听美国故事练听力 14

　　Now the weekly Special English program American Stories. Our storytoday is called the Line of Least Resistance¹(最省力的方法). It waswritten by Edith Wharton. Here is Larry West with the story.
Mr. Mindon returned home for lunch. His wife Millicent was not athome. The servants did not know where she was. Mr. Mindon sat alone ata table in the garden. He ate a small piece of meat and drank somemineral water. Mr. Mindon always ate simple meals because he hadproblems with his stomach. Why then did he keep a cook among hisservants? Because his wife, Millicent, liked to invite her friends tobig dinners and serve them rare² and expensive food and wine.
Mr. Mindon did not enjoy his wife's parties. Millicent complained thathe did not know how to enjoy life. She did a lot of things that he didnot like. Millicent wasted Mr. Mindon's money and was unpleasant³ tohim. But he never got angry with his wife.
After eating, Mr. Mindon took a walk through his house. He did notstay long in the living room. It reminded him of all the hours he hadspent there at his wife's parties. The sight of the formal dining roommade him feel even more uncomfortable. He remembered the long dinnerswhere he had to talk to his wife's friends for hours. They neverseemed very interested in what he was saying.
Mr. Mindon walked quickly past the ballroom⁴ where his wife danced withher friends. He would go to bed after dinner, but he could hear theorchestra playing until three in the morning.
Mr. Mindon walked into the library. No one in the house ever read anyof the books. But Mr. Mindon was proud to be rich enough to have aperfectly useless room in his house.
He went into the sunny little room where his wife planned her busydays and evenings. Her writing table was covered with notes and cardsfrom all her friends. Her wastepaper basket was full of emptyenvelopes that had carried invitations to lunches, dinners, andtheater parties.
Mr. Mindon saw a letter crushed⁵ into a small ball on the floor. Hebent to pick it up. Just as he was about to throw it into thewastepaper basket, he noticed that the letter was signed by hisbusiness partner, Thomas Antrim. But Antrim's letter to Mr. Mindon'swife was not about business. As Mr. Mindon read it, he felt as if hismind was spinning⁶ out of control. He sat down heavily in the chairnear his wife's little writing table.
Now the room looked cold and unfamiliar⁷. "Who are you?" the wallsseemed to say. "Who am I?" Mr. Mindon said in a loud voice. "I'll tellyou who I am! I am the man who paid for every piece of furniture inthis room. If it were not for me and my money, this room would beempty!" Suddenly, Mr. Mindon felt taller. He marched across his wife'sroom. It belonged to him, didn't it? The house belonged to him, too.
He felt powerful⁸. He sat at the table and wrote a letter to Millicent.
One of the servants came into the room. "Did you call, sir?" he asked.
"No," Mr. Mindon replied, "but since you are here, please telephonefor a taxi cab⁹ at once." The taxi took him to a hotel near his bank. Aclerk showed him to his room. It smelled of cheap soap. The window inthe room was open and hot noises came up from the street.
Mr. Mindon looked at his watch. Four o'clock. He wondered if Millicenthad come home yet and read his letter. His head began to ache¹⁰ and Mr.
Mindon lay down on a bed. When he woke up, it was dark. He looked athis watch. Eight o'clock. Millicent must be dressing¹¹ for dinner. Theywere supposed to go to Mrs. Targe's house for dinner tonight. Well,Mr. Mindon thought, Millicent would have to go alone. Maybe she wouldask Thomas Antrim to take her to the party.
