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Text A The Office（第1页）

TextATheOffice

Aliro

（PartI）

[1]ThesolutiontomylifeoeoneeveningwhileIwasironingashirt。Itlebutaudacious。IwentintothelivingroomwheremyhusbandwaswatgtelevisionandIsaid，“IthinkIoughttohaveanoffice。”

[2]Itsouie。WhatdoIwantanofficefor?Ihaveahouse;itispleasantandroomyandhasaviewofthesea;itprovidesappropriateplacesfandsleeping，andhavingbathsaionswithone’sfriends。AlsoIhaveagarden;thereisnolackofspace。

[3]No。Buthereesthedisclosurewhioteasyforme:Iamawriter。Thatdoesnht。Toopresumptuous，phony，oratleastung。Tryagaibetter?Itrytowrite。Thatmakesitworse。Hypocriticalhumility。Wellthen?

[4]Itdoesn’tmatter。HoweverIputit，thewordscreatetheirspaceofsileemomentofexposure。Butpeoplearekind，thesilenceisquicklyabsorbedbythesolicitudeoffriendlyvvariouslyhoodforyou，aisintriguing。Andwhatdoyouwrite?Theyihspirit。Fi，Ireply，bearingmyhumiliationbythistimewithease，eveionofflippancy，whiotalwaysmine，andagain，agaiibleayaresmoothedoutbysuchreadyandtactfulvoices—whichhavehoweverexhaustedtheirstosolatoryphrases，andly，“Ah!”

[5]SothisiswhatIwantanofficefor（Isaidtomyhusband）:towritein。Iwasatosoundedlikeafi，apieceofrareself-ie，aseveryoneknowsyouypewriter，oratleastapenepaper，atableandchair;Ihaveallthesethingsinanybedroom。ButnowIwantanofficeaswell。

[6]AndIwashatIwasgoingtowriteinit，ifweedowntothat。MaybeIwouldsitahewall;eventhatprospeotuome。ItwasreallythesoundofthewordsofficethatIliked，itssoundofdignityandpeadpurposefulnessandimportaIdidionthistomyhusband，soIlaueadintoahigh-flowio，asIremember，likethis。

[7]Ahouseisallrightforamantoworkin。Hebringshisworkintothehouse，aplaceisclearedforit;thehesitselfasbestit。Everybhisworkexists。Heisoaelephoofindthingsthatarelost，toseewhytheareg，orfeedtheshuthisdine（Isaid）amherdoor，andtheknowingsheisbehindit;why，theverythoughtofitiseoustothem。Awomanwhositsstaringioatrythatisnotherhusband’sorher’sislikewiseknowntobeanature。Soahouseisnotthesameforawomasomeonewhowalksiomakeuseofit，andwillwalkoutagaihehouse;thereisionpossible。

[8]“Goahead，ifyoudoneough，”isallmyhusbandhadtosay。Heisnotlikeme;hedoesexplanations。Thattheheartofanotherpersonisaethingyouwillhearhimsayfrequently，andwithret。

&henIdidnotthinkitwassomethingthatcouldbeaplished。Perhapsatbottomitseemedtometooimproperawishtobegranted。Ioreeasilyhavewishedforaminkondhesearethiain。The，learningofmyplahemwiththemostdashiiduhelessIwentdowntotheshoppierwhichistwoblowhereIlive;thereIhadnoticedforseveralmonths，andwithoutthinkinghowtheycouldpertaintome，acoupleairswindowsofabuildingthathstoreayparlor。AsIweairsIhadafeelingofpleteuy;surelyrentinglicatedbusihecaseofoffices;youdidnotsimplyknothedoorofthevatpremisesandwaittobeadmitted;itwouldhavetobedhels。Also，theywouldwanttoomuey。

。。。

[10]TheroomasevidentlyabinationlivingroomahefirstthingsInoticedweremodelsofships—galleons，clippers，QueenMarys—sittiables，thewindowsills，thetelevisioherewerenoshipstherewerepottedplantsandaclutterofwhataresometimescalled“masents—a，deerheads，breashtraysofheavy，veined，shihewallshotographsandwhatmighthavebeendiplomas。Ooshooodleandabulldog，dressedinmasdfemihing，andassumingwithdismalembarrassmentaposeofaffe。Writtenacrossitwas“OldFriends”。Buttheroomwasreallydominatedbyaportrait，withitsownlightandagildedframe;itwasofagood-looking，fair-hairedmanitingbehindadesk，wearingabusiandlookilyprosperous，rosyandagreeable。Hereagain，itisprobablyhindsightonmypartthatpointsoutthatithereisevidentalsosomeuneasiness，somelackoffaiththemanhasinthisrole，ateospreadhimselftoobountifullyaly，whichforallanyoneknowsmayleadtodisaster。

