(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
SUSAN CLARK: Now, the Special English program, AMERICAN STORIES.
(MUSIC)
Our story today is called "Luck." It was written by Mark Twain. Here is Shep O'Neal with the story.
(MUSIC)
SHEP O'NEAL: I was at a dinner in London given in honor of one of the most celebrated English military men of his time. I do not want to tell you his real name and titles. I will just call him Lieutenant General Lord Arthur Scoresby.
I cannot describe my excitement when I saw this great and famous man. There he sat, the man himself, in person, all covered with medals. I could not take my eyes off him. He seemed to show the true mark of greatness. His fame had no effect on him. The hundreds of eyes watching him, the worship of so many people did not seem to make any difference to him.
Next to me sat a clergyman, who was an old friend of mine. He was not always a clergyman. During the first half of his life he was a teacher in the military school at Woolwich. There was a strange look in his eye as he leaned toward me and whispered – "Privately – he is a complete fool." He meant, of course, the hero of our dinner.
This came as a shock to me. I looked hard at him. I could not have been more surprised if he has said the same thing about Nepoleon, or Socrates, or Solomon. But I was sure of two things about the clergyman. He always spoke the truth. And, his judgment of men was good. Therefore, I wanted to find out more about our hero as soon as I could.
Some days later I got a chance to talk with the clergyman, and he told me more. These are his exact words:
About forty years ago, I was an instructor in the military academy at Woolwich, when young Scoresby was given his first examination. I felt extremely sorry for him. Everybody answered the questions well, intelligently, while he – why, dear me – he did not know anything, so to speak. He was a nice, pleasant young man. It was painful to see him stand there and give answers that were miracles of stupidity.
I knew of course that when examined again he would fail and be thrown out. So, I said to myself, it would be a simple, harmless act to help him as much as I could.
I took him aside and found he knew a little about Julius Ceasar's history. But, he did not know anything else. So, I went to work and tested him and worked him like a slave. I made him work, over and over again, on a few questions about Ceasar, which I knew he would be asked.
If you will believe me, he came through very well on the day of the examination. He got high praise too, while others who knew a thousand times more than he were sharply criticized. By some strange, lucky accident, he was asked no questions but those I made him study. Such an accident does not happen more than once in a hundred years.
Well, all through his studies, I stood by him, with the feeling a mother has for a disabled child. And he always saved himself by some miracle.
I thought that what in the end would destroy him would be the mathematics examination. I decided to make his end as painless as possible. So, I pushed facts into his stupid head for hours. Finally, I let him go to the examination to experience what I was sure would be his dismissal from school. Well, sir, try to imagine the result. I was shocked out of my mind. He took first prize! And he got the highest praise.
I felt guilty day and night – what I was doing was not right. But I only wanted to make his dismissal a little less painful for him. I never dreamed it would lead to such strange, laughable results.
I thought that sooner or later one thing was sure to happen: The first real test once he was through school would ruin him.
Then, the Crimean War broke out. I felt that sad for him that there had to be a war. Peace would have given this donkey a chance to escape from ever being found out as being so stupid. Nervously, I waited for the worst to happen. It did. He was appointed an officer. A captain, of all things! Who could have dreamed that they would place such a responsibility on such weak shoulders as his.
I said to myself that I was responsible to the country for this. I must go with him and protect the nation against him as far as I could. So, I joined up with him. And anyway we went to the field.
And there – oh dear, it was terrible. Mistakes, fearful mistakes – why, he never did anything that was right – nothing but mistakes. But, you see, nobody knew the secret of how stupid he really was. Everybody misunderstood his actions. They saw his stupid mistakes as works of great intelligence. They did, honestly!
His smallest mistakes made a man in his right mind cry, and shout and scream too – to himself, of course. And what kept me in a continual fear was the fact that every mistake he made increased his glory and fame. I kept saying to myself that when at last they found out about him, it will be like the sun falling out of the sky.
He continued to climb up, over the dead bodies of his superiors. Then, in the hottest moment of one battle down went our colonel. My heart jumped into my mouth, for Scoresby was the next in line to take his place. Now, we are in for it, I said...
The battle grew hotter. The English and their allies were steadily retreating all over the field. Our regiment occupied a position that was extremely important. One mistake now would bring total disaster. And what did Scoresby do this time – he just mistook his left hand for his right hand...that was all. An order came for him to fall back and support our right. Instead, he moved forward and went over the hill to the left. We were over the hill before this insane movement could be discovered and stopped. And what did we find? A large and unsuspected Russian army waiting! And what happened – were we all killed? That is exactly what would have happened in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred. But no – those surprised Russians thought that no one regiment by itself would come around there at such a time.
It must be the whole British army, they thought. They turned tail, away they went over the hill and down into the field in wild disorder, and we after them. In no time, there was the greatest turn around you ever saw. The allies turned defeat into a sweeping and shining victory.
