在线英语听力室

美国故事 SENEWS-2007-0526-Feature

时间:2007-07-12 01:23:33

搜索关注在线英语听力室公众号:tingroom,领取免费英语资料大礼包。

(单词翻译)

Our story today is adapted from a novel for young people called "Crazy Lady" by Jane Leslie Conly. "Crazy Lady" is a Newbery Honor1 Book, one of the highest awards for children's literature in the United2 States. The story is told by 14-year-old Vernon Debs. His mother died and his father is raising Vernon and his brothers and sisters. Vernon becomes friends with Maxine and her mentally3 disabled son Ronald. Here is Shep O'Neal with our story.

Sometimes I dream Maxine is walking down the street, right in the middle like she always did with her son Ronald. She is wearing dark glasses and a funny hat and purple pants, and she moves back and forth4 when she walks. Ronald is always pop-eyed, like he is scared someone is going to hurt him. Then the kids come and start shouting "Crazy lady" and she shouts at them and holds onto Ronald and they laugh and shout right back.

I want you to know about our neighborhood, it is called Tingly Heights. What I really need to tell you about is the next street down. It is a slum5. People live down there with their windows broken out all year round. I did not go down there much until I met Maxine and Ronald and their friend Miss Annie.

That was in 1981, the year I was 12 years old. I found out that once you are 12, you are too big for lots of the things you used to do before, but you are too young for a job. So a whole group of us was left with nothing to do. We would stand on the corner to see if Maxine would come by with Ronald. Somebody found out that he went to a school for mentally disabled kids and that a special bus brought him home every afternoon. His mother was always there to get him off the bus. What we liked most was to get her angry, so she would put on a show. Anything we said would make her a poppycock.

One day, I was at the local store to buy potatoes. Millt, the owner of the store, was arguing with the woman about the price of potatoes. "I'm here for potatoes, too." I said, "My sister said they were a dollar nine on Monday." Millt shouted, "You both can go on up to the other store."
Suddenly, I realized I was walking up the street to the other store beside Maxine. There was no way I wanted to be there.
"I'm in a hurry," I said.
"I'm in a hurry, too." She said, "I left Ronald home by himself sitting by the TV."
"You give me the money and go on home," I said, "I'll get the potatoes."

I bought two bags of potatoes, put one bag under each arm and got back to Maxine's house quick.

"I do thank you." she said, "You know what? I believe I knew your Mama. Are you Debs?" I nodded. "I thought so." Maxine said, "She was a real nice woman. One winter she sewed a coat for Ronald. She must have seen us on the street and she knew he did not have anything good to wear. She brought it down here and did not expect any money."

My Mama could always make you feel special. I told myself she could see what my teachers could not, deep down, inside, I was smart. But that was a secret between us. When my Mama died, the secret died too. I started to see myself like everyone else did – a big backward6 kid, trying to slip7 by without being noticed. It was Maxine who introduced me to her neighbor Miss Annie when I needed help with English. Miss Annie told me to bring my books to her house everyday after school.

After a few weeks, she said, "Vernon, I have never asked you for money, but I would like you to help Maxine clean up her yard." My face got red. I thought, "What if the guys saw me there?" But it was not as bad as I expected. I cleaned up the yard and put the trash in a bag that Ronald held. Ronald stood there holding the bag like it was the most important job on earth. Seeing him like that, trying so hard to do something so simple gave me a funny feeling inside. You see, when you first saw Ronald he looked like an ugly animal. But what I figured out was a lot of Ronald's problem was fear - being scared made him look strange.

One day, Ronald's teacher Miss Marlow came to visit Ronald's home and Maxine wanted me there. Miss Marlow wanted Ronald to be in the Special Olympics, a sports competition for mentally disabled children. Ronald would need sports shoes and a person to help him. "I will go with him," I said, I had a feeling somebody needed to say that. I wanted to have a party to sell things and make money to buy sport shoes for Ronald. I told Maxine about it ahead of time which was a mistake. She was so excited. She drank too much alcohol9, but we earned 143 dollars for Ronald. Maxine said she was sorry for drinking too much.

When we got to the store to buy Ronald shoes, Bobbie and Jerry and Chris were standing10 there. It was Bobbie who found the bright red shoes. Ronald was smiling from ear to ear.

"You are our best friend, Vernon," said Maxine, in front of everybody. "Thanks."

A few weeks later, Maxine drank too much again. The police drove11 her home. I was worried about Ronald. Then, that Sunday, Maxine and Ronald came to church. She wore a green dress with a hat that looked like a tomato with some cloth stuck to it. I knew she would never make it through the religious12 ceremony without opening her mouth.

"No matter what you think of me I love Ronald everyday," she shouted as the priest13 asked her to leave, I sat low in my seat, but she saw me anyway, "there is Vernon Debs," she told the world, "he does not have the brains God gave a tree."

After that, I did not forgive Maxine. She would shout at me and once it sounded like she was trying to say she was sorry. But I was not interested. I did keep on seeing Ronald, though. I would take him some sandwiches or small cakes. He would eat them all right away and we would sit and talk. The truth was I would talk and Ronald would listen. But by now, I knew his face so well; it was almost like he could talk. He had a thousand expressions and his arms and legs moved according14 to how he felt. He was always glad to see me and I felt the same. There was something calm about him once he was used to you. I told Daddy that Ronald's teacher Miss Marlow had been checking upon Maxine. She knows Maxine drinks too much.

I saw Miss Marlow again at the Special Olympics. Ronald did not win any of the competitions. But he had a great day. He had more friends than I had ever imagined. Miss Marlow said, "You will miss Ronald, won't you?" Then, she saw my face. "Oh, Vernon, I'm sorry. Maxine said she would tell you, Ronald is going to live with his mother's sister and her husband in North Carolina."