Mr. Mindon realized he was hungry. He left his room and walked downthe stairs to the hotel dining room. The air, smelling of coffee andfried food, wrapped¹² itself around his head.
Mr. Mindon could not eat much of the food that the hotel waiterbrought him. He went back to his room, feeling sick. He also felt hotand dirty in the clothing he had worn¹³ all day. He had never realizedhow much he loved his home.
Someone knocked at his door. Mr. Mindon jumped to his feet. "Mindon,"a voice asked. "Are you there?" Mr. Mindon recognized that voice. Itbelonged to Laurence Meysy. Thirty years ago Meysy had been verypopular with women-especially with other men's wives. As a young manhe had interfered¹⁴ in many marriages. Now, in his old age, LaurenceMeysy had become a kind of "marriage doctor." He helped husbands andwives save their marriages.
Mr. Mindon began to feel better as soon as Laurence Meysy walked intohis hotel room. Two men followed him. One was Mr. Mindon's rich uncleEzra Brownrigg. The other was the Reverend Doctor Bonifant, theminister of Saint¹⁵ Luke's church where Mr. Mindon and his family prayedevery Sunday.
Mr. Mindon looked at the three men and felt very proud that they hadcome to help him. For the first time in his married life, Mr. Mindonfelt as important as his wife Millicent.
Laurence Meysy sat on the edge¹⁶ of the bed and lit a cigarette. "Mrs.
Mindon sent for me," he said. Mr. Mindon could not help feeling proudof Millicent. She had done the right thing. Meysy continued. "Sheshowed me your letter. She asks you for mercy¹⁷." Meysy paused¹⁸, and thensaid, "The poor woman is very unhappy. And we have come here to askyou what you plan to do."Now Mr. Mindon began to feel uncomfortable. "To do?" he asked. "To do?
Well, I plan to, to leave her."Meysy stopped smoking¹⁹ his cigarette. "Do you want to divorce²⁰ her?" heasked.
"Why, yes, yes!" Mr. Mindon replied.
Meysy knocked the ashes from his cigarette. "Are you absolutely surethat you want to do this?" he asked.
Mr. Mindon nodded his head. "I plan to divorce her," he said loudly.
Mr. Mindon began to feel very excited. It was the first time he hadever had so many people sitting and listening to him. He told hisaudience everything, beginning with his discovery of his wife's loveaffair with his business partner and ending with his complaints²¹ abouther expensive dinner parties.
His uncle looked at his watch. Doctor Bonifant began to stare out ofthe hotel window. Meysy stood up. "Do you plan to dishonor yourselfthen?" he asked. "No one knows what has happened. You are the only onewho can reveal²² the secret. You will make yourself look foolish."Mr. Mindon tried to rise, but he fell back weakly. The three menpicked up their hats. In another moment they would be gone. When theyleft, Mr. Mindon would lose his audience, and his belief in himselfand his decision. "I won't leave for New York until tomorrow," hewhispered. Laurence Meysy smiled.
"Tomorrow will be too late," he said. "Tomorrow everyone will know youare here." Meysy opened the hotel room door. Mr. Brownrigg and DoctorBonifant walked out of the room.
Meysy turned to follow them when he felt Mr. Mindon's hand grab²³ hisarm. "I, I will come with you," Mr. Mindon sighed. "It's, it's for thechildren." Laurence Meysy nodded as Mr. Mindon walked out of the room.
He closed the door gently.
You have just heard the story the Line of Least Resistance. It waswritten by Edith Wharton and adapted for Special English by DonaldDiscenctus. Your storyteller was Larry West. For VOA Special English,this is Shep O'Neal.

