听美国故事练听力 31

　　(MUSIC)Our story today is called, "The Return of a Private. " It was writtenby Hamlin Garland. Here is Harry¹ Monroe with our story.
(MUSIC)Narrator²: The soldiers cheered as the train crossed the border intothe state of Wisconsin. It had been a long trip from the south back totheir homes in the north.
One of the men had a large red scar³ across his forehead. Another hadan injured⁴ leg that made it painful for him to walk. The third hadunnaturally large and bright eyes, because he had been sick withmalaria.
The three soldiers spread their blankets on the train seats and triedto sleep. It was a cold evening even though it was summertime. PrivateSmith, the soldier with the fever, shivered⁵ in the night air.
His joy in coming home was mixed with fear and worry. He knew he wassick and weak. How could he take care of his family? Where would hefind the strength to do the heavy work all farmers have to do? He hadgiven three years of his life to his country. And now he had verylittle money and strength left for his family.
Morning came slowly with a pale yellow light. The train was slowingdown as it came into the town of La Crosse where the three soldierswould get off the train. The station was empty because it was Sunday.
"I'll get home in time for dinner," Smith thought. "She usually hasdinner about one o'clock on Sunday afternoon,” and he smiled.
Smith and the other two soldiers jumped off the train together. "Well,boys," Smith began, "here's where we say good-bye. We've marchedtogether for many miles. Now, I suppose, we are done." The three menfound it hard to look at each other.
"We ought to go home with you," one of the soldiers said to Smith.
"You'll never be able to walk all those miles with that heavy pack onyour back.""Oh, I'm all right," Smith said, putting on his army cap. "Every steptakes me closer to home."They all shook hands. "Good-bye!" "Good luck!" "Same to you!" "Good-bye!"Smith turned and walked away quickly. After a few minutes, he turnedagain and waved his cap. His two friends did the same. Then theymarched away with their long steady⁶ soldier's step. Smith walked for awhile thinking of his friends. He remembered the many days they hadbeen together during the war.
He thought of his friend, Billy Tripp, too. Poor Billy! A bullet⁷ cameout of the sky one day and tore a great hole in Billy's chest⁸.
Smith knew he would have to tell the sad story to Billy's mother andyoung wife. But there was little to tell. The sound of a bulletcutting through the air. Billy crying out, then falling with his facein the dirt.
The fighting he had done since then had not made him forget the horrorof that moment when Billy died.
Soon, the fields and houses became familiar. Smith knew he was closeto home. The sun was burning hot as he began climbing the last hill.
Finally, he reached the top and looked down at his farm in thebeautiful valley. He was almost home.
Misses Smith was alone on the farm with her three children. Mary wasnine years old. Tommy was six and little Teddy had just turned four.
Misses Smith had been dreaming about her husband, when the chickensawakened her that Sunday morning. She got out of bed, got dressed andwent out to feed the chickens. Then she saw the broken fence⁹ near thechicken house. She had tried to fix it again and again. Misses Smithsat down and cried.
The farmer who had promised to take care of the farm while her husbandwas away had been lazy and dishonest. The first year he shared thewheat with Misses Smith. But the next year, he took almost all of itfor himself. She had sent him away. Now, the fields were full ofwheat. But there was no man on the farm to cut it down and sell it.
Six weeks before, her husband told her in a letter that he would becoming home soon. Other soldiers were returning home, but her husbandhad not come. Every day, she watched the road leading down the hill.
This Sunday morning she could no longer stand being alone. She jumpedup, ran into the house and quickly dressed the children. She carefullylocked the door and started walking down the road to the farmhouse¹⁰ ofher neighbor, Misses Gray.
Mary Gray was a widow¹¹ with a large family of strong sons and prettydaughters. She was poor. But she never said 'no' to a hungry personwho came to her farm and asked for food. She worked hard, laughedoften and was always in a cheerful¹² mood.
When she saw Misses Smith and the children coming down the road,Misses Gray went out to meet them. "Please come right in, MissesSmith. We were just getting ready to have dinner."Misses Smith went into the noisy house. Misses Gray's children werelaughing and talking all at the same time. Soon she was laughing andsinging with the rest of them.
The long table in the kitchen was piled with food. There werepotatoes, fresh corn, apple pies, hot bread, sweet pickles¹³, bread andbutter and honey. They all ate until they could eat no more. Then themen and children left the table. The women stayed to drink their tea.
"Mamma," said one of Misses Gray's daughters. “Please read ourfortunes in the tea leaves! Tell us about our futures¹⁴!"Misses Gray picked up her daughter's cup and stirred¹⁵ it first to theleft, then to the right. Then she looked into it with a seriousexpression. "I see a handsome man with a red beard in your future,"she said. Her daughter screamed with laughter¹⁶.
Misses Smith trembled¹⁷ with excitement when it was her turn. "Somebodyis coming home to you," Misses Gray said slowly. "He's carrying arifle on his back and he's almost there."Misses Smith felt as if she could hardly breathe. "And there he is!"Misses Gray cried, pointing to the road. They all rushed to the doorto look.
A man in a blue coat, with a gun on his back, was walking down theroad toward¹⁸ the Smith farm. His face was hidden by a large pack on hisback.
Laughing and crying, Misses Smith grabbed¹⁹ her hat and her children andran out of the house. She hurried down the road after him, calling hisname and pulling her children along with her. But the soldier was toofar away for her voice to reach him.
When she got back to their farm, she saw the man standing²⁰ by thefence. He was looking at the little house and the field of yellowwheat. The sun was almost touching²¹ the hills in the west. The cowbellsrang softly²² as the animals moved toward the barn²³.
"How peaceful it all is," Private Smith thought. "How far away fromthe battles, the hospitals, the wounded²⁴ and the dead. My little farmin Wisconsin. How could I have left it for those years of killing²⁵ andsuffering?”
Trembling²⁶ and weak with emotion, Misses Smith hurried up to herhusband. Her feet made no sound on the grass, but he turned suddenlyto face her. For the rest of his life, he would never forget her faceat that moment.
"Emma!" he cried.
The children stood back watching their mother kissing this strangeman. He saw them, and kneeling²⁷ down he pulled from his pack threehuge, red apples. In a moment, all three children were in theirfather's arms. Together, the family entered the little unpaintedfarmhouse.
Later that evening, after supper, Smith and his wife went outside. Themoon was bright, above the eastern hills. Sweet, peaceful stars filledthe sky as the night birds sang softly, and tiny insects buzzed²⁸ in thesoft air.
His farm needed work. His children needed clothing. He was no longeryoung and strong. But he began to plan for next year. With the samecourage he had faced the war, Private Smith faced his difficultfuture.
(MUSIC)Announcer: You have just heard the story, "The Return of a Private."It was written by Hamlin Garland, and adapted for Special English byDona de Sanctis. Your narrator was Harry Monroe.
The Voice of America invites you to listen again next week at thissame time to another AMERICAN STORY. This is Susan Clark.
(MUSIC)