The allied commander looked on, his head spinning with wonder, surprise and joy. He sent right off for Scoresby, and put his arms around him and hugged him on the field in front of all the armies. Scoresby became famous that day as a great military leader – honored throughout the world. That honor will never disappear while history books last.
He is just as nice and pleasant as ever, but he still does not know enough to come in out of the rain. He is the stupidest man in the universe.
Until now, nobody knew it but Scoresby and myself. He has been followed, day by day, year by year, by a strange luck. He has been a shining soldier in all our wars for years. He has filled his whole military life with mistakes. Every one of them brought him another honorary title. Look at his chest, flooded with British and foreign medals. Well, sir, every one of them is the record of some great stupidity or other. They are proof that the best thing that can happen to a man is to be born lucky. I say again, as I did at the dinner, Scoresby's a complete fool.
(MUSIC)
SUSAN CLARK: You have just heard the story "Luck." It was written by Mark Twain and adapted for Special English by Harold Berman. Your narrator was Shep O'Neal. Listen again next week at this same time for another American Story told in Special English on the Voice of America. This is Susan Clark.
重点解析
1.in person 亲自
It was the first time she had seen him in person.
这是她第一次见到他本人。
2.effect on 有影响
All this had an extremely negative effect on the criminal justice system.
这一切对刑事司法制度产生了极坏的影响。
3.as a shock 令人震惊
It didn't come as a shock to learn that the fuel and cooling systems are the most common causes of breakdown.
燃油和冷却系统是造成故障的最常见的原因，这一点不奇怪。
4.Therefore, I wanted to find out more about our hero as soon as I could.
于是我就想尽快搞清这个英雄的背后之谜。
find out 找出
You can find out whether they are prepared to share the cost of the flowers with you.
你可以弄清楚他们是否愿意和你一起分担买花的费用。
5.He did not know anything, so to speak.
他可说是一无所知。
so to speak 可以这么说
I ought not to tell you but I will, since you're in the family, so to speak.
我本来不该告诉你的，但我还是要这么做，因为好歹你是家里的一员。
6.Then, the Crimean War broke out.
克里米亚战争恰在这时爆发。
break out 突然爆发
When hostilities broke out he returned to England and joined up.
战事爆发之后，他回到英格兰参军了。
参考译文
苏珊·克拉克：现在为您演播，美国之音慢速英语节目，美国故事。
我们今天的故事叫做《运气》，作者马克·吐温。演播谢普·奥尼尔。
谢普·奥尼尔：事情发生在伦敦的一次宴会上。这次宴会是为当代英国威名赫赫的军事将领举行的。我不想提及他的真实姓名和各种头衔。我将称他为陆军中将阿瑟·斯考兹比勋爵。
