2级-《欧·亨利短篇小说集》-第15课

故事介绍 

琳内特·达曼德和罗莎莉·雷曾经共同在百老汇附近剧院工作，但后来罗莎莉小姐突然离开了剧院。这日达曼德小姐在塔利亚酒店里翻看照片时想起了罗莎莉，而就在这时，房间的门被敲响，进来的正是罗莎莉。二人在房间内畅聊了过去两年发生的故事。

故事原文  

O. Henry's Short Stories L15

欧·亨利短篇小说集 L15

The window of Miss D' Armande's room looked out onto Broadway and its theatres. But Lynette D' Armande turned her chair round and sat with her back to Broadway. She was an actress, and needed the Broadway theatres, but Broadway did not need her.

从达曼德小姐的房间望出去，就是百老汇和那里的众多剧院。可是琳内特·达曼德把椅子转过来，背朝百老汇坐着。她是演员，需要百老汇剧院这个舞台，可是百老汇不需要她。

She was staying in the Hotel Thalia. Actors go there to rest for the summer and then try to get work for the autumn when the little theatres open again. Miss D' Armande's room in this hotel was a small one, but in it there were many mementoes(1) of her days in the theatre, and there were also pictures of some of her best friends. She looked at one of these pictures now, and smiled at it(2).

她暂住在塔利亚酒店里，演员们都上这儿来歇夏，然后等秋季到了，小剧院重新开张，再去设法找工作。达曼德小姐在这儿住的房间不大，可有很多她在剧院时的纪念品，还有一些好朋友的照片。她现在正微笑地看着其中的一张照片。

‘I'd like to know where Lee is now,’she said to herself.

“真想知道现在莉在哪儿。”她自言自语道。

She was looking at a picture of Miss Rosalie Ray,a very beautiful young woman. In the picture, Miss Ray was wearing a very short skirt and she was sitting on a swing. Every night in the theatre she went high in the air on her swing, over the heads of all the people. When she did this, all the men in the theatre got very excited and stood up.

她看的是罗莎莉·雷小姐的照片，她是个非常漂亮的年轻女人。照片里的雷小姐穿着一条极短的裙子，坐在秋千上。在剧院里时，她每天晚上都把秋千荡得高高的，飞过所有人的头顶。她荡秋千的时候，剧院里所有的男人都兴奋不已，站起身来。

This was because, when her long beautiful legs were high in the air, her yellow garter flew off and fell down to the men below. She did this every evening, and every evening a hundred hands went up to catch the garter(3). She did other things. She sang, she danced, but when she got onto her swing, all the men stood up. Miss Ray did not have to try very hard to find work in the theatre.

这是因为她漂亮的长腿会在空中飞得高高的，黄色的吊袜带也会松掉，落在底下的男人身上。她每天晚上都这么干，每天晚上都有上百双手举着去抓那吊袜带。她还干别的，唱歌、跳舞，但是她一上秋千，所有的男人就都站起来了。雷小姐不用太费力，就能在剧院找到工作。

After two years of this, Miss D' Armande remembered. Miss Ray suddenly left the theatre and went to live in the country.

达曼德小姐记得，这么干了两年，雷小姐突然离开剧院，到乡下过日子去了。

And seventeen minutes after Miss D' Armande said，'I'd like to know where

lee is now', somebody knocked on the door(4).

就在达曼德小姐对自己说完“真想知道现在莉在哪儿”十七分钟后，有人敲门。

It was, of course, Rosalie Ray.

当然，来的正是罗莎莉·雷。

'Come in,' Miss D' Armande called, and Miss Ray came in. Yes, it was Rosalic. She took off her hat, and Miss D' Armande could see that she looked very tired and unhappy.

“进来。”达曼德小姐招呼着，雷小姐进来了。对，就是罗莎莉。她摘下帽子，达曼德小姐看得出，她疲惫不堪，闷闷不乐。

I've got the room above you,' Rosalie said.' They told me at the desk downstairs that you were here.'

“我就住你楼上，”罗莎莉说，“楼下前台的人告诉我你在这儿。”

I've been here since the end of April,' Lynnette replied.'I begin work again next week, out in a small town. But you left the theatre three months ago, Lee. Why are you here?'

“我从四月底就在这儿，”琳内特答道，“我下礼拜开始工作，去一个小镇上。可你不是三个月前离开了么，莉？怎么又回来了？”

I' ll tell you, Lynn, but give me a drink first.' Miss D' Armande passed a bottle to her friend(5).

“我会告诉你的，琳恩，先让我喝一杯再说。”达曼德小姐递给朋友一瓶酒。

'Ah, that's good!' said Rosalie. 'My first drink for three months. Yes, Lynn,I left the theatre because I was tired of the life, and because I was tired of men-well, the men who come to the theatre. You know we have to fight them off(6) all the time. They' re animals! They ask you to go out with them, they buy you a drink or two-and then they think that they can do what they want! It's terrible! And we work hard, we get very little money for it, we wait to(7) get to the top-and it never happens. But most of all,I left because of the men. '

“啊，好极了！”罗莎莉说，“这是我三个月来头一次喝酒。确实，琳恩，我是离开了剧院，因为我厌倦了这种生活，厌倦了男人——哼，那些到剧院来的男人。你知道，我们一天到晚得想法子甩开他们。他们全是禽兽！他们请你出去，给你买上一两杯酒，然后就以为可以想干嘛干嘛了！真讨厌透了！我们辛辛苦苦。挣不了几个钱。一心巴型着爬上去哪有那回事儿！不过说到底，我离开还是因为男人。”

Well, I saved two hundred dollars and when summer came, I left the theatre and went to a little village by the sea on Long Island. I planned to stay there for the summer, and then learn how to be a better actress.

“噢，我存了两百块，等到夏天，我就离开了剧院，到了长岛海边上的一个小村子里。我打算在那儿过完夏天，然后学学怎么做个更好的演员。”

（原文中出现高光标示内容请见核心语言点）

核心语言点  

1. memento 纪念品

2. smile at sth./sb. 冲着某物/某人微笑

例句：

The baby is smiling at his mother. 

这个宝宝正在冲着他的妈妈微笑。

3. garter 袜带，吊袜带

4. knock on the door 敲门

例句：

The students should knock on the door before they go into the teacher’s office. 

学生进老师办公室之前应该先敲门。

5. pass sth. to sb. 把某物传递给某人

例句：

Can you pass the milk to me? 

你能把牛奶递给我吗？

6. fight sb. off = fight off sb. 击退、赶走某人

例句：

We have to fight the enemies off. 

我们必须击退敌人的进攻。

7. wait to get to the top 期望着往上爬

    can’t wait to do sth. 等不及做某事