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just enjoyable; sometimes devoted to serving others. In Everything to Gain we try to present a broad range of activities an average person can undertake. We try to point out that no matter what stage of life you may be in -- young, middle-aged or retired -- there's the possibility of a constantly expanding field of interest, excitement, challenge, fulfillment and adventure. (4)In this book we encourage people to take on new things that might look very difficult, but that become very rewarding once the person is involved.\do is to learn something new.\
“过去，你16岁或18岁就开始干活，一直干到死或者再也干不动为止。太阳一出来你就开始干活，一直干到天黑。可如今，你一星期只工作40小时，还有两个星期的休息度假，然后到了55岁，60岁，或65岁，你就退休了。你有那么多的空余时间去干别的有趣的事。这些事有时可能是相当有益的，有时仅仅是好玩，有时则旨在服务他人。在《好处说不尽》一书中，我们试图展示一个普通人所能参与的广阔的活动范围。我们试图指出，无论你处于人生的哪个阶段——青年，中年，或退休之年——都有可能不断拓展兴趣的领域，找到新的刺激，迎接新的挑战，获得新的成功和尝试新的冒险。在此书中，我们鼓励人们勇于开拓新天地，看起来也许非常困难，但你一旦投入进去，就会得益匪浅。” “如果你遭遇某种危机，”罗莎琳补充说，“最好的对策之一就是学习新事物。”
Unit3
This comedy centers around a proud father's attempts to help his children, attempts which somehow or other always end up embarrassing them. For the sake of fun it carries things to extremes, but nearly everyone can recognize something of themselves and their parents in it.
这出喜剧主要写一位为儿女感到自豪的父亲虽做出种种努力帮助子女，不知怎的，其结果却总是令子女尴尬不已。出于搞笑的目的，故事情节作了极度夸张，但几乎人人都能从中看到自己以及父母的影子。
Father Knows Better
Marsh Cassady
1
CHARACTERS: FATHER; MOTHER; HEIDI, 14; DIANE, 17; SEAN, 16; RESTAURANT MANAGER, 20s; MRS. HIGGINS.
SETTING: Various locations including a fast-food restaurant, the Thompson family dining room, and an office at a high school.
AT RISE: As the lights come up, HEIDI enters and crosses Down Right to the edge of the stage. SEAN and DIANE enter and cross Down Left to the edge of the stage. They listen as HEIDI addresses the audience. 老爸英明 马什·卡萨迪
人物： 父亲；母亲；海蒂，14岁；黛安，17岁；肖恩，16岁；饭店经理，20多岁；希金斯太太
场景： 快餐店，汤普森家餐厅，一所中学的办公室等
幕启： 随着灯光亮起，海蒂上，走至舞台右前方。肖恩与黛安上，走至舞台左前方。海蒂对观众说话，两人倾听。 2
HEIDI: My dad's a nice man. Nobody could possibly believe that he isn't. Yet he's...well, he's always doing these stupid things that end up really embarrassing one or more of us kids. One time, see, my brother wanted to buy this guitar. Been saving money for it for a long time. Then he got a job at this fast-food place, OK? Waiting tables. It was Sean's first actual job, and he was real happy about it. He figured in two or three months he'd have enough money to buy exactly the kind of guitar he wanted. Mom and Dad were proud of him, and well, OK, he's my big brother, and he's always pulling these dumb things on me. But, well, I was proud of him too. You know what happened? I hate to tell you because:
SEAN, DIANE and HEIDI: (In unison) Father knows better!
海蒂： 我老爸是个大好人。没人会相信他不好。可是他……唉，他老是干那些蠢事，弄得我们当儿女的到头来无地自容。瞧，我哥曾一度想买把吉他。他都积攒了好一阵子钱了。后来他在这家快餐店找了份活，不错吧？当服务员。这是肖恩第一次正经打工，他真的挺开心。他算计着，再过两三个月，他就能攒够钱买他想要的那把吉他了。老爸老妈都为他感到骄傲。唔，是啊，他是大哥，老是要捉弄我。不过嘛，我也同样为他感到骄傲。你猜后来怎么了？我都不想说这事，因为：
肖恩、黛安、海蒂：（齐声）老爸英明！ 3
(The lights come Up Left on the fast-food restaurant where SEAN works. It consists of a counter and couple of small tables. The MANAGER stands behind the counter. SEAN is busily cleaning the tables when FATHER walks in. ) MANAGER: Good evening, sir. May I help you? FATHER: Good evening.
