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课文22 熟记台词
' J* N/ ]/ w% Z* I% I) d/ q, A370. Some plays are so successful that they run for years on end.
0 c0 o Q; \, L& }2 v 有些剧目十分成功,以致连续上演好几年。
" `/ d9 H9 |; C371. In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same lines night after night.
- b* h- j$ l; i/ e& | 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。
" `$ r. Q0 Z! Y372. One would expect them to know their parts by heart and never have cause to falter.
4 k' c$ J7 Q+ t6 V# [2 y 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,
3 v* v# @& C- h6 W+ j: i+ X373. Yet this is not always the case.7 [% j: N8 K# t% X8 `$ e
但情况却并不总是这样。
0 i; U, t0 c' p$ E) X* R7 A# [/ e374. 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.
- G5 K+ T5 [. j o' w 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。
) C+ K: ^* E) U: a% v375. In the last act, a gaoler would always come on to the stage with a letter which he would hand to the prisoner.; K1 \3 r, c+ M/ v
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。
% p5 D7 f! j7 |4 v' r5 a376. Even though the noble was expected to read the letter at each performance,2 {* X D* Q% K. E4 E/ L# q
尽管那个贵族每场戏都得念一遍那封信。/ K, @% q! p% `& n
377. he always insisted that it should be written out in full.+ t) {& b/ E( G4 X; F# m0 U
但他还是坚持要求将信的全文写在信纸上。" e3 S' x d' D" G2 N
378. One night, the gaoler decided to play a joke on his colleague to find out if,
1 P* t5 J6 U) D5 `/ i! K, G 一天晚上,狱卒决定与他的同事开一个玩笑,
6 d8 [6 }8 e& H* S6 G+ @2 z379. after so many performances, he had managed to learn the contents of the letter by heart.
) S+ \# `3 c* s# _9 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。3 n& {2 p& u; J: l M, a
380. The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell.$ X- x& N# f/ R$ {4 E- 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。
0 ?. h& @& m) O381. Just then, the gaoler appeared with the precious letter in his bands.5 ]' c- T# n* j# S, v
这时狱卒上场,手里拿着那封珍贵的信。
4 O* k( d. W+ }' k8 @; ?% ^382. He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat.5 _ N" T, y$ N
狱卒走进牢房,将信交给贵族。
7 U, W( l3 a! J6 ]383. But the copy he gave him had not been written out in full as usual.
8 _ @5 z+ } C7 g 但这回狱卒给贵族的信没有像往常那样把全文写全,8 H: y9 u, X0 X3 k
384. It was simply a blank sheet of paper., |1 W, k# s, g j/ i- h
而是一张白纸。3 p: I2 v1 F' Z5 J+ }3 q
385. The gaoler looked on eagerly, anxious to see if his fellow actor had at last learnt his lines.
5 ~0 X: _: H5 z1 U$ @ 狱卒热切地观察着,急于想了解他的同事是否记熟了台词。
9 ]0 l1 L6 N- e3 z+ l) u386. The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds.0 x8 F; T0 ~5 P2 g( c- N
贵族盯着纸看了几秒钟,. k& b4 \, v9 D4 t
387. Then, squinting his eyes, he said: 'The light is dim. Read the letter to me'., z9 k4 A. Z" g- [/ j
然后,眼珠一转,说道:“光线太暗,请给我读一下这封信。”6 O3 E: G( D8 A u' i
388. And he promptly handed the sheet of paper to the gaoler." c: u& Q5 t; B& y; e$ j5 D
说完,他一下子把信递给狱卒。
( I' A/ d8 p: p) a, z# ]389. Finding that he could not remember a word of the letter either,3 ? H& e# r% U* P
狱卒发现自己连一个字也记不住,
2 ^' m" n- a; p# F* f% b2 @& y; Y390. the gaoler replied: 'The light is indeed dim, sire. I must get my glasses.'
" b4 `" H' Y4 b; ` 于是便说:“陛下,这儿光线的确太暗了,我得去眼镜拿来。”! _8 J% ]) ~, z% R6 m
391. With this, he hurried off the stage.
$ \' S+ O5 l+ Y. S2 X" y3 E 他一边说着,一边匆匆下台。* `7 T2 V1 n7 T& ^! W2 J
392. Much to the aristocrat's amusement,9 t5 x7 s9 B) P9 E/ G( i5 ~
贵族感到非常好笑的是:
$ d+ I( Y$ M+ }: `1 x0 ]393. 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.
# V% N7 C/ H6 \4 \5 T! e 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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