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课文22 熟记台词* \6 d& @/ P9 R6 g7 Y- L
370. Some plays are so successful that they run for years on end.+ T; _4 ^$ o3 V
有些剧目十分成功,以致连续上演好几年。
( M' }* Z! `4 l. l371. In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same lines night after night.
: V# J2 I2 ?+ G# 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。8 g5 [0 e0 T5 Y1 K" z0 C) H/ m
372. One would expect them to know their parts by heart and never have cause to falter.
* y, J) {' w2 J: X( 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,* U6 u" Q( k" @8 d9 u
373. Yet this is not always the case.& w& F/ B# ?& {# \" q
但情况却并不总是这样。
7 _# L6 g1 S% p% P# B. _% |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.3 }$ k- T+ {* W, f" d
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。
1 T! B4 {, 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.
1 F( b+ _0 k. g5 z( f" i, Y( O 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。 r) x# e. }' r4 Z$ g
376. Even though the noble was expected to read the letter at each performance,+ j! m2 q S+ C: m. } g9 V) U
尽管那个贵族每场戏都得念一遍那封信。' ^1 \& ^7 C6 o" l
377. he always insisted that it should be written out in full.
( Q& ]) `, C: b. x3 W7 w" C 但他还是坚持要求将信的全文写在信纸上。
2 m- J0 K W( J5 k" m378. One night, the gaoler decided to play a joke on his colleague to find out if,5 o' G2 j% D3 l9 l/ O
一天晚上,狱卒决定与他的同事开一个玩笑,
, z7 L" m1 l. V' ]( {; V1 Y379. after so many performances, he had managed to learn the contents of the letter by heart. |) Y, P: F- V7 o+ y
看看他反复演出这么多场之后,是否已将信的内容记熟了。
8 `6 s { q$ X" |380. The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell.
. z- G$ F# L5 N/ X2 |1 _3 e 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。
6 T; P* u" }% E. v {+ y3 A381. Just then, the gaoler appeared with the precious letter in his bands.
- |% Y5 U) R- y 这时狱卒上场,手里拿着那封珍贵的信。
" a2 \' T: \. {/ p8 C382. He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat.. X" \/ X. B; d, b _+ w
狱卒走进牢房,将信交给贵族。
) c- O* A6 W8 g0 j$ G/ [- E( F3 L383. But the copy he gave him had not been written out in full as usual.
+ ^/ A( i' Q& c+ n. x% j0 Y4 C 但这回狱卒给贵族的信没有像往常那样把全文写全,! g( J# z6 q4 |; R& T
384. It was simply a blank sheet of paper.8 f* e( ^ d1 h8 e; Q4 g% Z# B
而是一张白纸。 a, ~6 W. Y, ], j2 D
385. The gaoler looked on eagerly, anxious to see if his fellow actor had at last learnt his lines.
) t$ J' L7 h+ Z5 l5 B y6 V+ v 狱卒热切地观察着,急于想了解他的同事是否记熟了台词。
+ o4 f: ]. S8 W& S' o! X* r" d386. The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds.
: @: `5 y, F4 O) v7 q8 b8 u 贵族盯着纸看了几秒钟,) r( ~8 i+ |' h
387. Then, squinting his eyes, he said: 'The light is dim. Read the letter to me'.* e9 e9 d% n, _# X& u
然后,眼珠一转,说道:“光线太暗,请给我读一下这封信。”
8 ]: P2 f3 I: Z+ H, G4 t388. And he promptly handed the sheet of paper to the gaoler.
- c" X/ P: U1 V 说完,他一下子把信递给狱卒。
# }& {+ N7 `+ P4 s: i389. Finding that he could not remember a word of the letter either,/ i9 J9 L! {2 n4 L
狱卒发现自己连一个字也记不住,
2 b: p2 O& f/ j& Y390. the gaoler replied: 'The light is indeed dim, sire. I must get my glasses.'5 m* j: d/ i. l+ O6 U7 k
于是便说:“陛下,这儿光线的确太暗了,我得去眼镜拿来。”2 a2 } s( l$ g J
391. With this, he hurried off the stage.
! S/ v5 G6 G- H2 T9 i 他一边说着,一边匆匆下台。( L4 n9 \; o2 ?
392. Much to the aristocrat's amusement,% b5 \! S" \5 e1 }: x3 y. h3 Z# d
贵族感到非常好笑的是:4 w% a2 I9 G$ S3 v7 e4 S; N
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.
5 q4 w: A0 I* q7 v" X; O& }1 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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