时间:2018-12-11 作者:英语课 分类:美国故事


英语课
As a boy Knute Axelbrod always wanted to be a student. But he never had time to learn. He married young and had to work to get money to educate his children. But a lifetime 1 of hard farm work did not destroy his love for books and beauty. His wife died, then his children left home. He was alone. His work was done and no one needed him any more. At first he did exactly what he had done for years. He got up at five o'clock in the morning; he cleaned the house and worked in the fields. But one bright morning, Knute decided 2 it was time for a change. He began to go for long walks at night. He learned 3 the secrets of the dark. He saw the broad grasslands 4 under the moon. He heard the voices of grass and cottonwood trees and sleepy birds. He walked many kilometers just to look at the beauty of the land.

As part of this new freedom, he began to read stories about love and adventure. He escaped from the lonely farm to exciting far away places. Once, he read a story about a young man who worked to get money for a university education. When Knute finished the story, a special brightness 5 came into his eyes. He sat up, banged 6 the book down on the table and said, “By golly, I think I will go to a university!”

He bought schoolbooks and began to study. Knute the farmer began to learn. Learning 7 things now was his whole life. It was hard, harder than working on the farm. Toward 8 autumn of the second year Konut lost hope. He thought he would never get into a university; perhaps it was all a dream that would never be real.

One day, a busy little storekeeper stopped Knute on the street and asked about the schoolbooks. Other men crowded around to listen. They laughed and said cruel things. Knute Axelbrod knew they were making jokes about him, it made him very angry. He decided then that he must go to a university. He bought a black suit, a hat and got on the train to New Haven 9, Connecticut to become a student at Yale University. He was put into student housing 10 with another student, a soft faced boy named Ray Gribble. Ray was studying so he could earn more money as a teacher. When Ray learned of Knute's reason for going to a university, he said, “A man like you, an old man, should be studying the Bible 11 and religion. Poetry and art are only for foolish young men.”

Old Knute felt defeated. Most of the students seemed to be interested in business and industry, none of them talked about the beauty of life and learning. Konut was the strange one in the university. The students looked at him in a funny way. They thought he had a sick mind the kind that comes with old age. And so Knute's bright dream broke into little pieces. The university began to lose the special light he thought was there. The cold rooms were full of students who laughed when Konut walked passed in his black suit and hat. Konut wished he could find just one student with a heart as young as his. It would make life easier.

Then one day Konut met such a student. It was after a very difficult time in class. Konut sat in the studying room after everyone else had gone. Through the window came the light of late summer and sound of clear young voices from the football field. Konut said in a low voice, “I do not belong here.”
“I do not belong here either.” The young student said. Old Konut looked at him. Here was another one to make jokes about his age for the long white hair that grew on his face.
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” the boy said, “My name is Gil (Gill是女子名) Washburn.” His smile was open and kind. When Knute saw the boy smile he did not feel so alone.

“We should be friends,” Gil said, “we both came here to dream and the others think we are foolish.”
“How do you know about me?” asked Knute.

“All they told me you are more interested in poetry and art than in business.” He gave a book to Knute, “Here, look at this. I bought it last year and never go anywhere without it.”

Knute had never seen a book like this before. It was so small and beautiful he was almost afraid to touch it with his rough 12 hands. He gently put a finger on the soft cover and opened it.
“I always knew there were books like this in the world,” he said with a look of wonder on his face, “but I cannot read it.”
“I will read a little for you,” Gil said, “it is French poetry.” Gil spoke 13 the strange words with a special music in his voice. This was the sort of beauty Knute had looked for all his life. Knute wanted to speak, to tell this boy of his happiness, but the words would not come.

“I have an idea,” Gil said jumping out, “Hifeits is playing in the Hartford tonight. Will you go with me and hear him? I tried to get some of the boys to come but they were too busy.” Knute Axelbrod did not know who Hifeits was but he shouted, “Yes, by golly we shall go.”

In the music of Hifeits, the first violin player he had ever heard, Knute found many things he had dreamed about. The violin music stayed inside Konut's head as they walked back under the October moon. At first it was Gil who talked and Knute who listened as they walked. Then old Knute told stories about his early days in America; about farming 14; about how the wind makes fields of grass look like a moving sea. They reached the university about 4 o'clock in the morning.
Knute said, “Well, it was good, I'll go to sleep now and I will dream about.”
“Sleep?” young Gil shouted, “Never! The party is just beginning. It is still early. Wait here a minute while I go up to my room and get some money for food. Wait, please wait!”

Knute would have waited forever. He had lived 65 years and traveled 2,000 kilometers to find someone like Gill Washburn.

They bought some food in a store that was open all night and took it up to Gil's room. The room was full of things Knute liked, paintings on the walls, a rug 15 covering the floor and books everywhere. While they ate they talked about famous men and the wonderful things they did. Gil read a little from books then he read his own poetry. Knute did not know whether the poetry was good or bad. It seemed a miracle 16 that a man could make poems the way a tree grows fruit. They became sleepy. Knute got up and left. He wished the night had never ended. It was already daylight. The morning sun hit the red brick 17 walls with a cold hard light.

“I can go to his room many times,” Knute said to himself, “I have found a friend.” He held the book of French poetry that Gil had given him. But even as the words came from his lips 18 he knew they were not true. He felt old now and very, very tired.

“Age and youth, I do not think they belong together.” Old Knute slowly climbed the steps to his room. “If I see the boy again he might not be interested in me, besides I have told him everything I know.” He opened the door. “This is the reason I came to the university,” he thought, “for just one night such as this. I will go away before anything can change it.”

