Brad sees a ghost

Brad and Jerry come into the hotel room and put their bags down. It is a hot day and they are wearing summer shirts. Brad sits on a bed.

JERRY

Man, I want a drink. Twenty miles in one morning! Are the bicycles OK, in the street?

BRAD

In this little village? Oh yes! Nobody steals bicycles here.

JERRY

How do you know? This is your first time here. First time in England. Or am I wrong?

BRAD

No, you're right. But – I remember this village. I was here before, Jerry. I can feel it.

JERRY

Oh come on! We were out in the sun for five hours. You need to drink some cold water, my friend!

BRAD

This hotel opened in 1853, right?

JERRY

(He gets a book about Britain out of his bag and looks in it.) Right, Brad, you looked at this book before.

BRAD

No, I didn't. Hey, you know something? (He looks at his watch.) It's one-fifteen. My dad died at this minute, on this day last month.

JERRY

Oh, Brad. I'm sorry.

BRAD

No, no. It's OK. I'm going to go back to New York next week, after our three weeks in England. And I'm going to be 'Brad Davis, of Davis TV'. Dad wanted that.

They stayed at the hotel in the village.

JERRY

Yeah. Hey, come on! Let's go out in the sun. Let's see the village. Have a drink. Find some girls.

BRAD

No, you go. I like it here. Here in the room.

JERRY

OK. Let's stay in the room. Hey! There's a television. (Jerry puts the television on but nothing happens.) Hmm.

BRAD

Not working? Oh, forget it.

JERRY

No! You're Brad Davis of Davis Television, the biggest in America. You must have a television! Look, shall I go down and ask Mrs Finch? You stay here. You look tired.

BRAD

Yeah, thanks, Jerry. I am tired.

Jerry goes out. Brad looks at the book about Britain.

BRAD

(Reading from the book) 'In 1760 the hotel was a house. A family called Bannister lived in the house. One day, the nineteen-year-old daughter, Eellen--'

The ghost of Ellen Bannister comes in. She is wearing a dress from 1760.

ELLEN

I was never nineteen. I died at eighteen.

BRAD

Yes, I remember you. Hello, Ellen.

Hello, Ellen.'

ELLEN

Hello, Matthew. Why does your friend call you Brad? Is that a name?

BRAD

Yes. It's an American name.

ELLEN

But you are Matthew and I'm going to call you Matthew. Always. Oh Matthew. I waited and waited and waited for you. I love you so much. Do you love me?

BRAD

Yes. I think – Yes, I do.

ELLEN

You think! Is that an answer? After all these years? Oh Matthew! Matthew, do you remember everything?

BRAD

No, not everything. I remember our love. And you died, I remember that. I wanted to die too. And again last month, I wanted to die.

ELLEN

Oh Matthew! Don't say that! Oh Matthew, I'm so happy to see you again.

BRAD

Ellen. Can I see you? Can we talk?

ELLEN

Oh yes. I want to talk to you about—

Jerry comes in with Mrs Finch. Ellen runs out.

MRS FINCH

Are you OK, love? You look white.

JERRY

This is not a happy time for Brad.

MRS FINCH

I'm sorry, love. Do you want some dinner? I make the best dinner in the north of England.

I make the best dinner in the north of England.'

BRAD

(Smiling) No, thank you.

MRS FINCH

Talk to me later, then. Right, the television. (She hits the television.) It's OK now. Bye-bye, Brad. Bye, Jerry. Have a nice time in our village.

She goes to the door.

BRAD

Mrs Finch! Wait, please. Do you know about the Bannister family?

MRS FINCH

Did you see the ghost? Ellen Bannister?

BRAD

Yes.

JERRY

What? Brad, you saw a ghost? Oh, come on!

MRS FINCH

Oh, Ellen's always here. She likes young men. She's always looking for her boyfriend. Matthew's his name, I think.

BRAD

Mrs Finch, what happened? How did she die? What happened to Matthew?

MRS FINCH

You're interested, love, I can see that. There's an old woman in the village. Her name is Maud Anscombe. She knows about Ellen. You ask Maud. (She goes out.)

JERRY

Brad, this ghost – What did she say?

