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McTeague
书架
书页 | 目录
加书签

第1章
5175字

ItwasSunday,and,accordingtohiscustomonthatday,McTeaguetookhisdinnerattwointheafternoonatthecarconductors’coffee-jointonPolkStreet。Hehadathickgraysoup;heavy,underdonemeat,veryhot,onacoldplate;

twokindsofvegetables;andasortofsuetpudding,fullofstrongbutterandsugar。Onhiswaybacktohisoffice,oneblockabove,hestoppedatJoeFrenna’ssaloonandboughtapitcherofsteambeer。Itwashishabittoleavethepitcherthereonhiswaytodinner。

Onceinhisoffice,or,ashecalleditonhissignboard,“DentalParlors,“hetookoffhiscoatandshoes,unbuttonedhisvest,and,havingcrammedhislittlestovefullofcoke,laybackinhisoperatingchairatthebaywindow,readingthepaper,drinkinghisbeer,andsmokinghishugeporcelainpipewhilehisfooddigested;crop-full,stupid,andwarm。

Byandby,gorgedwithsteambeer,andovercomebytheheatoftheroom,thecheaptobacco,andtheeffectsofhisheavymeal,hedroppedofftosleep。Lateintheafternoonhiscanarybird,initsgiltcagejustoverhishead,begantosing。Hewokeslowly,finishedtherestofhisbeer——veryflatandstalebythistime——andtakingdownhisconcertinafromthebookcase,whereinweekdaysitkeptthecompanyofsevenvolumesof“Allen’sPracticalDentist,“playeduponitsomehalf-dozenverymournfulairs。

McTeaguelookedforwardtotheseSundayafternoonsasaperiodofrelaxationandenjoyment。Heinvariablyspenttheminthesamefashion。Thesewerehisonlypleasures——toeat,tosmoke,tosleep,andtoplayuponhisconcertina。

Thesixlugubriousairsthatheknew,alwayscarriedhimbacktothetimewhenhewasacar-boyattheBigDipperMineinPlacerCounty,tenyearsbefore。Herememberedtheyearshehadspenttheretrundlingtheheavycarsoforeinandoutofthetunnelunderthedirectionofhisfather。

Forthirteendaysofeachfortnighthisfatherwasasteady,hard-workingshift-bossofthemine。EveryotherSundayhebecameanirresponsibleanimal,abeast,abrute,crazywithalcohol。

McTeaguerememberedhismother,too,who,withthehelpoftheChinaman,cookedforfortyminers。Shewasanoverworkeddrudge,fieryandenergeticforallthat,filledwiththeoneideaofhavinghersonriseinlifeandenteraprofession。Thechancehadcomeatlastwhenthefatherdied,corrodedwithalcohol,collapsinginafewhours。Twoorthreeyearslateratravellingdentistvisitedthemineandputuphistentnearthebunk-house。Hewasmoreorlessofacharlatan,buthefiredMrs。McTeague’sambition,andyoungMcTeaguewentawaywithhimtolearnhisprofession。Hehadlearntitafterafashion,mostlybywatchingthecharlatanoperate。Hehadreadmanyofthenecessarybooks,buthewastoohopelesslystupidtogetmuchbenefitfromthem。

ThenonedayatSanFranciscohadcomethenewsofhismother’sdeath;shehadlefthimsomemoney——notmuch,butenoughtosethimupinbusiness;sohehadcutloosefromthecharlatanandhadopenedhis“DentalParlors“onPolkStreet,an“accommodationstreet“ofsmallshopsintheresidencequarterofthetown。Herehehadslowlycollectedaclienteleofbutcherboys,shopgirls,drugclerks,andcarconductors。Hemadebutfewacquaintances。PolkStreetcalledhimthe“Doctor“andspokeofhisenormousstrength。

ForMcTeaguewasayounggiant,carryinghishugeshockofblondhairsixfeetthreeinchesfromtheground;movinghisimmenselimbs,heavywithropesofmuscle,slowly,ponderously。Hishandswereenormous,red,andcoveredwithafellofstiffyellowhair;theywerehardaswoodenmallets,strongasvises,thehandsoftheold-timecar-boy。

Oftenhedispensedwithforcepsandextractedarefractorytoothwithhisthumbandfinger。Hisheadwassquare-cut,angular;thejawsalient,likethatofthecarnivora。

