《長腿叔叔》的主角喬若莎是個孤兒,她在一位化名為“約翰?史密斯”的理事幫助下進(jìn)了大學(xué)。由于只見過理事高大的背影,喬若莎便在寫給理事的信中將其稱為“長腿叔叔”。
I have been thinking about you a great deal this summer; having somebody take an interest in me after all these years makes me feel as though I had found a sort of family. It seems as though I belonged to somebody now, and it’s a very comfortable sensation. I must say, however, that when I think about you, my imagination has very little to work upon. There are just three things that I know: 1. You are tall. 2. You are rich. 3. You hate girls. I suppose I might call you Dear Mr. Girl-Hater. Only that’s rather insulting to me. Or Dear Mr. Rich-Man, but that’s insulting to you, as though money were the only important thing about you. Besides, being rich is such a very external quality. Maybe you won’t stay rich all your life; lots of very clever men get smashed up in Wall Street. But at least you will stay tall all your life! So I’ve decided to call you Dear Daddy-Long-Legs. I hope you won’t mind.
這個夏天,我經(jīng)常在思考關(guān)于您的事情。這么多年以來,終于有人眷顧到了我。我不禁覺得,自己好像是找到了某種類似于家的東西,好像是已經(jīng)有所歸屬。這種感覺雖然很讓人舒服,可我也不得不承認(rèn),想到您的時候,我的想象力幾乎無從發(fā)揮。關(guān)于您這個人,我只知道三件事情: 1. 您個子很高; 2. 您很有錢; 3. 您討厭女孩子。 我曾經(jīng)想過要叫您“親愛的討厭女孩子的先生”,可是,那樣的稱呼對我來說是一種侮辱。我還想過要叫您“親愛的有錢人先生”,可是,那樣的稱呼對您來說又是一種侮辱,就好像您身上唯一值得一提的就是有錢一樣。更何況,有錢只是一種非常外在的品質(zhì)。您興許不會一輩子都有錢,不少聰明人都在華爾街賠得傾家蕩產(chǎn)哩。不過,您個子很高,這一點至少是一輩子都不會變的!所以呢,我決定叫您“親愛的長腿叔叔”,希望您不會介意。