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美国故事 SENEWS-2005-0716-Feature

时间:2007-05-12 01:10:45

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(单词翻译)

Our story today is called "A Girl for Walter". It was written by Theodore Jacobs, here is Shep O'Neal with the story.

We never knew what Walter was. But we called him, ur, idiot1. We called him that without knowing if he really was as foolish2 and stupid3 as an idiot.

Walter worked for a food store. He carried food to the homes that ordered it on the telephone. When we saw Walt coming down the street, pushing his four-wheel wagon4 filled with food, we knew we would have fun. We stopped playing our games and followed him. We always saw him coming. He wore the same clothes every day, a brown hat, green shirt opened at the neck and a pair of gray pants. We recognized5 the way he walked too, long slow steps with stiff6 legs. We followed him down the street, trying to walk as he did. Often we would try to pull his hat off and say how funny he looked. Walter did not seem to be troubled by our words except when we talked about girls.

When one of us asked him how his love life was or said. "Hey, Walt, I hear a beautiful woman is looking for you." He would get very angry. He would push his food wagon with one hand and try to capture7 one of us with the other. If he caught one, he held him close to his face and shouted in a loud voice "I am going to get a girl, I am going to get a girl." Sometimes he would say it again and again even when we get tired of making fun of him. He would walk down the street shouting to himself: "I am going to get a girl."

Walter did not bring food to our house. Mother was afraid of him. She went to a different store and bought the food home herself. When grandmother came to live with us, this changed. Grandmother liked all sorts8 of people. She was interested in people no one else loved. During her life she had made friends with men who drank too much, women who ate too much and people who were just very lonely.

Grandmother worked with church groups for many years but finally stopped. I think she could not work with them because she did not agree that it was right to try to change a person. Grandmother liked people for what they were. If she knew a man who drank too much, she would not tell him to stop drinking. She would tell him how to drink and still be a gentleman. Once she wrote a book on ten different ways to drink and still act as if you had not had a drink. The important thing to grandmother was that things were done well in the right way and with control.

When grandmother learned9 about Walter, she told my mother she wanted Walt to bring the food to the house. Mother of course was strongly against it. She thought all sorts of strange things would happen. She did not trust Walt. But grandmother simply10 said "Oh, pooh! you are 42 years old, Sara." And then she telephoned the people at the food store and told them to let Walter bring the food.

Walter and grandmother became friends. The first time he came to the house, he told grandmother he was going to get a girl. Grandmother seemed pleased and told him how nice it would be. She said the trouble with young man today is that they do not know how to win a girl's heart. "You must be an artist." She said. Walter just stood there and listened. Grandmother then told him how her husband won her heart. She told him about her marriage11 and the great love there was between them. As he listened, Walter made funny faces and moved his mouth from one side of his face to the other. When she finished her story, she asked Walter where he met his young ladies.

Walter did not say anything. "I can understand how difficult it is for young people to meet these days." Then she said in a low voice, "If you meet a nice young lady, Walt, do you know how to act? " "What? No, I don't." Walter said. "Well, you should." Grandmother said. And she told him how.

Walter and grandmother became very close. Every time he came with food, she had a talk ready for him. It was funny to me, but to Walter and grandmother it was very serious. Later she began to read books to Walter, a little from a book each time he came. The first book was called how to dress when you go out with a girl. The next book told how a young man should act when he meets the girl's mother and father.

Walter seemed to enjoy the readings13 at least he listened. He would stand next to the wall and wrinkle14 his nose. If grandmother expected more from Walter, she never showed it. She continued reading12 to him. As time passed, Walter listened harder than before. He never took his eyes off grandmother as she read. When she smiled he smiled too. When she was serious Walter became serious. She read about the problems of early friendship, how to become better friends and how to decide if your girl is the right one to marry.

Grandmother was almost finished reading one day when Walter stopped her. "Know something, Mrs. Gorman? I have a girl." "How wonderful!" Grandmother answered. "I really do, a girl like you always talking." Isn't that wonderful? Where did you meet her? " "A friend helped me." "Isn't that exciting? Tell me about her. Is she nice?" "I like her very much." "Well, she must be. What is her name?" "I forgot. Betti something. I told her my name was Walter." " Were you kind to her and a gentleman?" "All the time I told her nice things." "I am proud of you, Walter. Is she pretty?" Walter did not answer. He told again how he met her.

