，
阿甘正传（英文版）1
小？说网
let me say this： bein a idiot is no box of chocolates。 people laugh； lose
patience； treat you shabby。 now they says folks sposed to be kind to the afflicted； but let me tell
you— it ain'；t always that way。 even so； i got no plaints； cause i reckon i done live a pretty
interestin life； so to speak。
i been a idiot since i was born。 my iq is near 70； which qualifies me； so they say。 probly；
tho； i'；m closer to bein a imbecile or maybe even a moron； but personally； i'；d rather think of mysef
as like a halfwit； or somethin— an not no idiot— cause when people think of a idiot； more'；n likely
they be thinkin of one of them mongolian idiots— the ones with they eyes too close together what
look like chinamen an drool a lot an play with theyselfs。
now i'；m slow— i'；ll grant you that； but i'；m probly a lot brighter than folks think； cause what
goes on in my mind is a sight different than what folks see。 for instance； i can think things pretty
good； but when i got to try sayin or writin them； it kinda e out like jello or somethin。 i'；ll show
you what i mean。
the other day； i'；m walkin down the street an this man was out workin in his yard。 he'；d got
hissef a bunch of shrubs to plant an he say to me； 〃forrest； you wanna earn some money？〃 an i
says； 〃uh…huh；〃 an so he sets me to movin dirt。 damn near ten or twelve wheelbarrows of dirt； in
the heat of the day； truckin it all over creation。 when i'；m thru he reach in his pocket for a dollar。
what i shoulda done was raised cain about the low wages； but instead； i took the damn dollar an
all i could say was 〃thanks〃 or somethin dumb…soundin like that； an i went on down the street；
waddin an unwaddin that dollar in my hand； feelin like a idiot。
you see what i mean？
now i know somethin bout idiots。 probly the only thing i do know bout； but i done read up
on em— all the way from that doy…chee…eveskie guy'；s idiot； to king lear'；s fool； an faulkner'；s
idiot； benjie； an even ole boo radley in to kill a mockingbird— now he was a serious idiot。 the
one i like best tho is ole lennie in of mice an men。 mos of them writer fellers got it straight—
cause their idiots always smarter than people give em credit for。 hell； i'；d agree with that。 any
idiot would。 hee hee。
when i was born； my mama name me forrest； cause of general nathan bedford forrest who
fought in the civil war。 mama always said we was kin to general forrest'；s fambly someways。
an he was a great man； she say； cept'；n he started up the ku klux klan after the war was over an
even my grandmama say they'；s a bunch of no…goods。 which i would tend to agree with； cause
down here； the grand exalted pishposh； or whatever he calls hissef； he operate a gun store in
town an once； when i was maybe twelve year ole； i were walkin by there and lookin in the winder
an he got a big hangman'；s noose strung up inside。 when he seen me watchin； he done thowed it
around his own neck an jerk it up like he was hanged an let his tongue stick out an all so'；s to scare
me。 i done run off and hid in a parkin lot behin some cars til somebody call the police an they
e an take me home to my mama。 so whatever else ole general forrest done； startin up that
klan thing was not a good idea— any idiot could tell you that。 nonetheless； that'；s how i got my
name。
my mama is a real fine person。 everbody says that。 my daddy； he got kilt just after i'；s born；
so i never known him。 he worked down to the docks as a longshoreman an one day a crane was
takin a big net load of bananas off one of them united fruit pany boats an somethin broke an
the bananas fell down on my daddy an squashed him flat as a pancake。 one time i heard some
men talkin bout the accident— say it was a helluva mess； half ton of all them bananas an my
daddy squished underneath。 i don'；t care for bananas much myself； cept for banana puddin。 i like
that all right。
my mama got a little pension from the united fruit people an she took in boarders at our
house； so we got by okay。 when i was little； she kep me inside a lot； so as the other kids wouldn'；t
bother me。 in the summer afternoons； when it was real hot； she used to put me down in the
parlor an pull the shades so it was dark an cool an fix me a pitcher of limeade。 then she'；d set
there an talk to me； jus talk on an on bout nothin in particular； like a person'；ll talk to a dog or cat；
