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英语美文:悠扬的琴声

时间:2012-12-14 02:12来源:互联网 提供网友:laura6688   字体: [ ]
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    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

 When Dad played his fiddle1, the world became a bright star. To him violin was an instrument of faith, hope and charity. At least a thousand times, my mother said, “Your papa would play his fiddle if the world was about to blow up.”

每当爸爸拉起小提琴,世界就变成一颗闪亮的星星。对爸爸来说,小提琴是一种能带来信念、希望和善意的乐器。“即使世界下一秒就要灰飞湮灭,你爸爸还是会拉他的小提琴。”这样的话,妈妈曾说过不下一千次。
And once Dad came about as close to that as could ever be possible.
有一回,爸爸几近要面临那可能发生的一幕。
Everything on Nubbin Ridge—and on a majority of the small farms in Texas—was built around cotton as the money crop. But in the early years of the century, the boll weevil began devastating2 the cotton farms in the south.
纽宾山,以及德克萨斯州大部分的小农场的一切,都是建立在棉花这种经济作物上的。然而在上世纪初期,棉铃象甲开始侵嗜美国南部的棉花农场。
And in May of 1910 folks all over the nation were in a space-age state of turmoil3 over Halley's Comet. There were all sorts of frightening stories about the comet, the main one being that the world would pass through its tail, said to be millions of miles long.
1910年5月,全美国人民都笼罩在一片对哈雷彗星的恐慌之下,如处于太空时代般躁动不安。关于彗星耸人听闻的说法云云种种,传得最厉害的就是地球将穿过彗星的彗尾——据说彗尾长达数百万英里。
Between the threats of comet and weevils, the farmers were running low on optimism. One night, the farmers gathered at our farm to discuss what to do. When everyone had found seats, Will Bowen suggested, “Charley, how about getting down your fiddle and bow and giving us a little music?”
面对着彗星和棉铃象甲的双重威胁,农场主们都一筹莫展。一天晚上,农场主们聚集在我们的农场商量大计。当大家纷纷落座,威尔·鲍温建议:“查理,把你的小提琴和琴弓拿出来,给大伙来点儿音乐怎么样?”
“Aw, I don't think anybody'd want to hear me saw the gourd4 tonight,” Dad replied.
“噢,我觉得今晚没人想听我拉那葫芦吧。”爸爸回应说。
“Come on, Mr. Nordyke,” one of the younger women urged, “why don't you play for us.”
“来吧,诺达克先生,”一个年轻妇女催促说,“你就给我们拉一把吧。”
Dad had a knack5 for getting people in the mood for his music. Knowing of the scattered6 prejudice against the fiddle, he eased into a song titled Gloryland. It was a church song with church tones, but it was fairly fast with some good runs. He shifted from Gloryland to The Bonnie Blue Flag, a Confederate war song, which created a big stir—foot stamping, hand clapping and a few rebel yells.
爸爸有这么一种能耐,能将大家带入他的音乐氛围中。知道有些人对小提琴存有异见,他先来了首《荣耀之地》暖场。这是一首教会的歌,有着教会的调调,但节奏较快,有几段精彩的急奏。然后,他从《荣耀之地》过渡到《美丽的蓝旗》—— 一首南北战争时南方联盟的战歌,这首歌在人群中引起了很大的共鸣,场上响起了跺脚声、打拍子声,还有喝彩声。
Will Bowen, apparently7 having forgotten Halley's Comet, shouted, “How about giving us Sally Goodin?” Dad played the old breakdown8 with vigor9. Several men jumped up and jigged10 around. Children gathered around and gazed wide-eyed at the performance.
威尔·鲍温明显已经把哈雷彗星的事忘得一干二净了,嚷了起来:“来首《沙丽·古丁》吧!”爸爸又兴致勃勃地拉奏了这首经典的跺脚拽步舞曲。有几个人应声而起,跳起舞来了。孩子们也围拢过来定睛看着这段表演,眼睛都睁得大大的。
All our neighbors went home whistling or humming. Very few remembered to look toward the northwest to see whether the comet and its wicked tail were still around…
所有的邻居在散去时要么吹着口哨,要么就哼着曲儿。几乎没人还记得要看看那西北方是否还有哈雷彗星和它那邪恶的尾巴的踪迹……
One evening, Will Bowen called dad on the telephone and said, “Charley, I'm downhearted and blue. Every time a square forms, there are four boll weevils waiting there to puncture11 it with their snouts. Just wondered if you could play a tune12 or two for me?”
一天晚上,威尔·鲍温给爸爸打来电话,说“查理,我很失落很担心。每长出一个棉蕾,就有四只棉铃象甲蠢蠢欲动,等着用象鼻往里面钻孔。你能不能给我拉一两首歌?”
“I sure could, Will,” Dad said. “Could you come over?”
“当然可以啦,威尔,”爸爸说,“你可以过来吗?”
“No. I mean play on the phone box.”
“不,我的意思是在电话里拉。”
“The phone box?”
“在电话里?”
“Sure,” Mr. Bowen said. “I can hear you talk. Why couldn't I hear the fiddle?”
“是啊,”鲍温先生说,“我能听到你说话,怎么会听不到你的琴声呢?”
Dad took the fiddle to the telephone and thumped13 the strings14. Putting the receiver to his ear, he said, “Hear anything. Will?”
爸爸把小提琴拿到话机旁,重重地拨弄了几下琴弦。然后他把听筒拿到耳边,问:“威尔,听到吗?”
“Sure can,” Mr. Bowen said. “Could you try Sally Goodin and play it just like you did the other night?” Dad handed the receiver to me. He stepped up to the mouthpiece on the wall box and cut loose on Sally Goodin. I could hear Mr. Bowen whistling and yelling.
“当然听到,”鲍温先生说,“你能不能拉《沙丽·古丁》,就像前几天那样?”爸爸把听筒递给我。他向前走近挂在墙上的话筒,尽情地拉奏起这首《沙丽·古丁》。我听到电话那头传来伯温先生的口哨声和欢呼声。
By the time the tune was finished there were half a dozen neighbors on the line, and they talked about how wonderful the music sounded over the telephone. They made numerous requests; I relayed them to Dad and he played the numbers.
曲终之时,电话的那头已经聚集了六位邻居,他们谈论着透过电话聆听音乐有多美妙。他们又点了很多曲子,我转告爸爸,他都一一弹奏了。
Our party line broadcasts became regular features of community life. On rough-weather days of winter when farm folks were forced to remain in the house, someone would ring us and ask Dad to play, and usually it developed into a network affair. Our phone kept ringing with requests for music until radio came in.
我们的派对热线广播成为了当地生活的固定节目。当严冬季节将务农的人们困在室内的时候,就会有人给我们打电话,请爸爸给他们拉小提琴。久而久之,这慢慢成为了一种社交生活。在无线电广播普及之前,我们家的点播热线总是响个不停。

