(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
FAITH LAPIDUS: Now, the VOA Special English program, AMERICAN STORIES.
Our story today is called "One Thousand Dollars." It was written by O. Henry. Here is Steve Ember with the story.
STEVE EMBER: "One thousand dollars," said the lawyer Tolman, in a severe and serious voice. "And here is the money."
Young Gillian touched the thin package of fifty-dollar bills and laughed.
"It's such an unusual amount," he explained, kindly, to the lawyer. "If it had been ten thousand a man might celebrate with a lot of fireworks. Even fifty dollars would have been less trouble."
"You heard the reading of your uncle's will after he died," continued the lawyer Tolman. "I do not know if you paid much attention to its details. I must remind you of one. You are required to provide us with a report of how you used this one thousand dollars as soon as you have spent it. I trust that you will obey the wishes of the your late uncle."
Short Story: 'One Thousand Dollars' by O. Henry
loc.gov
William Sydney Porter, or O. Henry sits for a portrait.
"You may depend on it," said the young man respectfully
(MUSIC)
Gillian went to his club. He searched for a man he called Old Bryson.
Old Bryson was a calm, anti-social man of about forty years old. He was in a corner reading a book. When he saw Gillian coming near he took a noisy, deep breath, laid down his book and took off his glasses.
"Old Bryson, wake up," said Gillian. "I have a funny story to tell you. I've just come from a meeting with my late uncle's lawyers. He leaves me an even thousand dollars. Now, what can a man possibly do with a thousand dollars?"
Old Bryson showed very little interest. "I thought the late Septimus Gillian was worth something like half a million."
"He was," agreed Gillian, happily. "And that's where the joke comes in. He has left a lot of his money to an organism. That is, part of it goes to the man who invents a new bacillus and the rest to establish a hospital for doing away with it again. There are one or two small, unimportant gifts on the side. The butler and the housekeeper get a seal ring and ten dollars each. His nephew gets one thousand dollars."
"Were there any others mentioned in your uncle's will?" asked Old Bryson.
"None." said Gillian. "There is a Miss Hayden. My uncle was responsible for her. She lived in his house. She's a quiet thing, the daughter of somebody who was unlucky enough to be his friend. I forgot to say that she was in on the ring and ten dollar joke, too. I wish I had been. Then I could have had two bottles of wine, given the ring to the waiter and had the whole business off my hands.
Tell me what a man can do with a thousand dollars."
"There are many good things a man could do with a thousand dollars," said Bryson. "You?" said Bryson, with a gentle laugh. "Why, Bobby Gillian, there's only one reasonable thing you could do. You can go buy Miss Lotta Lauriere a diamond necklace with the money."
"Thanks," said Gillian as he rose from his chair. "I thought I could depend on you, Old Bryson. You've hit on the very idea. I wanted to spend the money on one thing, because I have to turn in a report for it, and I hate itemizing."
Gillian phoned for a cab and said to the driver: "The stage entrance of the Columbine Theatre."
(MUSIC)
The theater was crowded. Miss Lotta Lauriere was preparing for her performance when her assistant spoke the name of Mr. Gillian.
"Let it in," said Miss Lauriere. "Now, what is it, Bobby? I'm going on stage in two minutes."
"It won't take two minutes for me. What do you say to a little thing in the jewelry line? I can spend one thousand dollars."
"Say, Bobby," said Miss Lauriere, "Did you see that necklace Della Stacey had on the other night? It cost two thousand two hundred dollars at Tiffany's."
Miss Lauriere was called to the stage for her performance.
Gillian slowly walked out to where his cab was waiting. "What would you do with a thousand dollars if you had it?" he asked the driver.
"Open a drinking place," said the driver, quickly. "I know a place I could take money in with both hands. I've got it worked out--if you were thinking of putting up the money."
"Oh, no," said Gillian. "I was just wondering."
Eight blocks down Broadway Gillian got out of the cab. A blind man sat on the sidewalk selling pencils. Gillian went out and stood in front of him.
"Excuse me, but would you mind telling me what you would do if you had a thousand dollars?" asked Gillian.
The blind man took a small book from his coat pocket and held it out. Gillian opened it and saw that it was a bank deposit book.
It showed that the blind man had a balance of one thousand seven hundred eighty-five dollars in his bank account. Gillian returned the bank book and got back into the cab.
"I forgot something," he said. "You may drive to the law offices of Tolman & Sharp."
(MUSIC)
Lawyer Tolman looked at Gillian in a hostile and questioning way.
