《Dialogue in a Twenty-First Century Dining Room 》作者：- Robert

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Those who say with more vigor than originality that if they want a message they can callWestern Union may object to this story of Mr. Tompkins Mrs. Tompkins and the rowk bird.Classical scholars may murmur or mutter something about panem et circenses . And those whowish nothing more than to enjoy something short and which may pass for light can dig right inand dig this too. Maybe multi-levelled is the word we are groping for. Tweet-tweet DIALOGUE IN A TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY DINING ROOM by Robert F. Young ORDINARILY CONVERSATION IN the Tompkins apartmenage went something like this: MR. TOMPKINS: Inthe cafeteria this noon I heard over Teevy that theyve taken another one of those radicalmalcontents into custody. MRS. TOMPKINS: They have What was this one doing MR. TOMPKINS: The same thing as the others—going around saying mean things about ordinarypeople like us. This one said weve become a government-subsidized juggernaut of destructionbent on wiping every last vestige of truth and beauty from the face of the earth. Can youimagine anyone having the nerve to make such a sarcastic remark Why the president himselfsaid just the other day that if it wasnt for people like us faithfully going about our dailytasks and keeping our noses clean the world would come apart at the seams MRS. TOMPKINS: And hes right too. People like us are the salt of the earth and if you ask meI think those malcontents are jealous of us. What should I dial for supper—baked ham or roastbeef MR. TOMPKINS: If it wasnt for ordinary people like us keeping the boat steady people likethem would have overturned it long ago and then where would everybody be . . . Isnt thereanything else on the menu besides baked ham and roast beef MRS. TOMPKINS: Whats the matter with you Arthur You know todays Thursday and that onThursday all apart-o-matic developments ever serve is baked ham and roast beef. MR. TOMPKINS:Thats right—I forgot. Roast beef then I guess. MRS. TOMPKINS: Baked or mashed potatoes MR. TOMPKINS: Mashed. While youre up turn Teevy on will you On the evening before the arrival of the Bartlett Bird conversation in the