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Файл:The Legacy and Other Stories (Завещание и другие рассказы). Учебное пособие для студентов бакалавров, изучающих английский язык (второй год обучения),
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“HasJackbeenbullyingyou?Or has yourdearlybelovedsister
failedtowrite?”
Shedidnotanswer,andhefeltthathereallymustkissherhair,
thathecouldnotberesponsibleifthesituationcontinuedmuchlonger.
“Tellme,”hesaidgently,“andwe’llseewhatIcando.”
“Ican’t.Youwilldespiseme.Oh,Ned,Iamsoashamed!”
Helaughed incredulously,andlightly touched herhair with his
lipssolightlythatshedidnotknow.
“Dearlittle one,let usforget allabout it,whatever itis. I want
totellyouhowIlove”
Sheutteredasharpcrythatwasalldelight,andthenmoaned
“Toolate!”
“Toolate?”heechoedinsurprise.
“Oh,whydidI?WhydidI?”shewasmoaning.
Hewasawareofaswiftchillathisheart.
“What?”heasked.
“Oh,I…he…Billy”.
“Iamsuchawickedwoman,Ned.Iknowyouwillneverspeak
tomeagain.”
“ThiserthisBilly,”hebeganhaltingly.“Heisyourbrother?”
“No…he…Ididn’tknow.Iwassoyoung.Icouldnothelpit.
Oh,Ishallgomad!Ishallgomad!”
ItwasthenthatLorettafelthisshoulderandtheencirclingarmbe
comelimp.Hedrewawayfromhergently,andgentlyhedepositedher
inabigchair,wheresheburiedherfaceandsobbedafresh.Hetwisted
hismoustacheercely,thendrewupanotherchairandsatdown.
“I…Idonotunderstand,”hesaid.
“Iamsounhappy,”shewailed.
“Whyunhappy?”
“Because…he…hewantsmetomarryhim.”
Hisfaceclearedontheinstant,andheplacedahandsoothingly
onhers.
“Thatshouldnotmakeanygirlunhappy,”heremarkedsagely.“Be
causeyoudon’tlovehimisnoreason,ofcourse,youdon’tlovehim?”
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Lorettashookherheadandshouldersinavigorousnegative.
“What?”
Bashfordwantedtomakesure.
“No,”sheassertedexplosively.“Idon’tloveBilly!Idon’twant
toloveBilly!”
“Because you don’t love him,” Bashford resumed with con
dence,“isnoreasonthatyoushouldbeunhappyjustbecausehehas
you.”
Shesobbedagain,andfromthemidstofhersobsshecried.
“That’sthetrouble.IwishIdidlovehim.Oh,IwishIweredead!”
“Now, my dear child, you are .”
Hisotherhandcrossedoverafteritsmateandrestedonhers.“Women
doiteveryday.Becauseyouhavechangedyourmindordidnotknow
yourmind,becauseyouhavetouseanunnecessarilyharshwordjilted
aman.“
“Jilted!”Shehadraisedherheadandwaslookingathimwithtear
dimmedeyes.“Oh,Ned,ifthatwereall!”
“All?”heaskedinahollowvoice,whilehishandsslowlyretrea
tedfromhers.Hewasabouttospeakfurther,thenremainedsilent.
“ButIdon’twanttomarryhim,”Lorettabrokeforthprotestingly.
“ThenIshouldn’t,”headded.
“ButIoughttomarryhim.”
“Oughttomarryhim?”
Shenodded.
“Thatisastrongword.”
“I know it is,” she acquiesced, while she strove to control her
tremblinglips.
Thenshespokemorecalmly.“I amawickedwoman,a terribly
wickedwoman.NooneknowshowwickedIamexceptBilly.”
Therewasapause.NedBashford’sfacewasgrave,andhelooked
queerlyatLoretta.
“HeBillyknows?”heaskednally.
Areluctantnodandamingcheekswasthereply.
Hedebatedwithhimselfforawhile,seeming,likeadiver,tobe
preparinghimselffortheplunge.
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“Tellmeaboutit.”Hespokeveryrmly.“Youmusttellmeallofit.”
“Andwillyoueverforgiveme?”sheaskedinafaint,smallvoice.
Hehesitated,drewalongbreath,andmadetheplunge.
“Yes,”hesaiddesperately.“I’llforgiveyou.Goahead.”
“Therewas noone totell me,” she began. “We werewith each
othersomuch.Ididnotknowanythingoftheworldthen.”
Shepausedtomeditate.Bashfordwasbitinghislipimpatiently.
“IfIhadonlyknown”
Shepausedagain.
“Yes,goon,”heurged.
“Weweretogetheralmosteveryevening.”
