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课文22 熟记台词# J0 x. p) P' S3 k! F" _
370. Some plays are so successful that they run for years on end.% U( w' X% A1 b8 z6 N, I/ S9 u) e
有些剧目十分成功,以致连续上演好几年。, C a9 m( m9 j' F- [* M' ?
371. In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same lines night after night.
5 Z4 ?* {- M, \3 y 这样一来,可怜的演员们可倒霉了。因为他们需要一夜连着一夜地重复同样的台词。& P" @0 c) G6 ]! S+ W' q- w/ z6 Q! s
372. One would expect them to know their parts by heart and never have cause to falter.4 y4 Z q- }2 a& B
人们以为,这些演员一定会把台词背得烂熟,绝不会临场结巴的,
% h. m b: n" C' q% x373. Yet this is not always the case.
5 }. _6 X7 z3 b- F$ }5 z 但情况却并不总是这样。
- k% l% M: ~4 X0 Q9 K374. A famous actor in a highly successful play was once cast in the role of an aristocrat who had been imprisoned in the Bastille for twenty years.) e, F' B; J' m) J
有一位名演员曾在一出极为成功的剧目中扮演一个贵族角色,这个贵族已在巴士底狱被关押了20年。
& M6 n ~( v* P4 E+ T- V375. In the last act, a gaoler would always come on to the stage with a letter which he would hand to the prisoner.
( W% Q M. K8 Z( s% k 在最后一幕中,狱卒手持一封信上场,然后将信交给狱中那位贵族。
c6 B/ {( ?2 q+ s) p* o376. Even though the noble was expected to read the letter at each performance,8 w2 o6 P9 E9 z) d
尽管那个贵族每场戏都得念一遍那封信。7 f, D% L3 w8 J/ d/ R
377. he always insisted that it should be written out in full.
8 \% V+ X2 { s" U' _ 但他还是坚持要求将信的全文写在信纸上。
; e: p9 o6 f+ n B2 D378. One night, the gaoler decided to play a joke on his colleague to find out if,
* M" }5 M3 g4 Y& s. B0 n& t( @. O 一天晚上,狱卒决定与他的同事开一个玩笑,
+ f I2 i' G0 [1 e7 S379. after so many performances, he had managed to learn the contents of the letter by heart.
0 l2 s# N) I6 x9 R8 F4 Y2 y- H 看看他反复演出这么多场之后,是否已将信的内容记熟了。
9 G1 j7 T& U6 ^: P) U380. The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell.% O, P) R' q9 J
大幕拉开,最后一幕戏开演,贵族独自一人坐在铁窗后阴暗的牢房里。) f8 n/ w) k/ E9 q5 q0 g
381. Just then, the gaoler appeared with the precious letter in his bands.
" w4 j4 R2 s5 w' {5 |( b# t, ? 这时狱卒上场,手里拿着那封珍贵的信。3 |& p% W- e, M
382. He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat.
! P- Q# ]4 @7 t1 x 狱卒走进牢房,将信交给贵族。
1 C9 w% K; v" a. y5 E8 l" U. r383. But the copy he gave him had not been written out in full as usual.
6 w7 \3 x: L( d* n( }, d% v) y 但这回狱卒给贵族的信没有像往常那样把全文写全,
1 a5 V) B+ @3 n384. It was simply a blank sheet of paper.
% ~2 C/ s8 C8 q4 [1 X 而是一张白纸。) |, z0 i% k: \( W- S
385. The gaoler looked on eagerly, anxious to see if his fellow actor had at last learnt his lines.
) {7 o @8 ?/ Z7 W, Y 狱卒热切地观察着,急于想了解他的同事是否记熟了台词。/ S* O9 k6 G" R
386. The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds.! ~' S- V/ f- J; U8 v$ c4 g
贵族盯着纸看了几秒钟,
3 Z( n5 U4 M7 Z0 G, e) T3 l8 L6 b4 l387. Then, squinting his eyes, he said: 'The light is dim. Read the letter to me'.
! h; J+ z* {. H/ d 然后,眼珠一转,说道:“光线太暗,请给我读一下这封信。”
4 z/ w- g* I5 m8 J9 h. m: ?388. And he promptly handed the sheet of paper to the gaoler.5 L$ Q- \8 \6 Z9 w- @
说完,他一下子把信递给狱卒。9 O7 L5 L* v, `3 k: b
389. Finding that he could not remember a word of the letter either,/ ]- z$ n+ b: F2 v* X8 {4 J
狱卒发现自己连一个字也记不住,; w2 H# n! D" @# ^/ |: |# h
390. the gaoler replied: 'The light is indeed dim, sire. I must get my glasses.'
" _' Z& I: y' D 于是便说:“陛下,这儿光线的确太暗了,我得去眼镜拿来。”2 C/ X# t! i0 I# q& q* n% w" z
391. With this, he hurried off the stage.
8 g+ V7 t( C! y2 H2 J1 z* U2 \ 他一边说着,一边匆匆下台。5 w5 a& V" i2 F2 V
392. Much to the aristocrat's amusement,
. {1 W* Z0 k7 y+ V1 x 贵族感到非常好笑的是:
W2 w" `- F8 s% G j5 L) _393. the gaoler returned a few moments later with a pair of glasses and the usual copy of the letter which he proceeded to read to the prisoner. v- M2 `5 F) ~/ A+ t+ A* h& N5 |
一会儿工夫,狱卒重新登台,拿来一副眼镜以及平时使用的那封信,然后为那囚犯念了起来。 |
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