【第一章】E06 精讲版 | 爵士乐界女王多罗西娅

英汉对照 

Twenty minutes later, Joe sprinted up to a green brick building with a red awning over the doorway. Once inside, he paused to catch his breath. His eyes swept over the black-and-white photographs lining the stairwell that led down to the club. All of Joe’s heroes were there: Duke Ellington. John Coltrane. Miles Davis. Ella Fitzgerald. Thelonius Monk. Ornette Coleman. Dizzy Gillespie. Charlie Parker. Bill Evans. And so many more.

二十分钟后，乔跑到了一栋绿色的砖砌建筑前，只见门口架着红色的遮阳篷。一走进室内，他就停下来喘了口气。他的目光投向通往俱乐部的楼梯井，扫过一张张黑白照片。乔崇拜的所有偶像都在那里：埃林顿公爵、约翰·柯川、迈尔斯·戴维斯、埃拉· 菲茨杰拉德、塞隆尼斯· 蒙克、奥尼特· 科尔曼、迪齐·吉莱斯皮、查理·帕克、比尔·埃文斯，还有许多其他人。

And now it was Joe’s turn. At least, he hoped so.

现在轮到乔了。至少他希望如此。

“There he is! My man!” Curley was waiting for Joe at the bottom of the stairs. He was taller and broader than the last time Joe had seen him, and his head was shaved bald. But he had the same sweet, round face he’d had at thirteen.

“他来了！老兄！”柯利正在楼梯下面等乔。他比乔的记忆中个子高了些，体型宽了些，而且剃着光头。但他的脸还是和十三岁那年一样，圆圆的很讨人喜欢。

“Hey, Curley,” Joe said, shaking his hand. 

“嗨，柯利。”乔说着与他握手。  

“Leon skipping town really put us in a bind, man,” Curley told him.

“莱昂不辞而别着实让我们进退两难，老兄。”柯利对他说道。

“I’ll bet.” Joe tried to look sympathetic. But inwardly, he thanked his lucky stars. If he ever met Leon, he was going to take him out to dinner for giving him this chance!

“我猜也是。”乔努力表现出同情的样子，但内心却在感谢他的幸运星。如果能见到莱昂，他会请他去吃顿饭，回报他给的这次机会！

“I’m glad you made it,” Curley said, leading Joe into the club.

“我很高兴你赶到了。”柯利边说，边带乔走进俱乐部。

As Joe’s eyes adjusted to the semidarkness, he saw Dorothea onstage, warming up on her sax. Silhouetted against the red curtain, she looked as regal as a queen on her throne. But it was the music that stopped Joe in his tracks. The sound coming from her sax was warm and rich enough to drink. He stood there for a moment, dazzled.

眼睛适应半明半暗的光线后，乔看到多罗西娅在舞台上， 正吹着萨克斯管热身。在红色幕布的映衬下，她如同宝座上的女王般雍容华贵。但令乔停下脚步的却是音乐。她那萨克斯管发出的声响温暖醇厚，如饮美酒。他在原地站了片刻，有些头晕目眩。

“Hey, Dorothea,” said Curley, “this is the cat I was telling you about. My old middle-school band teacher, Mr. Gardner!”

“嗨，多罗西娅，”柯利说道，“这就是我和你说的那人。我当年的中学乐队老师，加德纳先生！”

“Call me Joe, Dorothea ... I mean, um, Ms. Williams. It’s a pleasure. Wow. This is amazing,” Joe gushed.

“叫我乔就好，多罗西娅……我是说，呃，威廉姆斯女士。这是我的荣幸。哇，这也太不可思议了。”乔激动地说道。

Dorothea lowered her saxophone. She gave Joe a long, appraising look. The silence stretched on awkwardly.

多罗西娅放下了萨克斯管。她久久打量着乔。现场陷入尴尬的沉默。

随堂笔记

sprint v. 短距离的奔跑，冲刺；

I sprinted the last few metres.  我全速跑完最后几米。

sprint n. 短距离速度比赛；短跑比赛

the 100-metre sprint  100米短跑 

awning n.〔商店、门窗外的〕遮阳篷；遮雨篷

catch one's breath 喘口气；缓口气；

Slow down, I need to catch my breath. 慢一点，我要喘口气。

sweep over sth 扫视

black-and-white adj.〔图片或影像〕黑白的；

a black and white TV 黑白电视机

a black and white film 黑白电影

lead to  通往，通向

it is sb's turn   轮到某人了

shake sb's hand / shake hands with sb 与某人握手

skip town / skip the country 〔尤指为了逃避惩罚或债务〕逃出城/逃出国；不辞而别

in a bind 陷入困境；进退维谷；

put sb in a bind  让某人进退两难

This job puts Joe in a bind. 这份工作让Joe进退两难。

I’ll bet.  我猜也是，我觉得也是，我相信

take sb out to dinner 请...吃饭

I'd like to take you out to dinner tonight. 今天晚上我想请你出去吃饭。

make it 〔尤指在困难情况下〕准时到达，赶上

If we run, we should make it. 如果我们跑的话，应该来得及。

semidarkness 半明半暗

see sb doing sth  看到某人正在做某事

warm up  热身；〔乐手、歌手或演员等在演出前〕做的准备练习

silhouetted against... 在...的映衬下

 A figure stood in the doorway, silhouetted against the light. 门口站着一个人，屋里的亮光映衬出他的轮廓。

stop/halt in one's tracks  因害怕或惊喜等“突然停下，突然止步”

The question stopped Joe in his tracks. 这个问题问得乔张口结舌无以答对。

be + adj. + enough to do sth 足够... 做某事

She's old enough to decide for herself. 她已到自己做决定的年龄了。

dazzled  （美貌、技能等）使目眩的，使赞叹不已的；使倾倒的；

Joe was dazzled by the warmth of her smile.那温柔的微笑使Joe神魂颠倒。

gush 过分称赞；夸张地表现对…的感情；吹捧

lower sth 把…放低；使…降下 ： 

He had to lower his head to get through the door. 他得低头才能过这道门。

give sb a ... look  ...地看某人；

get a ... look from sb

I got a black look from Dorothea. / Dorothea gave me a black look. 多罗西娅恶狠狠地看了我一眼。   

an appraising glance/look 打量的一瞥╱目光

stretch on （时间上的）延续，延伸

awkwardly /ˈɔːkwədli $ ˈɒːkwərdli/  adv.  尴尬地； 局促不安地