The-Standard-of-Living

1TheStandardofLivingDorothyParkerAnnabelandMidgehadbeenbestfriendsalmostfromthedaythatMidgehadfoundajobasstenographer（速记员）withthefirmthatemployedAnnabel.Bynow,Annabel,twoyearslongerinthestenographicdepartment,hadworkeduptothewagesofeighteendollarsandfiftycentsaweek;Midgewasstillatsixteendollars.Eachgirllivedathomewithherfamilyandpaidhalfhersalarytoitssupport.Thegirlssatsidebysideattheirdesks,theylunchedtogethereverynoon,togethertheysetoutforhomeattheendoftheday'swork.ManyoftheireveningsandmostoftheirSundayswerepassedineachother'scompany.Oftentheywerejoinedbytwoyoungmen,buttherewasnosteadinesstoanysuchquartet;thetwoyoungmenwouldgiveplace,unlamented,totwootheryoungmen,andlament（悲恸）wouldhavebeeninappropriate,reallysincethenewcomerswerescarcelydistinguishableformtheirpredecessors（前辈）.Invariably（总是）thegirlsspentthefineidlehoursoftheirhot-weatherSaturdayafternoonstogether.Constantusehadnotwornragged（衣衫褴褛的）thefabricoftheirfriendship.Theylookedalike,thoughtheresemblance（相似）didnotlieintheirfeatures.Itwasintheirmovements,theirstyle,andtheiradornments（装饰）.AlwaysthegirlswenttowalkonFifthAvenueontheirfreeafternoons,foritwastheidealgroundfortheirfavoritegame.Thegamecouldbeplayedanywhere,andindeed,was,butthegreatshopwindowsstimulatedthetwoplayerstotheirbestform.Annabelhadinventedthegame;orrathershehadevolveditfromanoldone.Basically,itwasnomorethantheancientsportofwhat-would-you-do-if-you-had-a-million-dollars?ButAnnabelhaddrawnanewsetofrulesforit,hadnarrowedit,pointedit,madeitstricter.Likeallgames,itwasthemoreabsorbingforbeingmoredifficult.Annabel'sversionwentlikethis:Youmustsupposethatsomebodydiesandleavesyouamilliondollars,cool.Butthereisaconditiontothebequest.Itisstatedinthewillthatyoumustspendeverynickel（镍）ofthemoneyonyourself.Therelaythehazard（危害）ofthegame.If,whenplayingit,youforgotandlistedamongyourexpenditures（花费）therentalofanewapartmentforyourfamily,forexample,youlostyourturntotheotherplayer.Itwasastonishinghowmany--andsomeofthemamongtheexperts,too--wouldforfeit（被没收）alltheirwinningsbysuchslips.Itwasessential,ofcourse,thatitbeplayedinpassionateseriousness.Eachpurchasemustbecarefullyconsideredand,ifnecessary,supportedbyargument.Therewasnozest（热情）toplayingitwildly.Midgeplayedthegamelikeamasterfromthemomentshelearnedit.Itwasshewhoaddedthetouchesthatmadethewholethingcozier（舒适）.AccordingtoMidge'sinnovations,theeccentric（古怪的）whodiedandleftyouthemoneywasnotanybodyyouloved,or,forthematterofthat,anybodyyouevenknew.Itwassomebodywhohadseenyousomewhereandhadthought,Thatgirloughttohavelotsofnicethings.I'mgoingtoleaveheramilliondollarswhenidie.Andthedeathwastobeneitheruntimelynorpainful.Yourbenefactor（捐助者，恩人）,fullofyearsandcomfortablyreadytodepart,wastoslipsoftlyawayduringsleepandgorighttoheaven.Theseembroideries（刺绣，润饰）permittedAnnabelandMidgetoplaytheirgameintheluxuryofpeacefulconsciences.Midgeplayedwithaseriousnessthatwasp（易动怒的人）notonlyproperbutextreme.Thesinglestrainonthegirls'friendshiphadfollowedanannouncementoncemadebyAnnabelthatthe2firstthingshewouldbuywithhermilliondollarswouldbeasilver-foxcoat.ItwasasifshehadstruckMidgeacrossthemouth.WhenMidgerecoveredherbreath,shecriedthatshecouldn'timaginehowAnnabelcoulddosuchathing--silver-foxcoatsweresocommon!Annabeldefendedhertastewiththeretort（反驳）thattheywerenotcommon,either.Midgethensaidthattheywereso.Sheaddedthateverybodyhadasilver-foxcoat.Shewenton,withperhapsaslighttoss（辗转）ofhead,todeclarethatsheherselfwouldn'tbecaughtdeadinsilverfox.Forthenextfewdays,thoughthegirlssaweachotherasconstantly,theirconversationwascarefulandinfrequent,andtheydidnotonceplaytheirgame.Thenonemorning,assoonasAnnabelenteredtheoffice,shecametoMidgeandsaidshehadchangedhermind.Shewouldnotbuyasilver-foxcoatwithanypartofhermilliondollars.Immediatelyonreceivingthelegacy（遗产）,shewouldselectacoatofmink（水貂）.Midgesmiledandhereyesshone.Ithink,shesaid,you'redoingabsolutelytherightthing.Now,astheywalkedalongFifthAvenue,theyplayedthegameanew.ItwasoneofthosedayswithwhichSeptemberisrepeatedlycursed;hotandglaring,withsliversofdustinthewind.Peopledrooped（低垂，发蔫）andshambled（蹒跚而行）,butthegirlscarriedthemselvestallandwalkedastraightline,asbefittedyoungheiresses（继承人）ontheirafternoonpromenade（散步）.Therewasnolongerneedforthemtostartthegameatitsformalopening.Annabelwentdirectlytotheheartofit.Allright,shesaid.Soyou'vegotthismilliondollars.Sowhatwouldbethefirstthingyou'ddo?Well,thefirstthingI'ddo,Midgesaid,I'dgetaminkcoat.Butshesaiditmechanically,asifsheweregivingthememorizedanswertoanexpectedquestion.Yes,Annabelsaid,Ithinkyououghtto.Theterriblydarkkindofmink.Butshe,too,spokeasifbyrote（死记硬背）.Itwastoohot;fur,nomatterhowdarkandsleek（光亮的）andsupple（柔软的）,washorridtothethoughts.Theysteppedalonginsilenceforawhile.ThenMidge'seyewascaughtbyashopwindow.Cool,lovelygleamings（闪亮）weretheresetoffbychaste（纯洁的）andelegantdarkness.No,Midgesaid.Itakeitback.Iwouldn'tgetaminkcoatthefirstthing.KnowwhatI'ddo?I'dgetastringofpearls.Realpearls.Annabel'seyesturnedtofollowMidge'sYes,shesaid,slowly.Ithinkthat'sakindofagoodidea.Anditwouldmakesense,too.Becauseyouca