhooncewastakenseriouslybyWillieHoppe,thegreatprohimself,couldn’texecutethesimplestbilliardshotsanymore.Hecouldonlyconceiveshots;
hebegantotheorizeaboutimpossiblethree-cushioncombinations.Halina,thePolishwomanwithwhomMorrishadlivedforoverfortyyearsasmanandwife,wastoooldherselfnowtoruntothehospital.SoWoodyhadtodoit.TherewasWoody’smother,too—aChristianconvert—needingcare;
shewasovereightyandfrequentlyhospitalized.Everybodyhaddiabetesandpleurisyandarthritisandcataractsandcardiacpacemakers.Andeverybodyhadlivedbythebody,butthebodywasgivingout.
TherewereWoody’stwosistersaswell,unmarried,intheirfifties,veryChristian,verystraight,stilllivingwithMamainanentirelyChristianbungalow.Woody,whotookfullresponsibilityforthemall,occasionallyhadtoputoneofthegirls(theyhadbecomesickgirls)inamentalinstitution.Nothingsevere.Thesisterswerewonderfulwomen,bothofthemgorgeousonce,butneitherofthepoorthingswasplayingwithafulldeck.Andallthefactionshadtobekeptseparate—Mama,theChristianconvert;
thefundamentalistsisters;
Pop,whoreadtheYiddishpaperaslongashecouldstillseeprint;
Halina,agoodCatholic.Woody,theseminaryfortyyearsbehindhim,describedhimselfasanagnostic.PophadnomorereligionthanyoucouldfindintheYiddishpaper,buthemadeWoodypromisetoburyhimamongJews,andthatwaswherehelaynow,intheHawaiianshirtWoodyhadboughtforhimatthetilers’conventioninHonolulu.Woodywouldallownoundertaker’sassistanttodresshimbutcametotheparlorandbuttonedthestiffintotheshirthimself,andtheoldmanwentdownlookinglikeBen-Gurioninasimplewoodencoffin,suretorotfast.ThatwashowWoodywanteditall.Atthegraveside,hehadtakenoffandfoldedhisjacket,rolleduphissleevesonthickfreckledbiceps,wavedbackthelittletractorstandingby,andshovelledthedirthimself.Hisbigface,broadatthebottom,narrowedupwardlikeaDutchhouse.And,hissmallgoodlowerteethtakingholdoftheupperlipinhisexertion,heperformedthefinaldutyofason.Hewasveryfit,soitmusthavebeenemotion,nottheshovelling,thatmadehimreddenso.Afterthefuneral,hewenthomewithHalinaandherson,adecentPolacklikehismother,andtalented,too—Mitoshplayedtheorgan,athockeyandbasketballgamesintheStadium,whichtookasmartmanbecauseitwasarabble-rousingkindofoccupation—andtheyhadsomedrinksandcomfortedtheoldgirl.Halinawastrueblue,alwaysonehundredpercentforMorris.
ThenfortherestoftheweekWoodywasbusy,hadjobstorun,officeresponsibilities,familyresponsibilities.Helivedalone;
asdidhiswife;
asdidhismistress:
everybodyinaseparateestablishment.Sincehiswife,afterfifteenyearsofseparation,hadnotlearnedtotakecareofherself,WoodydidhershoppingonFridays,filledherfreezer.Hehadtotakeherthisweektobuyshoes.Also,FridaynighthealwaysspentwithHelen—Helenwashiswifedefacto.Saturdayhedidhisbigweeklyshopping.SaturdaynighthedevotedtoMomandhissisters.Sohewastoobusytoattendtohisownfeelingsexcept,intermittently,tonotetohimself,“FirstThursdayinthegrave.”“FirstFriday,andfineweather.”“FirstSaturday;
he’sgottobegettingusedtoit.”Underhisbreathheoccasionallysaid,“Oh,Pop.”
ButitwasSundaythathithim,whenthebellsrangalloverSouthChicago—theUkrainian,RomanCatholic,Greek,Russian,African-Methodistchurches,soundingoffoneafteranother.Woodyhadhisofficesinhiswarehouse,andtherehadbuiltanapartmentforhimself,veryspaciousandconvenient,inthetopstory.BecausehelefteverySundaymorningatseventospendthedaywithPop,hehadforgottenbyhowmanychurchesSelbstTileCompanywassurrounded.Hewasstillinbedwhenheheardthebells,andallatonceheknewhowheartbrokenhewas.Thissuddenbigheartacheinamanofsixty,apractical,physical,healthy-minded,andexperiencedman,wasdeeplyunpleasant.Whenhehadanunpleasantcondition,hebelievedintakingsomethingforit.Sohethought,WhatshallItake?
Therewereplentyofremediesavailable.HiscellarwasstockedwithcasesofScotchwhiskey,Polishvodka,Armagnac,Moselle,Burgundy.TherewerealsofreezerswithsteaksandwithgameandwithAlaskankingcrab.Heboughtwithabroadhand—bythecrateandbythedozen.Butintheend,whenhegotoutofbed,hetooknothingbutacupofcoffee.Whilethekettlewasheating,heputonhisJapanesejudo-stylesuitandsatdowntoreflect.
Woodywasmovedwhenthingswerehonest.Bearingbeamswerehonest,undisguisedconcretepillarsinsidehigh-riseapartmentswerehonest.Itwasbadtocoverupanything.Hehatedfaking.Stonewashonest.Metalwashonest.TheseSundaybellswereverystraight.Theybrokeloose,theywaggedandrocked,andthevibrationsandthebangingdidsomethingforhim—cleansedhisinsides,purifiedhisblood.Abellwasaone-waythroat,hadonlyonethingtotellyouandsimplytoldit.Helistened.
Hehadhadsomeconnectionswithbellsandchurches.HewasafterallsomethingofaChristian.BornaJe
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