The Big Broadcast of 1938
The Big Broadcast of 1938 (第1/3页)
Havingacquiredinexchangeforanoldhousethathadbeentheirs,hisandhers,aradioormoreproperlyradiostation,Bloomsburycouldnowplay"TheStar-SpangledBanner,"whichhehadalwaysadmiredimmoderately,onaccountofitsfinality,asoftenasheliked.Itmeant,tohim,thateverythingwasfinished.Thereforeheplayeditdaily,60timesbetween6and10a.m.,120timesbetween12noonand7p.m.,andthewholenightlongexceptwhen,aswassometimesthecase,hewastalking.
Bloomsburysradiotalkswereoftwokinds,calledthefirstkindandthesecondkind.Thefirstconsistedofsinglingout,forspecialnotice,fromamongalltheothers,someparticularwordintheEnglishlanguage,andrepeatingitinamonotonousvoiceforasmuchasfifteenminutes,oraquarter-hour.Thewordthussingledoutmightbeanyword,thewordneverthelessforexample."Nevertheless,"Bloomsburysaidintothemicrophone,"nevertheless,nevertheless,nevertheless,nevertheless,nevertheless,nevertheless,nevertheless."Afterthisexposuretotheglareofpublicinspectionthewordwouldfrequentlydisclosenewproperties,unsuspectedqualities,althoughthatwasfarfromBloomsburysintention.Hisintention,insofarashemaybesaidtohavehadone,wassimplytoputsomething"ontheair."
ThesecondkindofradiotalkwhichBloomsburyprovidedwasthecommercialannouncement.
TheBloomsburyannouncementswereperhapsnottoosimilartootherannouncementsbroadcastduringthisperiodbyotherbroadcasters.Theyweredissimilarchieflyinthattheywereaddressednottothemassofmenbutofcoursetoher,shewithwhomhehadlivedinthehousethatwasgone(tradedfortheradio).Frequentlyhewouldbeginsomewhatinthisvein:
"Well,oldgirl"(hebegan),"hereweare,mespeakingintothetube,youlyingonyourbackmostlikely,givinganear,Idontdoubt.Swellofyoutotunemein.Irememberthetimeyouwentwalkingwithoutyourshoes,whatanevening!Youwerewearing,Irecall,yourdove-graysilk,withaflowerhat,andyoupickedyourwaydowntheboulevardasdaintilyasareallady.Therewerechestnutsontheground,Ibelieve;youcomplainedthattheyfeltlikerocksunderyourfeet.Igotdownonmyhandsandkneesandcrawledinfrontofyou,sweepingthechestnutsintothegutterwithmyhand.Whatanevening!YousaidIlookedabsurd,andagentlemanwhowaspassingintheotherdirection,Irememberheworeyellowspatswithyellowshoes,smiled.Theladyaccompanyinghimreachedouttopatmeonmyhead,buthegraspedherarmandpreventedher,andthekneesofmytrouserstoreonabrokenplaceinthepavement.
"Afterwardsyoutreatedmetoaraspberryice,callingforasaucer,whichyouplaced,daintily,atyourfeet.Istillrecallthecoolness,afterthehotworkontheboulevard,andthewaytheraspberrystainedmymuzzle.Iputmyfaceinyourhand,andyourlittleglovecameawaypinkandsticky,stickyandpink.Wewerecomfortablethere,intheicecreamparlor,wewereprettyasapicture!Manandwife!
"Whenwegothome,thatevening,thestreetlightswerejustcomingon,theinsectswerejustcomingout.Andyousaidthatnexttime,iftherewereanexttime,youwouldwearyourshoes.Evenifitkilledyou,yousaid.AndIsaidIwouldalwaysbetheretosweepawaythechestnuts,whateverhappened,evenifnothinghappened.Andyousaidmostlikelythatwasright.Ialwayshadbeenthere,yousaid.Swellofyoutonoticethat.Ithoughtatthetimethattherewasprobablynoonemoreswellthanyouinthewholeworld,anywhere.AndIwantedtotellyou,butdidnot.
"Andthen,whenitwasdark,wehadoureveningquarrel.Averyordinaryone,Ibelieve.Thesubject,whichhadbeenannouncedbyyouatbreakfastandpostedonthenoticeboard,wasSmallnessintheHumanMale.Youarguedthatitwaswillfulnessonmypart,whereasIarguedthatitwaslackofpropernourishmentduringmyyoungyears.Ilost,aswasrightofcourse,andyousaidIcouldnthaveanysupper.Ihad,yousaid,alreadygorgedmyselfonraspberryice.Ihad,yousaid,ruinedagoodglovewithmyardor,andadecentpairoftrouserstoo.AndIsaid,butitwasfortheloveofyou!andyousaid,hush!ortherellbenobreakfasteither.AndIsaid,butlovemakestheworldgo!andyousaid,orlunchtomorroweither.AndIsaid,butwewereeverythingtoeachotheronce!andyousaid,orsuppertomorrownight.