I went straight to Maxine's house. "If you loved him you would not do this," I shouted. She started to cry. "You cannot send him away!" I shouted.

"It is done," she said simply and she closed the door. Maxine's friend Miss Annie had found out that morning, "Maxine's sister and her husband live on a small farm in North Carolina," she said, "they have all kinds of animals and a big garden. There is a state university with a special education school nearby."
I stared at her. "You're going along with it," I said.

"I think Ronald would be better off," said Miss Annie. I did not say anything.

Ronald left on a Tuesday. By then, everyone in Tingly Heights knew he was going. Miss Annie was there crying her eyes out. Ronald's aunt and uncle brought him out of his house and stood on either side of him. His aunt said, "I want to thank you. There are a lot of places that would not have cared for Ronald the way you all have."

Ronald and his aunt and uncle got into the car. "Goodbye," I whispered15. I put my hand on the outside of the car window and Ronald leaned8 his face against it. The car started to move. I went with it, walking, then running slowly alongside16. The car went on. I fell, I hit the ground rolling and did not stop until I hit a concrete17 wall, I hurt everywhere. A hand moved up on my legs and back, feeling for broken bones. "Vernon," my Daddy said, "I am here!"

You have heard the American story "Crazy Lady". Your storyteller was Shep O'Neal. The producer was Luwand Davis. This story was used by permission of Harper Collins publishers. Copyright18 1993 by Jane Leslie Conly. It was adapted by Karen Leggett. Listen again next week for another American story in Special English on the Voice of America. This is Gwen Outen.
分享到:


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 honor IQDzL     
n.光荣;敬意;荣幸;vt.给…以荣誉;尊敬
参考例句:
  • I take your visit as a great honor.您的来访是我莫大的光荣。
  • It is a great honor to receive that prize.能拿到那个奖是无上的光荣。
2 united Yfmz2c     
adj.和谐的;团结的;联合的,统一的
参考例句:
  • The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
  • The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。
3 mentally GCGx0     
adv.精神上,理智上,在心中
参考例句:
  • He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服,心绪也很乱。
  • Male nurses are often employed in hospitals for the mentally ill.精神病院常雇用男护士护理精神病人。
4 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
5 slum NxKwF     
n.贫民窟,贫民区;vi.(因好奇而)逛贫民区
参考例句:
  • These children came from a slum area.这些孩子来自贫民窟区。
  • What a wretched existence the people in the slum lead!这个贫民窟里的人们过着多么令人悲惨的生活啊!
6 backward nPyya     
adv./adj.向后地;相反地;退步地
参考例句:
  • Because of his long illness,Tom is backward in his studies.因为汤姆长期生病,所以在学习中成绩落后。
  • The rainy season is backward this year.今年雨季来得晚。
7 slip jEfzM     
n.滑倒,事故,片,纸片;vi.滑动,滑倒,失足;减退;vt.使滑动,滑过,摆脱,闪开,塞入;adj.滑动的,活络的,有活结的
参考例句:
  • One slip and you could fall off the building.脚下一滑就可能从建筑物上跌下去。
  • I hope you will pardon me for that slip.我希望您原谅我那次失误。
8 leaned 725f4ee64e460865d2a6749276d2ed06     
v.(使)倾斜,屈身( lean的过去式和过去分词 );倚;依赖;使斜靠
参考例句:
  • He leaned forward, his hands clasped tightly together. 他俯身向前,双手十字交错地紧握着。
  • He leaned back, exulting at the success of his plan. 他向后一靠,为自己计划成功而得意扬扬。
9 alcohol AxCzB     
n.酒精,乙醇;含酒精的饮料
参考例句:
  • The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors.法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。
  • The alcohol is industrial.这些酒精是供工业用的。
10 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
11 drove brAxi     
vbl.驾驶,drive的过去式;n.畜群
参考例句:
  • He drove at a speed of sixty miles per hour.他以每小时60英里的速度开车。
  • They drove foreign goods out of the market.他们把外国货驱逐出市场。
12 religious RVsxb     
adj.宗教性的,虔诚的,宗教上的;n.修道士,出家人
参考例句:
  • She is very religious person who goes to church every Sunday.她十分虔诚,每个星期天都上教堂。
  • It is hard for me to reject religious beliefs.要我抛弃自己的宗教信仰是困难的。
13 priest D1JzH     
n.神父,牧师,司铎,司祭,领导者,神甫;vt.使成为神职人员
参考例句:
  • He confessed to a priest that he had sinned.他向神父忏悔他犯了罪。
  • The priest visited all the old people in the parish.牧师探望了教区里的所有老人。
14 according YzQztq     
adj.按照,根据
参考例句:
  • According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的,我们都是亚当的后裔。
  • We must cut our coat according to our cloth this year.今年我们必须学会量入为出。
15 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》
16 alongside XLWym     
adv.在旁边;prep.和...在一起,在...旁边
参考例句:
  • There was a butcher's shop alongside the theatre.剧院旁边有一家肉店。
  • Alongside of him stood his uncle.他的身旁站着他叔叔。
17 concrete 4Yuyu     
adj.具体的,有形的;n.混凝土 ;v.用混凝土修筑,浇混凝土,凝结
参考例句:
  • Could you give us a concrete case?你能不能给我们举个具体事例?
  • We should make a concrete analysis of each specific question.对于每个具体问题要进行具体分析。
18 copyright XZRyV     
n.版权,著作权
参考例句:
  • He retained the copyright of his book.他保留此书的著作权。
  • This company has a proprietorship of the copyright.这家公司拥有版权所有权。

本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎 点击提交 分享给大家。