McTeague’smindwasashisbody,heavy,slowtoact,sluggish。Yettherewasnothingviciousabouttheman。

Altogetherhesuggestedthedraughthorse,immenselystrong,stupid,docile,obedient。

Whenheopenedhis“DentalParlors,“hefeltthathislifewasasuccess,thathecouldhopefornothingbetter。Inspiteofthename,therewasbutoneroom。Itwasacornerroomonthesecondflooroverthebranchpost-office,andfacedthestreet。McTeaguemadeitdoforabedroomaswell,sleepingonthebigbed-loungeagainstthewalloppositethewindow。Therewasawashstandbehindthescreeninthecornerwherehemanufacturedhismoulds。Intheroundbaywindowwerehisoperatingchair,hisdentalengine,andthemovablerackonwhichhelaidouthisinstruments。Threechairs,abargainatthesecond-handstore,rangedthemselvesagainstthewallwithmilitaryprecisionunderneathasteelengravingofthecourtofLorenzode’

Medici,whichhehadboughtbecausetherewereagreatmanyfiguresinitforthemoney。Overthebed-loungehungariflemanufacturer’sadvertisementcalendarwhichheneverused。Theotherornamentswereasmallmarble-toppedcentretablecoveredwithbacknumbersof“TheAmericanSystemofDentistry,“astonepugdogsittingbeforethelittlestove,andathermometer。Astandofshelvesoccupiedonecorner,filledwiththesevenvolumesof“Allen’sPracticalDentist。“OnthetopshelfMcTeaguekepthisconcertinaandabagofbirdseedforthecanary。Thewholeplaceexhaledamingledodorofbedding,creosote,andether。

Butforonething,McTeaguewouldhavebeenperfectlycontented。Justoutsidehiswindowwashissignboard——amodestaffair——thatread:“DoctorMcTeague。DentalParlors。

GasGiven“;butthatwasall。Itwashisambition,hisdream,tohaveprojectingfromthatcornerwindowahugegildedtooth,amolarwithenormousprongs,somethinggorgeousandattractive。Hewouldhaveitsomeday,onthathewasresolved;butasyetsuchathingwasfarbeyondhismeans。

Whenhehadfinishedthelastofhisbeer,McTeagueslowlywipedhislipsandhugeyellowmustachewiththesideofhishand。Bull-like,heheavedhimselflaboriouslyup,and,goingtothewindow,stoodlookingdownintothestreet。

Thestreetneverfailedtointeresthim。ItwasoneofthosecrossstreetspeculiartoWesterncities,situatedintheheartoftheresidencequarter,butoccupiedbysmalltradespeoplewholivedintheroomsabovetheirshops。

Therewerecornerdrugstoreswithhugejarsofred,yellow,andgreenliquidsintheirwindows,verybraveandgay;

stationers’stores,whereillustratedweekliesweretackeduponbulletinboards;barbershopswithcigarstandsintheirvestibules;sad-lookingplumbers’offices;cheaprestaurants,inwhosewindowsonesawpilesofunopenedoystersweighteddownbycubesofice,andchinapigsandcowskneedeepinlayersofwhitebeans。AtoneendofthestreetMcTeaguecouldseethehugepower-houseofthecableline。Immediatelyoppositehimwasagreatmarket;whilefartheron,overthechimneystacksoftheinterveninghouses,theglassroofofsomehugepublicbathsglitteredlikecrystalintheafternoonsun。Underneathhimthebranchpost-officewasopeningitsdoors,aswasitscustombetweentwoandthreeo’clockonSundayafternoons。Anacridodorofinkroseupwardtohim。Occasionallyacablecarpassed,trundlingheavily,withastridentwhirringofjostledglasswindows。

Onweekdaysthestreetwasverylively。Itwoketoitsworkaboutseveno’clock,atthetimewhenthenewsboysmadetheirappearancetogetherwiththedaylaborers。Thelaborerswenttrudgingpastinastragglingfile——plumbers’

apprentices,theirpocketsstuffedwithsectionsofleadpipe,tweezers,andpliers;carpenters,carryingnothingbuttheirlittlepasteboardlunchbasketspaintedtoimitateleather;gangsofstreetworkers,theiroverallssoiledwithyellowclay,theirpicksandlong-handledshovelsovertheirshoulders;plasterers,spottedwithlimefromheadtofoot。