"Butperhaps,Isaid,alittletoffee?RuinyourteeththenforallIcare,yousaid,andputsomepiecesoftoffeeinmybed.Andthuswewenthappilytosleep.Manandwife!Wasthereeveranything,oldskin,liketheolddays?"
Immediatelyfollowingthiscommercialannouncement,oranannouncementmuchlikethis,Bloomsburywouldplay"TheStar-SpangledBanner"80or100times,forthefinalityofit.
Whenheinterrogatedhimselfaboutthematter,abouthowitfelttooperatearadioofhisown,Bloomsburytoldhimselftheabsolutetruth,thatitfeltfine.Hebroadcastduringthisperiodnotonlysomeofhisfavoritewords,suchasthewordsassimilate,alleviate,authenticate,ameliorate,andquantitiesofhisfavoritemusic(hewasparticularlyfondofthatpart,towardtheend,thatwent:da-da,dadadadadadada-a),butalsoaseriesofcommercialannouncementsofgreatpowerandpoignancy,andpersuasiveness.Neverthelesshefelt,althoughhemanagedtoconcealitfromhimselfforaspace,somewhatfutile.Fortherehadbeennoresponsefromher(shewhofigured,asbothsubjectandobject,inthecommercialannouncements,andhadonce,beforeithadbeentradedfortheradio,livedinthehouse).
Acommercialannouncementoftheperiodofthisfeelingwas:
"Onthatremarkableday,thatdayunlikeanyother,thatday,ifyouwillpardonme,ofdays,onthatolddayfromtheolddayswhenwewere,astheysay,young,wewalkedifyouwillforgivetheextravagancehandinhandintoatheaterwheretherewasafilmplaying.Doyouremember?Wesatintheupperbalconyandsmokefrombelow,wheretherewerepeoplesmoking,roseandwe,ifyouwillexcusethedigression,smelledofit.Itsmelled,andIorwethoughtitremarkableatthetime,likethetwentiethcentury.Whichwasafterallourcentury,noneother.
"WewerethereyouandIbecausewehadntroomsandtherewerenoparksandwehadntautomobilesandtherewerenobeaches,formakingloveoranythingelse.Ergo,ifyouwillcondheanachronism,wewereforcedintothebalcony,tothetopmostrow,fromwhichwehadatiltyviewofthesilverscreen.OrwouldhavehadhadwenotyouandIbeenengagedinpawingandpushing,pushingandpawing.Onmypartatleast,ifnotonyours.
"ThefirstthingIknewIwasinsideyourshirtwithmyhandandIfoundtheresomethingverylovelyand,astheysay,desirable.Itbelongedtoyou.Ididnotknow,then,whattodowithit,thereforeIsimply(simply!)helditinmyhand,itwas,asthesayinggoes,softandwarm.Ifyoucanbelieveit.Meanwhiledownbelowinthepiteventsweretakingplace,whethertheseweresuchasthepeopleinthepithadpaidfor,Ididnotanddonotknow.Nordidordo,whereveryouare,you.AfteratimeIwasinfactdistracted,IstillhelditinmyhandbutIwaslookingelsewhere.
"Youthensaidintomyear,getonwithit,cantyou?
"Ithensaidintoyourear,Imwatchingthepicture.
"Atthisspeechofmineyouweremovedtowithdrawitfrommyhand,Iunderstood,itwasapunishment.Havingwithdrawnityoubegan,forlackofanythingbetter,towatchthepicturealso.Wewatchedthepicturetogether,andalthoughthiswasakindofintimacy,theotherkindhadbeenlost.Neverthelessithadbeenthereonce,Iconsoledmyselfwiththat.ButIfelt,Ifelt,Ifelt(Ithink)thatyouwere,astheysay,angry.Andtothatrowofthebalconywe,youandI,neverreturned."
AfterthisannouncementwasbroadcastBloomsburyhimselffeltcalledupontoweepalittle,anddid,butnot"ontheair."
Hewasinfactweepingquietlyinthecontrolroom,wherewerekeptthemicrophone,theconsole,theturntablesandthehotplate,with"TheStar-SpangledBanner"playingbravelyandapieceofbutteredtoastinhishand,whenhesawintheglassthatconnectedthecontrolroomwiththeotherroom,whichhadbeenareceptionroomorfoyer,agirlorwomanofindeterminateagedressedinalongbrightredlinenduster.
Thegirlorwomanremovedherduster,underneathshewaswearingblacktoreadorpants,anorangesweater,andharlequinglasses.Bloomsburyimmediatelysteppedoutintothereceptionroomorfoyerinordertoviewhermoreclosely,heregardedher,she
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