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课文22 熟记台词! O9 m2 X" n* \& i: ^, _, z. p
370. Some plays are so successful that they run for years on end.
7 G; h, F4 x4 ~5 X/ x+ } 有些剧目十分成功,以致连续上演好几年。
2 Y- F4 _. L. y: l6 ~371. In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same lines night after night.* x4 @$ W& r, Y6 o+ m1 N
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。) N% A+ L/ f) t
372. One would expect them to know their parts by heart and never have cause to falter.2 ^. v" V2 Z; m2 i4 d! ^8 _
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, A9 p+ N7 m2 m7 o6 R
373. Yet this is not always the case.6 b/ V$ X% }, ?) w
但情况却并不总是这样。
9 z, Y1 ~1 p( ]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." X7 k9 M5 l% t0 ^
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。
( |# u+ q6 z" Z. S$ s- i- B4 \375. In the last act, a gaoler would always come on to the stage with a letter which he would hand to the prisoner.. E, h4 I0 t1 l- o0 }! 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。
6 z3 q7 Q: d( _8 A4 G376. Even though the noble was expected to read the letter at each performance,+ x. c4 D) X4 K5 _" p
尽管那个贵族每场戏都得念一遍那封信。
! R8 G& i6 {6 w* r* `7 N377. he always insisted that it should be written out in full.
7 M6 D' p' a: G+ M 但他还是坚持要求将信的全文写在信纸上。
! K2 A- D) l& ^378. One night, the gaoler decided to play a joke on his colleague to find out if,
4 n) H: [5 M0 ]3 t 一天晚上,狱卒决定与他的同事开一个玩笑,, O, `/ D1 B L. x
379. after so many performances, he had managed to learn the contents of the letter by heart.
8 t* E. k( B+ l$ M- b, }! m 看看他反复演出这么多场之后,是否已将信的内容记熟了。5 |0 ?& u( Y! G
380. The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell.; k8 j( c1 a* f( {* q. G
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。
) O/ y' x# |# b* G381. Just then, the gaoler appeared with the precious letter in his bands.! s% A; C$ _" x
这时狱卒上场,手里拿着那封珍贵的信。4 p( M2 I; V9 \ X
382. He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat.* v7 s+ e- |+ \7 e$ C* k
狱卒走进牢房,将信交给贵族。* v* a3 E( |! l* k+ Z
383. But the copy he gave him had not been written out in full as usual.9 b4 w# o/ f" u% h) r7 }( L) ]
但这回狱卒给贵族的信没有像往常那样把全文写全,
2 G. \9 S. L# F6 u, C$ W' S384. It was simply a blank sheet of paper. k5 U* z! K6 k- b
而是一张白纸。
1 `% l% M, n2 y- S# [8 x" X* ?% @385. The gaoler looked on eagerly, anxious to see if his fellow actor had at last learnt his lines.
8 Y7 L7 s4 l1 q1 G8 \. o 狱卒热切地观察着,急于想了解他的同事是否记熟了台词。
: D: V1 o) X8 I0 X386. The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds.: |1 ]0 ~3 N, R, Q
贵族盯着纸看了几秒钟,. X$ a! B) a$ \2 Q3 q( g4 _; Q& I7 T
387. Then, squinting his eyes, he said: 'The light is dim. Read the letter to me'.% a6 E" W" _% K
然后,眼珠一转,说道:“光线太暗,请给我读一下这封信。”
1 j s+ y- Y0 K2 U2 L5 y1 {% a% `388. And he promptly handed the sheet of paper to the gaoler.
6 T1 w+ c* q/ O* i 说完,他一下子把信递给狱卒。& s ^7 n( j! j+ r* X0 ?6 T
389. Finding that he could not remember a word of the letter either,, {, d3 _: M2 D# `7 ?; n6 D
狱卒发现自己连一个字也记不住,
% `0 T7 d: ]0 Z) V390. the gaoler replied: 'The light is indeed dim, sire. I must get my glasses.'
* ^# S4 s5 a- Z 于是便说:“陛下,这儿光线的确太暗了,我得去眼镜拿来。”7 J/ Q" S! J# s8 j8 ~8 W) g L9 a
391. With this, he hurried off the stage., j8 l# u' Z! g. R7 h% |% B9 {: y; Y2 t
他一边说着,一边匆匆下台。0 q1 s6 x% t6 |& l% `7 a" W8 {' N1 a
392. Much to the aristocrat's amusement,
3 d9 d& c& C, [) H- I4 t$ P 贵族感到非常好笑的是:) T- I( s1 { k6 v4 w. s. F: O
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.
. i% _# O: V( r S 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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