but i got used to it an liked it cause her voice made me feel real safe an nice。
at first； when i'；s growin up； she'；d let me go out an play with everbody； but then she foun out
they'；s teasing me an all； an one day a boy hit me in the back with a stick wile they was chasin me
an it raised some fearsome welt。 after that； she tole me not to play with them boys anymore。 i
started tryin to play with the girls but that weren'；t much better； cause they all run away from me。
mama thought it would be good for me to go to the public school cause maybe it would hep
me to be like everbody else； but after i been there a little wile they e an told mama i ought'；n
to be in there with everbody else。 they let me finish out first grade tho。 sometimes i'；d set there
wile the teacher was talkin an i don'；t know what was going on in my mind； but i'；d start lookin out
the winder at the birds an squirrels an things that was climbin an settin in a big ole oak tree
outside； an then the teacher'；d e over an fuss at me。 sometimes； i'；d just get this real strange
thing e over me an start shoutin an all； an then she'；d make me go out an set on a bench in the
hall。 an the other kids； they'；d never play with me or nothin； cept'；n to chase me or get me to start
hollerin so'；s they could laugh at me— all cept jenny curran； who at least didn'；t run away from me
an sometimes she'；d let me walk nex to her goin home after class。
but the next year； they put me in another sort of school； an let me tell you； it was wierd。 it
was like they'；d gone aroun collectin all the funny fellers they coud find an put em all together；
rangin from my age an younger to big ole boys bout sixteen or seventeen。 they was retards of all
kinds an spasmos an kids that couldn'；t even eat or go to the toilet by theyselfs。 i was probly the
best of the lot。
they was one big fat boy； musta been fourteen or so； an he was afflicted with some kinda
thing made him shake like he'；s in the electric chair or somethin。 miss margaret； our teacher； made
me go in the bathroom with him when he had to go； so'；s he wouldn'；t do nothin wierd。 he done it
anyway； tho。 i didn'；t know no way of stoppin him； so i'；d just lock mysef in one of the stalls and
stay there till he'；s thru； an walk him back to the class。
i stayed in that school for about five or six years。 it wadn'；t all bad tho。 they'；d let us paint
with our fingers an make little things； but mostly； it jus teachin us how to do stuff like tie up our
shoes an not slobber food or get wild an yell an holler an thow shit aroun。 they wadn'；t no book
learnin to speak of— cept to show us how to read street signs an things like the difference between
the men'；s an the ladies'； rooms。 with all them serious nuts in there； it woulda been impossible to
conduct anythin more'；n that anyway。 also； i think it was for the purpose of keepin us out of
everbody else'；s hair。 who the hell wants a bunch of retards runnin aroun loose？ even i could
understand that。
when i got to be thirteen； some pretty unusual things begun to happen。 first off； i started to
grow。 i grew six inches in six months； an my mama was all the time havin to let out my pants。
also； i menced to grow out。 by the time i was sixteen i was six foot six an weighed two
hundrit forty…two pounds。 i know that cause they took me in an weighed me。 said they jus
couldn'；t believe it。
what happen nex caused a real change in my life。 one day i'；m strollin down the street on the
way home from nut school； an a car stop longside of me。 this guy call me over an axed my name。
i tole him； an then he axed what school i go to； an how e he ain'；t seen me aroun。 when i tell
him bout the nut school； he axed if i'；d ever played football。 i shook my head。 i guess i mighta tole
him i'；d seen kids playin it； but they'；d never let me play。 but like i said； i ain'；t too good at long
conversation； an so i jus shook my head。 that was about two weeks after school begun again。
three days or so later； they e an got me outta the nut school。 my mama was there； an so
was the guy in the car an two other people what look like goons— who i guess was present in case
i was to start somethin。 they took all the stuff outta my desk an put it in a brown paper bag
an tole me to say goodbye to miss margaret； an alls of a sudden she mence to start cryin an
give me a big ole hug。 then i got to say