"I beg your pardon," said Gillian, cheerfully. "But was Miss Hayden left anything by my uncle's will in addition to the ring and the ten dollars?"
"Nothing," said Mr. Tolman.
"I thank you very much, Sir," said Gillian, and went to his cab. He gave the driver the address of his late uncle's home.
Miss Hayden was writing letters in the library. The small, thin woman wore black clothes. But you would have noticed her eyes. Gillian entered the room as if the world were unimportant.
"I have just come from old Tolman's," he explained. "They have been going over the papers down there. They found a..." Gillian searched his memory for a legal term. "They found an amendment or a post-script or something to the will. It seemed that my uncle had second thoughts and willed you a thousand dollars. Tolman asked me to bring you the money. Here it is."
Gillian laid the money beside her hand on the desk. Miss Hayden turned white. "Oh!" she said. And again, "Oh!"
Gillian half turned and looked out the window. In a low voice he said, "I suppose, of course, that you know I love you."
"I am sorry," said Miss Hayden, as she picked up her money.
"There is no use?" asked Gillian, almost light-heartedly.
"I am sorry," she said again.
"May I write a note?" asked Gillian, with a smile. Miss Hayden supplied him with paper and pen, and then went back to her writing table.
Gillian wrote a report of how he spent the thousand dollars: "Paid by Robert Gillian, one thousand dollars on account of the eternal happiness, owed by Heaven to the best and dearest woman on earth."
Gillian put the note into an envelope. He bowed to Miss Hayden and left.
His cab stopped again at the offices of Tolman & Sharp.
"I have spent the one thousand dollars," he said cheerfully, to Tolman. "And I have come to present a report of it, as I agreed." He threw a white envelope on the lawyer's table.
Without touching the envelope, Mr. Tolman went to a door and called his partner, Sharp. Together they searched for something in a large safe. They brought out a big envelope sealed with wax. As they opened the envelope, they shook their heads together over its contents. Then Tolman became spokesman.
"Mr. Gillian," he said, "there was an addition to your uncle's will. It was given to us privately, with instructions that it not be opened until you had provided us with a full report of your handling of the one thousand dollars received in the will.
"As you have satisfied the conditions, my partner and I have read the addition. I will explain to you the spirit of its contents.
"In the event that your use of the one thousand dollars shows that you possess any of the qualifications that deserve reward, you stand to gain much more. If your disposal of the money in question has been sensible, wise, or unselfish, it is in our power to give you bonds to the value of fifty thousand dollars. But if you have used this money in a wasteful, foolish way as you have in the past, the fifty thousand dollars is to be paid to Miriam Hayden, ward of the late Mr. Gillian, without delay.
"Now, Mr. Gillian, Mr. Sharp and I will examine your report of the one thousand dollars."
Mr. Tolman reached for the envelope. Gillian was a little quicker in taking it up. He calmly tore the report and its cover into pieces and dropped them into his pocket.
"It's all right," he said, smilingly. "There isn't a bit of need to bother you with this. I don't suppose you would understand these itemized bets, anyway. I lost the thousand dollars on the races. Good-day to you, gentlemen."
Tolman and Sharp shook their heads mournfully at each other when Gillian left. They heard him whistling happily in the hallway as he waited for the elevator.
(MUSIC)
FAITH LAPIDUS: "One Thousand Dollars" was written by O. Henry. It was adapted for Special English by Lawan Davis. The storyteller and producer was Steve Ember.
重点解析
1.pay attention to 注意
I don't pay attention to such gossip.
我才不理那些闲话呢。
2.required to 要求
The nuclear industry was required to prove that every operational and safety aspect had been fully researched.
核工业被要求证明其在运营与安全各方面都进行过充分的研究。
3.as soon as 一…就…
As soon as we found this out, we closed the ward
我们一发现此事就关闭了病房。
4.AHe searched for a man he called Old Bryson.
寻找一个他称之为老布莱斯的男人。
search for 寻找
The search for my brother widened
对我弟弟的搜索范围扩大了。
5.That is, part of it goes to the man who invents a new bacillus and the rest to establish a hospital for doing away with it again.
也就是说，一部分钱留给了发现这种新微生物的人，剩下一部分又用来建了一家消灭这种微生物的医院。
do away with 消除
The long-range goal must be to do away with nuclear weapons altogether.
远期目标必须是将核武器尽数销毁。
6.I wanted to spend the money on one thing, because I have to turn in a report for it, and I hate itemizing.
我想把这笔钱花在一处，因为我之后必须上交一份关于这笔钱出处的报告，而我讨厌记账。
turn in 上交
Now we wait for them to turn in their essays.
