听美国故事练听力 41

　　Today we complete the story Paul's Case. It was written by WillaCather. Here is Kay Gallant¹ with the story.
Paul was a student with a lot of problems. He hated school. He didn'tlike living with his family on Cordelia Street in the industrial cityof Pittsburgh. Paul wanted to be surrounded by beautiful things. Heloved his part-time job as an usher² at the concert hall. He helpedpeople find their seats before the concert, then he could listen tothe music and dream of exciting places. Paul also spent a lot of timeat the local theater. He knew many of the actors who worked there. Heused to do little jobs for them and they would let him see plays forfree. Paul had little time left for his studies. So he was always introuble with his teachers. Finally, Paul's teachers complained againto his father. His father took him out of school and made him take ajob in a large company. He would not let Paul go near the concert hallor the theater.
Paul did not like his job as a messenger³ boy. He began to plan hisescape. A few weeks later, Paul's boss Mr. Danny gave Paul a largeamount of money to take to the bank. He told Paul to hurry because itwas Friday afternoon. He said the bank would close soon and would notopen again until Monday. At the bank, Paul took the money out of hispocket. It was 5,000 dollars. Paul put the money back in his coatpocket and he walked out of the bank. He went to the train station andbought a one-way ticket for New York City. That afternoon, Paul leftPittsburgh forever. The train traveled slowly through a Januarysnowstorm. The slow movement made Paul fall asleep. The train whistleblew just as the sun was coming up. Paul awoke, feeling dirty anduncomfortable. He quickly touched his coat pocket. The money was stillthere. It was not a dream. He really was on his way to New York Citywith 5,000 dollars in his pocket.
Finally, the train pulled into central station. Paul walked quicklyout of the station and went immediately to an expensive clothing storefor man. The salesman was very polite when he saw Paul's money. Paulbought two suits, several white silk shirts, some silk ties ofdifferent colors. Then he bought a black tuxedo⁴ suit for the theater,a warm winter coat, a red bathrobe and the finest silk underclothes.
He told the salesman he wanted to wear one of the new suits and thecoat immediately. The salesman bowed and smiled. Paul then took a taxito another shop where he bought several pairs of leather shoes andboots. Next, he went to the famous jewelry⁵ store Tiffanies and boughta tiepin and some brushes with silver handles. His last stop was aluggage store where he had all his new clothes put into severalexpensive suitcases.
It was a little before one o'clock in the afternoon when Paul arrivedat the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The doorman opened the hotel's glassdoors for Paul and the boy entered. The thick carpet under his feethad the colors of a thousand jewels. The lights sparkled⁶ from crystalchandeliers. Paul told the hotel clerk he was from Washington⁸ D.C. hesaid his mother and father were arriving in a few days from Europe. Heexplained he was going to wait for them at the hotel.
In his dreams, Paul had planned this trip to New York a hundred times.
He knew all about the Waldorf-Astoria, one of New York's mostexpensive hotels. As soon as he entered his rooms, he thought thateverything was perfect except for one thing. He rang the bell andasked for fresh flowers to be sent quickly to his rooms. When theflowers came, Paul put them in water and then he took a long hot bath.
He came out of the bathroom, wearing the red silk bathrobe. Outsidehis windows, the snow was falling so fast that he could not see acrossthe street. But inside, the air was warm and sweet. He lay down on thesofa in his sitting room. It had all been so very simple, he thought.
When they had shut him out of the theatre and the concert hall, Paulknew he had to leave. But he was surprised that he had not been afraidto go. He could not remember a time when he had not been afraid ofsomething even when he was a little boy. But now he felt free, hewasn't afraid any more. He watched the snow until he fell asleep.
It was 4 o'clock in the afternoon when Paul woke up. He spent nearlyan hour getting dressed. He looked at himself often in the mirror. Hisdark blue suit fit him so well that he did not seem too thin. Thewhite silk shirt and the blue and lilac tie felt cool and smooth underhis fingers. He was exactly the kind of boy he had always wanted tobe.
Paul put on his new winter coat and went downstairs. He got into ataxi and told the driver to take him for a ride along 5th Avenue⁹. Paulstared at the expensive stores.
As the taxi stopped for a red light, Paul noticed a flower shop.
Through the window, he could see all kinds of flowers. Paul thoughtthe violets¹⁰, roses, and lilies of the valley looked even more lovelybecause they were blooming in the middle of winter. Paul began to feelhungry. So he asked the taxi driver to take him back to the hotel.
As he entered the dinning¹¹ room, the music of the hotel orchestrafloated up to greet him. He sat at a table near a window. The freshflowers, the white tablecloth¹² and the colored wine glasses pleasedPaul's eyes. Soft music, below voices of the people around him, andsoft popping of champagne¹⁴ corks¹⁵ whispered¹⁶ into Paul's ears. This iswhat everyone wants, he thought. He could not believe he had everlived in Pittsburgh on Codelia Street. That belonged to another timeand place. Paul lifted the crystal⁷ glass of champagne and drank thecool precious¹⁷ bubbling¹⁸ wine. He belonged here.
Later that evening, Paul put on his black tuxedo and went to theopera. He felt perfectly¹⁹ at ease¹³. He had only to look at his tuxedo toknow he belonged with all the other beautiful people in the operahouse. He didn't talk to anyone. But his eyes recorded everything.
Paul's golden²⁰ days went by without a shadow. He made each one asperfect as he could. On the 8th day after his arrival²¹ in New York, hefound a report in a newspaper about his crime²². It's said that hisfather had paid the company the 5,000 dollars that Paul had stolen.
It's said Paul had been seen in a New York hotel and it's said Paul'sfather was in New York. He was looking for Paul to bring him back toPittsburgh.
Paul's knees became weak. He sat down in a chair and put his head inhis hands. The dream was ended. He had to go back to Codelia Street,back to the yellow papered bedroom, the smell of cook cabbage, thedaily ride to work on the crowded street cars. Paul poured himself aglass of champagne and drank it quickly. He poured another glass anddrank that one too.
Paul had a taxi take him out of the city and into the country. Thetaxi left him near some railroad²³ tracks²⁴. Paul suddenly remembered allthe flowers he had seen in a shop window his first night in New York.
He realized that by now every one of those flowers was dead. They hadhad only one splendid²⁵ moment to challenge²⁶ winter. A train whistlebroke into Paul's thoughts. He watched as the train grew bigger andbigger. As it came closer, Paul's body shook. His lips²⁷ were afrightened smile. Paul looked nervously²⁸ around as if someone might bewatching him. When the right moment came, Paul jumped. And as hejumped, he realized his great mistake. The blue of the ocean and theyellow of the desert flashed through his brain. He had not seen themyet. There was so much he had not seen. Paul felt something hit hischest. He felt his body fly through the air far and fast. Theneverything turned black. And Paul dropped back into the great designof things.
You have just heard the American Story "Paul's Case". It was writtenby Willa Cather. Your storyteller was Kay Gallant. Listen again nextweek at this time for another American story told in Special Englishon the Voice of America. I'm Steve Ember.

