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美国故事 SENEWS-2007-0210-Feature

时间:2007-07-12 00:35:37

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(单词翻译)

Now, the Special English program American Stories. Our story today is called "Charles". It was written by Shirley Jackson. Here is Kay Gallant1 with the story.

The day my son Laurie started going to school, he began wearing blue jeans with a belt. I watched him leave with the older girl who lived next door. I clearly saw that this was the end of a period in my life. My sweet-voice baby had suddenly changed. He was now a little man who was too full of himself to say goodbye to his mother. My son came home the same way. He shut the front door hard, threw his hat on the floor and shouted, "Isn't anybody here?"

At lunch he spoke2 roughly4 to his father.
"How was school today?" I asked.
"Oh, alright." He said.
His father asked if he had learned5 anything. Laurie looked at his father coldly. He said he had learned nothing.
"The teacher punished a boy, though." Laurie said with his mouth full of bread and butter.
"What did he do?" I asked, "Who was it?"
Laurie thought for a minute. "It was Charles," he said, "Charles was bad. The teacher hit him and made him stand in a corner. He was very bad."
"What did he do?" I asked again. But Laurie slid off his chair, took a cookie and left while his father was still saying "See here, young man."

The next day, Laurie said at lunch, "Well, Charles was bad again today. Today Charles hit the teacher."
"Good heavens," I said, "I suppose he got punished again."
"He sure did," Laurie said.
"Why did Charles hit the teacher?" I asked.
"Because she tried to make him use red pens. Charles wanted to use green pens, so he hit her. Then she hit him on the bottom and said nobody should play with him. But everybody did."

The third day, Wednesday, Charles hit a little girl on the head with a piece of wood. The teacher made him remain inside all during playtime. Thursday, Charles had to stay in a corner during story time because he kept beating his feet on the floor. Friday, Charles was punished again because he threw a piece of chalk from the blackboard.

I said to my husband that perhaps school was not so good for Laurie after all. He could be a rough3 boy and this Charles sounded like such a bad influence.
"It'll be alright," my husband said, "there are sure to be people like Charles in the world. Laurie might as well meet them now as later."

The second week, Laurie came home full of news. "Charles," he shouted as he came up the hill. I was waiting on the front steps. "Charles!" Laurie shouted all the way up the hill. "Charles was bad again." "Come right in," I said as soon as he came close enough,"lunch is waiting."

"Hello, poppa you'll mock," he said to his father as he came through the door.
"You know what Charles did? Charles shouted so loudly in school that they sent a boy from another class to tell the teacher to make Charles keep quiet. And so Charles had to stay after school. All of children stayed to watch him."
"What did he do then?" I asked.
"He just sat there," Laurie said, climbing into his chair at the table.
"What does Charles look like?" my husband asked Laurie, "What is his other name?"
"He is bigger than me," Laurie said, "and he does not have any rubber shoes to wear when it rains, and he does not wear a jacket."

Monday night was the first Parent-Teacher's meeting. I wanted to go. I wanted very much to meet Charles' mother. But I had to stay home because the baby was sick.
On Tuesday, Laurie said suddenly, "Our teacher had a friend come to see her in school today."
"Charles' mother?" My husband and I asked at the same time.
"Nah," he said, "there was a man who made us do exercises. We had to touch our toes like this." Laurie showed us how. "Charles did not do the exercises."
"Didn't Charles wanted to do the exercises?" I said.
"Nah," Laurie said, "Charles was so bad to the teacher's friend that he would not let Charles do the exercises."
"Bad again?" I said.
"He kicked the teacher's friend." Laurie said, "The teacher's friend told Charles to touch his toes like I just did and Charles kicked him."
"What are they going to do about Charles do you suppose?" Laurie's father asked him.
Laurie could not say, "throw him out of school I guess." He answered.

