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其他范文/相声小品剧本 时间机器TheTimeMachine the time machine by john loganfebruary 22, 2000int. columbia university - lecture hall - daydarkness. then a sound.click-clack, click-clack, click-clack.the familiar sound of chalk writing on a blackboard.fade up to see.a hand zooming across a blackboard at incredible speed,forming an endless algebraic equation.amazingly, when the writer reaches the end of the blackboardhe does not lift the chalk and return to the left side tobegin a new line - instead he simply loops around andcontinues writing, right to left, upside down.the college students in his class - all male and dressed inlate victorian clothes - smile at this familiar peculiarityand tilt their heads to try and read the endless equation,copying furiously into notebooks.the hand continues to zoom along the blackboard. and thenslows. and then stops. the students wait. the hand tapsthe chalk on the blackboard for a moment and we finallysee.alexander hartdegen, a handsome young man not much older thanhis students, standing at the blackboard. he is gazing out awindow, looking at a bird on a tree branch. he smiles.the students glance to one another.alexander remembers himself and turns back to the blackboard,his hand again flying as: alexander so - length, width, breadth - formulate the area and of course we arrive at solid mass. but imagine if we continue the equation as ive done - cant we begin to recognize another dimension beyond the first three? i theorize we begin to find duration - the objects place in time. lets note that as d here.alexander reaches the left side of the blackboard and loopsaround again in an unbroken line to continue the equationfrom left to right again.the students are hopelessly lost. they finally stop copyingand just watch alexander work, admiring his brilliantinnovation.meanwhile, a man watches from the back of the lecture hall. he is david philby, alexanders closest friend, a bit older. alexander . if we accept the theoretical possibility of duration as a fourth dimension we find that our equation might - no, thats not right -he erases some numbers quickly with his hand, sending up acloud of chalk dust, he coughs. alexander - there, that looks more like it.he continues to scribble at lightning speed. then.he begins humming to himself.the students watch, amused. philby smiles.alexander finally stops humming and writing. steps back andlooks at the equation. then he turns to his students. alexander does this make any sense to you?the students are confused. one offers: student sir, if i may, wouldnt it be easier if you applied a fibonacci sequence to the differential coefficient? alexander (smiles) its not supposed to be easy, its supposed to be beautiful. all of you think about that tonight and well press on tomorrow. good afternoon.the students begin to rise, class over. they leave theclassroom talking eagerly about alexanders theories,inspired.a sudden new angle: from above we see alexander going tophilby, leaving the classroom talking with him. we are inthe upper balcony of the classroom. a solitary figure looksdown, watching them.this new figure is a thin man with pale skin, dry likeparchment. somehow ominous.int. columbia - hallway - dayalexander walks with philby: alexander . the point is i know it will work once the, um, numbers and such are in order. philby do you know you were humming? alexander i was not. philby somewhere around d+2xy something something. alexander damned if i can keep her out of my equations. philby tonights the night? alexander (checking pocket watch) god, and im running late -a prim woman appears before them: prim woman dr. hartdegen, dr. philby. dean fulton would like to see you.alexander and philby exchange a look. gulp. they follow theprim woman.int. columbia - dean fultons office - daythey follow the prim woman, dean fultons secretary, into hisdark, paneled office. prim woman hes outside.alexander and philby move through the office and out to agarden courtyard.ext. columbia - garden courtyard - dayoddly, chickens are clucking about the courtyard.the thin man we saw before, dean fulton, is casually tossingdown feed for the chickens. with his other hand he carriesan umbrella to protect himself from the sun. he does notlook up. dean fulton gentlemen, watch your step.alexander and philby stop. dean fulton looks up and smiles,benevolent. dean fulton my fowl have polluted the yard. philby dean fulton.dean fulton continues to lazily scatter feed for hischickens. dean fulton dr. philby, dr. hartdegen. i received the most extraordinary letter last week. from a parent. we are always pleased to receive letters from parents. they are our employers, after all. this gentlemans son is in your class, dr. hartdegen. alexander (knows whats coming) i see. dean fulton as i recall the syllabus the name of your tutorial is applied mathematics and engineering, am i correct? alexander exactly correct, sir.dean fulton stops scattering feed and gazes at alexander witha smile. this is an old game between them and they bothrather enjoy it. to a point. dean fulton well, just as i thought. surely its all been a terrible mistake. this parent actually suggested that your freshman course in applied mathematics has somehow become a seminar on theoretical physics! alexander imagine that. dean fulton but i know that none of my faculty would ever deviate from the assigned curriculum. alexander well. perhaps i have deviated the tiniest bit. dean fulton might i ask why? alexander because the assigned curriculum is boring.philby groans very quietly. alexander sir, that curriculum is forty years out of date. the students today are looking toward the new century - they want to be challenged and inspired, not spoon-fed dusty old equations