It seemed to me that he had to say a thing more than once or no one would believe him. "She must be nice." grandmother said, "I hope you comb15 your hair and wear a coat when you see her. And you must promise me that you will always be a gentleman."

After that grandmother read how to choose the right wedding16 ring, and how to be prepared for marriage. She seemed to be in a hurry as if Walter might get married17 before she had finished his education.

Nothing mother said helped. Grandmother continued to teach Walter. The next book she read to Walter was how to love your wife. Soon after grandmother finished reading it, she died, just like that. It was difficult to believe. It was only after I saw them lower18 her body and covered it that I knew she would not come back.

The morning after she died, Walter came with food. Mother went to the door. "Mrs. Gorman is dead." She told Walter. "She died last night." Walter did not move at first. He did not seem to understand or he thought she was lying. He then tried to enter but mother shut the door a little. "Can't you understand she is dead? No one is here. She died last night. Please do not come here again." Walter just stood there, his face white. Mother closed the door on him. She telephoned the food store and told them not to send Walter any more.

I did not see Walter again for a long time. I had forgotten all about him and the days grandmother had read to him. Then one day I saw him. He looked different. He was wearing a suit of clothes, the coat was old and the trousers had been worn19 many times. He wore a white shirt and a necktie. I waited until he walked up to me and I walked along with him. "Hello, Walter, do you remember me?" He turned quickly toward20 me then smiled as he recognized my face. "Oh, sure, hiya, how are you?" "I am fine, Walter. How are you doing?" "Thank you, O.K. How are you doing?" "Fine". We walked a few steps in silence21. Suddenly I had the odd22 feeling that grandmother was still alive, and that Walter was still coming to the house. Without thinking23, I asked, "How is your girl, Walter?" Suddenly he was on me holding and tearing24 my shirt. He pulled me close to him and shouted, "She is still alive. She is still alive." His cry was loud and real. He pushed me away from him and I fell to the ground. He ran down the street. As I got up, I could still hear him crying until his voice was lost among the sounds of playing boys.