现在我们等着他们交上作文。
参考译文
费思·拉皮德斯：现在为您演播，美国之音慢速英语节目，美国故事。
今天我们演播的故事叫做《一千美元》，作者欧·亨利。演播史蒂夫·恩伯。
史蒂夫·恩伯：“一千美元”，托尔曼律师用极其严肃的语气说道：“给你钱。”
小吉莉安用指尖点着薄薄的一叠50美元一张的新钞票，发出爽朗快活的笑声。
“这是个特别的数字”，他友好地向律师解释说。“如果是一万美元，或许人们会放点烟花爆竹表示庆祝，虽说50美元可以省去一些麻烦。”
“在你叔叔死后，你听了他的遗嘱宣读，”托尔曼律师继续说道。“我不知道你是否关注了这份遗嘱的细节。有一点，我必须提醒你，一旦你花完这一千美元，你必须向我们提交一份这一千美元的处理报告。我相信你会遵循你叔叔的遗愿。”
“你放心，”这个年轻人礼貌地说道。
吉莉安走进他的俱乐部，寻找一个他称之为老布莱斯的男人。
老布莱斯40岁左右，沉静孤僻。他正在一个角落里看书。当他看见吉莉安向他走过来时，他沉沉地喘了口粗气，放下书，摘下眼镜。
“我有件有趣的事要告诉你。
“你的故事还是去讲给这间台球室里的其他人吧，”老布莱斯说道。“你知道我有多讨厌听你讲故事。”
“这次要比以往的精彩，”吉莉安卷起一根香烟说道，我很想讲给你听。这事悲伤而又滑稽，和台球卡塔卡塔的声音合不上拍。
我刚刚见了我死去叔叔的律师。他给我留下了一千美元。现在，我能拿这整整一千美元做些什么呢？”
老布莱森几乎没有兴趣。“我认为塞普蒂默斯·吉莉安看着得有50万的遗产。”
“是的，”吉莉安高兴地表示赞同。“这就是滑稽可笑的地方。他将他多数的钱留给了一种微生物。也就是说，一部分钱留给了发现这种新微生物的人，剩下一部分又用来建了一家消灭这种微生物的医院。另外有一两笔微不足道的遗产。男管家和女管家各得到一枚印章戒指和十美元。他的侄子得到一千美元。”
“你叔叔的遗嘱还有其他交代吗?”老布莱斯问道。
“没有。”吉莉安答道。“有一位海登小姐，我叔叔是她的监护人。她住在我叔叔家。她生性安静，他爸真是倒霉，有我叔叔这样的朋友。这个戒指和十美元的遗嘱笑话中也有她的事。我希望也有我的事。那样我就能在喝完两瓶酒之后，把戒指当做小费付给服务员，抛开所有的烦心事了。
告诉我，一千美元能做什么。”
老布莱斯微笑着擦了擦他的眼镜。吉莉安知道老布莱斯的微笑意味着他将比之前任何时候更加无礼。
“拥有一千美元，一个人可以做很多好事，”布莱斯说道。“至于你?”布莱斯带有浅浅的嘲弄。“鲍比·吉莉安，只有一件事你来做，比较合理。你可以用这笔钱给洛塔·劳里埃小姐买串钻石项链。然后去爱达荷州开一个大农场。我建议你养羊，因为我极其讨厌羊。”
“谢谢，”吉莉安从他的椅子上站起来。“我想我该听你的，老布莱斯。你主意不错。我想把这笔钱花在一处，因为我之后必须上交一份关于这笔钱出处的报告，而我讨厌记账。”
吉莉安打电话叫来一辆出租车，对司机说：“科伦拜剧院入口。”
剧院里人潮拥挤。当洛塔·劳里埃小姐的助理跟她说，吉莉安先生来了的时候，洛塔·劳里埃小姐正在为她的表演做准备。
“让他进来，”劳里埃小姐说。“什么事，鲍比？还有两分钟，我就要上台了。”
“要不了两分钟。你喜欢什么样的小首饰？我有一千美元。”
“鲍比，”劳里埃小姐说，“你有看到黛拉·斯泰西那天晚上戴的那款项链吗？那款蒂芙尼项链卖2200美元。”
有人催劳里埃小姐上台表演了。
吉莉安缓慢地走出剧院，走到出租车停下的地方。“如果你有一千美元，你会用它来干些什么？”他问司机。
“开一家酒吧，”司机马上回答道。“我知道一个我愿意双手将钱奉上的地方。如果你正在考虑投资，我会将这个地方告诉你。”
“哦，不，”吉莉安说。“我只是随便问问。”
离百老汇八个街区远的地方有一个盲人，坐在人行道边上卖铅笔，吉莉安走下出租车，站在盲人面前。
“抱歉打扰一下，你可否告诉我，若你拥有一千美元，你会做些什么?”吉莉安问道。
这个盲人从口袋中拿出一本小书给吉莉安，吉莉安翻开后发现那是一张银行存折。
存折上显示，这位盲人的银行账户上，余额为1785美元。吉莉安归还了存折，回到了出租车里。
“我忘记了一些事情，”他说。“请把我送到托尔曼&夏普律师事务所。”
托尔曼律师用充满敌意和质疑的眼神看着吉莉安。
“抱歉，”吉莉安愉悦地问道。“在我叔叔的遗嘱中，留给海登小姐的除了戒指和10美元外，是否还有其它东西？”
“没有，”托尔曼先生答道。
.
