1． Free to Kill
Would you kill a man? Don't say no. think about it for a while.
I bet you'd kill a man if he was out to get you. If it was your life or his, you'd kill him. Sure, I'd bet you'd try.
I didn't think that I was a killer. I didn't think I had it in me1. That's a joke. You see, I am a killer. I've killed 50 people, more or less. I can't tell you the exact number. I lost track2 after nine or ten.
No one made me do it and I'm not crazy. I'm just as sane3 as you. Why did I do it then? I'll tell you. I knew I could get away with it. No one could pin the killing on me4. I could get away with it every time.
It was all so easy. There was nothing to stop me. Nothing to hold me back. I was free to kill. A new way of life was open to me and I took it. How could I turn it down5?
I bet you'd do the same. Yes you would. Don't kid yourself. We're all killers. That's what I think. We're all made that way.
I'll tell you what happened to me. I might as well6 put it down on paper. If I don't do it now, I never will. My luck has run out. There's only one thing left for me to kill, and that's time. In the end, you'll see what I mean.
2． An Eye for Money
Tow years ago my life was dull. I was just like most people. I had a wife. I had a house. I had a car. My car was old, my house was small, and I didn't get along with my wife. You can see why my life was dull.
Every day I worked from 9:00 in the morning to 6:00 at night. When I got home, I sat and looked at TV. That was my life. I had nothing to look forward to, nothing to plan for. I lived from day to day.
Most people live like that. They get up, they work, and they sleep. That's life. That's what it's all about.
I was better off7 than most people—I owned a store. Just a small store, but it was mine. I was my own boss. There was no one to push me around8. No one at all.
When I bought the store, I had big plans. I wanted to take over the store next door and expand, but nothing came of9 it. The old guy next door wouldn't sell. So that was that. I had to do the best I could with what I had.
There I was, a store owner, trying to make ends meet10. Fed up with life. Fed up with myself. I wanted to have some fun in life. Have a good time. Live high. You know what I mean.
Yes, I could just see myself sitting in a new car with a nice-looking woman beside me. I knew what I wanted, but I couldn't do much about it. You need money for that kind of thing.
No one in my family had much money. The only one with any cash at all was my Uncle Fred. That didn't do me any good. Uncle Fred wouldn't give a penny away.
He was a mean old devil, but I always tried to keep on the good side of him11. I had my eye on his money. After all, he had to die some day. You know what they say, “You can't take it with you.” I hoped Uncle Fred knew that.
Uncle Fred just loved to play chess. I didn't like it so much myself, but I played him a game every Monday night just to keep him happy. Just to keep on the good side of him.
I played so many chess games that I got pretty good at it. I was better than Uncle Fred. A lot better. I could beat him any time. Now and then I let him win. Well, I had to keep him happy.
3． A New Kind of Game
One Monday I was driving along a back alley12. it was dinner time, and I had an hour to spare. At the edn of the alley I saw a thrift store13, so I stopped the car and got out. I was always looking in thrift stores. It was kind of a hobby.
Most of the stuff in thrift stores is trash, but now and then you find something you can buy for small change and sell for a few dollars.
I wnet into the store dna started to look around. There was dust on everything, but that didn't bother me. Most thrift stores are pretty much like that.
I didn't find much this time. Just a lot of garbage. Old cups and plates, most of them chipped14. nothing for me.
It was time to get going. I had work to do. I was just about to go out to my car when I saw something. A little box near the door. I hadn't seen it before. It was under a chair, almost hidden. I had to go back and take a look.
I went over to the box and picked it up. There was dust all over it. I raised the lid and looked inside. It was a chess set15. an old chess set.
Maybe it was no good. Maybe some of the men were missing. I took it out of the box to look. It was OK. It was al there.
One by one I held up the little chessmen16. I didn't know what they were made of. Some sort of stone. Still, they were all OK. Not one of them was chipped.
It was a funny-looking chess set. I'd never seen one like it. I could tell that it was very old. Old but well made. It was a good set.
I made up my mind to buy it. I could use a chess set. I didn't have one of my own. This would make Uncle Fred take notice. It was better than his set.
I put the chessmen back in the box and shut it. The box was dusty, but I could see something on the lid. I rubbed17 my hand over it. Now I could see it better.
There was a message on the lid. It was still almost covered by dust, but I could just make it out18. it said: THIS IS A GAME OF LIFE OR DEATH. A funny sort of message. Some kind of joke maybe.
