lighted

A-Clean--Well-lighted-Place

一个干净明亮的地方

2

Questions

themeaningof“nada”?Whatisthe

writer’sintentionofreplacingmanywords

intheprayerswith“nada”?

sthewriternotgivethenamesof

thecharacters?Howcanyoudistinguishthe

twowaiters?

sthisplacehavetobecleanand

well-lighted?Whatdocleanlinessand

brightnessreprent?

thewritingstyleofthestory?What

isthethemeofthestory?

TextStudy:"AClean,Well-lightedPlace"

Itwaslateandeveryonehadleftthecafeexcept

anoldmanwhosatintheshadowtheleavesof

daytimethestreetwasdusty;butatnightthe

dewttledthedustandtheoldmanlikedtosit

latebecauhewasdeafandnowatnightitwas

waiters

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insidethecafeknewthattheoldmanwasalittle

drunk,andwhilehewasagoodclienttheyknew

thatifhebecametoodrunkhewouldleave

withoutpaying,sotheykeptwatchonhim.

"Lastweekhetriedtocommitsuicide,"one

waitersaid.

"Why?"

"Hewasindespair."

"Whatabout?"

"Nothing."

Howdoyouknowitwasnothing?"

"Hehasplentyofmoney."

Theysattogetheratatablethatwasclo

againstthewallnearthedoorofthecafeand

lookedattheterracewherethetableswereall

emptyexceptwheretheoldmansatinthe

shadowoftheleavesofthetreethatmoved

ndasoldierwentby

4

5

threeo'ldhavekilledhimlflast

week."

Thewaitertookthebrandybottleandanother

saucerfromthecounterinsidethecafeand

marchedouttotheoldman'

downthesaucerandpouredtheglassfullof

brandy.

"Youshouldhavekilledyourlflastweek,"he

manmotioned

withhisfinger.

"Alittlemore,"terpouredon

intotheglasssothatthebrandysloppedover

andrandownthestemintothetopsaucerofthe

pile."Thankyou,"ter

own

atthetablewithhiscolleagueagain.

"He'sdrunknow,"hesaid.

"He'sdrunkeverynight."

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"Whatdidhewanttokillhimlffor?"

"HowshouldIknow."

"Howdidhedoit?"

"Hehunghimlfwitharope."

"Whocuthimdown?"

"Hisniece."

"Whydidhedoit?"

"Forhissoul."

"Howmuchmoneyhashegot?"

"He'sgotplenty."

"Hemustbeeightyyearsold."

"AnywayIshouldsayhewaighty."

"gettobed

beforethreeo'ndofhouristhat

togotobed?"

"Hestaysupbecauhelikesit."

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"He'slonely.I'wife

waitinginbedforme."

"Hehadawifeoncetoo."

"Awifewouldbenogoodtohimnow."

"Youcan'tbebetterwithawife."

"Hisniecelooksafterhim."

"dshecuthimdown."

"Iwouldn'anisa

nastything."

"ks

w,

him."

"Idon'ewouldgo

oregardforthowhomust

work."

Theoldmanlookedfromhisglassacrossthe

square,thenoveratthewaiters.

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"Anotherbrandy,"hesaid,pointingtohisglass.

Thewaiterwhowasinahurrycameover.

"Finished,"hesaid,speakingwiththatomission

ofsyntaxstupidpeopleemploywhentalkingto

drunkenpeopleorforeigners."Nomoretonight.

Clonow."

"Another,"saidtheoldman.

"ed."Thewaiterwipedtheedgeof

thetablewithatowelandshookhishead.

Theoldmanstoodup,slowlycountedthe

saucers,tookaleathercoinpurfromhis

pocketandpaidforthedrinks,leavinghalfa

petatip.

Thewaiterwatchedhimgodownthestreet,a

veryoldmanwalkingunsteadilybutwith

dignity,.

"Whydidn'tyoulethimstayanddrink?"the

reputtingup

theshutters."Itisnothalf-pasttwo."

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"Iwanttogohometobed."

"Whatisanhour?"

"Moretomethantohim."

"Anhouristhesame."

"uy

abottleanddrinkathome."

"It'snotthesame."

"No,itisnot,"

nlyina

hurry.

"Andyou?Youhavenofearofgoinghome

beforeyourusualhour?"

"Areyoutryingtoinsultme?"

"No,hombre,onlytomakeajoke."

"No,"thewaiterwhowasinahurrysaid,rising

fromputtingonthemetalshutters."Ihave

confidence."

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"Youhaveyouth,confidence,andajob,"the

olderwaitersaid."Youhaveeverything."

"Andwhatdoyoulack?"

"Everythingbutwork."

"YouhaveeverythingIhave."

"everhadconfidenceandl'mnot

young."

"lkingnonnandlockup."

"Iamofthowholiketostaylateatthecafe,"

theolderwaitersaid.

"Withallthowhodonotwanttogotobed.

Withallthowhoneedalightforthenight."

"Iwanttogohomeandintobed."

"Weareoftwodifferentkinds,"theolder

owdresdtogohome."It

isnotonlyaquestionofyouthandconfidence

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nightIamreluctanttocloupbecauthere

maybesomeonewhoneedsthecafe."

"Hombre,therearebodegasopenallnight

long."

"acleanand

htisvery

goodandalso,now,thereareshadowsofthe

leaves."

"Goodnight,"saidtheyoungerwaiter.

"Goodnight,"goffthe

electriclighthecontinuedtheconversationwith

elightofcourbutitis

nlyyoudonotwant

youstandbeforeabarwith

dignityalthoughthatisallthatisprovidedfor

dhefear?Itwasnotfearor

wasonlythatandlightwasallitneededanda

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vedinitand

neverfeltitbutheknewitwasalreadynaday

awhoartin

nada,nadabethynamethykingdomnadathy

this

nadaourdailynadaandnadausournadaaswe

nadaournadasandnadausnotintonadabut

deliverusfromnada;thing

fullofnothing,ed

andstoodbeforeabarwithashiningsteam

pressurecoffeemachine.

"What'syours?"askedthebarman.

"Nada."

"Otrolocomas,"saidthebarmanandturned

away.

"Alittlecup,"saidthewaiter.

Thebarmanpoureditforhim.

"Thelightisverybrightandpleasantbutthe

barisunpolished,"thewaitersaid.

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Thebarmanlookedathimbutdidnotanswer.

Itwastoolateatnightforconversation.

"Youwantanothercopita?"thebarmanasked.

"No,thankyou,"saidthewaiterandwentout.

,

,

withoutthinkingfurther,hewouldgohometo

dlieinthebedandfinally,

withdaylight,ll,he

saidtohimlf,itisprobablyonlyinsomnia.

Manymusthaveit.