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美国故事 SENEWS-2008-0105-FEATURE

时间:2008-04-09 02:29:39

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(单词翻译)

Now the Special English program American Stories. Today's story is called ''Light and Gentle Things''. It was written by William Sayers. Here is Shep O'Neal with the story.

The snow kept coming down, quietly, ghost-like, covering the land deeper and deeper. It seemed as if it would go on forever1. It was the first snowfall of the year. Billy looked through the kitchen window, he felt like diving2 into the snow and burying3 himself in its softness.

"Billy!" His mother shouted. She was standing4 at his side but had to raise her voice because he was not listening.

"Do you have to call me Billy?"

"I meant Bill." His mother answered quickly, "I forgot how close you are to being5 a man. Go help Pa with the fence6."

Billy started out toward7 the fence. That was the story of his life - fixing this fixing that. He walked slowly. The falling snow had a strange power, a power that did not seem real. It was like magic8.

Billy wanted to keep going, wishing there was no fence to reach or to fix. And then suddenly, out across the fields he went, he did not know what he was doing. He liked to help to help his father, but he kept thinking9 that at home he would never be more than a boy with small jobs to do.

He crossed the frozen10 creek11 and then walked up into the hills. When he came down into the flat lands, he began to run, racing12 against the whole world. Then he saw his friend Joey standing near his father's barn13 with a pail14 in his hand.

"What's got into you?" Joey asked.

"I just feel good, that's all."

"You look kind of funny," Joey said.

Billy wiped his hot face with snow. "I don't think I ever felt so good."

Joey said he was going to the townhall for music and dancing. Billy went with him. The townhall was on a hill between two long valleys16. As they drove17 up, they heard music coming out of the hall. Inside the hall the air was sweet and warm. Some of the girls smiled at Billy in a funny way. He could not tell if the smiles were friendly or not. He turned back to the door and decided18 to stand there for a moment and then go. There was too much noise inside.

"You're standing right in the cold," someone said to him. It was one of Joey's cousins, Sheilla. Sheilla something or other, she lived in the next town, Billy didn't even know her last name. "Oh," He said, his face getting red. He moved a little.

"You are still in it." She said.

Bill looked at her. She was sort19 of pretty with long black hair and blue green eyes. But Billy wished she would go away. "It's only fresh air." He said,” Go pick/ on somebody else."

"I am not picking on you. I am trying to help you. That’s what."

"Too many thing they are helping20 when they are not." Billy said.

She studied him. "Well", she said, "That's true." Then she smiled. "You don't like it in here, do you?"

"I feel better outside." He answered. Without thinking, Billy said, "Look, would you like to go out just for a few minutes?"

She turned her head away, then said, ''I will get my coat."

Outside, they stood in the snow looking at the lighted windows of the hall. She walked quietly beside him--a stranger21 in white coat, shoes and gloves. He could still hear the music from the hall but it was part of the snowfall. It seemed to be made not for dancers but for walkers. It seemed strange and wonderful that there should be someone so near him.

Suddenly he asked, "did you say something?"

"No,'' she said, ''Did you?"

He shook his head.

"What do you think about when you walk like this?" she said.

"Oh, different things. What I like to do and never can. It’s daydreaming23, I guess."

"Yes," she said, "I do that, too."

The snow seemed to be falling faster now and the music from the hall was gone. From far below came the sound of bells followed by a few coughs from an old car. Then there was just silence24 as if the snow had cut off all the sounds of the world. Billy looked at her, white coat and hat beside him. They belonged to that world of wonder, that world of magic, that was born/ with the first snowfall. He touched her head.

"What are you doing?"

"I don't know.'' he said. ''I just…" He stopped. There was nothing real but the snow, even the whiteness of her coat and hat seemed to come from the snow. He turned around. All signs of the road were gone. "We are the only two in the world left." He said.

"Is that why you touch my head?"

He said nothing. But then in a rush of words, bravely, he said, "Maybe I wanted to kiss you."

She laughed. "I wouldn't let you," she said, "I don't like kissing."

"I don't either," he said, "Oh, well, that's a good thing, because you wouldn't really be able to."

"Why not? I'm too strong for you," she said.

"So that's what you think. You're wrong. If I really wanted to, I guess I could do it, all right."

"Dreamer," she gave him a push, and ran back toward the hall. Before he knew it he was after her -- he had caught her. Laughing, she pushed him and down they wnet into the snow. He expected her to let him kiss her now. That's what often happened in the stories he read. Why would she laugh if her struggle25 against him were real? But she did not let him. She fought him as if she wanted to hurt him, wanted to make him feel small.