“Billy?”hedemanded,withasavagenessthatstartledher.
“Yes,ofcourse,Billy.Wewerewitheachothersomuch…IfIhad
onlyknown…Therewasnoonetotellme…Iwassoyoung”
Herlipspartedasthoughtospeakfurther,andsheregardedhim
anxiously.
“Thescoundrel!”
WiththeexplosionNedBashfordwasonhisfeet,nolongeratired
Greek,butaviolentlyangryyoungman.
“Billyis not a scoundrel; heis a goodman,” Loretta defended,
witharmnessthatsurprisedBashford.
“Isupposeyou’llbetellingmenextthatitwasallyourfault,”he
saidsarcastically.
Shenodded.
“What?”heshouted.
“Itwasallmy fault,”shesaidsteadily.“Ishouldneverhave let
him.Iwastoblame.”
Bashfordceasedfromhispacingupanddown,andwhenhespoke,
hisvoicewasresigned.
“Allright,”hesaid.“Idon’tblameyouintheleast,Loretta.And
youhavebeenveryhonest.ButBillyisright,andyouarewrong.You
mustgetmarried.”
“ToBilly?”sheasked,inadim,farawayvoice.
“Yes,toBilly.I’llseetoit.Wheredoeshelive?I’llmakehim.”
63
“ButI don’twantto marryBilly!” shecried outin alarm. “Oh,
Ned,youwon’tdothat?”
“Ishall,”heansweredsternly.“Youmust.AndBillymust.Doyou
understand?”
Lorettaburiedherfaceinthecushionedchairback,andbrokeinto
apassionatestormofsobs.
AllthatBashfordcouldmakeoutatrst,ashelistened,was:“But
Idon’twanttoleaveDaisy!Idon’twanttoleaveDaisy!”
Hepacedgrimlybackandforth,thenstoppedcuriouslytolisten.
“HowwasItoknow?Boohoo,”Lorettawascrying.“Hedidn’t
tellme.Nobodyelseeverkissedme.Ineverdreamedakisscouldbe
soterrible…until,boohoo…untilhewrotetome.Ionlygotthelet
terthismorning.”
Hisfacebrightened.Itseemedasthoughlightwasdawningonhim.
“Isthatwhatyou’recryingabout?”
“Nno.”
Hisheartsank.
“Thenwhatareyoucryingabout?”heaskedinahopelessvoice.
“BecauseyousaidIhadtomarryBilly.AndIdon’twanttomarry
Billy.Idon’twanttoleaveDaisy.Idon’tknow whatIwant.Iwish
Iweredead.”
Henervedhimselfforanothereffort.
“Nowlookhere, Loretta,besensible.What isthis about kisses.
Youhaven’ttoldmeeverything?”
“IIdon’twanttotellyoueverything.”
Shelookedathimbeseechinglyinthesilencethatfell.
“MustI?”shequaverednally.
“Youmust,”hesaidimperatively.“Youmusttellmeeverything.”
“Well,then...mustI?”
“Youmust.”
“He… I …we …” shebegan ounderingly.Then blurted out,
“Ilethim,andhekissedme.”
“Goon,”Bashfordcommandeddesperately.
“That’sall,”sheanswered.
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“All?”Therewasavastincredulityinhisvoice.
“All?”Inhervoicewasaninterrogationnolessvast.
“Imeanernothingworse?”Hewasoverwhelminglyawareofhis
ownawkwardness.
“Worse?”She was franklypuzzled. “As though there couldbe!
Billysaid”
“Whendidhesayit?”Bashforddemandedabruptly.
“InhisletterIgotthismorning.Billysaidthatmy…our…our
kisseswereterribleifwedidn’tgetmarried.”
Bashford’sheadwasswimming.
“WhatelsedidBillysay?”heasked.
“Hesaidthatwhenawomanallowedamantokissher,shealways
marriedhim that it was terribleif she didn’t.It wasthe custom, he
said;andIsayitisabad,wickedcustom,andIdon’tlikeit.Iknow
I’mterrible,”sheaddeddeantly,“butIcan’thelpit.”
Bashfordabsentmindedlybroughtoutacigarette.
“DoyoumindifIsmoke?”heasked,ashestruckamatch.Then
hecametohimself.
“Ibegyourpardon,”hecried,ingingawaymatchandcigarette.
“Idon’twanttosmoke.Ididn’tmeanthatatall.WhatImeanis”
HebentoverLoretta,caughtherhandsinhis,thensatonthearm
ofthechairandsoftlyputonearmaroundher.
“Loretta, I am a fool. I mean it.And I mean something more.
Iwantyoutobemywife.”
Hewaitedanxiouslyinthepausethatfollowed.
“Youmightanswerme,”heurged.
