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美国故事 SENEWS-2007-1020-FEATURE

时间:2008-04-09 01:31:58

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(单词翻译)

The Special English program -- AMERICAN STORIES.

Our story today is called "About a Place Called Gabrielle's". It was written by Robert Paul Smith. Here is Shep O'Neal with the story.

There are a hundred places in New York like Gabriel's. Up front is a small bar1, in back there are a few booths3 and a half of dozen4 tables, the husband is the cook, and the wife takes care of the bar. It has a name which is the first name of the husband or the wife or the town where they came from -- Lois, Tony's, Estelle's, or Maria's, or the Calaberian or the Belonia.

To many people in New York, one of these places is the nearest thing to home they would never know. People in New York have two neighborhoods, the one where they work, and the one where they live. The way the city is one man's office is next to another man's home. And the street that is one man's place to make a dollar is also another man's place to make a life. So, each of these little restaurants has two complete and different groups of customers, the lunch people and the dinner people. The lunch people are the ones who work in the neighborhood, they appear during the middle of the day. The dinner people are the ones who live there; they appear at night after they finish work. They never meet although to both groups, the places home. Sometimes the place means5 so much to some people that they are neither lunch nor dinner people. They really live there. The city is their living room; the place is their dining room. One of the people who once felt that way about Gabrielle's is a man named Jeff Cobby.

In a place like Gabrielle's the lunch people start coming into eat about twelve thirty. Gabrielle makes the drinks at the bar; she also takes the money. Every day about noon, she begins to worry. If the regular people are not regular, there will soon be no such place as Gabrielle's. It is good to have people coming in off the street, but it is the regulars those who come in everyday6 who are important. So Gabrielle worries until the six men from the office around the corner come in, and thank God7, filled the corner table. These are the people she can depend on. Then in walks the man who comes alone. He eats whatever fish there is, reads the newspaper, and drinks a half bottle of wine everyday. And here is the young man and young woman who have been coming for two whole months now. They are in love Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. They have a violent8 fight every Friday. Gabrielle wonders what they do on Tuesday.

There is in Gabrielle's as there is in every one of these places. One man who comes at lunchtime, sits down at the bar, and gets quietly drunk9 everyday. He comes to eat lunch. Each day he tells himself that he will have no more than two drinks, and then gets something to eat. But somehow10, the two drinks always get to be three. And after that he stops counting. These are the regular ones. These are the lunch people. And from 12:30 to 3:00, many things happen to the lunch people. They fall in and out of love. They decide to live fully11 and enjoy it, to save money and spend it, to be nicer to people than ever before. Some promise themselves to eat less, and lose a little weight.

Two men become business partners and have a drink to celebrate it. A man at the bar has been waiting for a girl, but she never comes, he decides never to see her again, no matter what, and he has a drink, to celebrate his decision. The man in the second booth2 is trying hard not to ask the other man in the same booth for the job. He puts his hand in his pocket, and discovers that he has spent all his money. These are the things that keep happening at Gabrielle's between twelve thirty and three. By three, most of the lunch people have gone back to their offices, their studios12, their adding machines and business meetings. Except for Jeff Cobby who has not been in Gabrielle's for five years because he has not been in New York for five years.

When you come to a town for the first time, it is strange. But Jeff Cobby was at home as long as it was a new town. Since the United13 States is full of new towns, he did very well for five years. But then, what happened was that there were no more new towns. He wanted to come home.

He came back to New York, and everything was strange. This was his hometown where everything was supposed to be in a certain place, and was not. All the corners looked like corners he used14 to know, but not exactly. There was supposed to be a movie theatre here, but it now was an automobile15 garage. This was where there was that bar and grill16, but it now was a place to park cars.

Everything was bigger, or smaller, or in the wrong place. Two days of this were plenty, then he was walking down the street, and he saw the sign-Gabrielle. Well, he thought, let me get this over with walk in, and find out that all that is left is the name.

As he went down the steps, he remembered why he had forgotten Gabrielle's. He had remembered Helen, and when they were lunch people, and cocktail17 people, and dinner people, and closing time people. It was a long time ago.