"You are a child," she said, pulling away from him.

I should let go, he thought. But he held on to her until he felt that he could hold on forever. He wanted to hold on forever. It was really a simple thing to hug a girl, he thought. Her head had been pushed off and the snow shining on her dark hair. He now felt a strange gentleness for her. As she looked angrily at him, her face red and full of fight, he told himself that it was not the right moment to kiss her. However, he tried to kiss her anyway, more in pride than anything else. But he missed her mouth. He still held on.

As the snow, light and cool as a fresh white sheet26, began to cover them. She was getting tired. She was looking at him differently now with less anger22. And he tried to kiss her again. This time he did not miss her mouth and met hers fully27. Had she moved to meet him? He did not know. In his daydreams28, success had always lifted him up. People cheered him. But being able to kiss her was a different kind of success. He did not feel lifted up. There were no cheers29. And there was no fire in his blood as some of his dreams made him believe there would be. Instead, he felt something else. He looked at the small hat in the snow, and at the small wet face of one who was not strong enough. He felt sorry for her. This feeling was new to him. He wondered how such a feeling could be part of another feeling that seemed so good. Very gently30, Billy kissed her a third time. Then, he let her go and they stood up. He picked up her hat and put it on her head. They began to walk back toward the hall. The music came to them again, as light as the snow that had covered them. As they walked, her hand touched his. She didn't mean to do it. Her touch was just another part of what now seemed to be a world of light and gentle things.

"Do you want to go back in the hall?" she asked. Her voice was slow. She no longer looked so strong.

"I guess not," he answered. "Are you going in?"

"I'd better," she answered, "I came with friends. I'll see you again, won't I?"

Her question surprised him. He had not thought about seeing her again, he was still lost in a dream, thinking of the day's happenings, feeling the wonder and excitement31 of new born things, like the first snowfall, the first spring flowers, the first feelings of growing up, becoming a man.

Billy heard her ask again, "I'll see you again, won't I?" He shook his head.

"You mean I won't?" she said.

"I mean you will," he answered.

She smiled and went inside.

He began walking along the road toward valley15.

The snowfall seemed to be stopping, but he believed that it was last until he got home.