“Iwill…if”
“Yes,goon.Ifwhat?”
“IfIdon’thavetomarryBilly.”
“Youcan’tmarrybothofus,”healmostshouted.
“Anditisn’tthecustom…what…whatBillysaid?”
“No,itisn’tthecustom.Now,Loretta,willyoumarryme?”
“Don’tbeangrywithme,”shepouteddemurely.
Hegatheredherintohisarmsandkissedher.
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“Iwishitwerethecustom,”shesaidinafaintvoice,fromthemidst
of theembrace, “because then I’d have to marryyou, Ned dear …
wouldn’tI?”
T a sk s a n d e xe r c i s e s
1. Why can women be called wicked? What kind of features
shouldsuch awoman have?What ageshould she be?Who usually
callwomenwicked?
2. Can you predict theplot of the storywith such a title?Why
anindenitearticleisusedinit?
John Grifth London (1876–1916) was born in San Francisco
of an unmarried mother of wealthy background, Flora Wellman. His
fathermayhavebeenWilliamChaney,ajournalist,lawyer,andmajor
gure in the development ofAmerican astrology.Because Flora was
ill,Jack wasraised through infancyby anexslave, VirginiaPrentiss,
whowouldremainamajormaternalgurewhiletheboygrewup.Late
in1876,FloramarriedJohnLondon,apartiallydisabledCivilWarve
teran.ThefamilymovedaroundtheBayareabeforesettlinginOakland,
whereJack completed grade school.Though the familywas working
class,itwasnotsoimpoverishedasLondon’slateraccountsclaimed.
Asanadolescent,theboyadoptedthenameofJack.Heworked
atvarioushardlaborjobs,piratedforoystersonSanFranciscoBay,
servedonashpatroltocapturepoachers,sailedthePaciconasea
lingship,joinedKelly’sArmyofunemployedworkingmen,labeled
aroundthecountry,andreturnedtoattendhighschoolattheageof19.
Hewould run unsuccessfullyseveral timesonthe socialistticket as
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mayor. Always a prolic reader, he consciously chose to become
awritertoescapefromthehorricprospectsoflifeasafactoryworker.
Hestudiedotherwritersandbegantosubmitstories,jokes,andpoems
tovariouspublications,mostlywithoutsuccess.
Spendingthewinterof1897intheYukonprovidedthemetaphori
calgoldforhisrststories,whichhebeganpublishingintheOverland
Monthlyin1899.Fromthatpointhewasahighlydisciplinedwriter,
whowouldproduceoverfty volumesofstories,novels,andpoliti
calessays.Londonwasamongthemostpublicizedguresofhisday,
andheusedthispulpittoendorsehissupportofsocialism,women’s
suffrage,and eventually,prohibition.Hewasamongtherstwriters
toworkwiththemovieindustry,andsawanumberofhisnovelsmade
intolms.
London’srstmarriage(1900)wastoBessMaddern,withwhomhe
hadtwodaughters,JoanandBess.In1905hemarriedhismatewoman,”
whobecamethepersonaformanyofhisfemalecharactersandwhoavid
lyjoinedhimonhismanytravelventures.Heencouragedherownwriting
career,andshewrotethreebooksconcerningtheirlife.
Often troubled by physical ailments, during his thirties London
developedkidneydiseaseofunknown origin. Hediedofrenalfailure
onNovember22,1916ontheranch.Becausehiswritingsweretrans
latedinseveraldozenlanguages,heremainsmorewidelyreadinsome
countriesoutsideoftheUnitedStatesthaninhishomecountry.Study
of his life and writings provides a case through which to examine
thecontradictionsintheAmericancharacter,alongwithkeymovements
andideasprominentduringtheProgressiveera.
“Dear Ned,” the letter began. She had once been violently loved
byhimforthreeweeksinherpremaritaldays.Butshehadcovenanted
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herselftoJackHemingway,whohadpriorclaims,andherheartaswell;
andNedBashfordhadphilosophicallynotbrokenhisheartoverit.He
merelyaddedtheexperiencetoalargefundofsimilarlycollecteddata
out of which he manufactured philosophy.Artistically and tempera
mentallyhewasaGreek,atiredGreek.Hewasfondofquotingfrom
Nietzsche,intokenthathe,too,had passed throughthelongsickness
thatfollowsupontheardentsearchfortruth;thathetoohademerged,
tooexperienced,tooshrewd,tooprofound,everagaintobeafictedby
themadnessofyouthsintheirloveoftruth.“Toworshipappearance,’
heoftenquoted;“tobelieveinforms,intones,inwords,in thewhole
Olympusofappearance!’Thisparticularexcerpthealwaysconcluded
with,“ThoseGreeksweresupercialoutofprofundity!”