BRAD

(Not looking at Jerry) She – she didn't speak, Jerry. She said nothing at all.

steal v. (past tense stole) to take things that do not belong to you 偷窃

put on (the television) to switch on or turn on, to make it work 打开

Brad and Jerry want to know about Ellen

Maud is a very old woman. Her hair is white. Brad and Jerry are sitting at a table with her in her house.

MAUD

Ellen Bannister? A bad, bad girl. When she looked at someone, the next day they were ill.

JERRY

So she was a witch?

MAUD

Yes. She looked at animals too. Then all the cows in the village had no milk in them.

Then all the cows in the village had no milk in them.'

BRAD

(Angrily) Do – do you know this? How do you know? How can you know?

MAUD

Oh, it's in all the books. Our village is famous because of bad Ellen Bannister.

Was Ellen a witch?

Brad and Jerry are in Mrs Morgan's village shop. There are two men and three women in the shop, and Mrs Morgan.

MRS MORGAN

Yes? Are you next?

JERRY

Yes. Two cokes please. And two of those sandwiches.

BRAD

I'm not hungry.

JERRY

Man, you must eat. You can't sit in your room all day and wait for a ghost.

Mrs Morgan gets the cokes and the sandwiches.

MRS MORGAN

That's six pounds, please. (Jerry gives her the money.) What ghost's this? Ellen Bannister?

BRAD

(Angrily) Yes!

JERRY

Do you know about Ellen Bannister?

MRS MORGAN

Oh, people in our village had no money then. Of course they stole things. And Ellen Bannister sold them. She only wanted to help.

JERRY

Was she a witch? Some people say that.

MRS MORGAN

A witch? (Laughing) No, of course not. The men loved her. She helped them, you see. The women didn't love her so much. She was beautiful, you see.

WOMAN 1

Her boyfriend was the bad one, that Matthew. It wasn't her.

BRAD

(Drinking his coke) Oh. What did he do?

WOMAN 2

He stole things from rich people. Then she sold them and he took all the money. He took all her money, too. But she loved him.

He stole things from rich people.'

BRAD

Did he love her?

MAN 1

No. He had two or three women.

WOMAN 3

No, he didn't! He loved her. He lived for her.

MAN 2

Who are you talking about? That witch Ellen Bannister? She ate cats for breakfast.

WOMAN 3

(To Brad and Jerry) Oh, don't listen to him.

MRS MORGAN

(Laughing) Don't listen to these people, you boys. What happened to Ellen Bannister? You want to know that? Matthew killed her.

witch n. a woman who uses magic to do bad things 女巫

famous adj. known about by many people in many places 出名的

sell v. (past tense sold) to give something to someone who pays you for it 卖

Where is Ellen now?

It is night time. Jerry is sitting on the bed. Brad is walking up and down.

BRAD

Seven hours. We waited seven hours. Where is she, Jerry?

JERRY

I said this before. I don't know. Just wait.

BRAD

She isn't coming, because you're here.

JERRY

Brad, I say again. One. I sleep here. This is my room. Two. I am your friend and I am not leaving you like this.

BRAD

Jerry, is this all a big laugh for you?

JERRY

No. Not now. I want to see Ellen, too. I want to help.

BRAD

OK. Thanks, Jerry. Sorry. Hey, here she is.

The ghost of Ellen comes into the room.

BRAD

Ellen, Ellen. It's me. Brad, Matthew.

JERRY

Man, oh man! It's all true!

BRAD

Ellen, please. Tell me, what happened, in 1760?

ELLEN

You must remember!

BRAD

No.

ELLEN

We sold things, you and me. Rich people's things. You stole them, remember?

JERRY

Wow! Brad, you were Robin Hood! Sorry!

ELLEN

The rich people didn't like me. They said bad things about me. 'Ellen Bannister is a witch.' They said that, but it's not true.

BRAD

Of course not.

ELLEN

Then, one day, they came for us. Twenty men.

BRAD

What happened?

ELLEN

We ran away. You found a ship. A ship going to America. You said, 'See you at one-fifteen. At the harbour. We can go away, you and me.'

BRAD

And then what happened, Ellen?

ELLEN

The ship went early. I wasn't there in time. You went on the ship. You didn't wait for me.

You didn't wait for me.'

BRAD

Oh no!

ELLEN

When I arrived, there were a lot of ships there. I didn't know the name of our ship. I looked for you. I waited and waited and waited.

BRAD

Ellen! Oh Ellen, I'm sorry.