I didn't have time to think about it. I had to get going. I paid for the chess set and ran out to my car.
4． Too Bad About Uncle Fred
I was a little late getting home from work. Uncle Fred would soon be there to play chess.
I yelled to my wife, “Where's dinner? I'm in a hurry!” she came running in with a plate of food. I looked at it—pork and beans. It was cold.
“What's this?” I said. “I can't eat this mess.”19
My wife looked as if she were going to cry. “I can't help it,” she said. “You were late. The food got cold.”
I felt like knocking the plate out of her hands, but I just said, “Take it away. Go make me some coffee—hurry up. Uncle Fred'll be here soon. You'll have to fix your hair20. you look a mess21.”
She went out of the room. I got a piece of cloth and started to polish22 my chess set. It was still a little dusty. I wanted it to look good when Uncle Fred came.
I polished the little chessmen and put them out on the table. They looked fine. They were all set for the game. I was looking forward to it.
The empty box was on my lap23. I shut it and started to polish it. The lid was made of metal. As I rubbed it with the rag24, it started to shine. The message on the lid was bright and clear: THIS IS A GAME OF LIFE OR DEATH.
Just then the door bell rang, and I let Uncle Fred in. he saw the chess set and rubbed his hands. “That's a nice chess set,” he said. “Very nice. I wouldn't mind winning on that chess board25. Not at all.”
He sat down at the table. “Come on, my boy,” he said. “Let's begin. Let's see if your chess set will bring me luck.”
We started the game. Uncle Fred did his best, but he didn't have a hope of winning. Not unless I gave the game away, but I wasn't going to do that. Not this time.
We didn't talk. We just kept playing. The hands on the clock went around. One by one I took Uncle Fred's chessmen. He couldn't stop me. He didn't have the skill.
I moved my queen forward. Uncle Fred had to get his king out of the way. There wasn't much he could do. I had the game in the bag26. It was almost over.
Just then, Uncle Fred sat back in his chair. His face was white. He looked sick. Very sick. “What's the matter?” I asked.
“I've got a pain, my boy,” he said. “Here in my chest. It's a sharp pain. Right here. I hope it isn't my heart.”
I told him that he should go and lie down27, but the old fool said, “No. don't worry aobut me, my boy. Let's finish the game.” well, it was up to him. I couldn't make him lie down.
I took my queen and moved it next to his king. That was it. The game was over. I had won.
Uncle Fred looked very strange. He didn't get up. His eyes were fixed on the chess set. The king was still in his hand. It was as if he couldn't let go of it. I had to take it away from him.
He was just sitting there with his eyes wide open. He looked sick, I could see that. My best bet was to get him home. I didn't want to look after him—it wasn't my job.
I dragged him out to the car. It wasn't very far to his house. I was there in no time. Aunt Mary put him to bed and called a doctor. I didn't stay long. I hate being around sick people. I was glad to leave.
5． My Share of the Take28
The next day Aunt Mary came into my store. She was dressed in black. I could see she'd been crying. Her eyes were red. “He's dead,” she said. “Your poor Uncle Fred. He was in pain all night. He died this morning.”
I had to stop myself from grinning29. he was dead. The old fool was dead at last. I wanted to know about his will30, but I couldn't ask Aunt Mary. Not yet.
She started crying. “I cant' stay,” she said. “I just came in to tell you the news. You were always good to your Uncle Fred. He was fond of you. He used to look forward to his game of chess with you.”
A few days later I was told that Uncle Fred had left me $3,000. I was a little upset. Well, $3,000 isn't much, is it? Not nearly enough to live the kind of life that's right for me.
I'd played chess with Uncle Fred for years. Every Monday night I'd put up with it31. All I got out of it was $3,000.
My brother got $3,000 as well. That made me mad. My brother lives miles away. He never went to see Uncle Fred. He never saw him, but he got just as much money as I did. It really made me sick.
When my borhter got the news aoubt Uncle Fred, he came to see me. I had to let him stay the night. I wasn't very happy aobut it, but I couldn't say no.
I hand't seen my brother for years. I can tell you it was a real surprise. He drove up to the door in a brand new BMW32. it was his car. Lucky guy, he had done all right ofr himself.
We had dinner, and then we sat and watched TV. I was glad when it was time to go to bed. I didn't get along with my brother. He wasn't like me. He wasn't cool. I was gald I didn't have to put up with him very foten.
My wife made a bed for him on the sofa. He said it was fine, but I'll bet he didn't like it. Well, that was tough. He had to put up with it, or else. It was just for one night.
