听美国故事练听力 44

　　Long ago, the people who settled in undeveloped areas of America firsttold tall tales. After a hard day's work, people gathered to tell eachother stories. Each group of workers had its own tall tale hero. AnAfrican-American man named John Henry was the hero of former slavesand the people who built the railroads 2. He was known for his strength.

Railroads began to link the United States together in the 19thcentury. The railroads made it possible to travel from one side of thecountry to the other in less than a week. Before then, the same tripmight have taken up to 6 months. Railroad 1 companies employed thousandsof workers to create the smooth, flat pathways required by trains.

John Henry was perhaps the most famous worker. He was born a slave inthe Southern United States. He became a free man as a result ofAmerica's Civil War. Then he worked for the railroads. Confirmingdetails of John Henry's life is not possible. That is because no oneknows for sure if he really lived. This is one of the things thatmakes his story interesting. However, John Henry is based in part onreal events. Many people say he represents the spirit of growth inAmerica during this period. Now here is Shep O'Neal with our story.

People still talk about the night John Henry was born. It was dark andcloudy, then lightening 3 lit up the night's sky. John Henry's birth wasa big event. His parents showed him to everyone they met. John Henrywas the most powerful looking baby people had ever seen. He had thickarms, wide shoulders and strong muscles. John Henry started growingwhen he was one-day old. He continued growing until he was thestrongest man who ever lived.

John Henry grew up in a world that did not let children stay childrenfor long. One day, he was sitting on his father's knee. The boy pickedup a small piece of steel and a workman's stool 4 --a hammer. He lookedat the two objects then said, "A hammer will be the death of me."Before John Henry was 6 years old, he was carrying stones for workersbuilding a nearby railroad. By the age of 10, he worked from early inthe morning until night. Often, he would stop and listen to the soundof a train far away. He told his family, "I am going to be a steeldriver someday." Steel drivers helped create pathways for the railroadlines. These laborers 5 had the job of cutting holes in rock. They didthis by hitting thick steel drills or spikes 6. By the time John Henrywas a young man, he was one of the best steel drivers in the country.

He could work for hours without missing 7 a beat. People said he workedso fast that his hammer moved like lightening.

John Henry was almost 2 meters tall. He weighed more than 90kilograms. He had a beautiful, deep voice and played an instrumentcalled banjo. John Henry married another steel driver, a woman namedPolly Ann. They had a son. John Henry went to work as a steel driverfor the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad or C&O. The company asked him tolead workers on a project to extend 8 the railroad into the AlleghenyMountains. The workers made good progress on the project until theystarted working near Big Ben Mountain in West Virginia. The company'sowner said the mountain was too big to build a railroad around it. Sothe workers were told they had to force their drills through it. Thismeant creating a tunnel more than one and one half kilometers long.

The project required about 1, 000 laborers and lasted 3 years. Pay waslow and the work was difficult. The workers had to breathe thick,black smoke and dust. Hundreds of men became sick; many died. JohnHenry was the strongest and fastest man involved in the project. Heused a hammer that weighed more than 6 kilograms. Some people say hewas able to cut a path of 3 to 6 meters a day.

That July was the hottest month ever in West Virginia. Many workersbecame tired and weak in the heat. John Henry was concerned hisfriends might lose their jobs, so he picked up their hammers and begandoing their work. One week, he did his own work and that of severalother steel drivers'. He worked day and night, rarely stopping to eat.

The men thanked John Henry for his help. He just smiled and said, "Aman ain’t nothing but a man. He has just got to do his best."The extreme heat continued for weeks. One day, a salesman came to thework area with a new drilling machine powered by steam. He said itcould drill holes faster than 12 men working together. The railroadcompany planned to buy the machine if it worked as well as thesalesman said. The supervisor 9 of the workers dismissed 10 the salesman'sclaims. He said, "I have the best steel driver in the country. Hisname is John Henry and he can beat more than 20 men working together."The salesman disputed 11 the statements. He said the company could havethe machine without cost if John Henry was faster. The supervisorcalled to John Henry. He said, "This man does not believe that you candrill faster. How about a race?"John Henry looked at the machine and saw images of the future. He sawmachines taking the place of America's best laborers. He saw himselfand his friends unemployed 12 and standing 13 by a road, asking for food. Hesaw men losing their families and their rights as human beings.

John Henry told the supervisor he would never let the machine take hisjob. His friends all cheered. However, John Henry's wife Polly Ann wasnot happy. "Competing against the machine will be the death of you."She said, "You have a wife and a child. If anything happens to you, wewill not ever smile again." John Henry lifted his son into the air. Hetold his wife, "A man ain’t nothing but a man. But a man always hasto do his best. Tomorrow, I will take my hammer and drive that steelfaster than any machine. "On the day of the big event, many people came to Big Ben Mountain towatch. John Henry and the salesman stood side by side. Even early inthe day, the sun was burning hot. The competition began. John Henrykissed his hammer and started working. At first, the steam-powereddrill worked two times faster than he did. Then he started workingwith a hammer in each hand. He worked faster and faster. In themountain, the heat and dust were so thick that most men would have hadtrouble breathing. The crowd shouted as clouds of dust came frominside the mountain.

The salesman was afraid when he heard what sounded like the mountainbreaking. However, it was only the sound of John Henry at work. PollyAnn and her son cheered when the machine was pulled from the tunnel.

It had broken down. Polly Ann urged John Henry to come out, but hekept working, faster and faster. He dug deep into the darkness,hitting the steel so hard that his body began to fail him. He becameweak and his heart burst.

John Henry fell to the ground. There was a terrible silence. Polly Anndid not move because she knew what happened. John Henry's bloodspilled over the ground, but he still held one of the hammers. "I beatthem!" he said. His wife cried out, "Don't go, John Henry!" "Bring mea cool drink of water." He said. Then he took his last breath.

Friends carried his body from the mountain. They buried him near thehouse where he was born. Crowds went there after they heard about JohnHenry's death. Soon, the steam drill and other machines replaced thesteel drivers. Many laborers left their families, looking for work.

They took the only jobs they could find. As they worked, some sangabout John Henry.

John Henry told his captainA man ain’t nothing, but a manand before I let the steel drills beat me downI am gonna it down with this hammer in my hand, Lord 14, Lord,I am gonna die with this hammer in my handJohn Henry ……You have just heard the story of John Henry. It was adapted forSpecial English by George Grow. Your storyteller was Shep O'Neal. Joinus again next week for another American story in Special English onthe Voice of America