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美国故事 SENEWS-2007-1103-FEATURE

时间:2008-04-09 01:35:52

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(单词翻译)

Now the Special English program American Stories.

Our story today is called Judge. It was written by Walter D. Edmonds. We will hear part one of the story today and part two next week. Here is Harry1 Monroe with our story.

When Charlie Hestle died, he left a wife and nine children. They lived on a small piece of land in a house with four rooms. John was the oldest boy. He was 16 years old and tall for his age. After his father died, John's mother told him, he would have to take care of the family. So John went into the cornfield behind the small house. There was very little corn and very many weeds. His family needed corn and corn needed room to grow. John bent2 down and began pulling out the weeds.

When John came in for supper that night, he told his mother that he had cleaned half the cornfield. She was surprised and immediately went outside to look at what he had done. While she was looking at the field, she remembered that her husband had sold some corn to Judge Don. She also remembered that they had never collected the money for the corn. She told John to go to the judge's house right away to get it. John was afraid of Judge Don. The judge was the richest man in town. He owned a lot of land and everyone owed3 him money. His stone house looked like a palace.

John went to the judge's house and knocked on the door. A servant opened it right away and brought John into the judge's office.

Judge Don was sitting at his desk. He was a very big man with a red face, long white hair and serious blue eyes. John stood with his back to the door. He held his hat in both hands.

"Hello, John," said the judge, "what do you want?"

John told the judge about the money.

"Oh, yes," said the judge, "I had forgotten about that. I'm sorry." He stood up and reached into his pocket. Slowly he pulled out a large brown leather wallet. He opened it and took out a new dollar bill and handed it to John. Then he sat down at his desk again.

"How are you and your family doing?" He asked.

"All right, sir." John said. "I wouldn't have bothered you about this money, but we needed it."

"That is all right," the judge said slowly, "I should have remembered it. I didn't think of it. Because your father owed me money. He owed me forty dollars."

John was so shocked he couldn't think of anything to say. Forty dollars was a fortune for him and his family. The judge looked at John for a few moments. "How old are you, boy?" He asked.

"Sixteen, sir."

"And when do you think you will pay me back the forty dollars your father owed me?" He asked.

John's face got very white. "I don't know, sir." He whispered4.

The judge stood up. "I hope you are not like your father." He said. "He was a lazy man who never worked hard." He held out his hand to the boy. "Good luck to you", he said as he shook John's hand. Then he walked with him to the front door and said good night.

During the summer, John worked on other people's farms for forty cents a day. At first, nobody wanted him. People remembered how lazy his father had been. And they gave the work to other boys. But John was a hard worker and he began to get jobs. Soon he was working on other people's farms six days of the week. He worked on his own family's land every evening and all day Sunday. That summer, for the first time, the little farm had enough fruits and vegetables to feed John and his family. There was even enough for them to sell at the market.

John used to wonder how his father had always found time to go fishing. John had very little time to fish that summer and when he did have time to relax, he thought about the forty dollars he owed Judge Don. Then he would go out and look for more work. At first, he gave all the money he earned to his mother. But then, he began saving5 a few pennies6 every time he was paid. By the end of August, he had saved a dollar. As he held the money in his hand, he realized for the first time that someday he might be able to pay back all the money he owed to the judge.

By the middle of October, John had saved five dollars to give to the judge. So one night after supper, he went back to the judge's big stone house. He found the judge sitting in his office.

"Sit down, John." The judge said. "I know you have worked hard this summer. I'll be glad to help you if you need some money for the winter."

John felt his face become very hot. "I didn't come here to ask for anything, Judge." He said. He pushed his hand deep into his pocket and pulled out his money. "I wanted to pay back some of the money I owed you. It is only five dollars, but here it is.'' And he handed the money to the judge.

Judge Don counted the money. Then he went to his desk and put the money in a drawer. "Where will you find work this winter, John?"

"I don't know, sir."

Several days later, John's mother asked him to go into town to buy cloth. She wanted to make some warm clothing for the children for the coming winter. On his way into town, John met Seth Whitefeather. Seth was an Indian who also worked on the farms during the summer. But in the winter, Seth traveled north and disappeared into the woods. As they walked toward7 the town, John told Seth that he had no work for the winter. Seth told John that he went into the woods every winter to hunt and trap8 wild animals for their fur. Seth said he earned 200 dollars last winter.

"200 dollars!" John thought. He turned shyly to the Indian. "Could I come with you this year?" he asked.

Seth looked at John without smiling. "Have you got a gun and some animal traps9?"

John shook his head. "No," he said, "how much would that cost?"

"75 dollars," the Indian replied."If you can get those things, I will teach you how to catch the animals, I am leaving in two weeks."

Only one person could help John. That night he went to the judge's house. The house was dark except for a light that was shining in the judge's office. John could see the judge sitting at his desk. The boy tapped at the window. Judge Don opened it. When he saw the boy's thin face, he asked,"what do you want?"

"Please, Judge," said John, "could I talk to you?"

The judge shut the window and opened the front door. They went back to his office.

"Be as quick as you can," the judge said. "It is late."