ELLEN

Then the men came. They put me in prison. I died three months later. And then I came back home. Here. And I waited again. I waited for you.

BRAD

I love you, Ellen.

ELLEN

I love you too, Matthew.

harbour n. a safe place for ships, while they prepare to go to sea 码头

What is Brad going to do?

It is dark. Brad is standing at the window of the room. Jerry comes in. Brad always has his back to Jerry in this scene.

JERRY

Do you want to die? Do you want to go to Ellen?

BRAD

Before today, the answer was 'Yes'. Matthew wanted to die and go to be with Ellen. Do you understand that?

JERRY

Yes.

BRAD

But Matthew is dead and I am Brad now.

JERRY

And what does Brad want?

BRAD

I don't know. I'm thinking. Is there a train from here to London tomorrow?

JERRY

Yes. We can put our bicycles on the train. We can get the next plane back to America. Do you want to do that?

BRAD

I don't know. I'm going to tell you tomorrow.

In love with a ghost

The next day. Brad and Jerry are in the street. Jerry has two bags. Mrs Finch is there too.

MRS FINCH

You must leave, then? A week early?

JERRY

Yes. I'm sorry.

Mrs Morgan comes past the hotel.

MRS MORGAN

Oh hello. It's the American boys. Are you going home to America?

BRAD

Jerry's going home, Mrs Morgan. I'm staying here, at the hotel. I'm going to live here. Always.

JERRY

Brad, do you want to do this? Think about Davis TV. What are you going to do, here in England?

BRAD

I don't know. But, yes, Davis TV needs a good man. My dad worked for years for Davis TV. But now it has a good man, Jerry. You.

JERRY

Me? Oh! Thank you, Brad.

BRAD

That's OK. I'm happy. I'm in love. She waited for me and now I'm here. I'm never going to leave her again.

布拉德见到一个幽灵

布拉德和杰里走进宾馆的房间，把旅行包放下。天气炎热，他们穿着夏衫。布拉德坐在床上。

杰里：

伙计，我想来杯喝的。一早上赶了二十英里路！自行车放在街边没事儿吧？

布拉德：

在这个小村子里？没事！这儿没人偷自行车。

杰里：

你怎么知道？这是你第一次来这儿，第一次来英国。要不我搞错了？

布拉德：

不，你说得对。可是——我记得这个村子。我以前来过这里，杰里。我能感觉到。

杰里：

唉，算了吧！我们在大太阳底下待了五个小时。你该喝点儿凉水了，我的朋友。

布拉德：

这家旅馆1853年开业的，对吗？

杰里：

（他从旅行包里掏出一本介绍英国的书查阅起来。）是的，布拉德。你以前看过这书吧。

布拉德：

不，我没有。嘿，你知道吗？（他看着自己的手表。）一点十五分了。我父亲就是上个月这一天的这个时间去世的。

杰里：

噢，布拉德。我很难过。

布拉德：

不，不，没事。咱们在英格兰待了三周了，我下周就要回纽约了。我将会成为“戴维斯电视台的布拉德·戴维斯”——这是父亲的愿望。

杰里：

是吗？嘿，来吧！咱们出去晒晒太阳，去看看这个村子。喝一杯，找几个姑娘。

布拉德：

不，你去吧。我喜欢这儿，我就待在房间里。

杰里：

好吧，那咱们就待在房间里。嘿！这儿有台电视机。（杰里打开了电视，可没有图像。）嗯。

布拉德：

坏了？唉，别管它了。

杰里：

不行！你可是美国最大的电视台戴维斯电视台的布拉德·戴维斯。你必须有一台电视机！哎，要不要我下楼去问问芬奇夫人？你待在这儿，你看起来很累。

布拉德：

好吧，谢谢你，杰里。我累了。

杰里下场。布拉德看着那本介绍英国的书。

布拉德：

（念书）“1760年，这家旅馆还是一栋住宅。一家姓班尼斯特的人住在这栋房子里。一天，他们十九岁的女儿埃伦——”

