WORD LIST
stove n. (煮饭取暖用之) 火炉
start n. 惊跳
shawl n. 披肩
upturn v.t 往上翻
brow n. 前额
choose(chose, chosen) v.t. 选择
path n.道路
periodic adj. 周期性的
jail n. 监狱
distribute v.t. 散发
leaflet n. 传单
gendarme n. 宪兵
alarm n.惊慌
first-class a.头等的
problem n. (需要解决的)问题
pedlar n. 叫卖小贩
dismiss v.t. 打发掉; 开除
gossip n. 爱说闲话的人;长舌妇
inspiration n. 灵感
simply adv. 非常,简直
weight n.重量
roughly adv.粗野地
curse v.t.咒骂
ought v.aux. 应该
devil n.魔鬼;恶人
load n.负担
wipe v.t. 擦(干净)
sweat n. 汗水
porridge n.粥,稀饭
password n. 暗语;口令
peep v.i. 窥视,偷看
light (lit, lit) v.i. (up) (此处)愉快起来
packet n. 包;捆
breast n.(此处)上衣胸部的口袋
jacket n. 短外衣
noodle n.(常用复数)面条
flare v.i. (up) 闪烁;发怒
thoroughly 彻底地;透彻地
scatter v.i.四散
boss n. (此处)工头
regularly adv. 经常地
revelation n. 启示
reveal v.
TEXT
MOTHER
Adapted from Maxim Gorky
Pavel was arrested. That day Mother did not light the stove. Evening came and a cold wind was blowing. There was a knock at the window. Then another. Mother was used to such knocks, but this time she gave a little star of joy. Throwing a shawl over her shoulders, she opened the door.
A man came in, his face hidden by an upturned coat collar and a cap pulled low over his brow. He took off his cap and held out his hand.
"Hullo, Mother! Don't you remember me?" he asked, like an old friend.
"Yegor Ivanovich!" exclaimed Mother.
Yegor began explaining at once.
"I've brought you news from Pavel, Mother. He sends you his love and says you mustn't worry. He wants you to know that anyone who chooses the path he has chosen is sure to have periodic hollidays in jail. And now I'll get down to business, Mother. Do you know how many were arrested this morning.?"
"Why-was anyone--besides Pavel?"
"he was the forty-ninth," Yegor added quickly. "And here's the point. We mustn't stop distributing leaflets at the factory. If we do, the gendarmes will use it against Pavel and the comrades in jail."
"What do you mean?" cried Mother in alarm.
"It's simple enogh," answered Yegor. "Sometimes even gendarmes use their heads. Pavel was free-there were papers and leaflets; Pavel is jailed-there are no more papers or leaflets. Therefore Pavel must have been the man. Isn't that clear?"
Mother seemed to understand now. Then she said, "But what can we do about it?"
"They've arrested almost everybody," Yegor went on. "There's no one to carry on the work. We've got first-class leaflets, plenty of them, but how to get them into the factory remains a problem."
"Could anything be done?" Mother was anxious to know.
"Let's have a talk with the pedlar. Perhaps she'll take them in."
Mother dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand.
"Oh, no! She's a gossip!" Then she burst out with sudden inspiration, "Give them to me ! I'll do it. I'll take dinners to sell at the factory. I'll manage."
"Wonderful, Mother! Simply wonderful!" said Yegor, holding both her hands in his.
So at noon the next day Mother was at the factory gate, bending under the weight of her food baskets. Two guards passed their hands roughly over everyone who entered the yard. The workmen cursed them, adding, "You devils ought to search our heads and not our pockets."
"You might let me through," said Mother. "Can't you see my back is about to break under the load?"
Once inside the factory yard, Mother set her baskets down, wiped the sweat off her face and looked round.
"Got any porridge?" a man hurried over to her and asked.
I'll bring some tomorrow," she replied.
This was the password! The workman's face lit up. He squatted down to peep into the basket and a packet of leaflets passed into the breast of his jacket.
"Soup! Hot noodles!" Mother cried. Every time a packet left her hands, the hateful yellow face of the officer who had taken her son away flared up in her mind.
The next day she came to the gates of the factory without any papers on her. The guards stopped her and searched her thoroughly. Inside, she saw that everybody was excited. It had got round that the leaflets had appeared again. The men gathered in groups, then scattered, running from one shop to another. The bosses looked worried, and the police had grey, exasperated faces.
She carried the leaflets regularly to the factory, looking upon this as her duty. She felt she was doing something important for the people, for the new life. She had never felt that anyone needed her but now she saw that many people did. And this was a new and pleasant revelation. |