Nothing special happened on Wednesday and Thursday. Charles shouted during story hour and he hit a boy in the stomach, and made him cry. On Friday, Charles stayed after school again, so did all the other children. With the third week of school, the word "Charles" had become part of our family. The baby was being a Charles when he filled his wagon6 full of mud7 and pulled it through the house. Even my husband when he accidentally8 pushed an ashtray9 off the table, said, "hum, looks like Charles."

During the third and fourth weeks, it looked as if Charles had reformed10. Laurie reported unhappily that Charles was so good today that the teacher gave him an apple.
"What?" I said, and my husband added11 carefully, "You mean Charles?"
"Charles," Laurie said, "he passed out the pens to the other children. Then he collected the books. The teacher said he was her helper12."
"What happened?" I said, "I could not believe it."
"He was her helper, that's all." Laurie said.
"Can this be true about Charles?" I asked my husband that night, "Can something like this happen?"
"Wait and see," My husband said, "when you have a Charles to deal with this may mean he is only plotting13."
He seemed to be wrong. For over a week, Charles was the teacher's helper. Each day he passed things out and he picked things up. No one had to stay after school.

"The Parent-Teacher's meeting is being held again next week." I told my husband one evening, "I am going to find Charles' mother there."
"Ask what happened to Charles. I would like to know. I would like to know myself."
On Friday of that week, things were back to normal.
"You know what Charles did today?" Laurie said in a voice full of the excitement and wonder. "He told a little girl to say a bad word and she said it and the teacher washed out her mouth with soap. Charles laughed."
"What word?" his father asked unwisely.
Laurie said, "I'll have to whisper14 to you. It's very bad." He got down off his chair and went around to his father. His father bent15 his head down and Laurie whispered16 joyfully17. His father's eyes widened18, "Did Charles tell the little girl to say that?"
"She said it two times," Laurie said, "Charles told her to say it two times."

Monday morning, Charles said the bad word three or four times. He got his mouth washed out with soap each time. That evening, my husband came to the door with me as I started out for the Parent-Teacher's meeting.
"Invite Charles' mother over for a cup of tea after the meeting," he said, "I wanna get a look at her."
"If only she is there," I said with a prayer19.
"She'll be there," my husband said, "I do not see how they get hold that Parent-Teacher's meeting without her."

At the meeting, I sat looking at all the women's faces. I tried to discover which one hid the secret of Charles. None of them seemed tired enough to be Charles' mother. No one stood up, made excuses for the way her son had been acting20. No one talked about Charles. After the meeting, I found Laurie's teacher.
"I have wanted to meet you," I said, "I am Laurie's mother."
"Oh! We are … we are so interested in Laurie." She said, "We had a little trouble with him the first week or so, but now he is a fine little helper, most of the time anyway."
"Laurie usually learns to obey and to cooperate21 very quickly," I said, "I suppose this time it was Charles' influence."
"Charles?" the teacher asked.
"Yes," I said, laughing, "You must have your hands full in that class with Charles."
"Charles?" she said, "We do not have any Charles in the class."

You have just heard the American story "Charles". It was written by Shirley Jackson. Your narrator22 was Kay Gallant. The Voice of America invites you to listen again next week at this time for another American story told in Special English. This is Susan Clark.