1 gallant   

adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的

参考例句：

• Huang Jiguang's gallant deed is known by all men. 黄继光的英勇事迹尽人皆知。
• These gallant soldiers will protect our country.这些勇敢的士兵会保卫我们的国家的。

2 usher   

n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员

参考例句：

• The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
• They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。

3 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。

4 tuxedo   

n.礼服，无尾礼服

参考例句：

• Well,you have your own tuxedo.噢，你有自己的燕尾服。
• Have I told you how amazing you look in this tuxedo?我告诉过你穿这件燕尾服看起来很棒吗？

5 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

6 sparkled   

v.发火花，闪耀( sparkle的过去式和过去分词 )；（饮料）发泡；生气勃勃，热情奔放，神采飞扬

参考例句：

• Her jewellery sparkled in the candlelight. 烛光下，她的首饰光彩熠熠。
• Her eyes sparkled with excitement. 她的眼睛由于兴奋而发亮。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

7 crystal   

n.水晶，水晶饰品，结晶体；最好的玻璃器皿

参考例句：

• It used to be a crystal stream.那曾是条清澈见底的小溪。
• Those fine wine glasses are made of crystal.那些漂亮的酒杯是用水晶做的。

8 Washington   

n.华盛顿特区(是美国首都)

参考例句：

• His birthplace is Washington,but he lives in San Francisco.他出生于华盛顿，但住在旧金山。
• They, together with my father,have gone to Washington.他们和我父亲一起去华盛顿了。

9 avenue   

n.林荫道；大街；途径，手段

参考例句：

• This is a shady avenue.这是条林阴大道。
• He drove slowly.The avenue was crowded with people.他慢慢地开车，因为大街上挤满了人。

10 violets   

n.紫罗兰( violet的名词复数 )；蓝紫色，紫罗兰色

参考例句：

• There are many violets in the garden. 花园里有许多紫罗兰。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The woman carried a bouquet of dried violets. 这个女人拿着一束干枯的紫罗兰。 来自辞典例句

