时间:2018-12-11 作者:英语课 分类:听美国故事练听力


英语课

  I'm an old lawyer and I have three men working for me. My businesscontinued to grow and so I decided 1 to get one more man to help writelegal papers 3. I have met a great many people in my days. But the manwho answered my advertisement was the strangest person I have everheard of or met. He stood outside my office and waited for me tospeak. He was a small man, quiet and dressed in a clean but old suitof clothes. I asked him his name. It was Bartleby.

At first, Bartleby almost worked himself too hard writing the legalpapers I gave him. He worked through the day by sunlight 4 and into thenight by candlelight. I was happy with his work, but not happy withthe way he worked. He was too quiet. But he worked well like a machinenever looking or speaking. One day I asked Bartleby to come to myoffice to study a legal 2 paper with me. Without moving from his chair,Bartleby said “ I do not want to.” I sat for a short time toosurprised to move, then I became excited“You do not want do? What doyou mean? Are you sick? I want you to help me with this paper. ”“Ido not want to.”His face was calm. His eyes showed no emotion. He wasnot angry. ‘This is strange.’ I thought ‘ What should I do?’ Butthe telephone rang and I forgot the problem for the time being.

A few days later, 4 long documents came into the office. They neededcareful study and I decided to give one document to each of my men. Icalled and all came to my office but not Bartleby. “ Bartleby quick!

I am waiting.” He came and stood in front of me for a moment. “ Idon't want to.” He said then turned and went back to his desk. I wasso surprised. I could not move. There was something about Bartlebythat froze me, yet at the same time made me feel sorry for him.

As time passed, I saw that Bartleby never went out to eat dinner.

Indeed he never went anywhere. At 11 o'clock each morning, one of themen would bring Bartleby some ginger 5 cakes. ‘Um he lives on them,’ Ithought ‘poor fellow. He is a little foolish at times. But he isuseful to me. ’

“Bartleby,” I said one afternoon, “ Please go to the post officeand bring my mail.” “I do not want to.” I walked back to my officetoo shocked to think. Let's see the problem here is one of my workersnamed Bartleby will not do some of the things I ask him to do. Oneimportant thing about him though he is always in his office.

One Sunday I walked to my office to do some work. When I placed thekey in the door, I couldn't open it. I stood a little surprised, thencaught thinking someone might be inside. There was Bartleby! He camefrom his office and told me he did not want to let me in. The idea ofBartleby living in my law office had a strange effect on me. I slunkaway much like a dog does when it has been shouted at with its tailbetween its legs. Was anything wrong? I did not for a moment believeBartleby would keep a woman in my office. But for sometime 6, He musthave eaten, dressed and slept there. How lonely and friendlessBartleby must be.

I decided to help him. The next morning I called him to my office.

“Bartleby, will you tell me anything about yourself? ” “ I do notwant to.” I sat down with him. I said “ You do not have to tell meabout your personal history. But when you finish writing that document…” “I have decided not to write any more.” He said and left myoffice. What was I to do? Bartleby would not work at all. Then whyshould he stay on his job? I decided to let him go. I gave him 6 daysto leave the office and told him I would give him some extra money. Ifhe would not work, he must leave. On the 6th day, somewhat 7 hopefully,I looked into the office Bartleby used. He was still there! The nextmorning, I went to the office early. All were still. I tried to open adoor. But it was locked. Bartleby's voice came from inside. I stood asif hit by lightning. I walked the streets, thinking‘Well, Bartleby,if you will not leave me, I shall leave you.’I paid some men to moveall the office furniture to another place. Bartleby just stood thereas the men took his chair away. Goodbye, Bartleby, I'm going. Goodbyeand God be with you. Here, take this money. I placed it in his hands.

It dropped to the floor and then strange to say I had difficultyleaving the person I wanted to leave me.

A few days later, a stranger visited me in my new office. “You areresponsible for the man you left in your last office.”He said“Theowner of the building has given me a court order which says you musttake him away. We try to make him leave. But he returned and troublesthe others there.”I went back to my old office and found Bartlebysitting on the empty floor. “Bartleby, one of two things must happen.

I will get you a different job or you can go to work for some otherlawyer.”He said he did not like either choice. “Bartleby, will youcome home with me and stay there until we decide what you will do?”Heanswered softly 8 “No, I do not want to make any changes.” I answerednothing more. I fled 9. I rode around the city and visited places ofhistoric interest anything to get Bartleby off my mind. When I enteredmy office later, I found a message for me. Bartleby had been taken toprison. I found him there and when he saw me, he said “I know you andI have nothing to say to you.”“But I didn't put you here, Bartleby.

” I was deeply 10 hurt. I told him I gave the prison guard money to buyhim a good dinner. “I do not want to eat today.” He said “I nevereat dinner. ”

Days passed and I went to see Bartleby again. I was told he wassleeping in the prison yard outside. Sleeping? The thin Bartleby waslying on the cold stones. I stood to look at the small man lying onhis side with his knees against his chest 11. I walked closer and lookeddown at him. His eyes were open. He seemed to be in a deep sleep.

“Won't he eat today either or does he live without eating? ”theguard asked.“ Lives without eating.” I answered and closed his eyes.

“Ah, he is asleep, isn't he?” the guard said. “With kings andlawyers.”I answered.

One little story came to me some days after Bartleby died. I learnedhe had worked for many years in the post office. He was in a specialoffice that opened all the nation's letters that never reach theperson they were written to. It is called the Dead Letter Office. Theletters are not written clearly so the mailmen cannot read theaddresses. Well, poor Bartleby had to read the letters to see ifanyone's name was written clearly so they could be sent. Think of it.