that have been proved a thousand times. they want to explore. dean fulton do they?dean fulton smiles and then begins to scatter feed again. dean fulton what are these animals, gentlemen?alexander and philby exchange a look. philby um, your chickens, sir.alexander helpfully offers: alexander and roosters. dean fulton no, dr. hartdegen, they are not just chickens and roosters. they are science. perhaps they arent inspiring to you. perhaps they dont challenge you - alexander no, sir - dean fulton animal husbandry is science, dr. hartdegen. i have been breeding these fowl for fourteen years. i have filled a library with information on their feeding patterns, social behavior and breeding. empirical, exacting, quantifiable records. alexander sir -dean fulton looks up at him, his eyes cold: dean fulton duration is not a dimension. scientists do not imagine the world around them. they do not wool- gather or cloud-spin. they prove. they demonstrate. columbia university does not teach fantasy.philby shoots alexander a warning look, but alexander canthelp himself: alexander with respect, sir, would we have the telegraph without fantasy? would we have radium and x-rays without someone first dreaming we could? dean fulton the advances you speak of were the result of countless years of study and empirical experimentation, a careful evolutionary process, not chalkboard parlor-tricks. alexander my equations are not parlor-tricks! dean fulton abstract mathematics, relativity of dimensions, geometrical durations - even allowing for the uses of speculation, what is the point? alexander because its a new way of seeing the world! of seeing our place in it! philby sir, if i may - dean fulton (with finality, to alexander) young man, we have a way of doing things here. radical theorizing is not acceptable. have i made myself understood? alexander yes, sir. dean fulton very good. now if you will excuse us for a moment.alexander goes back into the office. philby if i might explain, sir - dean fulton you supported his application, dr. philby. you are his senior, advisor. i depend upon you to restrain his. excesses. any repetition of the behavior i witnessed in his classroom today and there will be consequences for you both. philby yes, sir. dean fulton now you are upsetting my fowl. please go.philby extricates himself from a chicken pecking at his shoeand goes. alexander (v.o.) hes a dinosaur. hes already extinct, he just doesnt know it.ext. streetcar - dayalexander and philby are in an open horse-drawn streetcar,heading downtown. everywhere around them, the massive citybustles.new york city at the end of the 19th century. it is vibrantto the point of frenzy; reaching for the future in a furiousupheaval of construction.title: new york city - may 12, 1895 - 5:17 p.m. alexander . one day hell be discovered by some future archeologists and they wont know what to make of him. the thick brow, so lacking in imagination. the dim little eyes, devoid of curiosity. philby you know generally teachers are supposed to teach real equations that add up to real numbers. alexander wheres the challenge in that? philby alex, this is your first year as an associate professor. you might want to play things a little more conservatively. alexander you sound like my father.alexander points to the masses of grey businessmen, all inidentical bowler hats, marching along the sidewalk: alexander look at them, philby, all alike, everyone in an identical bowler hat. do you want your students to turn out like them? philby i want my students to emerge with theoretical and practical knowledge. alexander i dont. i want them to run along this street and knock off every bowler they see. philby you may not like it, but this is the world we live in, alex. little grey men with little grey hats. alexander but shouldnt it be better? shouldnt we be teaching our students to imagine a world beyond all this?alexander points to a new building going up, a complexspiders web of steel girders. alexander look at that, philby. a steel frame building. ten years ago it was unheard of. no little grey man thought of that. the new century belongs to men who are willing to imagine the impossible.their streetcar passes a few huddled beggars on the curb. the businessmen ignore them. alexander watches them, hiseyes sad. alexander (quietly) in the future, well be better. philby what? alexander nothing.ext. alexanders house - eveningalexanders sprawling victorian house sits on a quiet street.there is a quaint shop right across the street. the shopfeatures a window showing a female mannequin dressed inperiod clothes. the sign above the shop: bransons appareland haberdashery.alexander and philby hurry into his house.int. alexanders house - eveningalexanders house is a lovely world of victorian eleganceconstantly at war with his erratic and creative enterprises.everywhere alexanders scientific passions are evident:animal skulls rest alongside leather-bound tomes; mechanicalinventions in various states of completion rest atop heavymahogany tables; test tubes and microscopes are spread out onan unused piano.the one facet that most immediately reflects alexander isaural: the ticking of scores of clocks; a steady metronomiccadence.alexander bounds in, philby following. alexander mrs. watchit! mrs. watchit!mrs. watchit, alexanders housekeeper, troops down thestairs. she is a wry and commanding british woman in her60s. mrs. watchit oh huzzah, the masters home. alexander do you have it?! mrs. watchit hello, mr. philby. philby hello, mrs. watchit. youre looking in the pink. mrs. watchit must be all the exercise i get scampering up and down these stairs like a wee lamb. alexander dont torture me - do you have it? mrs. watchit i have it, but dont you think for one moment ill be letting