SEAN: (To himself) Oh, no! (He squats behind one of the tables trying to hide from FATHER. )
FATHER: I'm looking for the manager. MANAGER: That would be me, sir.
FATHER: I'm Sam Thompson. My son works here. MANAGER: Oh, you're Sean's father.
FATHER: Yes. It's his first job, you know. I just wanted to check that he's doing OK. MANAGER: Oh, fine. No problem.
（左后方灯光亮起，肖恩打工的快餐店。有柜台和几张小桌子。经理站在柜台后面。父亲进店时，肖恩正忙着擦桌子。）
经理： 晚上好，先生，能为您效劳吗？ 父亲： 晚上好。 肖恩： （自言自语）噢，不！（他在一张桌子后蹲下，欲躲过父亲的视线。） 父亲：我找经理。
经理： 我就是，先生。
父亲： 我是萨姆·汤普森。我儿子在这儿打工。 经理： 哦，您是肖恩的父亲。
父亲： 是啊。知道嘛，这是他第一次打工。我只想看看他干得怎么样。 经理： 噢，不错。没问题。 4
SEAN: (Spreading his hands, palms up, speaking to himself) What did I do to deserve this? Tell me what?
FATHER: Hiring him was a good thing then? MANAGER: Well, yeah, I suppose so.
SEAN: (Still to himself) Go home, Dad. Go home. Go home.
FATHER: I'm sure he's a good worker but a typical teenager, if you know what I mean.
MANAGER: (Losing interest) I wouldn't know.
FATHER: He's a good boy. And I assure you that if there are any subjects that need to be addressed, Sean and I will have a man-to-man talk. MANAGER: I don't think that will be necessary...
FATHER: Oh, no problem. I'm proud of my son. Very, very proud. And I just wanted you to know that I'll do anything I can to help him through life's dangerous sea.
肖恩： （双手摊开，掌心向上，自言自语）我干了什么了要受这份罪？倒是告诉我啊？
父亲： 那么雇用他没错啦？ 经理： 呃，对，我想是的。
肖恩： （仍然自言自语）回家去，老爸。回家去。回家去。
父亲： 我肯定他是一把干活的好手，可他也跟其他孩子一个样，明白我的意思吗？
经理： （不再有兴趣）我怎么知道。
父亲： 他是个好孩子。你放心，要是有什么问题需要解决的话，我和肖恩会开诚布公谈一谈的。
经理： 我看没必要吧……
父亲： 噢，没事儿。我为我儿子感到骄傲，我为他深感骄傲。我只是想让你知道，我将竭尽全力帮助他驶过人生的惊涛骇浪。 5
SEAN: (Standing up and screaming) Aaaargh! Aaaargh! Aaaaaaargh! FATHER: Son, I didn't know you were here. SEAN: It's where I work, Dad.
FATHER: Of course. I mean, I didn't see you. SEAN: I can't imagine why.
FATHER: Your manager and I were just having a nice chat.
(DIANE enters Down Left just as HEIDI enters Down Right. They look at SEAN and FATHER. )
SEAN, DIANE, HEIDI: (In unison) Father, you know better than that. 肖恩： （站起身，高声喊叫）唉！唉！唉！ 父亲： 儿子，不知道你在这儿。 肖恩： 这是我打工的地方嘛，爸！
父亲： 那自然。我是说，刚才没看见你。 肖恩： 我真弄不明白。
父亲： 经理和我正聊得起劲呢。
（黛安从左前方上，海蒂自右前方上。两人看着肖恩和父亲。） 肖恩、黛安、海蒂：（齐声）老爸，你这是干什么呀。 6
(The lights quickly fade to black and then come up a second or two later. SEAN stands alone at the Down Right edge of the stage. HEIDI and DIANE cross to Down Left edge of the stage. )
SEAN: If that sort of thing happened only once in a while, it wouldn't be so bad. Overall, I wouldn't want to trade my dad for anyone else's. He loves us kids and Mom too. But I think that's sometimes the problem. He wants to do things for us, things he thinks are good. But he needs to give them more thought because: SEAN, HEIDI and DIANE: (In unison) Father knows better!