He opened the door. No, it could not be the same one, but it was. The nice middle-aged18 lady who took care of people's hats and coats was still at Gabrielle's. She knew his name and kissed him. She took him into the kitchen where Gabrielle's husband was still the cook and still shy.

Jeff came back and sat at the bar, and watched the people in the restaurant, he talked to Gabrielle when it became quiet, and not so busy. He sat down in a booth with Gabrielle and her husband, and had something to eat and to drink. He was home. New York was his hometown, some things did not change.

He came back the next day for lunch, and the next, and that evening he came back for dinner. He had walked all over the city; he had seen too many movies. He had slept too much, and had drunk too much. Except for the small talk-the good mornings and good nights and isn't it a nice day. He had not really talked to anybody in three days.

The third evening he was sitting at the bar, telling Gabrielle what Santa Fe was like when he saw a girl, sitting at the far end of the room. She had just come in. While she leaned19 forward, she looked very closely20 at the man across the table. Then she took her short white gloves, one finger at a time, in the way some women do. It hardly seemed possible that after all these years a little thing like that could mean so much.

For the time it took her to get off her gloves, everything stopped for Jeff. It was as if all these years, and all these towns had not happened, all because he saw a girl in Gabrielle's leaning21 forward, listening, taking off short gloves, one finger at a time. Gabrielle saw him watching, and she nodded22 her head, yes. It made no difference though, if it was Helen, or if it was a girl who leaned forward, listening like Helen.

What made the difference was that he was still such a fool, that he was still in love with a girl who did not love him. It was something he could never tell anyone. They would think he was lying, or was insane23, or both. But it was true. He wanted to get out fast, before he saw Helen and she saw him.

Once they saw each other, he knew he would try once again to make her love him. And if there was one thing he knew, she did not and would not love him. Just as it was true that he had loved her, and always would. Just so it was true, that she never did and never would love him. He said goodbye to Gabrielle, and told her he did not feel like having dinner after all, He said he would be back. He went out into the street, and shivered24. He would not come back; it was time to find a new town.

You have just heard the American story "About a Place Called Gabrielle's". It was written by Robert Paul Smith. It was published25 in 1958 by Esquire Incorporated26. Your Narrator27 was Shep O'Neal. The Voice of America invites you to listen again next week at this time for another American story told in Special English. This is Shirley Griffith.


