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课文22 熟记台词
' Z3 z" m! ~" W! ?370. Some plays are so successful that they run for years on end.# o' E8 F" f0 r4 v' f/ M+ B4 q
有些剧目十分成功,以致连续上演好几年。
1 w& u; y0 _# u6 ?371. In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same lines night after night.$ j' R5 @3 J* J& z; D9 \
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。
; }0 e) k2 U- w( ?372. One would expect them to know their parts by heart and never have cause to falter.# \7 O# ]6 z+ @2 Q/ j) u6 i# X; s
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,
/ X* F8 I% s. E6 K# q) D1 g373. Yet this is not always the case.
4 [3 H7 E* l0 U2 d8 y9 a5 Y 但情况却并不总是这样。
. [5 N; h( }# g2 J374. 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.
$ k; y- Y8 K: y: e 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。
8 y1 R0 O' Z8 R375. In the last act, a gaoler would always come on to the stage with a letter which he would hand to the prisoner.
, q" Q2 R' O7 U p# ?' j2 x 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。- `9 i# k M4 n+ M/ n8 a1 y
376. Even though the noble was expected to read the letter at each performance,4 S) u# N, p, I6 ]
尽管那个贵族每场戏都得念一遍那封信。
* s& F6 r% R$ X" Q7 w( ^377. he always insisted that it should be written out in full.
3 {& d) I, q) R7 ?% |" c0 t 但他还是坚持要求将信的全文写在信纸上。 F* {( d& X* j% T! b
378. One night, the gaoler decided to play a joke on his colleague to find out if,& ~; N+ q L* V2 _
一天晚上,狱卒决定与他的同事开一个玩笑,- U' v$ Q2 @$ Q) S# Q( l% Q
379. after so many performances, he had managed to learn the contents of the letter by heart.) p o+ u8 l1 W# g" A
看看他反复演出这么多场之后,是否已将信的内容记熟了。 ~( q7 @' s$ K
380. The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell.; Q; @, c$ Q. c7 {- M- r4 v
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。2 @% [1 m5 q3 ?- Z3 |! s$ Q& j
381. Just then, the gaoler appeared with the precious letter in his bands.
2 o/ U; `" T5 A1 @# B( I# q% Z 这时狱卒上场,手里拿着那封珍贵的信。
1 E! s4 I k; `! U4 y$ Y7 N" c; D o* V382. He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat.2 }6 y! _; A+ C6 C; M( y5 l
狱卒走进牢房,将信交给贵族。9 x7 s \# u% a0 K( s
383. But the copy he gave him had not been written out in full as usual.
( L9 U/ [6 A0 n) T 但这回狱卒给贵族的信没有像往常那样把全文写全,' R; @) @7 q8 ^4 G+ \1 ]1 W
384. It was simply a blank sheet of paper.
( \1 x& H0 t! g5 B7 L5 G 而是一张白纸。 Y' m5 Y6 D9 G0 H' j2 _
385. The gaoler looked on eagerly, anxious to see if his fellow actor had at last learnt his lines.9 m3 @2 b# F/ Y1 q: J
狱卒热切地观察着,急于想了解他的同事是否记熟了台词。
6 v/ [/ |) g" T$ {386. The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds.
/ L8 G1 }, {6 X, f; y6 K3 N 贵族盯着纸看了几秒钟, o* H! S) Z8 V& v" s( T; r p1 _
387. Then, squinting his eyes, he said: 'The light is dim. Read the letter to me'.
) p9 h5 W# H8 }% a3 T# ]0 N 然后,眼珠一转,说道:“光线太暗,请给我读一下这封信。”
8 {0 W9 _* F! {+ i388. And he promptly handed the sheet of paper to the gaoler.
1 y$ X$ ~' R1 M 说完,他一下子把信递给狱卒。
2 @0 E) K4 ?/ ]* G% D/ O389. Finding that he could not remember a word of the letter either,
; M2 ?+ g, ~$ L5 }( j4 X 狱卒发现自己连一个字也记不住,
6 b- z5 Y! }' q* i" c" u390. the gaoler replied: 'The light is indeed dim, sire. I must get my glasses.'
+ n7 g {5 ^$ N1 p1 Z 于是便说:“陛下,这儿光线的确太暗了,我得去眼镜拿来。”5 P, ?0 u/ s5 A5 s
391. With this, he hurried off the stage.
) d1 f# ?/ Y8 d% p 他一边说着,一边匆匆下台。- J* K8 m0 O8 z1 m# a% |
392. Much to the aristocrat's amusement,
' j" H( Z+ @3 v. h* U 贵族感到非常好笑的是:
6 k& ?* W8 v5 O, ]1 e8 g+ C393. 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.
+ f2 d6 H' c& W$ R7 d: m 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。 |
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