1、1From Hills Like White ElephantsBy Ernest Hemingway“What should we drink?“ the man asked. He had taken off his hat and put it on the table.“Its pretty hot,“ the woman said.“Lets drink beer.“Dos cervezas,“ the woman said into the curtain.“Big ones?“ a man asked from the doorway.“Yes. Two big ones.“Th
2、e man brought two glasses of beer and two felt pads. He put the felt pads and the beer glass on the table and looked at the woman and the man. The man was looking off at the line of hills. They were white in the sun and the country was brown and dry.“They look like white elephants,“ he said.“Ive nev
3、er seen one,“ the woman drank her beer.“No, you wouldnt have.“I might have,“ the woman said. “Just because you say I wouldnt have doesnt prove anything.“The man looked at the bead curtain. “Theyve painted something on it,“ he said. “What does it say?“Anis del Toro. Its a drink.“Could we try it?“The
4、woman called “Listen“ through the curtain. The man came out from the bar.“Four reales.“ “We want two Anis del Toro.“With water?“Do you want it with water?“I dont know,“ the guy said. “Is it good with water?“Its all right.“2“You want them with water?“ asked the man.“Yes, with water.“It tastes like li
5、quorice,“ the man said and put the glass down.“Thats the way with everything.“Yes,“ said the guy. “Everything tastes of liquorice. Especially all the things youve waited so long for, like absinthe.“Oh, cut it out.“You started it,“ the man said. “I was being amused. I was having a fine time.“Well, le
6、ts try and have a fine time.“All right. I was trying. I said the mountains looked like white elephants. Wasnt that bright?“That was bright.“I wanted to try this new drink. Thats all we do, isnt itlook at things and try new drinks?“I guess so.“The man looked across at the hills.“Theyre lovely hills,“
7、 he said. “They dont really look like white elephants. I just meant the colouring of their skin through the trees.“Should we have another drink?“All right.“The warm wind blew the bead curtain against the table.“The beers nice and cool,“ the woman said.“Its lovely,“ the man said. “Well be fine afterw
8、ards. Just like we were before.“What makes you think so?“3“Thats the only thing that bothers us. Its the only thing thats made us unhappy.“The man looked at the bead curtain, put her hand out and took hold of two of the strings of beads.“And you think then well be all right and be happy.“I know we w
9、ill. You dont have to be afraid. Ive known lots of people that have done it.“So have I,“ said the guy. “And afterwards they were all so happy.“Well,“ the woman said, “if you dont want to you dont have to. I wouldnt have you do it if you didnt want to. But I know its perfectly simple.“And you really
10、want to?“I think its the best thing to do. But I dont want you to do it if you dont really want to.“And if I do it youll be happy and things will be like they were and youll love me?“I love you now. You know I love you.“I know. But if I do it, then it will be nice again if I say things are like whit
11、e elephants, and youll like it?“Ill love it. I love it now but I just cant think about it. You know how I get when I worry.“If I do it you wont ever worry?“I wont worry about that because its perfectly simple.“Then Ill do it. Because I dont care about me.“What do you mean?“I dont care about me.“Well
12、, I care about you.“Oh, yes. But I dont care about me. And Ill do it and then everything will be fine.“I dont want you to do it if you feel that way.“The man stood up and walked to the end of the station. Across, on the other side, were fields of grain and trees along the banks of the Ebro. Far away
13、, beyond the river, were mountains. The shadow of a cloud moved across the field of grain and she saw the river through the trees. 4 “Come on back in the shade,“ she said. “You mustnt feel that way.“I dont feel any way,“ the man said. “I just know things.“I dont want you to do anything that you dont
14、 want to do“Nor that isnt good for me,“ he said. “I know. Could we have another beer?“All right. But youve got to realize“I realize,“ the man said. “Cant we maybe stop talking?“They sat down at the table and the man looked across at the hills on the dry side of the valley and the woman looked at her
15、 and at the table.“Youve got to realize,“ she said, “that I dont want you to do it if you dont want to. Im perfectly willing to go through with it if it means anything to you.“Doesnt it mean anything to you? We could get along.“Of course it does. But I dont want anybody but you. I dont want anyone e
16、lse. And I know its perfectly simple.“Yes, you know its perfectly simple.“Its all right for you to say that, but I do know it.“Would you do something for me now?“Id do anything for you.“Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?“She did not say anything but looked at the bags against the wall of the station. There were labels on them from all the hotels where they had spent nights.“But I dont want you to,“ she said, “I dont care anything about it.“Ill scream,“ the man said.