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1 idiot FcWze     
n.白痴,傻子,笨蛋
参考例句:
  • Only an idiot would make such a thoughtless remark.只有草包才会说出这样没有头脑的话来。
  • You are behaving like a perfect idiot.你表现得像个十足的白痴。
2 foolish BgnzN     
adj.愚蠢的,傻的;荒谬的,可笑的
参考例句:
  • The foolish boy was laughed at wherever he went.这个愚蠢的男孩不论走到哪里都受到讥笑。
  • Don't worry me with such foolish questions.不要用这些愚蠢的问题来烦我。
3 stupid ttBwD     
adj.愚蠢的,笨拙的,麻木的,无趣味的;n.傻瓜
参考例句:
  • The boy is too stupid.那个男孩太笨了。
  • He must be really stupid.那他一定很傻。
4 wagon XhUwP     
n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车
参考例句:
  • We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
  • The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。
5 recognized 00c1aa7e22032b50df53986ffd369419     
adj.公认的,经过验证的v.认出( recognize的过去式和过去分词 );承认[认清](某事物);赏识;承认…有效[属实]
参考例句:
  • I found it flattering that he still recognized me after all these years. 过了这么多年他还认得我,使我觉得荣幸。
  • I recognized him as soon as he came in the room. 他一进屋我就认出了他。
6 stiff 4G8z4     
adj.严厉的,激烈的,硬的,僵直的,不灵活的
参考例句:
  • There is a sheet of stiff cardboard in the drawer.在那个抽屉里有块硬纸板。
  • You have to push on the handle to turn it,becanse it's very stiff.手柄很不灵活,你必须用力推才能转动它。
7 capture xTny1     
vt.捕获,俘获;占领,夺得;n.抓住,捕获
参考例句:
  • The company is out to capture the European market.这家公司希望占据欧洲市场。
  • With the capture of the escaped tiger,everyone felt relieved.逃出来的老虎被捕获后,大家都松了一口气。
8 sorts 10f719982bf268408f9f7ad6c354d9b2     
n.分类( sort的名词复数 );品质;品级;群v.分类,整理( sort的第三人称单数 );挑选;[计算机](根据指令的模式)把…分类;把…归类(常与with, together连用)
参考例句:
  • The bank staff got up to all sorts of antics to raise money for charity. 银行职员使出各种可笑的花招为慈善事业筹款。
  • He was out of sorts physically, as well as disordered mentally. 他浑身不舒服,心绪也很乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 learned m1oxn     
adj.有学问的,博学的;learn的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
  • In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里,他被视为有学问的人。
10 simply mymwT     
ad.仅仅,只是;简单地;朴素地;完全,简直
参考例句:
  • The cake is made quite simply.这蛋糕做起来很简单。
  • The teacher explained the text simply.老师简单地解释了一下课文。
11 marriage FBuxa     
n.婚姻,密切结合,结婚,婚礼,合并
参考例句:
  • They have a happy marriage.他们的婚姻很美满。
  • She is uninterested in marriage.她对结婚不感兴趣。
12 reading YiGyU     
n.阅读,知识,读物,表演,对法律条文的解释;adj.阅读的
参考例句:
  • Children learn reading and writing at school.孩子们在学校学习阅读和写作。
  • He finds pleasure in reading.他从阅读中得到乐趣。
13 readings 24ce06bed20ba5337cf43074075d4008     
n.阅读( reading的名词复数 );读书;读物;读数
参考例句:
  • As part of the celebrations they staged a big,open-air multimedia event,with music,videos,poetry readings,dance and improvisations. 在庆典中,他们举行了大型的露天多媒体活动,其中有音乐、录像、诗朗诵、舞蹈和即兴表演。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They have compiled a collection of Elementary Readings on the Natural Scieces to help young people in their studies. 为了便于青少年学习,他们编了一套《自然科学小丛书》。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
14 wrinkle WMFzG     
n.皱纹;vi.(使)起皱纹,皱眉;vt.使起皱纹
参考例句:
  • This pair of pants does not wrinkle.这条裤子不会皱。
  • Too much sunbathing will wrinkle your skin.皮肤晒得过分就能起皱纹。
15 comb ibMyK     
n.头梳,鸡冠;vt.梳头发,梳毛;vi.(浪)涌起
参考例句:
  • Don't forget to comb your hair before you go out.不要忘记临出门梳梳头。
  • We use a comb to tidy our hair.我们用梳子来梳理头发。
16 wedding geQzcf     
n.婚礼,结婚,结婚仪式,结合
参考例句:
  • I have to attend a wedding.我必须去参加婚礼。
  • Their wedding was very quiet.他们的婚礼很平淡。
17 married HBbx9     
adj.已婚的;与…结婚的
参考例句:
  • I heard John got married.我听说约翰结婚了。
  • They got married last autumn.他们在去年秋季结婚。
18 lower 2Acxw     
adj.较低的;地位较低的,低等的;低年级的;下游的;vt.放下,降下,放低;减低
参考例句:
  • Society is divided into upper,middle and lower classes.社会分为上层、中层和下层阶级。
  • This price is his minimum;he refuses to lower it any further.这个价格是他开的最低价,他拒绝再作任何降价。
19 worn seCzJu     
adj.用旧的,疲倦的;vbl.wear的过去分词
参考例句:
  • The child's trousers have worn through at the knees.孩子裤子的膝盖处磨破了。
  • My shoes are worn out.我的鞋子穿坏了。
20 toward on6we     
prep.对于,关于,接近,将近,向,朝
参考例句:
  • Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
  • Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了,并跑了过去。
21 silence gyXwI     
n.沉默,无声,静寂,湮没,无声息;vt.使缄默;int.安静!
参考例句:
  • She raised a hand for silence.她举手示意大家安静。
  • They drove home in silence.他们默不作声地开车回家。
22 odd P5szQ     
adj.奇特的;临时的;奇数的;n.[pl.]机会
参考例句:
  • She looks a bit odd.I wonder what has happened to her.她的神色有些异样,不知出了什么事。
  • He's an odd character and no mistake!他的确是个怪人!
23 thinking ggzz2u     
n.思考,思想;adj.思考的,有理性的;vbl.想,思考
参考例句:
  • All thinking men will protest against it.凡是有思想的人都会抗议这件事。
  • Thinking is mainly performed with words and other symbols.思想主要是用言语和其他符号来表达的。
24 tearing 4e533368c99778f362dba770ac8eef8f     
adj.撕开的,痛苦的v.撕( tear的现在分词 );(使)分裂;撕碎;扯破
参考例句:
  • Tom, when are you going to stop tearing around and settle down? 汤姆,你什么时候才能不再到处游荡而安定下来呢? 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Look at the children tearing about in the playground. 瞧那些在游戏场上奔跑的孩子们。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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