1 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

2 narrator   

n.讲述者；解说员；旁白者

参考例句：

• He listens and waits for the narrator to explain more.他听著，等待讲的人进一步解释。
• The story's narrator is an actress in her late thirties.故事的叙述者是位年近四十的女演员。

3 scar   

n.伤疤，伤痕，创伤

参考例句：

• This scar is from the bite of a dog.这是狗咬后留下的伤疤。
• The tragedy left a scar on her mind.这个悲剧给她造成精神上的创伤。

4 injured   

adj.受伤的

参考例句：

• Our best defender is injured and won't be able to play today.我们最佳的防守员受伤了，今天不能参加比赛。
• The injured men have been dug out of the snow.受伤人员从雪中被挖了出来。

5 shivered   

（因寒冷，害怕等）颤抖，哆嗦( shiver的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• We shivered in the damp of the forest. 我们因树林里的湿气而打寒颤。
• She shivered involuntarily as he approached her. 他离她越来越近，她不由自主地颤抖起来。

6 steady   

adj.稳定的，不动摇的，沉着的，稳固的，坚定的，可靠的；vt.使稳定

参考例句：

• She has a steady income.她有固定的收入。
• He is a steady young man.他是一个稳重的年轻人。

7 bullet   

n.枪弹，子弹

参考例句：

• The bullet wound in his shoulder was opened up for treatment.切开他肩上的枪伤进行治疗。
• The bullet missed me by a hair's s breadth.那颗子弹差一点就打中了我。