Knute wrote a letter saying goodbye to Gil, then he put his clothes into a suitcase. At 5 o'clock that afternoon, in a train going west, an old man sat smiling. His eyes were alive with a deep happiness. In his hand was a small book of French poetry which he could not read.

You have just heard the story "Young Man Axelbrod ". It was written by Sinclair Lewis. It was published in “My Favorite Stories” by D&M Company. Your narrator 19 was Shep O’Neal. The Voice of America invites you to listen again next week at the same time to another American story told in Special English. This is Shirley Griffith.

1 lifetime
n.一生,终身,寿命,使用期限
  • He wrote many books during his lifetime.他一生著作甚多。
  • During his lifetime his work was never published.他的作品在他的有生之年从未出版过。
2 decided
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
3 learned
adj.有学问的,博学的;learn的过去式和过去分词
  • He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
  • In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里,他被视为有学问的人。
4 grasslands
n.草原,牧场( grassland的名词复数 )
  • Songs were heard ringing loud and clear over the grasslands. 草原上扬起清亮激越的歌声。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Grasslands have been broken and planted to wheat. 草原已经开垦出来,种上了小麦。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 brightness
n.明亮,亮度,聪颖,光泽度,灯火通明
  • The brightness of the paint has worn off a little.油漆的光泽有些磨损了。
  • Her eyes squinted against the brightness.亮光刺得她眯起眼睛。
6 banged
vt.猛击,猛撞(bang的过去式与过去分词形式)
  • Two days after the accident she still looked pretty banged up. 事故过去两天后她看上去伤势仍然很重。
  • I've banged into the doorpost and hurt my arm. 我撞着了门柱,把臂伤了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 learning
n.学问,学识,学习;动词learn的现在分词
  • When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时,常会从车上掉下来。
  • Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。
8 toward
prep.对于,关于,接近,将近,向,朝
  • 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。
9 haven
n.安全的地方,避难所,庇护所
  • It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后,这真是一个安乐窝。
  • The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。
10 housing
n.房屋,住宅;住房建筑;外壳,外罩
  • Do you think our housing sales will turn around during this year?你认为今年我们的住宅销路会好转吗?
  • The housing sales have been turning down since the summer.入夏以来,房屋的销售量日趋减少。
11 bible
n.《圣经》;得到权威支持的典籍
  • According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的,我们都是亚当的后裔。
  • This dictionary should be your Bible when studying English.学习英语时,这本字典应是你的主要参考书。
12 rough
adj.粗糙的;粗略的,大致的;粗野的,粗暴的
  • It's just a very rough translation.这只是一篇非常粗糙的译稿。
  • His reply was a bit rough.他的答复过于粗鲁了一点。
13 spoke
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
14 farming
n.农事;耕作
  • He lives by farming.他靠务农过活。
  • He is farming in Africa.他在非洲经营农场。
15 rug
n.毯子,地毯,旅行毯
  • The rug can double up.这条地毯能卷起来。
  • It will be more beautiful if you work some blue into the rug.如果你再织些蓝色的图案,这毯子会更好看。
16 miracle
n.奇迹,令人惊奇的人或事
  • The doctors said that his recovery was a miracle. 医生们说他的复原是件奇事。
  • It is simply a miracle that rice should grow in such a place.稻子竟能在这样的地方生长,这实在是个奇迹。
17 brick
n.砖;vt.用砖砌,用砖堵住
  • She stared blankly at the brick wall in front of her.她面无表情地瞪着面前的砖墙。
  • I bought a brick of ice cream for my daughter.我给女儿买了块冰砖。
18 lips
abbr.logical inferences per second 每秒的逻辑推论n.嘴唇( lip的名词复数 );(容器或凹陷地方的)边缘;粗鲁无礼的话
  • Her lips compressed into a thin line. 她的双唇抿成了一道缝。
  • the fullness of her lips 她丰满的双唇
19 narrator
n.讲述者;解说员;旁白者
  • 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。
学英语单词
acate pneumonic tuberculosis
air tanker
Allen key
amynologic
AOEL
AORTF
aperture-field method
Bactris
benzene hexachloride (bhc)
cage structure
camcorders
caraca
carved wooden necklace
ccr(current cell rate)
centerbody
charge turbulent fluctuation
circle shear
circular shelf dryer
closed cycle
coefficient of self oscillation
conjugate locus
conservations of mass
corrosion resisting property
cost utility analysis
cross-adaptation
crumpacker
cryogenic heat pipe
crystalliser
diacetyl-dihydroxydiphenylisatin
dimethyl tartrate
double punch and blank-column detection
dower and courtesy interests
Duhring's diagram
enteric bacillus
epistatic gene
EPO-R
family Lobotidae
Fleet vehicle
fuze firing mechanism
gets along
graduated hopper-charging
gynaeco-
Hall flowmeter
hindshanks
honey glands
Johnny on the spot
lehmannite
listenest
literary critics
make one's escape
marieclaude
mechanization of maintenance
miniatus
molecular absorption band
mounting metallurgical specimens
musculus extensor digitorum longus pedis
network-connected
neutral phosphate
NIH-7519
orates
paddle type agitator
papillary foramen
paris-journal
Phyllomahaleb
pitching change
platform barrier
POPSIPT
Porlezzina
propeller-regulating mechanism
pulpiform
rassling
recovery flap
remerging
resistance-weld mill
rock bolting jumbo
S.S.P.
spheriflex hub
spring gage
stopine
sturrocks
subdetector
superpredicate
switching line
tail throat of a hump yard
teeming stage
tetralogies of fallot
the Met
The sands are running out.
theater air priority number
Themar
tie-in line
tin plate printing
tinamidaes
trachodonts
transfer target
turning block
turpentine wood oil
universal cutter and tool grinder
weather search radar
zahava
Zarp