From one letter, a wedding ring fell. The finger it was bought forperhaps lies rotting 12 in the grave 13. Another letter has money to helpsomeone long since dead. Letters filled with hope for those who diedwithout hope. Poor Bartleby. He himself had lost all hope. His job hadkilled something inside him. Ah Bartleby. Ah humanity 14.

You have heard an American story called Bartleby. It was written byHerman Melville. Our storyteller was Shep O'Neal. This is ShirleyGriffith.



1 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。
2 legal
adj.法律的,依照法律的,合法的,法定的,正当的
  • He is my legal adviser.他是我的法律顾问。
  • This is partly a political and partly a legal question.这个问题部分是政治问题,部分是法律问题。
3 papers
n.文件,纸币,论文
  • I want to check with my secretary before I sign the papers.在签署这些文件前,我要与我的秘书商议。
  • The lawyer read all the papers relating to the case.律师阅读了与该案有关的全部文件。
4 sunlight
n.日光,阳光,日照
  • The room was flooded with warm and golden sunlight.房间充满着温暖、金色的阳光。
  • In the bright sunlight she had to narrow her eyes.在强烈阳光下她必须眯着双眼。
5 ginger
n.姜,精力,淡赤黄色;adj.淡赤黄色的;vt.使活泼,使有生气
  • There is no ginger in the young man.这个年轻人没有精神。
  • Ginger shall be hot in the mouth.生姜吃到嘴里总是辣的。
6 sometime
adv.将来某一时候;改天
  • He came sometime last month.上个月某个时候他曾经来过。
  • It will happen sometime and somewhere.有朝一日这总会在什么地方发生的。
7 somewhat
pron.一些,某物;adv.多少,几分
  • The cake we made was somewhat of a failure.我们做的蛋糕不大成功。
  • The two office buildings are somewhat alike in appearance.这两座办公楼在外形上有点相似。
8 softly
adv.柔和地,静静地,温柔地
  • He speaks too softly for her to hear.他讲话声音太轻,她听不见。
  • She breathed her advice softly.她低声劝告。
9 fled
v.逃走,逃掉( flee的过去式和过去分词 );逃离,逃避
  • The robbers fled empty-handed. 抢劫犯一无所获地逃走了。
  • He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 deeply
adv.深刻地,在深处,深沉地
  • I do feel deeply the strength of the collective.我确实深深地感到了集体的力量。
  • We're deeply honoured that you should agree to join us.您能同意加入我们,我们感到很荣幸。
11 chest
n.胸,大箱子,金库,资金,一箱,密封室,衣橱
  • The bear's chest is hairy.那只熊的胸部毛茸茸的。
  • Mother has a pain in her chest.母亲胸口疼.。
12 rotting
n.深蚀刻,沤麻v.(使)腐烂, (使)腐朽( rot的现在分词 )
  • an overpowering stench of rotting fish 腐烂的鱼臭气熏天
  • In such wet weather we must prevent the seedlings from rotting. 这样的阴雨天要防止烂秧。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
13 grave
n.墓穴,坟墓,雕刻工,抑音;adj.庄重的,严肃的,重大的,低沉的;vt.雕刻
  • Marriage is the grave of love.婚姻是爱情的坟墓。
  • This is a very grave matter indeed.这问题的确非常严重。
14 humanity
n.人类,[总称]人(性),人道[pl.]人文学科
  • Such an act is a disgrace to humanity.这种行为是人类的耻辱。
  • We should treat animals with humanity.我们应该以仁慈之心对待动物。
学英语单词
2-ethylhexyl peroxi-dicabonate
a one horse town
a-ketoacetic acid
above-stairs
abreak
acceptable conditions
air vented tumble dryer
altitude difference
Ave, R.
averse
Avogadro, count Amedeo
barrier film rectifier
ben
bias control circuit
bidirectional drive
bostrychid
ceasefires
Chebyshev polynomial of the second kind
Chechen', Ostrov
Christianization
control and dispaly unit
criticizable
dinarthrum taiwanense
discharge electrode
dp's
dust collecting plant
eileen chang
exchange words
expenditure for military establishment
Fiesta Bowl
focis
fused salt medium
FWD & REW reel stop detector
garage-sale
geniohyoids
genus Nauclea
hauns
heurn
hirdum-dirdum
homokaryons
Hueter's maneuver
hyperchrome
impulse functions
in animal body
intasuchids
interior focusing lens
isabelles
Isocarboxazide
iustices
Judaeo-Spanish
juglandifolia
katalase
kentishes
liquid cladding
marble intarsia
mechanical ground support equipment
miethe
money position
mousselines de soie
multi-mission underwater remotely operated vehicle
multiplier time division modulation
naevi of the nail matrix and bed
network of workstations
orange-wood stick
oryctocoenose
planet-striking
post-ictal
preliminary enquiry
prides of california
pseudohistory
psychojargon
puangs
read verify
rechecks
rolling-bearing
saddening
sarcocystoid
semi-controlled mosaic
service substance
space decoration
step strobe marker
submedian vein
that is the bottom line
thermologist
throat section
tidal impulse
to what extent
topkapis
transportation of live fish
ultrasonic level ga(u)ge
underground cooling
unmanifesting
ventral anterior nucleus
voice interruption priority system
washing amalgam
watchnight
water cooled impression tray
window for finance activity
wired logic control
wrasses
zero speed position
zilascorb