英语听力—环球英语 859 Romeo and Juliet

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Anne Muir. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Today Spotlight presents a Classic² of English literature. It is the story of William Shakespeare’s play ‘Romeo and Juliet’. The story is told by Nick Page.
Voice 2
The story takes place many years ago. It is about two young people, Romeo and Juliet, who fall very much in love. But their families hate each other. Sometimes the men from the families even fight in the streets.
As the story opens, Romeo and Juliet have never met. Juliet’s parents organise³ a party at their home. Romeo and his friends hear of the party. They decide to join in. But they wear clothes that hide who in fact they are.
When they arrive, there is music and food. Juliet’s family and their friends are dancing and talking. They do not know that there are strangers in the house.
During the party, Romeo sees Juliet across the room. He likes her and is attracted to her. He says
Voice 3
“I never saw true beauty till this night.”
Voice 2
He does not know who she is but he goes to talk with her. He finds that she is also attracted to him. They are falling in love.
However, after Romeo leaves the house, Juliet finds out who he really is. This is a great shock to her. She finds she is in love with the son of her father’s great enemy.
Voice 4
“My only love, sprung from my only hate.”
Voice 2
But Juliet and Romeo are so in love that they do not feel the sharp hate that separates⁴ their families. They cannot tell their parents about their love, and they can never meet except in secret. Later that night Romeo climbs over the wall around Juliet’s house. He hides and waits until she comes to her window. When she appears he thinks that she is as beautiful as the sun rising in the morning.
Voice 3
“It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.”
Voice 2
He watches her. She looks sad, standing⁵ with her head in her hands.
Voice 3
“See how she leans⁶ her cheek upon her hand.
O that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I could touch that cheek.”
Voice 2
Then he hears her speaking to herself. She says that it is Romeo that she loves. His family name should not be a problem.
Voice 4
“What’s in a name?
That which we call a rose,
By any other name would smell as sweet.”
Voice 2
Romeo moves from where he was hiding, and speaks to Juliet. He tells her that he would change his name if she wanted him to. She is shocked that he has put his life at risk by climbing into her family’s property⁷, but she understands how very much he loves her.
They both know the danger they are in, but they also know how strong their love is for each other. They decide to visit their priest⁸, Friar Laurence, and ask him to marry them, in secret, in the church, without their families knowing.
They are married the next morning. Romeo and Juliet are united⁹, as husband and wife; but the family fights continue.
On the street, Romeo’s great friend Mercutio is attacked by Tybalt. Tybalt is Juliet’s cousin. Romeo tries to stop the fight, but Tybalt kills Mercutio with his sword¹⁰. Romeo, in sudden¹¹ anger, kills Tybalt. He knows he will be arrested, so he runs away, and hides in Friar Laurence’s church.
Friar Laurence suggests Romeo travels to another city and promises to send him news about what is happening at home. Friar Laurence hopes he can ask the Prince of their city to forgive Romeo, so that he can come back to Juliet.
Juliet cannot stop crying. Her family thinks it is because of her cousin, Tybalt’s, death. Really, it is because her new, secret, husband has had to run away.
Then her father tells her something he has been planning for some time. He wants her to marry an important friend of his, named County¹² Paris. She objects very strongly but her father will not take ‘no’ for an answer. He insists that she will soon be married to Paris. Juliet cannot tell him that she is already married to Romeo. She runs to Friar Laurence and tells him about this new great problem, and asks for his help.
Friar Laurence gives her a special drug. When she drinks it, she will fall into a deep sleep for almost two days. It will make her seem to be dead.
She goes back home and seems to agree to her father’s order that she must marry County Paris. The night before the wedding is to take place, she drinks Friar Laurence’s drug. The next morning - she does not wake up. Everyone thinks she is dead, and instead of a wedding there is a funeral¹³. Juliet is placed in the large tomb¹⁴ where all her family are buried.
Friar Laurence sends a messenger¹⁵ to Romeo to tell him of this plan, and calls him to travel back. He says that they will go to the tomb together; and they will be there when Juliet wakes from her deep sleep. Then the two loving young people can escape. They can make a new life away from the city - and away from the hate between their families.
But, everything does not go as Friar Laurence planned. His messenger does not reach Romeo. Instead, Romeo just hears the tragic¹⁶ news that Juliet has died and is being buried. He is very sad and decides he does not want to live without Juliet. He buys a strong poison¹⁷, and makes his way, in secret, back to the city and direct¹⁸ to the tomb. He breaks in and finds Juliet lying there. Like everyone else he also thinks she is dead. He says he will not leave her.
Voice 3
“I will stay with you
And never from this palace of dim¹⁹ night
Depart²⁰ again: here, here will I remain.”
Voice 2
He drinks the poison he has brought with him, and dies. Soon, Juliet wakes from her deep sleep, and finds Romeo’s dead body next to her.
Voice 4
“What’s here? A cup closed in my true love’s hand?
Poison I see has been his timeless end”
Voice 2
She looks to see if there is any poison left for her to drink. There is not. The bottle is empty. So she takes Romeo’s knife and kills herself.
The Prince, and Romeo and Juliet’s parents, are called. Friar Laurence is asked to explain what has happened. This tragic event makes the parents understand how damaging their hate is. They promise in future to be brothers and not enemies.
They see that is was their hate that led to the deaths of their children, lying there in the tomb.
The Prince describes the tragic end of the story in the last words of the play:
Voice 2
“Never was a story of more woe,
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo”
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 classic   