1 resistance   

n.抵抗力，反抗，反抗行动；阻力，电阻；反对；adj.抵抗的

参考例句：

• Very little resistance was put up by the enemy.敌人没怎么进行抵抗。
• An aircraft has to overcome the resistance of the air.飞机须克服空气的阻力。

2 rare   

adj.稀罕的，罕有的，珍贵的，稀薄的，半熟的，非常的；adv.非常

参考例句：

• It is rare to see a man over 160 years old.很少见到一个人能活到160岁。
• The zoo has a lot of rare animals in it.这个动物园有许多珍奇的动物。

3 unpleasant   

adj.使人不愉快的，使人厌恶的，煞风景的

参考例句：

• A very unpleasant thing has happened.一件令人很不愉快的事发生了。
• The kind advices are often unpleasant to the ear.好言常常不入耳。

4 ballroom   

n.舞厅

参考例句：

• The boss of the ballroom excused them the fee.舞厅老板给他们免费。
• I go ballroom dancing twice a week.我一个星期跳两次交际舞。

5 crushed   

a.压碎的，倒碎的

参考例句：

• The car was completely crushed under the truck. 小轿车被卡车压得完全变形了。
• The box was crushed when the car ran over it. 汽车辗过箱子时把它给压碎了。

6 spinning   

n.纺纱v.使…旋转( spin的现在分词 )；纺（线）；杜撰；（使）急转身

参考例句：

• The plane was spinning out of control. 飞机失去控制，不停地旋转。
• The carriage was spinning along at a good speed. 马车以高速飞跑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 unfamiliar   

adj.陌生的，不熟悉的

参考例句：

• I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在这儿人地生疏。
• The man seemed unfamiliar to me.这人很面生。

8 powerful   

adj.有力的，有权力的，强大的

参考例句：

• The UN began to get more and more powerful.联合国开始变得越来越强大了。
• Such are the most powerful voices of our times!这些就是我们时代的最有力的声音！

9 cab   

n.计程车，出租车，出租单马车；vi.乘出租马车

参考例句：

• The cab drove over his legs.马车从他腿上碾过。
• Shall we walk or take a cab?我们步行还是坐出租车？

10 ache   

n.疼痛；vi.痛，哀怜，渴望

参考例句：

• He has an ache in the back.他的背痛。
• My muscles is going to ache all over tomorrow.明天我全身肌肉都会痛了。

11 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

12 wrapped   

adj.有包装的，预先包装的v.包( wrap的过去式和过去分词 )；覆盖；用…包裹（或包扎、覆盖等）；卷起

参考例句：

• The chocolates are individually wrapped in gold foil. 巧克力用金箔纸一颗颗独立包装。
• Would you like the chocolates gift-wrapped? 你要把巧克力糖打成礼品包吗？

13 worn   

adj.用旧的，疲倦的；vbl.wear的过去分词

参考例句：

• The child's trousers have worn through at the knees.孩子裤子的膝盖处磨破了。
• My shoes are worn out.我的鞋子穿坏了。

14 interfered   

v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉

参考例句：

• Complete absorption in sports interfered with his studies. 专注于运动妨碍了他的学业。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I am not going to be interfered with. 我不想别人干扰我的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 saint   

n.圣徒；基督教徒；vt.成为圣徒，把...视为圣徒

参考例句：

• He was made a saint.他被封为圣人。
• The saint had a lowly heart.圣人有谦诚之心。

16 edge   

n.边(缘)；刃；优势；v.侧着移动，徐徐移动

参考例句：

• Sight along the edge to see if it's straight.顺着边目测，看看直不直。
• She lived on the extreme edge of the forest.她住在森林的最边缘。

17 mercy   

n.仁慈，宽恕，怜悯

参考例句：

• Mercy to the enemies means cruelty to the people.对敌人的仁慈就意味着对人民的残忍。
• It is a mercy that you did not go.你幸好没有去。

18 paused   

v.停顿( pause的过去式和过去分词 )；暂停；（按暂停键）暂停放音；暂停放像

参考例句：

• We paused for the red light at State College Street. 我们在州立大学大街上因遇到红灯而停了一下。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The joggers paused to catch their breath. 慢跑者们暂停下来以便喘口气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 smoking   

n.吸烟，抽烟；冒烟

参考例句：

• He was wise to give up smoking.他戒烟是明智的。
• He has decided to cut out smoking and drinking.他已决心戒烟、戒酒。

20 divorce   

n.离婚；分离；vi.离婚；vt.离婚；脱离

参考例句：

• Did he divorce his wife or did she divorce him?是他要和妻子离婚，还是妻子要和他离婚？
• None of us like the divorce of word and deed.我们都不喜欢言行不一。

21 complaints   

抱怨( complaint的名词复数 )； 诉苦； 投诉； 疾病

参考例句：

• a litany of complaints 喋喋不休的抱怨
• The company had received complaints both verbally and in writing. 这家公司收到了口头和书面的投诉。

22 reveal   

vt.揭露，泄露；展现，显示

参考例句：

• The journalist did not want to reveal the identity of his informant.那个新闻工作者不想透露消息提供人的身份。
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes.它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。

23 grab   

vt./n.攫取，抓取；vi.攫取，抓住(at)

参考例句：

• It is rude to grab a seat.抢占座位是不礼貌的。
• The thief made a grab at my bag but I pushed him away.贼想抢我的手提包，但被我推开了。