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 fiddle GgYzm     
n.小提琴;vi.拉提琴;不停拨弄,乱动
参考例句:
  • She plays the fiddle well.她小提琴拉得好。
  • Don't fiddle with the typewriter.不要摆弄那架打字机了。
2 devastating muOzlG     
adj.毁灭性的,令人震惊的,强有力的
参考例句:
  • It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
  • Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。
3 turmoil CKJzj     
n.骚乱,混乱,动乱
参考例句:
  • His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
  • The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。
4 gourd mfWxh     
n.葫芦
参考例句:
  • Are you going with him? You must be out of your gourd.你和他一块去?你一定是疯了。
  • Give me a gourd so I can bail.把葫芦瓢给我,我好把水舀出去。
5 knack Jx9y4     
n.诀窍,做事情的灵巧的,便利的方法
参考例句:
  • He has a knack of teaching arithmetic.他教算术有诀窍。
  • Making omelettes isn't difficult,but there's a knack to it.做煎蛋饼并不难,但有窍门。
6 scattered 7jgzKF     
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的
参考例句:
  • Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来,塞进文件夹里。
7 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
8 breakdown cS0yx     
n.垮,衰竭;损坏,故障,倒塌
参考例句:
  • She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
  • The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障,但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。
9 vigor yLHz0     
n.活力,精力,元气
参考例句:
  • The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
  • She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在,她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。
10 jigged 23561b2506a3a3bc5412b4e410bc0b57     
v.(使)上下急动( jig的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He jigged up and down with excitement. 他激动得又蹦又跳。
  • He jigged up and down in anger. 他气得又蹦又跳。 来自辞典例句
11 puncture uSUxj     
n.刺孔,穿孔;v.刺穿,刺破
参考例句:
  • Failure did not puncture my confidence.失败并没有挫伤我的信心。
  • My bicycle had a puncture and needed patching up.我的自行车胎扎了个洞,需要修补。
12 tune NmnwW     
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整
参考例句:
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子,并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
13 thumped 0a7f1b69ec9ae1663cb5ed15c0a62795     
v.重击, (指心脏)急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Dave thumped the table in frustration . 戴夫懊恼得捶打桌子。
  • He thumped the table angrily. 他愤怒地用拳捶击桌子。
14 strings nh0zBe     
n.弦
参考例句:
  • He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上,随意地拨着吉他的弦。
  • She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。
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TAG标签:   英语美文
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