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美国故事 SENEWS-2007-1110-FEATURE

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(单词翻译)

Now the Special English program American Stories. And our story today is called ''Judge''. It was written by Walter D. Edmonds. Here is Harry1 Monroe with the final part of 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. Since John was the oldest boy, his mother told him he would have to take care of the family. He was sixteen. John went to Judge Don, the richest man in town, to collect a dollar for some corn the judge bought from John's father. Judge Don gave him the dollar, then he said John's father owed him some money. He said the farmer had borrowed forty dollars from him.

''When do you think you will pay me back the money you owe me?'' the judge asked John. ''I hope you are not like your father,'' he said, ''he was a lazy man who never worked hard.''

During that summer, John worked on other people's farms all week. He worked on his own family's land every evening and all day Sunday. By the end of the summer, John had saved five dollars to give to the judge. John's friend, the Indian Seth Whitefeather, offered John a way to make money during the winter when it was too cold for farming. He said he would teach John how to hunt and trap animals for their fur. He told the boy he could earn a lot of money by doing this. But he said John needed seventy-five dollars to buy a gun, traps and food for a winter in the woods. John went to see Judge Don. He explained what he wanted to do. The judge agreed to lend him the money he needed.

On the first day of November, John kissed his mother good-bye and left home with Seth. On his back he carried a large sack2 of food, a new gun and animal traps he had bought with the judge's money. He and the Indian walked for hours to a cabin3 deep in the forest. Seth had built the little house several years before. John learned4 a lot that winter. He learned how to hunt and set traps for wild animals and how to live in the forest. His body grew strong as the forest tested his strength and made him brave. John trapped a lot of animals. In early March, his pile of animal skins was almost as tall as he was. Seth said John should get at least 200 dollars for his furs. John was ready to go home, but Seth wanted to continue hunting until April. So John decided5 to go home by himself. Seth helped John pack his furs and traps so he could carry them on his back. Then Seth said, ''Now listen to me. When you cross the river, do not walk on the ice. It is very thin now. Find a place where the ice has melted. Then tie some logs6 together. You can float on them across the river. It will take you a few hours longer to do this, but it is safer." "Yes, I will." John said quickly. He wanted to leave right away.

As John walked through the woods that day, he began thinking about his future. He would learn how to read and write. He would buy a bigger farm for his family. Maybe someday, he would be as powerful and respected as the judge. The heavy pack on his back made him think of what he would do when he got home. He would buy a new dress for his mother. He would buy toys for his brothers and sisters, and he would see the judge. In his mind, he saw himself entering the judge's office, he would count the money into the judge's hand. John could not wait to pay back the rest of the money that Judge Don said his father had borrowed.

By late afternoon, John's legs hurt, and the pack on his back was very heavy. He was glad when he finally reached the river because that meant he was almost home. John remembered Seth's advice. But he was too tired to search for a place where the ice had melted. He saw a large straight tree growing by the river. It was tall enough to reach the other side of the river. John took out his axe7 and cut down the tree. It fell, forming a bridge over the river. John gave the tree a kick, but it didn't move. He decided not to do what Seth had said. If he crossed the river on this tree, he would be home in an hour, he could see the judge that evening.

With the furs on his back and his gun in his arms, he stepped out on the fallen tree. It felt solid as a rock under his feet. He was about half way across the river when the tree trunk moved suddenly. John fell from it onto the ice. The ice broke, and John sank under the water. He did not have a chance even to yell8. John dropped his gun. The furs and traps slipped off his back. He tried to grab9 them, but the swiftly10 flowing water carried them away. John broke through the ice and struggled to the river bank. He had lost everything. He laid in the snow for a few moments. Then he got up, found a long stick and walked up and down the river bank. He poked11 through the ice for hours, looking for his furs, traps and the gun. Finally he gave up. He walked straight to the judge's house. It was very late, but the judge was still in his office.

John knocked and went in. Cold and still wet, John told the judge how he had ignored Seth's advice and what had happened. The judge said nothing until the boy was done. Then Judge Don said,''Everybody has to learn things. It is bad luck for you and me that you had to learn like this. Go home, boy.''

John worked hard that summer planting corn and potatoes for his family. He also worked on other people's farms and saved enough money to pay the judge another five dollars. But he still owed him 30 dollars from his father's debt and 75 dollars for the traps and the gun--over 100 dollars. John felt he could never pay back the judge.

