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is talkin to hissef an laughin this weird； nutty little laugh。
next mornin we is in a hotel ready to give our second speech on the tour when the phone
ring。 it is for colonel gooch。 whoever on the other end of the line seem to be doin all the talkin；
an the colonel is doin the listenin an sayin 〃yessir〃 a whole lot； an ever so often he is glarin over
at me。 when he finally put the phone down； he be starin at his shoes an he say； 〃well； gump；
now you has done it。 the tour is canceled； i have been reassigned to a weather station in iceland；
an i do not know or care what is to bee of your sorry ass。〃 i axed colonel gooch if we could
get ourselfs a co'；cola now； an he jus look at me for a minute； then start that talkin to hissef again
an laughin that weird； nutty laugh。
they sent me to fort dix after that； an assign me to the steam heat pany。 all day an haf
the night i be shovelin coal into the boilers that keep the barracks warm。 the pany
mander is a kind of ole guy who don'；t seem to give much of a damn bout nothin； an he say
when i get there i has just got two more years left in the army before i am discharged； an to keep
my nose clean an everthin will be okay。 an that is what i am tryin to do。 i be thinkin a lot about
my mama an bout bubba an the little srimp bidness an jenny curran up at harvard； an i am
playin a little ping…pong on the side。
one day next spring there is a notice that they is gonna have a post ping…pong tournament an
the winner will get to go to washington to play for the all army championship。 i signed mysef
up an it was pretty easy to win on account of the only other guy that was any good had got his
fingers blowed off in the war an kep droppin his paddle。
next week i am sent to washington an the tournament is bein helt at walter reed hospital；
where all the wounded fellers can set an watch us play。 i won pretty easy the first roun； an the
secont too； but in the third； i have drawn a little bitty feller who puts all sorts of spin on the ball
an i am havin a terrible time with him； an gettin my ass whipped。 he is leadin me four games to
two an it look like i am gonna lose； when all of a sudden i look over in the crowd an who should
be settin there in a wheelchair but lieutenant dan from the hospital back at danang！
we have a little break between games an i go over to dan an look down at him an he ain'；t
got no legs no more。
〃they had to take them off； forrest；〃 he say； 〃but other than that； i am jus fine。〃
they have also taken off the bandages from his face； an he is terrible scarred an burnt from
where his tank caught fire。 also； he still have a tube runnin into him from a bottle hooked onto a
pole on his wheelchair。
〃they say they gonna leave that like it is；〃 dan say。 〃they think it looks good on me。〃
anyhow； he lean forward an look me in the eye； an say； 〃forrest； i believe that you can do
any damn thing you want to。 i have been watchin you play； an you can beat this little guy because
you play a hell of a game of ping…pong an it is your destiny to be the best。〃
i nod an it is time to go on back out there； an after that； i did not lose a single point； an i go
on to the finals an win the whole tournament。
i was there for about three days； an dan an me got to spend some time together。 i would roll
him aroun in his wheelchair； sometimes out in the garden where he could get some sun； an at
night i would play my harmonica for him like i did for bubba。 mostly； he liked to talk bout
things— all sorts of things— such as history and philosophy； an one day he is talkin bout einstein'；s
theory of relativity； an what it mean in terms of the universe。 well； i got me a piece of paper an i
drawed it out for him； the whole formula； cause it was somethin we had to do in the intermediate
light class back at the university。 he look at what i have done； an he say； 〃forrest； you never
cease to amaze me。〃
one day when i was back at fort dihovelin coal in the steam heat pany； a feller
from the pentagon showed up with a chest full of medals an a big smile on his face； an he say；
〃p。f。c。 gump； it is my pleasure to inform you that you is been chosen as a member of the united
states ping…pong team to go to red china an play the chinese in ping…pong。 this is a special
honor； because for the first time in nearly twenty…five years our country is having anything to do
with the chinamen； an it is an event far more important than any damn ping…pong game。 it is
diplomacy； and the future of the human race might be at stake。 do you understand what i am
saying？〃
i shrug my shoulders an nod my head； but somethin down in me sinkin fast。 i am jus a po ole
idiot； an now i have got the whole human race to look after。
．．
阿甘正传（英文版）9
here i am； halfway roun the world again； this time in peking； china。
the other people that play on the ping…pong team are real nice fellers what e from ever
walk of life； an they is specially nice to me。 the chinamen is nice； too； an they is very different
sorts of gooks from what i seen in vietnam。 first off； they is neat an clean an very polite。 second；
they is not tryin to murder me。
the american state department have sent a feller with us who is there to tell us how to
behave aroun the chinamen； an of all i have met； he is the only one not so nice。 in fact； he is a
turd。 mister wilkins is his name； an he have a little thin moustache and always carry a briefcase
an worry about whether or not his shoes is shined an his pants is pressed or his shirt is clean。 i bet
in the mornin he get up an spit…shines his asshole。
mister wilkins is always on my case。 〃gump；〃 he say； 〃when a chinaman bow to you； you
gotta bow back。 gump； you gotta quit adjustin yoursef in public。 gump； what are them stains on
your trousers？ gump； you have got the table manners of a hog。〃
in that last； maybe he is right。 them chinamen eat with two little sticks an it is almost
impossible to shovel any food in your