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课文22 熟记台词+ d4 T O' b5 I! `6 B' |9 V
370. Some plays are so successful that they run for years on end.
8 a, J5 f7 M3 j+ z 有些剧目十分成功,以致连续上演好几年。
& C) a8 R) N7 [. O371. In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same lines night after night.
. E; y- b+ |9 {4 p- a5 r 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。, s* t9 X. C$ D
372. One would expect them to know their parts by heart and never have cause to falter.$ `, K7 a" v9 p* g5 X
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, s8 \- Z8 t3 \
373. Yet this is not always the case.
( }$ N- D9 | ^+ l' O" v' S# a 但情况却并不总是这样。* m$ g, H& E- A! q; A" M
374. 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.- D& j# K& ]$ a& a9 A8 I
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。; b3 s5 C( g; E. ^# c5 W# f! K
375. In the last act, a gaoler would always come on to the stage with a letter which he would hand to the prisoner.
8 \( Q. A) O: E$ V 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。
! H Y3 I M) `3 J9 _* C376. Even though the noble was expected to read the letter at each performance,
$ ? ` p0 R1 Q7 d- F) i 尽管那个贵族每场戏都得念一遍那封信。" q8 U7 ]4 z4 I0 e1 s Y9 b
377. he always insisted that it should be written out in full.1 V; m( H6 v* n& i
但他还是坚持要求将信的全文写在信纸上。8 S5 J8 c4 ?% c8 Y+ v2 C
378. One night, the gaoler decided to play a joke on his colleague to find out if,
9 H4 Q7 e6 U2 f3 a 一天晚上,狱卒决定与他的同事开一个玩笑,1 V6 g8 ~6 r7 Q
379. after so many performances, he had managed to learn the contents of the letter by heart.! g& ^ c& e: }5 N' x! O# O7 t
看看他反复演出这么多场之后,是否已将信的内容记熟了。( a0 ]! a3 |# }
380. The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell.. Y- B: o- N, h& U
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。6 ~( G& K) X1 |
381. Just then, the gaoler appeared with the precious letter in his bands.
) D+ k3 N* H; [! M1 e6 R 这时狱卒上场,手里拿着那封珍贵的信。% {7 A B) d6 P. }, t
382. He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat.* f! o1 \" h4 O& {
狱卒走进牢房,将信交给贵族。
% J; h( q9 {* H# a y383. But the copy he gave him had not been written out in full as usual.8 N& @$ C! T" r# F- X0 U d
但这回狱卒给贵族的信没有像往常那样把全文写全,
0 ]) A- ]+ P. N" b+ i& |4 @5 D384. It was simply a blank sheet of paper.
1 V- _: N( c) ] 而是一张白纸。& f2 u0 k8 v0 C1 I
385. The gaoler looked on eagerly, anxious to see if his fellow actor had at last learnt his lines.
: d) N3 y. K2 Z' `$ Q9 E1 s+ P# m, S 狱卒热切地观察着,急于想了解他的同事是否记熟了台词。
% {( _* V/ D4 m1 c386. The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds.
/ x! m p* R# k 贵族盯着纸看了几秒钟,( i& }- M, G# c! B$ J
387. Then, squinting his eyes, he said: 'The light is dim. Read the letter to me'./ e: \& S8 A4 D3 u( F+ c U- f
然后,眼珠一转,说道:“光线太暗,请给我读一下这封信。”/ v$ \- e3 l1 }/ w9 r3 w; z6 j" s
388. And he promptly handed the sheet of paper to the gaoler.
' h7 ^# W" _8 m! w% g4 f 说完,他一下子把信递给狱卒。# v, E/ H# b) _9 L
389. Finding that he could not remember a word of the letter either,
1 q' O. R; O( T$ _# z 狱卒发现自己连一个字也记不住,% Z) l. d4 D7 y1 m# |3 G5 R0 T. w
390. the gaoler replied: 'The light is indeed dim, sire. I must get my glasses.'
% v, Z1 R" n. f4 Q ~5 j# {( j 于是便说:“陛下,这儿光线的确太暗了,我得去眼镜拿来。”: s6 [! R% I' a6 K. y
391. With this, he hurried off the stage.! N+ x4 A; ?$ @8 n
他一边说着,一边匆匆下台。6 `& W5 {6 c2 B1 l* G1 [
392. Much to the aristocrat's amusement,
$ l6 }5 j" D. z0 ` 贵族感到非常好笑的是: T+ r6 T. i7 G2 u T$ d- x- C
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.1 b2 I+ @2 ^/ O$ z- [/ G! u3 q
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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