In October, Judge Don sent for him. ''John,'' he said, ''you owe me a lot of money. I hate the best way I can get it. It's to give you another chance to hunt and trap this winter. Are you willing to go if I lend you another 75 dollars?''

John found the voice to say yes. He had to go into the woods alone that year because Seth had moved to another part of the country. But John remembered everything that his Indian friend had taught him. He stayed in Seth's cabin and hunted animals every day of that long lonely winter. This time he stayed until the end of April. By then he had so many furs that he had to leave his traps behind. The ice over the river had melted when he reached it. He built a raft to take him across even though it took him an extra day.

When he got home, the judge helped him sell the furs for 300 dollars. John paid the judge the 150 dollars he had borrowed to buy the traps and the guns. Then he slowly counted into the judge's hands the money that his father had borrowed. That summer John worked on his family's farm. He also learned to read and write.

Every winter for the next 10 years he hunted in the woods. He saved the money he earned from the furs. He used it finally to buy a large farm. From time to time, he would visit the judge in his big stone house--the old man no longer frightened him. By the time John was 30 years old, he had become one of the leaders of his town. When the judge died that year, he left John his big house and much of his money. He also left John a letter. John opened it and looked at the date. The judge had written it the same day that John had asked him for the money for his first hunting trip.

''Dear John,'' the judge wrote, ''I never loaned12 your father any money, because I never trusted him. But I liked you the first time I saw you. I wanted to be sure you were not like your father. So I put you to the test. That is why I said you owed me 40 dollars. Good luck, John.''

Inside the envelope was 40 dollars.

You have heard the final part 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 Brace13 & Company published it in 1941 in "American's All : Stories of American Life", edited14 by Benjamin Heydrick. This story is copyrighted15. All rights reserved. This is Shirley Grifith.


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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 sack mCbz7     
n.袋子,劫掠;vt.解雇,劫掠,把...装入袋子
参考例句:
  • They made him pay for his offence by giving him the sack.他们解雇了他,从而使他因自己的过错而受到了惩罚。
  • If you're late again tomorrow,you'll get the sack!如果你明天再迟到,那就卷铺盖走吧!
3 cabin dSNyS     
n.(结构简单的)小木屋;船舱,机舱
参考例句:
  • They threw up a new cabin in a couple of hours.在几小时之内他们就建起了一座新的小屋。
  • It's very hot in the cabin;let's go on deck.舱室内很热,我们到甲板上去吧。
4 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。
5 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
6 logs 2165e4fa5bddb65a31f6a0c495c2fa37     
n.练习用球瓶;原木,木材,木料( log的名词复数 );航海[飞行]日志
参考例句:
  • logs for the fire 烧火用的木材
  • The logs were knocked together as they floated down the stream. 圆木顺流而下时互相碰撞着。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 axe 2oVyI     
n.斧子;v.用斧头砍,削减
参考例句:
  • Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利,你要当心。
  • The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。
8 yell cfQwN     
vi./n.号叫,叫喊
参考例句:
  • This gave them a chance to yell.这给了他们大声喊叫的机会。
  • When his schoolmate made the last goal,the boy gave out with an untrammeled yell.那个男孩在他的同学踢进最后一球时不禁纵声欢呼。
9 grab ef0xd     
vt./n.攫取,抓取;vi.攫取,抓住(at)
参考例句:
  • It is rude to grab a seat.抢占座位是不礼貌的。
  • The thief made a grab at my bag but I pushed him away.贼想抢我的手提包,但被我推开了。
10 swiftly egNzzR     
adv.快地,迅速地
参考例句:
  • He came in swiftly and placed the child in my arms.他匆忙走进来把孩子放到我怀里。
  • The police must be able to react swiftly in an emergency.警方在面对紧急情况时必须能迅速作出反应。
11 poked 87f534f05a838d18eb50660766da4122     
v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 );戳出;拨弄;与(某人)性交
参考例句:
  • She poked him in the ribs with her elbow. 她用胳膊肘顶他的肋部。
  • His elbow poked out through his torn shirt sleeve. 他的胳膊从衬衫的破袖子中露了出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 loaned 02ff2e0ceb9b075b8d2a1fc79e0ad007     
v.借出,贷与(尤指钱)( loan的过去式和过去分词 );出借(贵重物品给博物馆等)
参考例句:
  • I have loaned his bicycle. 我把他的自行车给借出去了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The ground was loaned out for numerous events including pop concerts. 场地被借用来搞过无数活动,包括流行音乐会。 来自辞典例句
13 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。
14 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。
15 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?

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