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课文22 熟记台词1 }8 Z, e4 ?1 R2 _; P3 G
370. Some plays are so successful that they run for years on end.
3 E/ d& ~9 M, A6 ~' i' \ 有些剧目十分成功,以致连续上演好几年。
. T8 G% {. ]* }' y+ C- N371. In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same lines night after night.
- A' P. r0 h0 p9 |1 q 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。
& v- K3 C1 r. z( s+ u372. One would expect them to know their parts by heart and never have cause to falter.
) ^5 F$ |: \$ m/ L0 F 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,
: ~/ f. e$ \! e6 l373. Yet this is not always the case.
5 ]) R+ w0 s `; S8 i$ x 但情况却并不总是这样。 K x- Z* t5 j
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.4 w( o4 X/ u# L3 j
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。: m: ^/ w K4 R: K
375. In the last act, a gaoler would always come on to the stage with a letter which he would hand to the prisoner.- D, N8 J! M: l6 ~* o; {4 ~" d
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。
/ ~$ _# \- l" s" X1 c& ^/ o376. Even though the noble was expected to read the letter at each performance,& i6 {4 n% `$ p/ `, E
尽管那个贵族每场戏都得念一遍那封信。5 h o4 s* }: s0 T7 P! {
377. he always insisted that it should be written out in full.
" J' E K0 G) M* I1 L2 U 但他还是坚持要求将信的全文写在信纸上。
T6 w3 d! D+ u" ^0 [ b B; X$ j378. One night, the gaoler decided to play a joke on his colleague to find out if,
+ F& Z: {, _+ j: o 一天晚上,狱卒决定与他的同事开一个玩笑,
" Y. g, F# W: ^7 d _/ g5 A# u9 ^379. after so many performances, he had managed to learn the contents of the letter by heart.
" q; @4 }3 Z0 G+ L( f/ W# \ 看看他反复演出这么多场之后,是否已将信的内容记熟了。
' W, r ?9 h- [, _+ {$ I380. The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell.
! H: F w. E" j3 Z( h 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。
' g) K( _( V! i381. Just then, the gaoler appeared with the precious letter in his bands.. ^/ H7 b( L7 d" V/ H5 i9 z$ g2 H+ `
这时狱卒上场,手里拿着那封珍贵的信。
1 B8 k( I2 O3 S6 P" k6 c3 I382. He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat.
0 B" n; w, ?" x8 D/ V 狱卒走进牢房,将信交给贵族。
# i; y4 {, C" I# B9 R9 ]! {! k# L383. But the copy he gave him had not been written out in full as usual.- o) ?2 X# j1 s' Y4 y
但这回狱卒给贵族的信没有像往常那样把全文写全,+ e. z: X! m/ Q/ p7 T4 m
384. It was simply a blank sheet of paper.
7 `, i* ~5 L+ t; S 而是一张白纸。
3 c: ], r5 T8 Z: W% j( m0 J2 D385. The gaoler looked on eagerly, anxious to see if his fellow actor had at last learnt his lines.
" w, e. F4 v8 `5 N, p* G 狱卒热切地观察着,急于想了解他的同事是否记熟了台词。' P/ g2 o0 s5 ^- \# Z* B& w
386. The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds.
" e. i. N5 Y; b8 F 贵族盯着纸看了几秒钟,* @: v0 m, o( O: A% n0 ~
387. Then, squinting his eyes, he said: 'The light is dim. Read the letter to me'.
3 j- { w$ B. H% W& S% B! ^7 G2 e 然后,眼珠一转,说道:“光线太暗,请给我读一下这封信。”
- o# m- R' |7 [, A4 H0 r388. And he promptly handed the sheet of paper to the gaoler.
4 |; Z% D9 _8 ? 说完,他一下子把信递给狱卒。
* j( {& X7 E: }; O5 q389. Finding that he could not remember a word of the letter either,
2 J/ W7 t% @7 H( F5 H! r% j' ^ 狱卒发现自己连一个字也记不住,$ q( e0 q3 M' M( \
390. the gaoler replied: 'The light is indeed dim, sire. I must get my glasses.'9 g% V* `2 Y, |2 Z
于是便说:“陛下,这儿光线的确太暗了,我得去眼镜拿来。”- Q- k% p# M9 ^( K4 ?. ]
391. With this, he hurried off the stage.
* s/ E5 h9 O/ {5 R 他一边说着,一边匆匆下台。
- }- C5 {* f/ `% X392. Much to the aristocrat's amusement,
+ b0 N! T) P8 r. L 贵族感到非常好笑的是:4 y9 A ~7 N! _0 ?9 s4 H
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.$ `7 c2 u* n; d& n1 J: |. N
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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