6． My Brother＇s Luck Runs Out
The next day my brother said he would have to leave early. “I've got a long way to go,” he said. “I'll have some breakfast, then I'd better go.” As my wife started to cook breakfast, my brother sat at the kitchen table and read the paper.
As he looked at it, he kept smiling. I'll bet he was thinking about me. About my run-down33 house. My old car. Yes, he could smile. He was used to better things.
He finished the paper and went into the living room. He saw my chess set. “Don you play chess?” he asked.
I said, “Now and then. I used to play with Uncle Fred.”
My brother put the chess set on the kitchen table. “Let's have a game,” he said.
I wasn't sold on the idea34, but it would help pass the time. “OK,” I said. I took the chessmen out fo the box and set them on the table. Then we started.
I could soon see that I was going to win. My brother wasn't any good at all. He was just a beginner. He kept saying, “What'll I do now?”
The game was almost over when my wife served the breakfast. I pushed the chess set out of the way so that she could put my plate down in front of me.
But my brother didn't make a move. He just sat there looking at the chess set. “Come on,” I said. “Let's go. Your eggs will get cold.”
“I don't want to eat,” he said. “I'm not hungry at all.”
I wasn't going to beg him to eat, so I said, “Well, I'll eat your eggs, then.”
I finished my food and was going to put the chess set away. I didn't want to go on with the game. It's not much fun playing a game of chess with a beginner.
Suddenly my brother said, “Wait. Don't put it away35. Let's finish the game.”
“Do you really want to?” I asked.
He didn't look like he could. “Yes,” he sadi. “Yes. We have to finish—we just have to.”
What did he mean? Why did he want to go on so much? I couldn't figure it out. “It's only a game,” I said.
He looked at me with big empty36 eyes. “We just have to finish,” he said. “We can't stop.”
What was the matter with him? His face was as white as snow. It gave me the creeps37. “OK,” I said. “Let's go on. It's my move.”
It didn't take me long to win. I got my queen in line with his king, and the game was over.
My brother didn't say a thing. He got up from the table and went to the door. He was like a man walking in his sleep. His eyes were wide open, but he didn't seem to see me. He got into his BMW and drove away—for good38.
The next day I got a phone call saying that he was dead. He died in his car. It was very strange. He just dropped dead as he was driving along. No one could understand it. He was only 34, and he'd always been in good shape.
My brother hadn't left a will, and it turned out that he had quite a bit of money in the bank. I tried to get my hands on it, but in the end it all went to his wife.
Still, I wasn't too upset. I got his BMW. That's better than a kick in the pants39, isn't it?
1． “我认为我并不是天性嗜杀。” have sth． in sb． ＝by nature
2． lose track (of sth．) 失去线索；没再记录
3． sane [sein] adj． 心智健全的，神志正常的
4． pin sth． on sb． 将某事物附加在某人身上
5． turn sb． ／sth． down． 拒绝
6． might as well 不妨
7． better off 经济状况好的，富裕的
8． push sb． around 指使某人做某事，摆布某人
9． expand v． 使膨胀；发展 ″but nothing came of it″ 意为“但毫无结果、进展。”
10． make ends meet 使收支相抵 live high 过奢侈的生活
11． mean adj． 吝啬的，自私的；“他是个吝啬的老家伙，但我总是尽量让他高兴。”
12． alley n． 胡同，小巷
13． thrift store n． 旧货店
14． chipped adj． 有裂纹的（缝）的
15． chess set 一副棋具
16． chessman n． 棋子
17． rub v． 擦，磨
18． make out 辨认
19． mess [mes] n． （给猪狗等吃的）杂食
20． fix one＇s hair 梳理头发
21． “你看上去乱糟糟的。”
22． polish v． 磨亮，磨光
23． lap n． 大腿的上方
24． rag n． 抹布
25． chess board 棋盘
26． in the bag （指结果、结局等）不成问题
27． lie down 躺下（休息）
28． “我得的那份好处。”
29． grin [grin] v． 露齿而笑
30． will [wil] n． 遗嘱
31． put up with sb．／sth． 忍受或容忍某人（某事）
32． BMW 德国宝马汽车
33． run－down 破旧的
34． be sold on sth．／ sb． 喜欢某事／某人
35． put away 收好；放好
36． empty adj． 情感淡漠的
37． give sb． the creeps 使某人厌恶或恐惧
38． for good 永久地
39． a kick in the pants ／teeth 责备，拒绝