11 dinning   

vt.喧闹（din的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• The cries of his tormentors were still dinning in his ears. 使他痛苦的人们的叫嚣仍然在他的耳际震响。 来自辞典例句
• The meals in the artistic little dinning-room were pleasant. 在雅致的小餐厅里吃饭是一种享受。 来自辞典例句

12 tablecloth   

n.桌布，台布

参考例句：

• He sat there ruminating and picking at the tablecloth.他坐在那儿沉思，轻轻地抚弄着桌布。
• She smoothed down a wrinkled tablecloth.她把起皱的桌布熨平了。

13 ease   

n. 安乐,安逸,悠闲; v. 使...安乐,使...安心,减轻,放松

参考例句：

• His mind was at ease and he felt confident in the future. 他心情舒畅,对前途很有信心。
• You should ease up on the child and stop scolding her. 你应该对那个孩子宽松些,不要再骂她了。

14 champagne   

n.香槟酒；微黄色

参考例句：

• There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
• They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。

15 corks   

n.脐梅衣；软木( cork的名词复数 )；软木塞

参考例句：

• Champagne corks were popping throughout the celebrations. 庆祝会上开香槟酒瓶塞的砰砰声不绝於耳。 来自辞典例句
• Champagne corks popped, and on lace tablecloths seven-course dinners were laid. 桌上铺着带装饰图案的网织的桌布，上面是七道菜的晚餐。 来自飘（部分）

16 whispered   

adj.耳语的，低语的v.低声说( whisper的过去式和过去分词 )；私语；小声说；私下说

参考例句：

• She sidled up to me and whispered something in my ear. 她悄悄走上前来，对我耳语了几句。
• His ill luck has been whispered about the neighborhood. 他的不幸遭遇已在邻居中传开。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 precious   

adj.宝贵的，珍贵的，过于精致的，珍爱的

参考例句：

• Each life is precious.生命都是宝贵的。
• Spring rain is as precious as oil.春雨贵如油。

18 bubbling   

adj. 冒泡的，气泡形成的 动词bubble的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The water was bubbling and boiling away. 水在咕嘟咕嘟地沸腾着。
• She was bubbling over with happiness and enthusiasm. 她洋溢着喜悦和兴奋。

19 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

20 golden   

adj.金的，含金的，可贵的，金色的，贵重的，繁盛的

参考例句：

• My teacher is an Englishman with golden hair.我的老师是一个金黄色头发的英国人。
• It's a balmy evening,the golden time for lovers.这是一个暖和的夜晚，是恋人们的黄金时光。

21 arrival   

n.到达，达到，到达者

参考例句：

• She's impatient for her father's arrival.她急切地盼望着父亲的到来。
• The new arrival was none other than the President.刚到的不是别人，正是总统。

22 crime   

n.犯罪，罪行，罪恶

参考例句：

• You'll have to pay for your crime.你得为你的罪行付出代价。
• Crime in our big cities is on the increase.在我们大城市里犯罪率正在增长。

23 railroad   

n.铁路；vi.由铁路运输

参考例句：

• The railroad connects two cities,namely,New York and Chicago.这条铁路连接两个城市，即纽约与芝加哥。
• My brother is working on the railroad.我兄弟在铁路系统工作。

24 tracks   

n.小路( track的名词复数 )；跑道；路径；轨道v.跟踪( track的第三人称单数 )；跟踪摄影；留下（脏）足迹；追随（潮流等）

参考例句：

• Tracks led up the mountainside. 小径沿着山坡向上延伸。
• All the tracks have been digitally remastered from the original tapes. 所有的曲子都已经从原始录音带转录到了数码母带上。

25 splendid   

adj.光亮的，了不起的，灿烂的，壮丽的，显著的，杰出的

参考例句：

• He got a splendid present for her.他送她一件极好的礼物。
• The play was just splendid.这出戏真是太好了。

26 challenge   

n.挑战；v.向...挑战

参考例句：

• The job doesn't really challenge him.这项工作不能真正地考验他。
• She looked at me with challenge.她带着挑战的目光看着我。

27 lips   

abbr.logical inferences per second 每秒的逻辑推论n.嘴唇( lip的名词复数 )；（容器或凹陷地方的）边缘；粗鲁无礼的话

参考例句：

• Her lips compressed into a thin line. 她的双唇抿成了一道缝。
• the fullness of her lips 她丰满的双唇

28 nervously   

adv.神情激动地，不安地

参考例句：

• He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
• He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。