Thislittlearmyofworkers,trampingsteadilyinonedirection,metandmingledwithothertoilersofadifferentdescription——conductorsand“swingmen“ofthecablecompanygoingonduty;heavy-eyednightclerksfromthedrugstoresontheirwayhometosleep;roundsmenreturningtotheprecinctpolicestationtomaketheirnightreport,andChinesemarketgardenersteeteringpastundertheirheavybaskets。Thecablecarsbegantofillup;allalongthestreetcouldbeseentheshopkeeperstakingdowntheirshutters。

Betweensevenandeightthestreetbreakfasted。Nowandthenawaiterfromoneofthecheaprestaurantscrossedfromonesidewalktotheother,balancingononepalmatraycoveredwithanapkin。Everywherewasthesmellofcoffeeandoffryingsteaks。Alittlelater,followinginthepathofthedaylaborers,cametheclerksandshopgirls,dressedwithacertaincheapsmartness,alwaysinahurry,glancingapprehensivelyatthepower-houseclock。Theiremployersfollowedanhourorsolater——onthecablecarsforthemostpartwhiskeredgentlemenwithhugestomachs,readingthemorningpaperswithgreatgravity;bankcashiersandinsuranceclerkswithflowersintheirbuttonholes。

Atthesametimetheschoolchildreninvadedthestreet,fillingtheairwithaclamorofshrillvoices,stoppingatthestationers’shops,oridlingamomentinthedoorwaysofthecandystores。Foroverhalfanhourtheyheldpossessionofthesidewalks,thensuddenlydisappeared,leavingbehindoneortwostragglerswhohurriedalongwithgreatstridesoftheirlittlethinlegs,veryanxiousandpreoccupied。

Towardseleveno’clocktheladiesfromthegreatavenueablockabovePolkStreetmadetheirappearance,promenadingthesidewalksleisurely,deliberately。Theywereattheirmorning’smarketing。Theywerehandsomewomen,beautifullydressed。Theyknewbynametheirbutchersandgrocersandvegetablemen。FromhiswindowMcTeaguesawtheminfrontofthestalls,glovedandveiledanddaintilyshod,thesubservientprovisionmenattheirelbows,scribblinghastilyintheorderbooks。Theyallseemedtoknowoneanother,thesegrandladiesfromthefashionableavenue。

Meetingstookplacehereandthere;aconversationwasbegun;othersarrived;groupswereformed;littleimpromptureceptionswereheldbeforethechoppingblocksofbutchers’

stalls,oronthesidewalk,aroundboxesofberriesandfruit。

Fromnoontoeveningthepopulationofthestreetwasofamixedcharacter。Thestreetwasbusiestatthattime;

avastandprolongedmurmurarose——themingledshufflingoffeet,therattleofwheels,theheavytrundlingofcablecars。Atfouro’clocktheschoolchildrenoncemoreswarmedthesidewalks,againdisappearingwithsurprisingsuddenness。Atsixthegreathomewardmarchcommenced;thecarswerecrowded,thelaborersthrongedthesidewalks,thenewsboyschantedtheeveningpapers。Thenallatoncethestreetfellquiet;hardlyasoulwasinsight;thesidewalksweredeserted。Itwassupperhour。Eveningbegan;andonebyoneamultitudeoflights,fromthedemoniacglareofthedruggists’windowstothedazzlingbluewhitenessoftheelectricglobes,grewthickfromstreetcornertostreetcorner。Oncemorethestreetwascrowded。Nowtherewasnothoughtbutforamusement。Thecablecarswereloadedwiththeatre-goers——meninhighhatsandyounggirlsinfurredoperacloaks。Onthesidewalksweregroupsandcouples——theplumbers’apprentices,thegirlsoftheribboncounters,thelittlefamiliesthatlivedonthesecondstoriesovertheirshops,thedressmakers,thesmalldoctors,theharness-

makers——allthevariousinhabitantsofthestreetwereabroad,strollingidlyfromshopwindowtoshopwindow,takingtheairaftertheday’swork。Groupsofgirlscollectedonthecorners,talkingandlaughingveryloud,makingremarksupontheyoungmenthatpassedthem。Thetamalemenappeared。AbandofSalvationistsbegantosingbeforeasaloon。

Then,littlebylittle,PolkStreetdroppedbacktosolitude。Eleveno’clockstruckfromthepower-houseclock。

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫,醒来一梦似千年,重生于下堂妃身躯中的她,将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读

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