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美国故事 SENEWS-2007-0623-Feature

时间:2007-07-12 01:32来源:互联网 提供网友:y419245804   字体: [ ]
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Now the Special English program American Stories. Our story today is called "Grandfather Tells The Cat Story". It was written by Gray Kojo. Our story takes us to the southwestern part of the United States for a Navajo Indian story. Here is Shep O'Neal with the story.

It was another snow chilled day. The sun had just gone down. A Navajo Indian girl half opened the door and measured the coldness of the coming winter night. She called into the shivering air, "Nishoni! Nishoni! Nishoni!" Out of the darkness, a small kitten came running and answered the warm call.

Nishoni the kitten shook the snow off its cotton-like claws. The orange fire on the center floor of the room could be seen shining in the little cat's glassy eyes as in a mirror. The girl's hands firmly held the kitten as it tried to race back outside, then she closed the door. Nishoni jumped and bounced into the dark corner of the mudded logs of the walls. The children laughed at the funny cat, and grandfather laughed with them. Then, the children asked grandfather if they could hear the story of the cat once more. Grandfather put his bony back against the hard wall and began his story.

Long time ago before your mother and father were born, our people suffered a terrible snowstorm. Our Great Spirit grew angry against the people for not obeying his commands. Our medicine men searched for help, but said the Great Spirit would not promise a peaceful winter because too many people were evil. People did not follow the Great Spirit's orders. I must admit that I stupidly continue to get drunk on wine. I sold my best silver and jewels and our sheep and cows to buy more wine. I said false things about my neighbors. I beat you grandmother. I even stoned to death our cats when they came looking for food.

In the first days of our past, the time of your great, great grandparents, there were few cats in the wildland. They were treated like dogs or horses. Cats used to sleep among the sheep or dogs, or they hid under the pile of firewood for warmth. Our food was given only to the more useful dogs. The cats hunted lizards1, mice and even the people's wastes for food. They were beaten if caught stealing food from our own supply or from the dog's meals. Sometimes the cats never lived to the next day during the cold nights. Anyway, your grandmother used to say, "Because it is the command of our Great Spirit to love all living creatures on earth, we should care for all the animals, tamed or wild." She used to spread out sheep skins for the cats outside during cold nights.

Six days and nights after the continuous snowstorm, twenty sheep and thirteen goats froze to death. Our dogs and horses began to get sick. Your grandmother and I stayed up without sleep, night after night, caring for the animals. We built huge fires in the corral and filled our house with the dying sheep and goats. Soon, we became very tired and weak. Our firewood burned out. In nineteen days our hands froze blue from searching the snow for grasses. The snow got too deep for the horses, so we could not ride to get help from our neighbors who lived far beyond the eastern hills.

One night, my head began to ache, and my body lost its strength then broke down, shivering with chills. At about mid-night, I lost all feeling and a terrible darkness filled my eyes. When I awoke I felt the cold touch of your grandmother. She told me that all the animals including the horses and dogs had died during my long sleep. I knew my death was coming. Your grandmother knew my sickness meant death and that there was no cure, not even a prayer. She only cried. I begged her to leave me to die and try to make her go to our nearest neighbor. I told her to follow a ridge2 where the snow might be thin and to take all the remaining food. I forced her to prepare me for burial. She cleaned my body. She beautified me with her turquoise3 beads4 and silver shells and covered me with her valuable fabrics5 and blankets. She wanted me to enter the great eternity6 with beauty. She said prayers not for curing but for all the evils I had done. She closed to the smoke hole and the door and left.

I saw darkness not as in a night, but as a silent, dark, emptiness. Suddenly, I found myself sitting on top of my motionless dead body. A soft chant came from the blackness, from where a voice commanded. The voice told me to wait there for the evil spirits to carry me to their nation.

What evil spirits? I asked. There was no answer. I was able to look down at my dead face. The hard, cruel eyes were finally closed. My mouth emptied of curses, and the scars of drunkenness turned pale and blue. The sight brought back terrible memories. I now regretted, all the cruelties and deaths I brought upon the living creatures. I found my own answer for my punishment. I cried. Immediately, a white cloud appeared out of the black emptiness. I froze with fright. The scene seemed to be only a trick, an allusion7, but it was real. The cloud came closer and closer. I cried louder and louder. Then, the cloud flew open, several horsemen appeared, riding toward me. I could not run, I only watched as they came. The men were all galloping8 along on boney horses. The skins of the men stretched tightly on their skeletons. At some places, I could see some skinless joints9 in motion. They all looked as if they were once buried in old graves.

At a distance behind these ghosts, rode two more horsemen driving along our dead animals. They also pulled along an empty horse. These creatures were the evil spirits. They were coming for me as the voice had said. They stopped, and looked down at me. The skin on their faces was gone. I could see their angry teeth. The man with the empty horse moved to one side of his horse and held down his inviting10 hand. I forced up my hand, knowing that I had to go with them. As I felt the bony fingertip a sudden cry broke our hold. The hand of the evil spirit pulled back as if burned by fire. All the evil spirits fled back into the darkness, I was left alone. Right then, on the left side of my chest, I felt something wooly11 and warm. It was our cat. It was tarrying through the air with its open claws like an angry panther. The cat had frightened the evil spirits away. I wanted to touch and stroke the cat. But I was too stunned12 with surprise and happiness.

