美国语文第六册 第52期:我的演说经历(1)

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。

　　We had a yearly exhibition, and the favorites of the preceptor were allowed to speak a piece; and a pretty time they had of it. 我们每年都要公开示范，老师让自己喜爱的学生读一段文字，经过一段时间他们就能掌握演讲的要领。

　　Somehow I was never a favorite with any of my teachers after the first two or three days; 不知怎么地，从上两三天课后我就不再为任何老师所喜欢；

　　and, as I went barefooted, I dare say it was thought unseemly, or perhaps cruel, to expose me upon the platform. 当我赤足走上讲台时，我敢说没有谁认为这很得体，让我出现在讲台上本身就有点残酷。

　　And then, as I had no particular aptitude¹ for public speaking, 因此，我在当众演讲方面没有什么天资，

　　and no relish² for what was called oratory³, it was never my luck to be called up. 对于所谓的演说术也不抱什么乐趣。对我而言，被叫起来演讲从来就不是什么幸运的事情。

　　Among my schoolmates, however, was one—a very amiable⁴, shy boy—to whom was assigned, at the first exhibition I attended, 然而在我的同学中，有一位非常和蔼、害羞的男生，在我第一次参加公开示范时，指定他来示范演讲，

　　that passage in Pope's Homer beginning with, "Aurora⁵, now, fair daughter of the dawn!" 那篇选段是蒲伯的《荷马》，该文开头是这样的：“现在，曙光女神奥罗拉，黎明女神那位漂亮的女儿！”

　　This the poor boy gave with so much emphasis and discretion⁶, that, to me, it sounded like "O roarer!"  这可怜的孩子太过强调和谨慎，以至于在我听起来，就像是“啊，奥罗雷！”

　　and I was wicked enough, out of sheer envy, I dare say, to call him "O roarer!" 出于纯粹的嫉妒，我感到颇不耐烦，直接想叫他“啊，奥罗雷！”

　　a nickname which clung to him for a long while, though no human being ever deserved it less; 这个绰号伴他很长时间，尽管没有别人配得上这个绰号。

　　for in speech and action both, he was quiet, reserved, and sensitive. 就说话和举止两者来说，他过于内敛、含蓄和敏感了。

分享到：