8 chest   

n.胸，大箱子，金库，资金，一箱，密封室，衣橱

参考例句：

• The bear's chest is hairy.那只熊的胸部毛茸茸的。
• Mother has a pain in her chest.母亲胸口疼.。

9 fence   

n.围墙，剑术；v.用篱笆围住，练习剑术，防护；[计算机]栅栏

参考例句：

• They put a fence around the garden.他们在园子的周围建起了篱笆。
• The thief jumped himself over a fence and escaped.贼纵身跃过篱笆逃走了。

10 farmhouse   

n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房）

参考例句：

• We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
• We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。

11 widow   

n.寡妇

参考例句：

• Martha was a very rich young widow.玛莎是个很有钱的年轻寡妇。
• All this money was appropriated for the support of his widow.所有这些钱作为给他的遗孀的抚养费。

12 cheerful   

adj.快活的，高兴的，兴高采烈

参考例句：

• Yellow is a cheerful colour.黄色是令人高兴的颜色。
• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。

13 pickles   

n.腌菜( pickle的名词复数 )；处于困境；遇到麻烦；菜酱

参考例句：

• Most people eat pickles at breakfast. 大多数人早餐吃腌菜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I want their pickles and wines, and that.' 我要他们的泡菜、美酒和所有其他东西。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛

14 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。

15 stirred   

v.（使）移动( stir的过去式和过去分词 )；搅拌；（使）行动；（使）微动

参考例句：

• She stirred her tea. 她搅了搅茶。
• He stirred the coffee until it was a light reddish-brown. 直到咖啡成红褐色，他才停止搅拌。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 laughter   

n.笑，笑声

参考例句：

• I don't know how my story caused so much laughter.我不知我的故事怎么引起如此大笑。
• The audience gave way to uncontrollable bursts of laughter.听众忍不住发出一阵阵笑声。

17 trembled   

v.发抖( tremble的过去式和过去分词 )；焦虑；颤动；轻轻摇晃

参考例句：

• They all trembled at the prospect of an enemy invasion. 他们想到敌人可能入侵都不寒而栗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The whole house trembled as the train went by. 火车开过时，整座房子都颤动了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

19 grabbed   

v.抢先，抢占( grab的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指匆忙地）取；攫取；（尤指自私、贪婪地）捞取

参考例句：

• He was grabbed by two men and frogmarched out of the hall. 他被两个男人紧抓双臂押出大厅。
• She grabbed the child's hand and ran. 她抓住孩子的手就跑。

20 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

21 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

22 softly   

adv.柔和地，静静地，温柔地

参考例句：

• He speaks too softly for her to hear.他讲话声音太轻，她听不见。
• She breathed her advice softly.她低声劝告。

23 barn   

n.谷仓，饲料仓，牲口棚

参考例句：

• That big building is a barn for keeping the grain.那幢大房子是存放粮食的谷仓。
• The cows were driven into the barn.牛被赶进了牲口棚。

24 wounded   

adj.受伤的；n.伤员

参考例句：

• The wounded man let out a cry of pain.伤员发出一阵痛苦的叫喊声。
• She attended on the wounded soldier day and night.她日夜护理着负伤的战士。

25 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

26 trembling   

n.发抖adj.发抖的v.发抖( tremble的现在分词 )；焦虑；颤动；轻轻摇晃

参考例句：

• My legs were trembling with fear. 我吓得双腿直发抖。
• Daddy was trembling with anxiety as to how the talks would go. 爸爸为那些商谈的进展而焦虑不安。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 kneeling   

v.跪( kneel的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Better die standing than live kneeling. 宁愿站着死，不愿跪着生。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He pulled her down so that they were kneeling face to face. 他拉她跪下来，他们脸对着脸。 来自英汉文学

28 buzzed   

v.发出嗡嗡声( buzz的过去式和过去分词 )；（发出）充满兴奋的谈话声[闲话，谣言]；忙乱，急行；用蜂鸣器（发信号）

参考例句：

• Bees buzzed lazily among the flowers. 蜜蜂在花丛中懒洋洋地嗡嗡叫着。
• He buzzed the rumour everywhere. 他到处散播谣言。 来自《简明英汉词典》