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 gallant 66Myb     
adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的
参考例句:
  • Huang Jiguang's gallant deed is known by all men. 黄继光的英勇事迹尽人皆知。
  • These gallant soldiers will protect our country.这些勇敢的士兵会保卫我们的国家的。
2 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
3 rough BXRxI     
adj.粗糙的;粗略的,大致的;粗野的,粗暴的
参考例句:
  • It's just a very rough translation.这只是一篇非常粗糙的译稿。
  • His reply was a bit rough.他的答复过于粗鲁了一点。
4 roughly nXrxK     
adv.概略地,粗糙地,粗鲁地
参考例句:
  • If you treat your coat so roughly,it will be worn out soon.你如果这么糟蹋你的外套,它很快就不能穿了。
  • The island is roughly circular in shape.这个岛屿大致是圆形的。
5 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。
6 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。
7 mud V6kzE     
n.泥,泥浆
参考例句:
  • The swimming pool is filled up with mud.游泳池里全是泥。
  • A car ran past,spotting my coat with mud.一辆汽车驶过,给我的外衣溅上了泥点。
8 accidentally kJ6yv     
adv.偶然地;意外地
参考例句:
  • Mary accidentally let out that her mother had telephoned.玛丽无意中说出她的母亲来过电话。
  • As I turned around,I accidentally hit him in the face.我转身时不经意撞了他的脸。
9 ashtray 6eoyI     
n.烟灰缸
参考例句:
  • He knocked out his pipe in the big glass ashtray.他在大玻璃烟灰缸里磕净烟斗。
  • She threw the cigarette butt into the ashtray.她把烟头扔进烟灰缸。
10 reformed 5051dc48599cdbe483b22c10830a4542     
改革过的,革新的
参考例句:
  • The health service must be radically reformed. 公共医疗卫生服务必须进行彻底改革。
  • They reformed a division into a regiment. 他们将一个师整编成为一个团。
11 added mzJzm0     
adj.更多的,附加的,额外的
参考例句:
  • They have added a new scene at the beginning.在开头他们又增加了一场戏。
  • The pop music added to our enjoyment of the film.片中的流行音乐使我们对这部电影更加喜爱。
12 helper 6ryzDM     
n.帮助者,帮手,助手
参考例句:
  • The cook is in charge of the kitchen helper.这位厨师负责管理厨工。
  • She was a voluntary helper.她是自愿帮忙的。
13 plotting 1e35c0e87b1f2aa1346b44c7cf010c31     
n.测绘,标图v.密谋( plot的现在分词 );绘制;把…分成小块;为(文学作品)设计情节
参考例句:
  • He was executed in 1887for plotting to assassinate the tsar. 他因密谋暗杀沙皇在1887年被判处极刑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They were plotting how they would assassinate the president. 他们正秘密策划将如何暗杀总统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
14 whisper ygMwI     
n.耳语,密谈,谣传,飒飒的声音;vi.耳语,密谈,飒飒地响;vt.低声说
参考例句:
  • Their voices fell to a whisper.他们的话音低到成了耳语。
  • I've heard a whisper that he's going to resign.我听到了一个传闻说他准备辞职。
15 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
参考例句:
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
16 whispered ac3eda029cd72fefda0d32abc42aa001     
adj.耳语的,低语的v.低声说( whisper的过去式和过去分词 );私语;小声说;私下说
参考例句:
  • She sidled up to me and whispered something in my ear. 她悄悄走上前来,对我耳语了几句。
  • His ill luck has been whispered about the neighborhood. 他的不幸遭遇已在邻居中传开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
17 joyfully joyfully     
adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地
参考例句:
  • She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着,脚底下轻飘飘的。
  • During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里,她干得很高兴。
18 widened b2d6902f43cf911469f3f14f235ddb8f     
放宽,加宽, (使)变宽( widen的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Her eyes widened in surprise. 她惊讶地睁大了眼睛。
  • The geographical scope of product markets has widened since the war. 战后产品市场的地理范围扩大了。
19 prayer 5Pux5     
n.祈祷,祈求,请求,恳求;祷文,祷告者,恳求者
参考例句:
  • We heard the calling of the bells to prayer.我们听见了召唤祈祷的钟声。
  • Everyone in church knelt in prayer.教堂里每个人都跪着祈祷。
20 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
参考例句:
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
21 cooperate tZByR     
vi.合作,协作,相配合
参考例句:
  • We hope we can cooperate even more closely in the future.希望我们今后能更加密切地合作。
  • I hope you can cooperate on this matter.我希望你在这件事上能给予合作。
22 narrator rFdxT     
n.讲述者;解说员;旁白者
参考例句:
  • He listens and waits for the narrator to explain more.他听著,等待讲的人进一步解释。
  • The story's narrator is an actress in her late thirties.故事的叙述者是位年近四十的女演员。

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