John had never been so frightened in his life. He couldn't think or speak for a few moments.

''Talk, boy.'' The judge barked at him.

So John told him about Seth and the animal furs, and asked the judge for the money.

''75 dollars?'' The judge said, ''you are asking me to lend that much money to a 16-year-old boy just like that?''

''I could do it with 50 dollars.'' John said,''but if you think it is a bad idea, I won't bother you anymore.''

''Shut up.'' The judge said, ''if I'm going to lend you money, I want to be sure you don't starve to death in the woods. Then I would never get my money back, would I?'' The judge looked hard at John for a few moments. ''What about this Seth?'' he asked. ''Can you trust him?''

John nodded his head. ''He has always been nice to me'', he said.

The judge pulled out a piece of paper from his desk and wrote something on it. ''Sign this.'' He said when he had finished writing. ''It says you promise to pay me back 75 dollars by next spring.''

John was embarrassed10 to tell the judge that he didn't know how to read or write.

''Put a mark at the bottom instead of your name,'' the judge said. ''Here is the money. Don't lose it.'' He walked John to the door and shook the boy's hand. ''Good luck. Come here as soon as you get back next spring.''

You have heard part one of the American story Judge. Your storyteller was Harry Monroe. The story was written by Walter D. Edmonds and adapted for Special English by Dona de Sanctis. Harcourt Brace11 & Company published it in 1941 in ''American's All : Stories of American Life'', edited12 by Benjamin Heydrick. This story is copyrighted13. All rights reserved14. This is Shirley Griffith.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 harry heBxS     
vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼
参考例句:
  • Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天,人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
  • Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。
2 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。
3 owed d8aea03e0a2a7e49a90d3d62728feafe     
v.感激( owe的过去式和过去分词 );应把…归功于;欠…债;(对位高权重者)忠诚
参考例句:
  • I'd completely forgotten about the money he owed me. 我完全记不得他欠我的钱了。
  • He gave me a lot of help.I owed much to him. 他给我许多帮助,我非常感激他。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 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》
5 saving XjYzGK     
n.节省,节约;[pl.]储蓄金,存款
参考例句:
  • Energy saving is term strategic policy of our country.节约能源是我国长期的战略国策。
  • Old-fashioned housewives were usually very saving.旧时的家庭主妇通常都很节俭。
6 pennies e863b242721894f4be4cc191ef4fe1c1     
n.of penny;便士( penny的名词复数 );(美国、加拿大的)一分钱;少量的钱
参考例句:
  • He had a few pennies in his pocket. 他口袋里有几个便士的硬币。
  • Pennies, nickles, dimes and quarters are United States coins. 1分铜币、5分镍币、1角银币和2角5分银币是美国硬币。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 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。
8 trap 7JCzJ     
vt.使陷入困境,使受限制;设陷,坑害;n.陷阱,诡计;困境;活板门,存水弯;(双轮)轻便马车;vi.设圈套,设陷阱
参考例句:
  • The hunter laid a trap for the tiger.猎人设置了陷阱捕捉老虎。
  • Cheese is very good for luring a mouse into a trap.奶酪是引诱老鼠上钩的极好的东西。
9 traps a0fc440a17b812999d59c8fc49e71161     
n.随身携带物,随身行李;圈套( trap的名词复数 );(对付人的)计谋;(练习射击用的)抛靶器;(捕捉动物的)夹子v.诱骗( trap的第三人称单数 );使受限制;困住;使(水与气体等)分离
参考例句:
  • The stock market is full of traps for the unwary. 对无风险意识的人而言,股票市场充满了陷阱。
  • No. Not in regular government pay and employment, to lay traps? 没有这种想法。不是受雇于政府、接受正规津贴、陷害他人么? 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
10 embarrassed vtrztT     
adj.尴尬的,不好意思的
参考例句:
  • He was very embarrassed to hear people speak so highly of him.他听见别人这样夸他,感到很难为情。
  • He is somewhat embarrassed.他稍微有点窘迫。
11 brace 0WzzE     
n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备
参考例句:
  • My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
  • You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。
12 edited 683dc5278b1fbbd98a996cecc3ffd06a     
编辑( edit的过去式和过去分词 ); 剪辑(电影、录音磁带、无线电或电视节目、书等); 主编(报纸、杂志等)
参考例句:
  • I know that this draft text will need to be edited. 我知道这篇草稿需要校订。
  • All references to the scandal were edited out of the tape. 所有涉及这件丑闻的内容都从录音带中删去了。
13 copyrighted 32701401a789dc816ef17a1195e74c82     
获得…的版权( copyright的过去式 )
参考例句:
  • That magazine usurped copyrighted material. 那杂志盗用了版权为他人所有的素材。
  • Why is it common for students to download copyrighted music? 为什麽学生下载有版权的音乐如同家常便饭?
14 reserved NSczV     
adj.预订的;矜持的;储藏着的v.保留[储备]某物( reserve的过去式)
参考例句:
  • The star has a ski slope reserved exclusively for her. 这位明星有一个专门留给她的滑雪场地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He is very reserved. He does not say much. 他是个拘谨的人,不爱多说话。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

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