"Mrs. Lewis?"
“是刘易斯太太吗?”
"Yes?"
“是我,什么事?”
"This is the Lenox Hill Hospital."
“这里是伦诺克斯·希尔医院。”
She felt unreal as the voice informed her of the subway accident—the shoving crowd, Arthur pushed from the platform in front of the train. As she hung up, she remembered Arthur's life-insurance policy for $25,000 with double indemnity for—
当电话那头的声音通知她地铁事故时,她不相信那是真的——阿瑟被拥挤的人群从站台挤到了地铁列车前轧死了。就在她挂电话时,她想起了阿瑟的25000美元的人身保险单,如遇……可拿到双倍赔偿金。
"No!" She struggled to her feet and walked into the kitchen numbly.
“不!”她挣扎着站起来,木然地走进厨房。
Something cold pressed at her skull as she removed the button unit from the wastebasket. There were no nails or screws visible. She couldn't see how it was put together.
当她从废纸篓里捡回那个按钮装置时,她感觉某种冰冷的东西正挤压着她的头颅。那装置上看不到钉子或螺丝,她不明白这个东西是怎么装配起来的。
Abruptly, she began to smash it on the sink edge, pounding it harder and harder, until the wood split. She pulled the sides apart, cutting her fingers without noticing. There were no transistors in the box, no wires or tubes.
突然,她开始使劲将盒子向洗碗槽边砸去,力气越来越大,直到盒子破裂。她把盒子掰开,手指划破了也不知道。木盒里没有晶体管,没有电线,也没有真空管。
The box was empty.
盒子是空的。
She whirled with a gasp as the telephone rang. Stumbling into the living room, she picked up the receiver.
电话铃响了,她喘息着转过身去,跌跌撞撞地走到起居室,拿起了话筒。
"Mrs. Lewis?" Mr. Steward asked.
“刘易斯夫人吗?”斯图沃德先生问。
It wasn't her voice shrieking so; it couldn't be. "You said I wouldn't know the one that died!"
如此尖的叫声真不像是她的声音,也不可能是她的声音:“你说过死的人会是我不认识的人!”
"My dear lady," Mr. Steward said. "Do you really think you knew your husband?"
“亲爱的夫人,”斯图沃德先生说,“您真以为您认识自己的丈夫吗?”