I come from a poor family. My father worked at Coney Island. He had a concession on the boardwalk, where you knock over milk bottles with baseballs, which I could never do for my entire childhood.
There was a tidal wave at Coney Island, when I was a child, ripped up the boardwalk and didabout a million dollars worth of damage, houses and everything.
The only thing left standing was those little milk bottles, y'know.
你知道,唯一屹立不倒的东西就是那些小小的奶瓶。
I was, I would say, over-disciplined which is really humiliating. I had to be home nine thirty, prom night.
可以这么说,我被管教得过于服服帖帖,这真的很丢人。我必须九点半回家,还是毕业舞会的晚上。
I made a reservation at the Copa Cabana for five o'clock.
我在“科巴卡巴纳夜总会”预订了一个五点钟的桌子。
I took my date and we watched them set up.
我带着约好的女生去那里,看他们布置场地。
I was, as a matter of fact, when I think of it, terrorized as an adolescent. I was not that young when it happened, I was...I guess about thirteen or so at the time, and was on my way to an amateur music contest.
And, my family is musical, you should know that, my father used to play the tuba as a youngman, he tried to play the tuba, he tried to play "Flight of the Bumblebee", and blew his liver out through the horn.
Now I'm on the subway with my clarinet Jerry jazz musician style, unwrapped and everything, and these twelve guys come running through the subway. Really hairy-knuckled types, y'know,raced through there.
Apparently they just come from a settlement house, y'know' as they were dribbling a socialworker as they went through the car.
显然他们是刚从“社团之家”【1】出来,你知道,因为当他们跑过车厢时,拿一个社会义工当运球玩。
They stop right over me, y'know, because I was conspicuous, 'cause I had just eaten a sea-food lunch, I had forgotten to remove the lobster bib, y'know.
他们到我跟前就停住了,因为我看上去比较抢眼,因为我中饭刚吃了海鲜,忘了把围兜摘下来。
So I looked like a farmer with a fat tie, y'know, with Neptune on it.
因此我看起来就像个乡巴佬,戴着一条硕大的领带,上面还画着海神尼普顿。
They stand over me, they start cursing and smoking and tearing up seats, y'know.
他们站在我旁边,开始骂骂咧咧,一边抽着烟一边撕扯坐垫。
I don't say anything, y'know, I just sit there, look down, continue reading 'Heidi'.
我一声不响坐在那里,低着头,继续读我的《海蒂》【2】。
All of a sudden the leader puts his finger under my neck, like this, and goes...
突然之间,他们的头目把手指放到了我脖子下面,就像这样,然后一提。
I got up. He snapped his knee up, quickly, and I refused to give him the satisfaction of doubling over.
我站起身。他弯曲膝盖,猛地一抬,动作非常快。我拒绝朝前弯下身子,让他看我的笑话。
But I did one of the greatest imitations of Lily Ponds, you've ever heard. I hit an M over high C.
不过我的确发出了你可能听到过的最厉害的对莉丽·庞斯【3】的模仿。我触到了高音C之上的M调。
Showed up an hour late for the music contest. Came in second anyhow.
音乐比赛迟到了一个小时,不过我仍然拿了个第二。
I won two weeks at Interfaith Camp, where I was sadistically beaten by boys of all races andcreeds.