一场紧张的家庭晚餐

It was seven o'clock on Saturday evening傍晚. Jackie stood站立 at the window窗. A car汽车 drove驾驶 slowly缓慢地 up to the front前面的 door门 and stopped停止. A tall高的 man男人 with white白色的 hair头发 got变得 out. It was Albert, the husband丈夫 of Molly's sister姐妹. "Here这里's Uncle Albert," Jackie said比如说[用于举例], "always总是 late迟." She went out of the room房间 and opened开 the front前面的 door门. Albert came来 in and went at once一次 to Molly. "Oh dear亲爱的人, I'm very很 late迟的. I am sorry抱歉的," Albert said比如说[用于举例]. "Fifty years年 old老的 today今天. What a wonderful极好的 dress女服."

Molly did not smile微笑. "Thank感谢 you, Albert. We're all getting变得 older老的." Tonight今夜 she wore磨损 a long长的 black黑色的 dress女服 and the two black黑色的 dogs狗 sat坐 at her feet脚. "Everyone is here这里 now现在. Let允许's go in to dinner正餐," she said比如说[用于举例]. Diane stood站立 up and went to the table桌子. "The table桌子 looks看 nice美好的, Jackie. What wonderful极好的 flowers花," Diane said比如说[用于举例]. She was a beautiful美的 girl女孩子 with long长的 black黑色的 hair头发 and dark暗的 blue蓝色的 eyes眼睛. She wore磨损 a long长的 red红色的 dress女服. Albert sat坐 down next随后 to Roger.

Roger was Molly's son儿子, her second二等的 child小孩. He lived居住 in Cambridge, in an expensive昂贵的 house房屋. "Someone called把…叫做 Peter stopped停止 me down the road路," Albert said比如说[用于举例]. "Who is he?" "He's very很 angry愤怒的 with you, Molly." "That's Peter Hobbs, from the house房屋 across the road路," Jackie said比如说[用于举例] quickly快地. She looked看 across the table桌子 at Molly. He lost失去 his job职业 last最后的 week周 and he's angry愤怒的 with everyone. "It's Molly he doesn't like喜欢," Albert said比如说[用于举例]. Molly said比如说[用于举例] nothing. Everyone began开始 to eat吃. "How is Aunt Annie?" Jackie asked问.

"She's much非常 worse坏的 now现在," Albert said比如说[用于举例]. "She stays保持 in bed床 all the time次. She needs需要 a nurse保姆 twenty-four hours小时 a day(一)天." "I am sorry抱歉的," Molly said比如说[用于举例]. Albert stopped停止 eating吃 and looked看 at Molly. "It's very很 difficult困难的 and very很 expensive昂贵的, you know知道. Annie feels有知觉 very很 unhappy不快乐的 because you don't visit参观 her, Molly. She loves爱 you very很 much非常. You are her little小的 sister姐妹, you know知道." Molly closed关 her eyes眼睛 for a minute分. "I know知道 that, Albert." "I am fifty years年 old老的, but I am always总是 her little小的 sister姐妹."

"Well好吧, we can talk讲话 about it later后来." Albert laughed笑. "Oh yes, we can talk讲话 later后来. It's always总是 later后来 with you, Molly. Always总是 tomorrow明天. Her mother母亲 was angry愤怒的 with Albert. Molly never永不 liked喜欢 talking讲话 about her sister姐妹, Annie, and she did not like喜欢 visiting参观 her because she was very很 ill有病的. "That's a beautiful美的 dress女服, Diane. Is it new新的?" Jackie asked问. "Thank感谢 you, Jackie. Yes, it's new新的 and very很 expensive昂贵的. I got变得 it on Wednesday," Diane said比如说[用于举例]. She smiled微笑 at Jackie. "All your things事情 are expensive昂贵的," Jackie said比如说[用于举例].

She remembered记得 the phone电话 call叫 on Thursday about the train火车 ticket票. "I don't like喜欢 cheap廉价的 things事情," Diane said比如说[用于举例]. "And I'm going to need需要 more更多的 money货币 soon不久. I want想要 to go to America. Can you help帮助 me, Roger?" "Oh no," Roger said比如说[用于举例]. "Nobody wants想要 to help帮助 you, Diane. You don't like喜欢 working使工作. We all know知道 that. But we all want想要 you to get变得 a job职业." Diane laughed笑. "It doesn't matter有关系, Roger. I don't need需要 your help帮手. Mother母亲 always总是 helps帮助 me. Mother loves爱 me best好."

She suddenly突然地 smiled微笑. A quick快的, beautiful美的 smile微笑. But her eyes眼睛 were cold冷的. Jackie looked看 at her mother母亲. Molly's face脸 was white白色的. Jackie did not understand(understood) 理解. Was her mother母亲 afraid害怕的 of, Diane? Jackie wanted想要 her mother母亲 to be happy快乐的 today今天. "Would you like喜欢 some more更多的 meat肉, Uncle Albert?" Jackie asked问. "Roger, can you give做 everyone some more更 to drink饮?" Roger got变得 up and began开始 to give做 more更 wine酒 to everyone. "This is good好的 wine酒," he said比如说[用于举例]. Molly smiled微笑 for the first第一的 time次.

"Yes. Your father父亲 loved爱 this wine酒. He often经常 drank饮 it." "Yes," Albert said比如说[用于举例] and looked看 at Molly. "Expensive昂贵的, too也." "Would you like喜欢 to meet遇见 Mr. Briggs this weekend周末, Roger?" Jackie asked问 quickly快地. "He's the new新的 man男人 at the farm农场. He wants想要 to meet遇见 you." "Briggs! Briggs!" Molly said比如说[用于举例], suddenly突然地 angry愤怒的. "Don't talk讲话 to me about that man男人. I don't like喜欢 him. He wants想要 half my garden花园 for his farm农场. He needs需要 more更多的 land陆地," he says比如说[用于举例]. "I don't want想要 him in my house房屋. He's always总是 dirty脏的, and he hasaux已经 bad坏的 teeth(pl teeth)牙齿."

Jackie stood站立 up and got变得 her bag袋. "Excuse原谅 me, I want想要 a cigarette香烟. Cigarettes香烟! There's a cigarette香烟 in your mouth嘴," Molly said比如说[用于举例]. "I don't like喜欢 it. Cigarettes香烟 aren't good好的 for you." Jackie began开始 to smoke冒烟. She felt有知觉 angry愤怒的, but she said比如说[用于举例] nothing. She wanted想要 her mother母亲 to be happy快乐的 this evening傍晚, but it was very很 difficult困难的. Roger drank饮 some more更多的 wine酒. "Well好吧, mother母亲, perhaps也许 Mr. Briggs is right正确的. The garden花园 is very很 big大的, you know知道," he said比如说[用于举例]. "It's a lot许多 of work工作 for you. The house房屋 is big大的, too也.

You're fifty now现在. You need需要 to be more更 careful仔细的." "Roger! I don't need需要 a nurse保姆, you know知道. I work使工作 in the garden花园 every day(一)天. I feel有知觉 happy快乐的 there在那里." Molly stood站立 up. "I know知道 you all want想要 my money货币. You come来 here这里 for a free自由的 dinner正餐. You don't want想要 to see看见 me. You don't love爱 me. You want想要 my house房屋 and my money货币. Well好吧, you can all全部 wait等待. Nobody is getting变得 more更多的 money货币 from me, not before I die死亡." "Don't say比如说[用于举例] that, mother母亲," Jackie cried哭.