You have just heard the American Story "Light and Gentle things." It was written by William Sayers for the New England magazine called "Yankee". Our narrator32 was Shep O'Neal.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 forever ai8xi     
adv.(=for ever)永远;总是
参考例句:
  • Teacher is powerful in a child's eyes forever.老师在孩子们的心中永远是强者。
  • You can't depend on your parents forever.你不能永远依赖你父母。
2 diving JuUz2b     
n.跳水,潜水v.下潜 dive的现在分词
参考例句:
  • The company offers scuba-diving as an add-on to the basic holiday price. 这家公司提供带水肺潜水活动,不包括在基本度假费用以内。
  • I'd love to go diving in the Aegean. 我很想到爱琴海去潜水。
3 burying burying     
n.埋,埋葬v.埋葬( bury的现在分词 );掩埋;原谅;沉溺于
参考例句:
  • The old man is burying his money. 老头正在埋藏他的钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She began to sob again, burying her face in the pillow. 她把脸埋在枕头里,又开始啜泣起来。 来自辞典例句
4 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。
5 being 1yfzKt     
n.存在;生存;生命存在,生命,人, 本质;art.在,有,是
参考例句:
  • Can you explain to me the purpose of being?你能对我解释一下存在的目的吗?
  • What is the purpose of our being?我们生存的目的是什么?
6 fence ykexe     
n.围墙,剑术;v.用篱笆围住,练习剑术,防护;[计算机]栅栏
参考例句:
  • They put a fence around the garden.他们在园子的周围建起了篱笆。
  • The thief jumped himself over a fence and escaped.贼纵身跃过篱笆逃走了。
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 magic 183zK     
adj.有魔力的;n.魔法
参考例句:
  • He is very good at performing magic.他很会表演魔术。
  • That was a truly magic moment.那真是不可思议的一刻。
9 thinking ggzz2u     
n.思考,思想;adj.思考的,有理性的;vbl.想,思考
参考例句:
  • All thinking men will protest against it.凡是有思想的人都会抗议这件事。
  • Thinking is mainly performed with words and other symbols.思想主要是用言语和其他符号来表达的。
10 frozen 2sVz6q     
adj.冻结的,冰冻的
参考例句:
  • He was frozen to death on a snowing night.在一个风雪的晚上,他被冻死了。
  • The weather is cold and the ground is frozen.天寒地冻。
11 creek 3orzL     
n.小溪,小河,小湾
参考例句:
  • He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
  • People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。
12 racing 1ksz3w     
n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的
参考例句:
  • I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
  • The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。
13 barn 6dayp     
n.谷仓,饲料仓,牲口棚
参考例句:
  • That big building is a barn for keeping the grain.那幢大房子是存放粮食的谷仓。
  • The cows were driven into the barn.牛被赶进了牲口棚。
14 pail 54Bz6     
n.桶,提桶
参考例句:
  • There was a pail of water on the ground.地上有一桶水。
  • She can lift a pail of water from the ground.她能把一桶水提起来。
15 valley Ai8wk     
adj.流域,山谷,峡谷;n.山谷,溪谷
参考例句:
  • I watched the climbers come down into the valley.我注视着爬山者下到山谷里去了。
  • The house lies in a little valley behind the trees.那所房子坐落在树林后的一个山谷里。
16 valleys 4695adf43aead00c4127d3e2a63b9d59     
n.山谷( valley的名词复数 );流域;溪谷
参考例句:
  • Deep-sea valleys are the counterparts of the mountain chains. 深海里的峡谷相当于陆地上的山脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • At one time they used to mine coal in these valleys. 从前他们在这些峡谷中采煤。 来自《简明英汉词典》
17 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。
18 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。
19 sort qw7wK     
v.排序,挑选,分拣;n.种类,类别,性质,程度
参考例句:
  • She was a strange sort of person.她这个人有些古怪。
  • I don't much care for that sort of man.我不太喜欢那种人。
20 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
21 stranger lhoz1K     
n.陌生人;外地人,异乡人
参考例句:
  • A stranger walked up to me and asked me the time.一个陌生人走到我跟前,问我时间。
  • It's hard for a stranger to make friends in this town.外地人在这个城里很难交朋友。
22 anger NN5ze     
n.生气,怒,愤怒;vt.使发怒;vi. 发怒
参考例句:
  • I won't see him until his anger has cooled down.等他怒气消了,我再去看他。
  • His eyes flash with anger.他眼中冒出怒火。
23 daydreaming 9c041c062b3f0df80606b13db4b7c0c3     
v.想入非非,空想( daydream的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Stop daydreaming and be realistic. 别空想了,还是从实际出发吧。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Bill was sitting and daydreaming so his mother told him to come down to earth and to do his homework. 比尔坐着空想, 他母亲要他面对现实,去做课外作业。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
24 silence gyXwI     
n.沉默,无声,静寂,湮没,无声息;vt.使缄默;int.安静!
参考例句:
  • She raised a hand for silence.她举手示意大家安静。
  • They drove home in silence.他们默不作声地开车回家。
25 struggle pUWzs     
vi.努力;挣扎;奋斗;n.竞争;努力;奋斗
参考例句:
  • They joined the struggle against him.他们参加了反对他的斗争。
  • After a long struggle,she gained control of the business.她经过长期的努力,在业务上已能应付自如。
26 sheet SySwz     
n.床单,张,纸张,印刷品,表格,薄片;vt.盖上被单,遍布;vi.大片落下;adj.片状的
参考例句:
  • Can I have another sheet of paper please?我可以再要一张纸吗?
  • He looked as white as a sheet.他脸色苍白如纸。
27 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。
28 daydreams 6b57d1c03c8b2893e2fe456dbdf42f5b     
n.白日梦( daydream的名词复数 )v.想入非非,空想( daydream的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Often they gave themselves up to daydreams of escape. 他们常沉溺进这种逃避现实的白日梦。 来自英汉文学
  • I would become disgusted with my futile daydreams. 我就讨厌自己那种虚无的梦想。 来自辞典例句
29 Cheers Cwyzd2     
int.干杯,(英口语)谢谢,再见
参考例句:
  • The crowd burst into cheers.人群中爆发出一片欢呼声。
  • To your health!Cheers!祝您健康!干杯!
30 gently 1gKxe     
adv.轻轻的;温和的
参考例句:
  • I should knock at the door gently.我应该轻轻地敲门。
  • Push your chair in gently.轻轻把椅子推进去。
31 excitement qnhxY     
n.刺激;兴奋;激动
参考例句:
  • His voice rose in excitement.他激动得声音提高了。
  • He opened the door and ran out in great excitement.他打开门,非常激动地跑了出去。
32 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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