you go out in that filthy coat - now go upstairs and change. ive laid out your green coat. alexander whats the matter with - ? (he notes he is covered in chalk dust) - what would i do without you, mrs. watchit?he bounds up the stairs. phiby follows. mrs. watchit and change your tie!she bustles off, grumbling happily.int. alexanders bedroom - eveningcharles darwin stares at us. imposing. inspiring. challenging.a bust of darwin looms over alexanders bedroom.alexander, in a new coat, is trying to work a complicatedknot in his tie. his eyes study the problem in a mirror. alexander emma actually likes chalk dust - says it smells like me. philby how romantic.philby goes to alexander, helps him with his tie. philby the most able inventor i know and you cant tie a simple four-in- hand. alexander thats how i knew we were destined to be together. when i met her parents for the first time i came right from class and i was covered in chalk. they sniffed and snorted, but she just smiled. at that moment - i just knew. how did you know with molly? philby she made the best shepherds pie i ever tasted. alexander do you have a romantic bone in your body? philby (completing the tie) no, im all bowler hat, remember?alexander quickly goes to his old coat and transfers hispocket watch, journal and many loose scraps of paper coveredin equations to the new coat as: philby alex, really. good luck tonight. shes a fine girl, and shes done wonderful things for you. alexander oh? philby (smiles) shes gotten into your equations.alexander stops, looks at him. smiles. alexander i guess she has.he glances at his pocket watch. alexander ive got to hurry.he hurries out, philby following.int. alexanders house - stairs - eveningalexander races down the stairs, tucking the watch into hisvest.they pass a series of clocks of every size and shape that rundown the wall along the stairway. philby all these clocks - how can you constantly be running late?! alexander perseverance.int. alexanders house - entry hall - eveningmrs. watchit waits. alexander and philby appear down thestairs. mrs. watchit now thats more like it. you look a proper gentlemen for once. alexander then if emma turns me down will you marry me? mrs. watchit (dry) oh, im already swooning. alexander ouch - all right, wish me luck.he begins to sprint out the door - mrs. watchit stops himwith: mrs. watchit you might be wanting this?she holds up a velvet ring box. he takes the box. alexander oh - thanks. well. (a wink to philby) . times a wastin!with that he is out the door.mrs. watchit and philby stand for a moment, catching theirbreath after alexanders tornado of enthusiasm. philby i wonder if that poor girl has any idea what shes in for? mrs. watchit for our sake, i hope not.ext. fifth avenue - nightthe many luxurious horse-drawn carriages glide along fifthavenue with stately dignity. rich pedestrians stroll alongthe sidewalk.alexander leaps out of a carriage and begins to stride towardan entrance to central park.he passes a flower seller. flower seller have some flowers, sir? alexander not tonight, thanks.he continues on toward the entrance to the park - stops. alexander no - i promised her flowers.he turns around and hurries back toward the flower seller. but.a sudden mechanical clanking sound makes him stop dead in histracks. the sirens song.he turns.pulled over to the curb is a magnificent stanley steamerautomobile. it is a glorious collection of bronze and copperand steel and wooden dashboard and leather upholstery andgroaning steam tank and clanking engine. alexander stares,transfixed.alexander glances at his watch - running late - but he justcant resist this new marvel. flowers forgotten, alexandersteps to the motorist, currently tinkering with the carsengine. alexander its spectacular. motorist thanks. old nells my girl all right. al least when she decides to move, stubborn beast. alexander (walking around the car, admiring) ive only read about them - and the new internals. motorist now thats what i call plain crazy - internal combustion is just too dangerous, all those little explosions, never catch on. alexander how do you keep the water temperature stable? motorist theres a cantilevered gasket on the -suddenly - the car lurches forward dangerously - alexanderinstantly grabs the brake lever and hauls it back - the carscreeches to a stop. motorist god - could have killed me - bad girl, nell! how did you know to do that? alexander i just love mechanical things. motorist well, much obliged - im always forgetting the confounded brake - say, if you wait until i get her up and running ill give you a perambulation. tell you all about her. alexander (pained) ahhh. im afraid ive got a prior commitment. motorist next time then. we perambulate here most every night. alexander you have my word. (he takes a last, longing look at the car) . shes just a beauty.he sprints off into central park.ext. pavilion - central park - nighta full moon shines in the night sky.gentle period music from a band, glowing lanterns hangingdown and the swaying shapes of dancers.we are at a beautiful pavilion in central park. a magicalantique setting of ease and grace. white linen suits andstraw boaters. parasols and high-button shoes.a beautiful woman stands with her back to us watching thedancers. she slowly turns.emma smiles.alexander stands, just watching her, bewitched.then they come together and kiss lightly, as befits 1895decency. emma youre late. alexander got here as soon as i could. emma dance with me. alexander you know i cant. emma trust me.she takes his hand and they dance. she is a natural dancer,smooth and gentle. he does his best, following her minutecues with great sensitivity.as they dance: emma you promised me flowers. a
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