[11]heMalleys。AssoonasIsawthatoffitedit。ItwaslargerthanIneeded，beingdividedinsuchawaythatitwouldbesuitableforadoctor’soffice。（raherebutheleft，saysMrs。Malleyifulbutunihewallsweredbare，whitewithalittlegraytocuttheglarefortheeyes。Siherewerenodoevidenorhadbeen，asMrs。Malleyfreelytoldme，forsometime，Iofferedtwenty-fivedollarsamonth。Shesaidsheeaktoherhusband。

[12]TheimeIcamemyreedupon，aMr。Malleyintheflesh。Iexplained，asIhadalreadydoohiswife，thatIdidnotwanttomakeuseofmyularbusinesshours，butduringtheweekendsaimesintheeveniIwoulduseitfor，andItoldhim，notwithfirstwhetherIoughttosayIdidstenography。

[13]Heabsorbedtheinformationwithgoodhumor。“Ah，you’reawriter。”

[14]“Wellyes。Iwrite。”

[15]“Thenwe’lldoourbesttoseeyou’refortablehere，”hesaidexpansively。“I’magreatmanforhobbiesmyself。Alltheseshipmodels—Idothemihey’reablessingforthenerves。Peopleneedanofortheirnerves。Idaresayyou’rethesame。”

[16]“Somethingthesame，”Isaid，resolutelyagreeable，evehesawmybehaviorinthishazyalight。Atleasthedidnotaskme，asIhalfexpected，whowaslookihe，anddidmyhusbaenyears，maybefifteeened，spread，ahemaure。Hishipsandthighshadnacoffat，ghimtomovewithasigh，aysettlingofflesh，aporiarfort。Hishairandeyeshadfaded，hisfeaturesblurred，andtheaffable，predatoryexpressionhadcollapsediroublinghumilityandistrust。Ididnotlookathim。Ihadakingaakeontheresponsibilityofknowinganymorehumanbeings。

[17]Ontheweekehoutthehelpofmyfamily，whowouldhavebeenkind。Ibroughtmytypewriterandacardtableandchair，alsoalittlewoodentableonwhichIsetahotplate，akettle，ajarofinstantcoffee，spoon，andayellowmug。Thatwasall。Ibroodedwithsatisfathebarenessofmywalls，theityofmyessentialfurnishings，theremarkablelagstodust，olish。

[18]ThesightwasoMr。Malley。HeknoydoorsoonafterIwassettledandsaidthathewaoexplaihiuhelightierroom，whichIwouldtheradiatorandhowtoworktheawnihewindow。Helookedarouhingwithgloomandmystifidsaiditwasanawfullyunfortableplaceforalady。

[19]“It’sperfectlyallrightforme，”Isaid，notasdisglyasIwouldhavelikedto，becauseIalwayshaveateoplaIdislikefoodreason，orsimplydonotwanttokesofcourtesysometimes，inthefoolishhopethattheywillgoawayandleavemealone。

[20]“Whatyouwantisaniceeasychairtositinwhileyforinspirationtohit。I’vegotai，allkindsofstuffdowntheresiherpassedohere’sabitofcarpetrolledupihere;itisn’tdoinganybodyanygood。Wecouldgetthisplacefixedupsoit’dbealotmorehome-likeforyou。”

[21]“Butreally，”Isaid，“butreallyIlikeitasitis。”

[22]“Ifyouwaoruains，I’dpayyouforthematerial。Plaeedsatouafraidyou’llgetmorbidsittinginhere。”

[23]“Oh，no，”Isaid，andlaughed，“I’msureIwon’t”。

[24]“It’dbeadifferentstoryifyouwereaman。Awomanwantsthingsabitcozier。”

[25]SoIgotupahewindowandlookeddowySuhroughtheslatsoftheVeianblind，toavoidtheagvulyofhisfatfadItriedoutacoldvoicethatistobeheardfrequentlyinmythoughtsbuthasgreatdifficultygettingoutofmyouth。“Mr。Malley，pleasedon’tbothermeaboutthisanymore，Isaiditsuitsme。IhaveeverythingIwant。Thanksfmeaboutthelight。”

[26]Theeffectwasdevastatioshameme。“Ilywouldheringyou，”hesaid，withpreofspeedaloofsadness。“Imerelymadethesesuggestionsforyourfort。HadIrealizedIwasinyourway，Iwouldhaveleftsometimeago。”Whenhehadgoer，evenalittleexhilaratedatmyvicthstillashamedofhoweasyithadbeen。Itoldmyselfthathewouldhavehadtobediscedsooer，itwasbettertohaveitoverwithatthebeginning。

。。。

[1968]

Notes

Aliro（1931-present）:Sheisaporaryshortstoryinsthe2013NoblePrizeLiteratureawardandhasalsowonmulti-awardsnationallyaionally。Muablishedheriioiohegreatestporarywritersoffiwithherfrequentthemegfemaledilemmasihandfollowingstagesoflife。TheOfficeisseleherearlyofshortstoriesDaheHappyShades（1968），whichgeneral’sAwardforFi。

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