“先生，非常感谢，”吉莉安说，吉莉安回到出租车内，将他已故叔叔家的地址给了司机。
海登小姐正在书房内写信。这个身材娇小消瘦的女人穿着一身黑衣。但你还是可以看到她的眼睛。吉莉安带着一种鄙世嫉俗的神气走进房间。
“我刚从老托尔曼律师那过来，”他解释道。“他们一直在那处理相关文件，他们发现一份...”吉莉安极力从记忆中搜索法律术语。“他们找到了一份关于这份遗嘱的修订文件或者说是其补充说明，或者诸如此类的文件。上面写道，经过我叔叔的再三考虑，他决定将一千美元留给你。托尔曼让我把钱带来给你。给你。”
吉莉安将钱放在桌子上，她的手边。海登小姐脸色瞬间惨白。“啊!”她出了一声，又再次叫了一声，“啊!”
吉莉安半斜着身子看向窗外。用轻轻的声音说道，“我想，当然，你知道我爱你。”
“对不起。”海登小姐收起钱说道。
“没用？”吉莉安心不在焉地问道。
“我很抱歉，”她再次说道。
“我可以写一张字条吗?”吉莉安微笑着问道。海登小姐将纸和笔给了吉莉安，便回到了她的书桌旁。
吉莉安在他这一千美元的支出报告中写道：“为了永恒的幸福，罗伯特·吉莉安将上帝欠下的一千美元赠给了这个世界上最美好，最亲爱的女人。”
吉莉安将字条放进了信封里，向海登小姐鞠躬后离开了。
他的出租车再次停在了托尔曼&夏普律师事务所。
“我已经花完了这一千美元，”他愉快地向托尔曼说。“如我承诺，我来递交关于这笔钱的报告。”他将白色信封放在了律师的桌子上。
托尔曼先生没有碰信封，而是走到门口叫来了他的合伙人夏普。他们一起在一个大保险箱里翻找。最后拿出一个用蜡密封好的信封。当他们打开信封时，他们边看信，边摇头。这时，托尔曼开口说道。
“吉莉安先生，”他说，“在你叔叔的遗嘱中有一个附加遗嘱。秘密移交我们，根据规定，这个附加遗嘱只有在你将那一千美元的完整处理报告交给我们时，才能公开。
“只有当你满足这些条件时，我的合伙人和我才能宣读这份附加遗嘱。我将会向你解释设立这些内容的真实意图所在。
“若你在对这一千美元的处理方式上展现出任何你值得奖励的特质，你将获得更多的遗产。若你在这笔钱的处理上明智聪慧，或者无私，我们将有义务将5万美元的遗产交付与你。但如果你像过去一样，用愚蠢的方式将这笔钱浪费掉，那么这5万美元将毫不迟疑的转赠给你已故叔叔的被监护人——米利亚姆·海登。
“吉莉安先生，现在我和夏普先生将审查你这份报告。”
当托尔曼先生快拿到信封时，吉莉安先其一步将信封攥在手里。他淡定地将这份报告撕成碎片，放进口袋。
“对的，”他微笑着说道。“无需再因为这件事而打扰你们，我并不期待你们会理解这些逐条罗列出来的赌局，不管怎样，我跟别人打赌，输光了一千美元。再见，绅士们。”
当吉莉安离开的时候，托尔曼和夏普相互悲哀地摇了下头。他们听见吉莉安等电梯时，吹出了愉快的口哨声。
费思·拉皮德斯：《一千美元》，作者欧·亨利。拉万·戴维斯将其改编成VOA慢速英语节目。由史蒂夫·恩伯制作并演播。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