埃伦·班尼斯特的幽灵上场。她穿着1760年款式的长裙。

埃伦：

我从未长到十九岁，我十八岁时就死了。

布拉德：

对，我想起你来了。你好，埃伦。

埃伦：

你好，马修。为什么你的朋友管你叫布拉德？那是一个名字吗？

布拉德：

是的，那是个美国名字。

埃伦：

可你是马修，我要管你叫马修。永远叫马修。啊，马修。我一直在等你，等了又等。我那么爱你，你爱我吗？

布拉德：

爱。我想——我爱你。

埃伦：

你还用想！那就是答案吗？这么多年之后？唉，马修！马修，你还记得以前的一切吗？

布拉德：

不，不是所有事都记得。我记得我们俩相爱，还记得你死了，当时我也想死。上个月，我又一次想去死。

埃伦：

噢，马修！别那么说！噢，马修，我很高兴又能见到你。

布拉德：

埃伦，我能看见你吗？咱们能说说话吗？

埃伦：

噢，当然可以。我想给你讲讲—

杰里和芬奇夫人一起进来了。埃伦跑了出去。

芬奇夫人：

你没事吧，亲爱的？你看起来面色苍白。

杰里：

这段日子布拉德不太好过。

芬奇夫人：

我为你担心，亲爱的。你想吃点儿东西吗？我做的饭可是英格兰北部最好吃的。

布拉德：

（微笑着）不了，谢谢您。

芬奇夫人：

那么待会儿再叫我吧。对了，电视。（她拍打着电视机。）现在好了。拜拜，布拉德。拜拜，杰里。祝你们在我们村里玩得开心。

她往门口走去。

布拉德：

芬奇夫人！请等等。你知道班尼斯特家的事吗？

芬奇夫人：

你看到幽灵了？埃伦·班尼斯特？

布拉德：

是的。

杰里：

什么？布拉德，你见到了一个幽灵？啊呀，得了吧！

芬奇夫人：

唉，埃伦总在这儿出现。她喜欢年轻人，她一直在寻找她的男朋友。我想他叫马修。

布拉德：

芬奇夫人，发生了什么事？她是怎么死的？马修怎么了？

芬奇夫人：

你很感兴趣啊，亲爱的，我能看出来。村里有个老太太，她叫莫德·安斯科姆。她知道埃伦的事。你去问问她吧。（下场。）

杰里：

布拉德，这个幽灵——她都说了些什么？

布拉德：

（没有看杰里）她——她没说话，杰里。她什么都没说。

布拉德和杰里想了解埃伦

莫德是一位年迈的老太太，头发花白。布拉德、杰里和她围坐在她家的桌旁。

莫德：

埃伦·班尼斯特？一个非常非常坏的女孩。她看谁一眼，第二天那个人就会生病。

杰里：

这么说她是个女巫？

莫德：

是的。牲畜也是，给她看过之后，村里所有的奶牛都不产奶了。

布拉德：

（生气地）你——你知道？你怎么知道的？谁告诉你的？

莫德：

啊，所有的书里都是这么写的。我们村子就是因为这个邪恶的埃伦·班尼斯特而出了名。

埃伦是女巫吗？

布拉德和杰里在摩根夫人的乡村商店里。店里有两个男人、三个女人，还有摩根夫人。

摩根夫人：

你好？你是下一位吗？

杰里：

是的，我要两杯可乐，还要两个那种三明治。

布拉德：

我不饿。

杰里：

伙计，你必须得吃点东西。你不能整天坐在房间里等一个幽灵。

摩根夫人拿来了可乐和三明治。

摩根夫人：

一共是六英镑。（杰里把钱给她。）是谁的幽灵？埃伦·班尼斯特的吗？

布拉德：

（生气地）是的！

杰里：

你知道埃伦·班尼斯特的事儿吗？

摩根夫人：

哦，当时我们村里的人都没有什么钱，他们偷东西也是会有的事，偷来的东西埃伦·班尼斯特负责销赃。她只是想要帮帮忙而已。

杰里：

她是个女巫吗？有人是这么说的。

摩根夫人：

女巫？（哈哈大笑）不，当然不是。男人们都喜欢她。她帮助他们，就这样。女人们不怎么喜欢她，要知道，她很漂亮。

村妇甲：

她的男朋友才是个坏人，那个马修。她不坏。

布拉德：

（喝着可乐）哦，他都干了些什么？

村妇乙：

他偷富人家的东西。然后埃伦把东西卖掉，他拿走了所有的钱。他还把埃伦所有的钱都拿走了。可是埃伦爱他。

