 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
课文22 熟记台词
* N1 Y1 ]) w; s$ ?$ U370. Some plays are so successful that they run for years on end.9 _; G1 s& @3 k) q
有些剧目十分成功,以致连续上演好几年。
$ J8 S) |) W" b, x* I371. In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same lines night after night.& x% _9 o, }; v2 J
这样一来,可怜的演员们可倒霉了。因为他们需要一夜连着一夜地重复同样的台词。
+ ?% ^! ]9 }( q& c. C* _4 L372. One would expect them to know their parts by heart and never have cause to falter.3 ], r- x7 m) z% Y: d- \9 \6 F: C. }
人们以为,这些演员一定会把台词背得烂熟,绝不会临场结巴的,5 ~" w! n r$ i
373. Yet this is not always the case.# `8 I$ J3 ~9 S. G( [
但情况却并不总是这样。2 O' B, n5 r6 S* z
374. A famous actor in a highly successful play was once cast in the role of an aristocrat who had been imprisoned in the Bastille for twenty years.
% G8 _: D5 @! Y. ]3 r( v9 u$ J* S 有一位名演员曾在一出极为成功的剧目中扮演一个贵族角色,这个贵族已在巴士底狱被关押了20年。
; E; J6 G3 X( _; f5 n375. In the last act, a gaoler would always come on to the stage with a letter which he would hand to the prisoner. i5 a4 ~: I- B/ [( b
在最后一幕中,狱卒手持一封信上场,然后将信交给狱中那位贵族。
/ D& e9 W2 L. K9 x: d% \% n376. Even though the noble was expected to read the letter at each performance,( Y, w' L2 D6 s
尽管那个贵族每场戏都得念一遍那封信。' \) L7 `* t2 g# J3 s
377. he always insisted that it should be written out in full.9 _+ k, s$ @, q0 K* ^; w2 w0 z% J
但他还是坚持要求将信的全文写在信纸上。
; m' I( a2 }2 K5 _) i% J: n378. One night, the gaoler decided to play a joke on his colleague to find out if,
( |9 H0 ^" g! i) T h% b8 L4 f2 F 一天晚上,狱卒决定与他的同事开一个玩笑,6 a) S. H @; n/ e1 p; z7 z$ \
379. after so many performances, he had managed to learn the contents of the letter by heart.
+ q0 k/ M5 j0 E! @6 `/ g 看看他反复演出这么多场之后,是否已将信的内容记熟了。
- ~3 C9 O0 g, k k) o1 T+ D380. The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell." H! W9 I7 k& |
大幕拉开,最后一幕戏开演,贵族独自一人坐在铁窗后阴暗的牢房里。
# d. L8 e& ~, l3 o$ C381. Just then, the gaoler appeared with the precious letter in his bands.
) J, N6 Q% q& A0 n5 K 这时狱卒上场,手里拿着那封珍贵的信。% t, j+ o1 b6 {8 d: |1 c) S
382. He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat.
4 r \ H* t7 s! e% Q" i 狱卒走进牢房,将信交给贵族。9 b! |" @7 e9 Q4 p
383. But the copy he gave him had not been written out in full as usual.( \/ f8 h1 Z% O# e/ e1 c
但这回狱卒给贵族的信没有像往常那样把全文写全,
9 c9 x! h( x- m) \: ^, X384. It was simply a blank sheet of paper.
1 G2 h) q% ~2 o+ M4 _4 m 而是一张白纸。 h3 f! L5 E1 Z, P4 h' R
385. The gaoler looked on eagerly, anxious to see if his fellow actor had at last learnt his lines.
. { {# a. S9 Q 狱卒热切地观察着,急于想了解他的同事是否记熟了台词。
# t( h- _$ q4 @! Z386. The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds.
5 z1 z$ Q% M, C9 z4 |& {. r 贵族盯着纸看了几秒钟,! ]; V) ], j, L/ V) a
387. Then, squinting his eyes, he said: 'The light is dim. Read the letter to me'.+ j" K) ], `: {' T7 c3 Y* T
然后,眼珠一转,说道:“光线太暗,请给我读一下这封信。”
$ _& N4 [: J: d) x5 \388. And he promptly handed the sheet of paper to the gaoler.& q1 N% n! O; w- I0 O
说完,他一下子把信递给狱卒。3 |, v9 n0 K8 t& }: y/ b
389. Finding that he could not remember a word of the letter either,
$ N% g b. a6 D* f 狱卒发现自己连一个字也记不住,1 J o% r7 y5 g2 l2 Y
390. the gaoler replied: 'The light is indeed dim, sire. I must get my glasses.'$ {0 o) ]6 J( Z8 r! |2 E' }
于是便说:“陛下,这儿光线的确太暗了,我得去眼镜拿来。”
- O. T, n( K! P0 S5 ~- J/ e$ V5 c3 U391. With this, he hurried off the stage.
: P3 e% Q: s6 a5 M4 z. a 他一边说着,一边匆匆下台。! D! f* h: j3 {$ i1 U
392. Much to the aristocrat's amusement,& k/ j q* E* ~1 B
贵族感到非常好笑的是:
" _) ~# ~: x# r- O& l e393. the gaoler returned a few moments later with a pair of glasses and the usual copy of the letter which he proceeded to read to the prisoner.5 N4 x5 J0 l: o& g, o# [
一会儿工夫,狱卒重新登台,拿来一副眼镜以及平时使用的那封信,然后为那囚犯念了起来。 |
|