（灯光迅速暗下，片刻之后又亮起。肖恩独自站在舞台右前边。海蒂、黛安走至舞台左前边。）
肖恩： 这类事要是偶尔发生一两次，那倒也没什么。总的来说，我是不肯把自己老爸跟别人的老爸换的。他爱我们当子女的，也爱老妈。不过我想，有时问题就出在这儿。他一心想帮助我们，他自以为在为我们做好事呢。可他应该多想想才对，因为：
肖恩、海蒂、黛安：（齐声）老爸英明！ 7
(The lights fade to black and come up on the Center Stage area where FATHER and the three children are seated around the dining room table. MOTHER enters carrying a dish, which she sets on the table. FATHER quickly rises and pulls out her chair. She sits. The family starts eating dinner. )
FATHER: I have a surprise for you, Diane.
DIANE: (Knows it can't be good. ) You have... a surprise?
MOTHER: Well, whatever it is, dear, don't keep us in suspense. FATHER: Well, you know, Dan Lucas and I work together? DIANE: Kyle's father?
MOTHER: Don't interrupt, dear, your father is trying to tell you something. HEIDI: (Stage whisper to SEAN) Something Diane won't want to know, I'll bet. SEAN: (Whispering to HEIDI) Whatever would make you think that? MOTHER: Sean, dear. Heidi, sweetheart, don't distract your father. SEAN and HEIDI: (Simultaneously) Sorry, Mom.
（灯光暗下，旋即又在舞台中央亮起。父亲与三个孩子围坐在餐桌旁。母亲端菜上，把菜放在桌上。父亲迅速起身为她拉出椅子。母亲坐下。全家开始用餐。）
父亲： 我要给你一个惊喜，黛安。
黛安： （知道不会有好事）你要给我……一个惊喜？ 母亲： 哎，是什么事啊，亲爱的，别卖关子了。 父亲： 呃，你们知道，丹·卢卡斯和我是同事。 黛安： 凯尔的父亲？
母亲： 别插嘴，亲爱的，你父亲正有事要跟你们说呢。 海蒂： （与肖恩耳语）我敢肯定准是黛安不要听的事儿。 肖恩： （与海蒂耳语）你怎么会知道？
母亲： 肖恩，亲爱的。海蒂，宝贝儿，别打扰你们的父亲。 肖恩、海蒂：（同时地）对不起，妈妈。 8
FATHER: Now then. As I was saying, I know how much you like young Kyle. DIANE: Father!
FATHER: It's true, isn't it? Didn't I hear you tell your mother that you wish Kyle would ask you to the senior prom? SEAN: Uh-oh! HEIDI: Oops!
MOTHER: Please, children, please. Your father is trying to speak.
DIANE: (Through clenched teeth, the words are in a monotone and evenly spaced. ) Yes-I-said-that-why-are-you-asking? FATHER: Well then.
DIANE: (Becoming hysterical)\ FATHER: What did I say? Did I say something wrong? HEIDI: (To SEAN) Not yet, he didn't.
SEAN: (To HEIDI) But you know it's coming.
MOTHER: Children, please. Do give your father the respect he deserves. HEIDI and SEAN: (Rolling their eyes) Yes, Mother.
父亲： 好吧。我说了，我知道你挺喜欢小凯尔。 黛安： 爸爸！
父亲： 是这么回事，对吗？我不是听你跟你妈说，你希望凯尔邀请你在高年级舞会上跳舞吗？ 肖恩： 喔！ 海蒂： 哎哟！
母亲： 静一下，孩子们，静一下。你们父亲在说话呢。
黛安： （咬紧牙，一字一顿地）对－我－是－说－过－你－问－这－干－嘛？
父亲： 那就算了。
黛安： （歇斯底里地）什么算了？ 父亲： 我说什么啦？我说错什么了吗？
海蒂： （对肖恩）这会儿还没有，还没说错什么。