布拉德：

他爱埃伦吗？

村夫甲：

不。他有两三个女人呢。

村妇丙：

不，他没有！他爱她。他是为她而生的。

村夫乙：

你们在说谁？那个女巫埃伦·班尼斯特？她早餐吃猫肉的。

村妇丙：

（对布拉德和杰里说）喂，别听他的。

摩根夫人：

（哈哈大笑）你们俩别听这些人的。埃伦·班尼斯特发生了什么事？你们想要知道吗？马修杀了她。

埃伦现在在哪里？

晚上。杰里坐在床上，布拉德在屋里走来走去。

布拉德：

七个小时，我们等了七个小时了。她在哪儿，杰里？

杰里：

我已经说过了，我不知道。就等等吧。

布拉德：

她不来了，因为你在这儿。

杰里：

布拉德，我再说一遍。第一，我睡在这儿，这是我的房间。第二，我是你的朋友，我不能把你就这么留在这儿。

布拉德：

杰里，这在你看来是个大笑话吗？

杰里：

不，现在还不是。我也想见见埃伦，我想帮帮忙。

布拉德：

好吧。谢谢你，杰里。对不起。嘿，她来了。

埃伦的幽灵进入了房间。

布拉德：

埃伦，埃伦。是我，布拉德，是马修。

杰里：

天啊！这都是真的！

布拉德：

埃伦，求你了。告诉我，1760年的时候发生了什么事？

埃伦：

你一定记得！

布拉德：

不，我不记得。

埃伦：

我们卖东西，你和我，富人的东西。是你偷的，你记得吗？

杰里：

哇！布拉德，你是罗宾汉！抱歉！

埃伦：

富人不喜欢我。他们说我坏话，说：“埃伦·班尼斯特是个女巫。”他们那么说，可那不是真的。

布拉德：

当然不是真的。

埃伦：

后来有一天，他们来找我们了，一共有二十个男人。

布拉德：

发生了什么事？

埃伦：

我们逃跑了。你找到一条船，一条开往美国的船。你说：“一点十五分，码头见。我们就能逃走了，你和我。”

布拉德：

后来发生了什么事，埃伦？

埃伦：

船早开了，我没有及时赶到。你上了船，你没有等我。

布拉德：

啊呀！

埃伦：

我到达时，发现那儿有很多船。我不知道我们那艘船的名字。我四处找你，等了又等。

布拉德：

埃伦！啊，埃伦，我很抱歉。

埃伦：

随后那些人就来了，他们把我投进监狱。三个月后，我就死了。于是我回到了家，就是这儿。我又开始等你出现，我一直在等你。

布拉德：

我爱你，埃伦。

埃伦：

我也爱你，马修。

布拉德打算怎样？

天黑了，布拉德站在窗前，杰里走了进来。在这一场中，布拉德始终背对着杰里。

杰里：

你想死吗？你想去找埃伦吗？

布拉德：

今天之前，答案是“对”。马修想要死掉，去和埃伦在一起。你能理解吗？

杰里：

能。

布拉德：

可是马修死了，而我现在是布拉德。

杰里：

那布拉德想要做什么？

布拉德：

我不知道，我正在考虑。明天这里有一班去伦敦的火车吗？

杰里：

是的。我们可以把自行车放到火车上，然后乘下一班飞机回美国。你想这么做吗？

布拉德：

我不知道。我明天告诉你吧。

爱上一个幽灵

第二天。布拉德和杰里在街上，杰里拎着两个旅行包，芬奇夫人也在那儿。

芬奇夫人：

那么，你一定要离开吗？提前一周？

杰里：

是的，很抱歉。

摩根夫人路过旅馆。

摩根夫人：

唉，你们好，两个美国男孩，你们要回美国吗？

布拉德：

杰里要回家了，摩根夫人。我要待在这儿，待在旅馆里。我往后都住这儿了。

杰里：

布拉德，你想这么做吗？想想戴维斯电视台吧。你在英格兰要做些什么？

布拉德：

我不知道。不过，对了，戴维斯电视台需要一个出色的人。我父亲为戴维斯电视台工作多年。而现在，它又有一个出色的人了，杰里，就是你。

杰里：

我？啊！谢谢你，布拉德。

布拉德：

别客气。我很高兴，我坠入爱河了。她一直在等我，而现在我来到了这里，我再也不会离开她了。