此时此刻，这位鼎鼎大名的人物就面对面地坐在我的眼前，我的激动溢于言表。我盯着这位半神半人似的人物，勋章遍布他的全身。我注视着，他仿佛透露出了伟大的真正内涵。他不慕虚名。好像不知道成百双充满崇敬的眼睛正注视着他；好像不知道出自人们内心一股深厚的爱慕，一种真诚的崇拜，正朝他涌来。
坐在我左边的牧师是我的老相识。他现在是牧师，可前半辈子却是在戎马生涯中度过的，而且还当过伍立奇军事学校的教官。他眼中隐隐约约闪现出一种离奇的目光，一边用手势指着宴会上的那位英雄，一边俯过头来轻轻地，但却是满有把握地对我说：“私下说说——他是个头号大傻瓜。”
这个评价令我大为震惊。就仿佛他说的是拿破仑、苏格拉底或是所罗门之类的人物。有两点我是清楚的：这位牧师说话句句真实可靠；而且他很有知人之明。因此我断定，毫无疑问，世人是错看了这位英雄：他的确是个傻瓜。于是我就想尽快搞清这个英雄的背后之谜。
过了些日子，机会来到了，下面就是这位牧师告诉我的话：
大约40年前，我在伍立奇军事学校当教官。年轻的斯考兹比当时过来参加初试。班上别的学员回答问题都很漂亮，而他——唉，天啊，他可说是一无所知，我的怜悯之心不禁为之大动。谁都看得出他是个好孩子，可亲可爱，又很天真；此刻他站在那儿，呆若木鸡，回答问题时的愚昧无知真是荒谬绝伦，叫人看了十分痛心。
我暗自思忖，复试时他肯定是要被刷掉的；既然如此，尽我所能来减轻他摔下来的痛苦，也就只不过是一种无害的慈悲举动而已。
我把他叫到一旁，发现他还知道一点儿恺撒大帝的历史，既然他别的什么也不知道，于是我就辅导他，逼他像奴隶船上的奴隶一样拼命准备有关恺撒大帝的一些老生常谈的问题，而我知道这些问题是会考到的。
信不信由你，考试那天他居然名列前茅！就凭这些，他受到了赞扬；而别人呢，虽然比他强一千倍，却被淘汰了。由于某种奇妙幸运的机遇，除了他准备的狭窄知识范围之外，其他什么也没考到——这种机遇百载难逢。
这么说吧，自始至终我都守护着他，我对他的感情就像一位母亲对待自己瘸腿的小孩一样；但他却总是能从困境中自己解脱出来——明摆着全是凭奇迹。
我想到头来要他命的还是数学。我打定主意尽量叫他死得痛快点儿；于是我选定了考官最可能出题的路子对他反反复复进行填鸭式的硬灌，然后让他听天由命参加考试，想着一切就该就此结束。然而，想想结果：叫我大吃一惊，他居然荣获头奖！全场向他热烈鼓掌祝贺。
我日日夜夜受着良心的折磨。我做的这一切并非正确，只是为了让这可怜的小伙子别摔得太惨。我做梦也没有想到，事情的结果竟是如此荒唐透顶。
我想迟早有一天：真正的考验会让他完蛋。
克里米亚战争恰在这时爆发。我暗中想，当然得有一场战争。要是在和平时期，就没有机会叫这头蠢驴到死都不露出本相。我紧张等待着火山爆发。火山果然爆发了。可是火山爆发时却惊得我目瞪口呆。他将担任作战部队的上尉！谁又预料得到，他们竟会把责任如此重大的一副担子，放在这样稚嫩而不堪胜任的肩膀上？
我对自己说道，这件事我要对国家负责，我一定得跟他一起去，尽我所能保护国家不受他的祸害。于是我跟着部队一起开赴了战场。
哎哟哟，真可怕。犯错误——他可只会犯错误，别的什么也干不出来。但是你得明白，这家伙的秘密谁也没窥破过。大伙儿都错看了他，他们把这个白痴所犯的大错竟然当成是天才的杰作。我一点也不瞎说，他们就是这样胡搞的！
当然，他最微小的错误也足够叫一个头脑清醒的人大喊起来。老是使我直冒冷汗的是，每次他犯下一个新的错误，他的英名就愈加大放异彩！我不断地对自己说，他这样青云直上，、有朝一日真相揭穿的时候，那会像太阳一样从天上掉下来。
他继续踏着他上级的尸体步步高升。最后，在某战役最炽烈的时刻，我们的上校也牺牲了。我吓得心都快从口里跳出来了，因为斯考兹比是第二名军衔最高的军官！瞧吧，我说，不到十分钟咱们全都得到地狱里报到，没错。
战斗打得异常激烈，联军在整个战场上节节败退。我们团队所踞的阵地十分重要。此刻出错必会招致全军覆没。在这一发千钧之际，这个头号大傻瓜是怎样指挥的呢？他只把左手误以为右手来打，就这样。一个命令下来，让他退后支持我们的右翼部队。而他把部队从阵地撤出，下令向山包左侧发起冲锋！我们一个劲儿往前冲，敌人还来不及发现和制止我们的疯狂行动，我们就已经冲上了山脊。我们看到了什么呢？谁也想不到竟是俄军整整一个军的后备队！结果如何呢？是不是把我们吃掉了呢？百分之九十九的情况下，那必然是我们的下场。但是，不，那些俄国人推测：在这种时刻，单单一个团队是决不会在这儿出现的。
必定是英军全军出击，必定是俄军的诡计已被识破而不能得逞；因此他们就掉头乱跑，从山上跑到山下，混乱不堪，我们则尾追不舍；于是俄军立即全线大溃败，那情形真是少见，结果联军反败为胜，获得了伟大、辉煌的胜利！
联军元帅看到这一切，又惊又喜，赞叹不已，立即召见斯考兹比，在战场上当着全军的面拥抱他！那一天，他一举成名，成了一位神奇的天才军事家，誉满全球。只要世上还有历史书存在，这种荣誉就永放光芒。
他是一位非常和蔼可亲、平易近人的好人，但他就是不知道下雨了应当进屋躲躲。这话一点不假。他是宇宙间夭字第一号的蠢驴。
直到现在，除了他自己和我之外还没有旁人知道内情。日复一日，年复一年，他交的全是好运，一种极不寻常的好运。他参加过我们的历次战争，战功彪炳；他在戎马生涯中始终不断犯错误，然而这些错误总是使他荣膺各种称号。瞧他的胸脯儿，嘿，密密麻麻挂满了本国和外国的勋章。你瞧，每枚勋章都是某件荒唐透顶的蠢事的记录，这些勋章加在一起就证明：人生在世所能碰到的最最好的事就是一出娘胎就交上好运气。我在晚宴上说过，我现在再说一遍，斯考兹比是个头号大傻瓜。
苏珊·克拉克：您刚刚收听到的故事《运气》，作者马克·吐温，哈罗德·伯尔曼将它改编成VOA慢速英语节目。演播谢普·奥尼尔。下周同一时间，欢迎您再次收听VOA慢速英语节目，美国故事。我是苏珊·克拉克。
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