n.经典作品；adj.经典的，一流的；古典的

参考例句：

• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。
• The football match was a classic.那场足球比赛堪称典范。

3 organise   

vt.组织，安排，筹办

参考例句：

• He has the ability to organise.他很有组织才能。
• It's my job to organise all the ceremonial events.由我来组织所有的仪式。

4 separates   

n.可搭配穿着的女服v.分开( separate的第三人称单数 )；（使）分离；区分；隔开

参考例句：

• A chasm separates my generation from my parents'. 分歧使我这一代人不同于我父母那一代。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Bering StraIt'separates Asia and America. 白令海峡隔开了亚洲和美洲。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 leans   

v.（使）倾斜，屈身( lean的第三人称单数 )；倚；依赖；使斜靠

参考例句：

• The tower of Pisa leans at an angle . 比萨斜塔塔身倾斜。
• He leans over backwards to make up for what he has lost. 他尽力弥补他的损失。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 property   

n.财产，所有物，所有权，性质，特性，（小）道具

参考例句：

• He has made over his property to a hospital.他已将财产转交给了一家医院。
• Oil has the property of floating on water.油有浮在水上的特性。

8 priest   

n.神父，牧师，司铎，司祭，领导者，神甫；vt.使成为神职人员

参考例句：

• He confessed to a priest that he had sinned.他向神父忏悔他犯了罪。
• The priest visited all the old people in the parish.牧师探望了教区里的所有老人。

9 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

10 sword   

n.剑，刀剑，武力，杀戮

参考例句：

• The soldier cut at his enemy with his sword.那位士兵用自己的剑向敌人砍去。
• With a sweep of his sword he cut through the rope.他用剑一挥把绳子砍断了。

11 sudden   

n.突然，忽然；adj.突然的，意外的，快速的

参考例句：

• All of a sudden he turned about and saw me.他突然转过身来看见了我。
• The horse was badly frightened by the sudden noise.那匹马被突然而来的嘈杂声吓坏了。

12 county   

n.县，郡

参考例句：

• When the good news reached there,the whole county rejoiced.喜讯传到那里时，全县的人都欢欣鼓舞起来。
• In that year county after county fell to the enemy.那一年一个又一个的县城沦入敌人手中。

13 funeral   

n.丧葬，葬礼；adj.丧葬的，出殡的

参考例句：

• Her bright clothes were not appropriate for a funeral.她那身鲜艳的衣服不适合参加葬礼。
• A funeral is a somber occasion.葬礼是个忧郁的场合。

14 tomb   

n.坟墓，死亡；vt.埋葬

参考例句：

• They had dug out an ancient tomb.他们已发掘到一座古墓。
• They dug many ancient coins out of the tomb.他们从墓中掘出了许多古钱。

15 messenger   

n.报信者，先驱

参考例句：

• By the time the messenger reached him,the damage had been done.送信人赶到他那儿时，损失已经造成了。
• I'll order a special messenger to deliver the document.我会派专人把文件送去。

16 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

17 poison   

n.毒药；毒害；vt./vi.毒害；投毒

参考例句：

• The bottle is labelled "Poison".瓶上标明“有毒”。
• Don't allow evil thoughts to poison young people's minds.不允许邪念毒害青年。

18 direct   

adj.直接的；直达的；v.指挥；知道；监督；管理

参考例句：

• This train is direct,you do not have to change.这辆火车是直达的，你不必换车。
• The army is under the king's direct command.军队由国王直接统帅。

19 dim   

adj.昏暗的；朦胧的；v.(使)暗淡，(使)模糊

参考例句：

• The light is too dim for me to read easily.光线太暗，我很难阅读。
• I was so tired that my eyesight grew dim.我太累了，眼睛有点发花。

20 depart   

v.离开，启程

参考例句：

• The train will depart at 7:30 a.m.早七点半发车。
• Before you depart,let me give you a word of advice.在你走之前，我给你一句忠告。