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Unit3THELIBRARYCARD课文翻译大学英语六

Unit3THELIBRARYCARD

OnemorningIarrivedearlyatworkandwentintothebank

atacounter

andpickeduptheMemphisCommercialAppealandbeganmy

inallytotheeditorialpageand

yhearsay

thathewastheeditoroftheAmericanMercury,butasidefrom

iclewasafurious

denunciationofMencken,concludingwithone,hot,short

ntence:Menckenisafool.

IwonderedwhatonearththisMenckenhaddonetocall

ypeopleIhad

everheardenouncedintheSouthwereNegroes,andthisman

atideasdidMenckenholdthatmade

anewspaperliketheCommercialAppealcastigatehimpublicly?

UndoubtedlyhemustbeadvocatingideasthattheSouthdidnot

like.

Now,howcouldIfindoutaboutthisMencken?Therewasa

hugelibraryneartheriverfront,butIknewthatNegroeswere

notallowedtopatronizeitsshelvesanymorethantheywerethe

neintothelibrary

ofthemwouldnowhelpmetogetbooks?

as

Don,aJew;itionwasnotmuchbetter

thanmineandIknewthathewasuneasyandincure;hehad

alwaystreatedmeinanoffhand,banteringwaythatbarely

raidtoaskhimtohelpmetoget

books;hisfranticdesiretodemonstratearacialsolidaritywith

thewhitesagainstNegroesmightmakehimbetrayme.

Thenhowabouttheboss?No,hewasaBaptistandIhadthe

suspicionthathewouldnotbequiteabletocomprehendwhya

ereotherwhite

menonthejobwhoattitudesshowedclearlythattheywere

Kluxersorsympathizers,andtheywereoutofthequestion.

Thereremainedonlyonemanwhoattitudedidnotfitinto

ananti-Negrocategory,forIhadheardthewhitemenreferto

himas"Popelover".HewasanIrishCatholicandwashatedby

hathereadbooks,becauIhad

e,too,was

anobjectofhatred,Ifeltthathemightrefumebutwould

ated,weighingandbalancingthe

imponderablerealities.

OnemorningIpaudbeforetheCatholicfellow'sdesk.

"Iwanttoaskyouafavor,"Iwhisperedtohim.

"Whatisit?"

"'rif

you'dletmeuyourcard?"

Helookedatmesuspiciously.

"Mycardisfullmostofthetime,"hesaid.

"Ie,"Isaidandwaited,posingmyquestionsilently.

"You'renottryingtogetmeintotrouble,areyou,boy?"he

asked,staringatme.

"Oh,no,sir."

"Whatbookdoyouwant?"

"n."

"Whichone?"

"Idon'rittenmorethanone?"

"Hehaswrittenveral."

"Ididn'tknowthat."

"WhatmakesyouwanttoreadMencken?"

"Oh,Ijustsawhisnameinthenewspaper,"Isaid.

"It'sgoodofyoutowanttoread,"hesaid."Butyououghtto

readtherightthings."

ewanttosupervimyreading?

"Letmethink,"hesaid."I'llfigureoutsomething."

edatme

quizzically.

"Richard,don'tmentionhistotheotherwhitemen,"hesaid.

"Iunderstand,"Isaid."Iwon'tsayaword."

Afewdayslaterhecalledmetohim.

"I'vegotacardinmywife'sname,"hesaid."Here'smine."

"Thankyou,sir."

"Doyouthinkyoucanmanageit?"

"I'llmanagefine,"Isaid.

"Iftheysuspectyou,you'llgetintrouble,"hesaid.

"I'llwritethesamekindofnotestothelibrarythatyouwrote

whenyountmeforbooks,"Itoldhim."I'llsignyourname."

Helaughed.

"eewhatyouget,"hesaid.

,

n?Ididnot

lywrotewhatI