Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain[排干] the fluids from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end[连续地]. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service[兵役], where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened[使生动] by all the activities and colors of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite[雅致的] detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque[优美的] scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: “Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything? It didn’t seem fair.” As the thought fermented[发酵], the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded[腐蚀] into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood[沉思] and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window – and that thought now controlled his life.
医院的同一间病房里住着两个病重的男人。其中一个男人每天有一小时的时间能在床上坐起身子,以便排出肺脏里的积水。他的病床紧靠着房间唯一的窗户。而另一个男人则要一直平躺在床上。
两个男人会连续聊上好几个小时。他们聊自己的妻子和家庭,房子和工作,也会谈论服兵役的经历以及去过哪里度假。每天下午,当病床靠窗的男人可以坐起身时,他就会向房友描述自己透过窗户看到的东西,消磨时光。
另一张病床的男人期盼着那一小时的到来,外面世界的各种活动和多姿多彩能拓宽他的世界,让它生动起来。那个男人说,窗户能俯瞰到一个有着漂亮小湖的公园。水鸭和天鹅在水里嬉戏,小孩们则操控他们的模型飞艇在湖面航行。情侣们把臂徜徉于彩虹般色彩斑斓的鲜花丛中。巨大的老树为景致增添姿色,远处还能看见城市地平线的美好景象。窗边的男人用细腻雅致的细节描绘这一切的时候,房间另一头的男人总会闭上眼睛,想象这一独特美景。
在一个温暖的下午,窗边的男人描述了一队路过的游行队伍。尽管另外一个男人没有听见乐队的奏乐声,但听着窗边男人细致的描绘,他能通过内心的眼睛看到这一切。突然间,一个奇怪的想法跃进他的脑海:“为什么他能幸福地看见所有景象,而我却看不到这些东西?这真不公平。”这个想法慢慢发酵,起初男人感到羞耻,然而日子一天天过去,他错过了更多景色,他的嫉妒逐渐腐化成怨恨,脾气也越来越坏。他开始冥思苦想,无法入眠。他应该睡在窗户边——这个想法占据了他的生活。
Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking[使窒息] on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly-lit room as the struggling man by the window groped[摸索] for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence – deathly silence.
The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away – no words, no fuss[大惊小怪]. As soon as it seemed appropriate[合适的], the man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained[拉紧] to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.
一天深夜,他躺在床上望着天花板,窗边的男人咳了起来。肺部的积水让他无法喘气。另一个男人在昏暗的病房里看着窗边的男人挣扎着摸索求助按钮。他在房间的另一头仔细听着,一动不动,没有按下自己的按钮让护士赶过来。不到五分钟,咳嗽声和喘气声停止了,呼吸声也没有了,只剩下沉默——死一般的寂静。
第二天早上,上日班的护士给他们送洗澡水。她看到窗边男人那毫无知觉的躯体,伤心地叫来一名男护理员将尸体搬走——没有任何言语,没有大惊小怪。男人看准时机询问自己能否转到靠窗的床位。护士很乐意为其换位,在确认他舒适地躺下后,便让他独自呆着。
慢慢地,他吃力地用手肘支起身子准备看第一眼。他终于能享受亲眼去看的快乐了。他全身紧绷,慢慢地转身望向床边的窗户。窗户正对着一面空白的墙壁。