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1 bar xPSyL     
n.条,棒,条状物;酒吧,(卖东西的)柜台
参考例句:
  • I went to the bar yesterday.我昨天去酒吧了。
  • They walked into the bar.他们走进了酒吧。
2 booth eRzyG     
n.小房间,公用电话亭,岗亭;货摊
参考例句:
  • Where can I find a telephone booth?我在哪儿可以找到电话亭?
  • Let's walk around to each booth.我们到每个摊子转一转吧!
3 booths 674e03319ef41d43f390cdaa05270575     
售货棚,摊位( booth的名词复数 ); 小房间
参考例句:
  • There're many booths at the exhibition. 展览会上有许多摊位。
  • The market people peer at him from their booths and stalls. 集市上的人从他们的货棚和摊子里凝视着他。
4 dozen vsmxW     
n.十二个,几十,许多
参考例句:
  • I'll have a dozen eggs.我买一打鸡蛋。
  • I buy a dozen of socks.我买了一打袜子。
5 means 9oXzBX     
n.方法,手段,折中点,物质财富
参考例句:
  • That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
  • We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。
6 everyday Qnux5     
adj.每天的,日常的,平常的
参考例句:
  • Sweeping the floor is his everyday work.扫地是他的日常工作。
  • He practices speaking English everyday.他每天练习说英语。
7 god mflxq     
n.上帝,神;被极度崇拜的人或物
参考例句:
  • God knows how the cat got up on the roof.只有天知道那只猫是怎样爬上房顶的。
  • God wills that man should be happy.上帝愿人类幸福。
8 violent xhswm     
adj.暴力的,猛烈的,激烈的,极端的,凶暴的,歪曲的
参考例句:
  • The madman was violent and had to be locked up.这个精神病患者很凶暴,不得不把他锁起来。
  • They caught him and gave him a violent beating.他们抓住了他,把他狠狠打了一顿。
9 drunk LuozL6     
adj.醉酒的;(喻)陶醉的;n.酗酒者,醉汉
参考例句:
  • People who drives when they are drunk should be heavily penalised.醉酒驾车的人应受重罚。
  • She found him drunk when she came home at night.她晚上回家时,经常发现他醉醺醺的。
10 somehow swBw3     
adv.以某种方式,不知怎么搞地
参考例句:
  • Somehow,I never got the chance to learn.不知怎么的,我从来都没有学的机会。
  • But somehow,he got out.He's alive.可不知怎么的,他还活着出来了。
11 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地
参考例句:
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气,然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
12 studios 3b283a0b103d17fe262ab13be050b20d     
n.(艺术家的)工作室( studio的名词复数 );画室;播音室;(舞蹈)练功房
参考例句:
  • She was blacklisted by all the major Hollywood studios because of her political views. 由于她的政见,所有好莱坞大制片公司都拒绝用她。
  • Our interns also greet our guests when they arrive in our studios. 我们的实习生也会在嘉宾抵达演播室的时候向他们致以问候。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
13 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。
14 used ajBwV     
adj.用旧了的,旧的;习惯于…;过去惯/经常
参考例句:
  • I used to work until nearly 6:00 o'clock each day.我过去常常工作到6:00左右。
  • He used to walk anywhere from two to five miles an hour.他过去经常一小时走二至五英里。
15 automobile rP1yv     
n.汽车,机动车
参考例句:
  • He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
  • The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。
16 grill wQ8zb     
n.烤架,铁格子,烤肉;v.烧,烤,严加盘问
参考例句:
  • Put it under the grill for a minute to brown the top.放在烤架下烤一分钟把上面烤成金黄色。
  • I'll grill you some mutton.我来给你烤一些羊肉吃。
17 cocktail Jw8zNt     
n.鸡尾酒;餐前开胃小吃;混合物
参考例句:
  • We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。
  • At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上,人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。
18 middle-aged UopzSS     
adj.中年的
参考例句:
  • I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
  • The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。
19 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。
20 closely XwNzIh     
adv.紧密地;严密地,密切地
参考例句:
  • We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
  • The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。
21 leaning PpzzEH     
n.倾向,爱好,偏爱v.(使)倾斜,屈身( lean的现在分词 );倚;依赖;使斜靠
参考例句:
  • a leaning towards comedy rather than tragedy 偏爱喜剧而不是悲剧
  • Jackson is leaning over backwards to persuade his wealthy uncle. 杰克逊想尽种种办法去讨好他那个有钱的叔叔。 来自《简明英汉词典》
22 nodded 97710853ecb87af05b76d66a2175d6e9     
v.点头( nod的过去式和过去分词 );打盹;打瞌睡;点头致意
参考例句:
  • He nodded absently, his attention absorbed by the screen. 他专心注视着屏幕,只是心不在焉地点了点头。
  • She nodded her head in agreement. 她点头表示同意。
23 insane nbVzG     
adj.蠢极的,荒唐的,精神错乱的,疯狂的
参考例句:
  • Insane people are sometimes dangerous.精神病人有时非常危险。
  • The letter made her insane with jealousy.那封信使她妒忌得发疯。
24 shivered c28f503d92a872a0921353d6a2c5853c     
(因寒冷,害怕等)颤抖,哆嗦( shiver的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • We shivered in the damp of the forest. 我们因树林里的湿气而打寒颤。
  • She shivered involuntarily as he approached her. 他离她越来越近,她不由自主地颤抖起来。
25 published 8f888fedf6bd5ff7c93c6d76bb8dc21c     
v.出版( publish的过去式和过去分词 );(在互联网上)发表;公布;在报刊)发表
参考例句:
  • The findings of the commission will be published today. 委员会的调查结果将于今天公布。
  • His diary was not published during his lifetime. 他的日记在他生前未曾发表过。
26 incorporated dqQz8G     
a.结合的,并为一体的
参考例句:
  • Many of your suggestions have been incorporated in the plan. 你的很多建议已纳入计划中。
  • These conditions must be expressly incorporated into the contract of employment. 这些条件都必须明确地写进雇佣合同之中。
27 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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