Lorettalovedhereldersister.
1.true 2.false 3.notstated
Nedwasanexperiencedwomanizer.
1.true 2.false 3.notstated
CaptainKittlikedLorettamorethanhiswife.
1.true 2.false 3.notstated
Lorettareallyhelpedhersisteraboutthehouse.
1.true 2.false 3.notstated
Mrs.HemingwayhadsomestoryinherrelationswithNed.
1.true 2.false 3.notstated
Mrs.HemingwaywantedtomarryNedatallcosts.
1.true 2.false 3.notstated
LorettareceivedlettersfromBillyeveryotherday.
1.true 2.false 3.notstated
LorettaenjoyedherstayingatMrs.Hemingway’sgreatly.
1.true 2.false 3.notstated
NedwantedLorettatomarryBillyasthecustomdemanded.
1.true 2.false 3.notstated
Lorettawouldn’thavetomarryBillyasshethoughtatrst.
1.true 2.false 3.notstated
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NedwastrulyinlovewithLoretta.
1.true 2.false 3.notstated
NedproposedtoLorettaattheendoftheirconversation.
1.true 2.false 3.notstated
1.Whydidallthefamilyhaveasleeplessnight?2.WhydidCap
tainKittwanttokeepLorettainthehouse?3.WhatdidLorettawant
herself? Was she glad to travel to Mrs. Hemingway? 4. What was
Mrs.Hemingway’splanconcerningLoretta? 5. What werethe rela
tionsbetweenEdwardandMrs.Hemingway?6.Whatwascommonbe
tweenNedandNietzsche?7.WhatkindofletterdidMrs.Hemingway
writetoEdward?8.HowdidLorettafeelawayfromBillyandDaisy?
9.What kind of appearance did Lorettahave? 10. How did Loretta
developherself?Whatwerethechangesinherpersonality?11.What
washerattitudetoDaisythemoreshesawofNed?12.Inwhatway
wasLorettadifferentfromotherwomen?13.WhatletterdidLoretta
receive?Why did she look worried at breakfast? 14. How did Ned
behavewhentryingtondoutthereasonforLoretta’stroubledface?
15.WhywasNedimpatienttoknowthetruth?16.WhydidNedcall
Billyascoundrel?17.WhydidNedwanttoseeBillyatrst?18.Why
didNedproposetoLorettasoquickly?19.WhydidNedkissLoretta?
Whatdidhewanttogetbythiskiss?20.WhydidNednd Loretta
asuitablematchforhismarriage?
1.NedwantedLorettatobehiswife.2.LorettasobbedonNed’s
shoulder.3.Lorettahadnotsleptallnighteither.Hemingway’sbrain.
4.AnebulousplanbeganshapingitselfinMrs.5.Lorettafoundthat
shewasnotunhappyatSantaClara.6.Lorettareceivedapathological
letterfromBilly.7.Loretta’svisittoMrs.Hemingway.8.NedBash
fordwasinlovewithMrs.Hemingway’s.
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1. преждевсего;2.заметить,сказатьчтотокомуто;3.вдока
зательствочемуто;4.иметьсомнения;5.разбитьчьелибосердце;
6.проницательный;7.огромнаяглубина,пропасть;8.нехватка,не
достатокслов;9.впротивовесчемуто,вобратномсмысле;10.зре
лаяличность;11.даватькомуто предпочтение;12.свои собствен
ныежелания;13. гнетущеежеланиеувидетьДейзи;14.сделатько
мулибопредложение(рукиисердца);15.беспокоитьсяпопустякам
1. she had broken with Billy 2. Loretta,I am a fool. Imean it.
3.inthe silencethat fell. 4.I was to blame. 5.NedBashford’sface
wasgrave.6.Thenfollowed reproaches,suchashehadnevermade
before. 7. a slender ower 8. the direct gaze of a boy 9. there was
someone to accompany her 10. but his letters were less distressing
11.HewasafairlyyoungGreek12.collecteddata13.herpre-marital
days14. nota pale orb shining by reection 15.he shookhis head
16.“What’sthematter,little one?”17.Hewassupercial out of pro-
fundity.
1.Притакихудачныхобстоятельствахонсделаетейпредло
жениеуженаследующейнеделе.2.Ейбылостыднозасвоисоб
ственныежелания.3.Моядочьпорваласним,он—абсолютный
негодяй.4. Хотя наш гость был зрелой проницательной лично
стью,все жеиногдаи емуне хваталослов.5. Вдоказательство
своей преданностион поднял ее платок,которыйона обронила
минуту назад. 6. Моя старшая сестра всегда выказывала пред
почтениеклассическоймузыке. 7.«Ваши собственные желания
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