Slowly, I got to my feet with my arms around the cat. The dogs cheerfully raced to my side, then joyfully13 the cat, the dogs and I gathered up our sheep, goats and horses. Again, I heard the voice. It commanded that I and the cat should go back. The animals were to be put in a greener pasture than our land. The cloud flowed away with my life's dark. I cried, but then smiled when I pictured them in a green pasture. At the farthest distance a figure joined the flock and herded14 them out of sight.

Suddenly I was back in my body. The cat was cuddled up and snoring asleep on my chest, keeping my heart warm. Life had been given back to me by the cat I once tortured. Your grandmother died in the snowstorm. But I learned the commandment she always believed in. And I always think she was the figure who herded the flock to the greener pasture.

So ended grandfather's story. Grandfather has always kept a cat in his house since the horrible snowstorm.

Nishoni, which means beauty, is a name given to all his cats. A cat is fun for the children and keeps the rats, lizards and snakes out of the house. But it also with protection against the evil spirits. The fire burned low and the children quietly dozed15 off to sleep. Grandfather stepped outside and stood looking into the peaceful winter night, holding Nishoni in his arms.

You have just heard the story "Grandfather Tells The Cat Story". Your storyteller was Shep O'Neal. The story was written by Gray Kojo. It is copyrighted. All rights reserved by the author. This is Shirley Griffith.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 lizards 9e3fa64f20794483b9c33d06297dcbfb     
n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Nothing lives in Pompeii except crickets and beetles and lizards. 在庞培城里除了蟋蟀、甲壳虫和蜥蜴外,没有别的生物。 来自辞典例句
  • Can lizards reproduce their tails? 蜥蜴的尾巴断了以后能再生吗? 来自辞典例句
2 ridge KDvyh     
n.山脊;鼻梁;分水岭
参考例句:
  • We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
  • The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。
3 turquoise Uldwx     
n.绿宝石;adj.蓝绿色的
参考例句:
  • She wore a string of turquoise round her neck.她脖子上戴着一串绿宝石。
  • The women have elaborate necklaces of turquoise.那些女人戴着由绿松石制成的精美项链。
4 beads 894701f6859a9d5c3c045fd6f355dbf5     
n.(空心)小珠子( bead的名词复数 );水珠;珠子项链
参考例句:
  • a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
  • Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。
5 fabrics 678996eb9c1fa810d3b0cecef6c792b4     
织物( fabric的名词复数 ); 布; 构造; (建筑物的)结构(如墙、地面、屋顶):质地
参考例句:
  • cotton fabrics and synthetics 棉织物与合成织物
  • The fabrics are merchandised through a network of dealers. 通过经销网点销售纺织品。
6 eternity Aiwz7     
n.不朽,来世;永恒,无穷
参考例句:
  • The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
  • Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞,永世相随。
7 allusion CfnyW     
n.暗示,间接提示
参考例句:
  • He made an allusion to a secret plan in his speech.在讲话中他暗示有一项秘密计划。
  • She made no allusion to the incident.她没有提及那个事件。
8 galloping galloping     
adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • The horse started galloping the moment I gave it a good dig. 我猛戳了马一下,它就奔驰起来了。
  • Japan is galloping ahead in the race to develop new technology. 日本在发展新技术的竞争中进展迅速,日新月异。
9 joints d97dcffd67eca7255ca514e4084b746e     
接头( joint的名词复数 ); 关节; 公共场所(尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所) (非正式); 一块烤肉 (英式英语)
参考例句:
  • Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on gas mains. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在煤气的总管道上了。
  • Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on steam pipes. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在蒸气管道上了。
10 inviting CqIzNp     
adj.诱人的,引人注目的
参考例句:
  • An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
  • The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人,使人感到亲切温馨。
11 wooly Cfpw8     
adj.毛茸茸的;糊涂的
参考例句:
  • I like the feel of this cloth and it has a warm wooly feel.我喜欢这块布的手感,它摸上去毛茸茸的很暖和。
  • He wore a brown t-shirt with jeans and a pair of shoes,with a wooly hat covering his hair.小贝身穿一件棕色t恤,搭配牛仔裤和皮鞋,头戴一顶盖住头发的羊毛帽子。
12 stunned 735ec6d53723be15b1737edd89183ec2     
adj. 震惊的,惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
  • The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。
13 joyfully joyfully     
adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地
参考例句:
  • She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着,脚底下轻飘飘的。
  • During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里,她干得很高兴。
14 herded a8990e20e0204b4b90e89c841c5d57bf     
群集,纠结( herd的过去式和过去分词 ); 放牧; (使)向…移动
参考例句:
  • He herded up his goats. 他把山羊赶拢在一起。
  • They herded into the corner. 他们往角落里聚集。
15 dozed 30eca1f1e3c038208b79924c30b35bfc     
v.打盹儿,打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He boozed till daylight and dozed into the afternoon. 他喝了个通霄,昏沉沉地一直睡到下午。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • I dozed off during the soporific music. 我听到这催人入睡的音乐,便不知不觉打起盹儿来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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TAG标签:   美国故事  feature  美国故事  feature
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