(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Now the VOA Special English Program American stories.
Our story today is called "Paul's Case." It was written by Willa Cather.
"Paul's Case" will be told in two parts. Here is Kay Gallant with part one of the story.
Paul hated school. He did not do his homework.
He did not like his teachers. Paul's father did not know what to do with him.
His teachers did not know either.
One afternoon, all his teachers at Pittsburgh High School met together with him to discuss his case.
Paul was late. When he entered the room his teachers sat waiting for him.
He was tall for his age and very thin. His clothes were too small for him, but they were clean.
He had a bright red flower in the button hole of his black jacket.
One of the teachers asked Paul why he had come to the meeting.
Paul said politely that he wanted to do better in school. This was a lie. Paul often lied.
His teachers began to speak. They had many complaints.
One said Paul talked to the other students instead of paying attention to the lessons.
Another said Paul always sat in class with his hands covering his eyes.
A third teacher said Paul looked out the window instead of looking at her. His teachers attacked him without mercy.
Paul's eyebrows moved up and down as his teachers spoke.
His smile never left his face, but his fingers shook as he touched the flower on his coat.
At last the meeting was over. Paul's smile got even wider.
He bowed gracefully and left the room.
His teachers were angry and confused.
The art teacher spoke for all of them when he said there was something about Paul that he didn't understand.
"I don't think he really means to be bad," he said.
"There's just something wrong with that boy."
Then the art teacher remembered one warm afternoon when Paul had fallen asleep in his class.
Paul's face was white with thin blue veins under the skin.
The boy's face looked tired and lined, like an old man's. His eyebrows moved up and down, even in his sleep.
After he left the meeting, Paul ran down the hill from the school whistling.
He was late for his job at the concert hall. Paul was an usher there.
He showed people to their seats. He carried messages for them.
He brought them their programs with a polite bow.
Everyone thought he was a charming boy and the best usher at the hall.
When Paul reached the concert hall that evening, he went immediately to the dressing room.
About six boys were already there.
Paul began changing his clothes with excited hands.
He loved his green uniform with the gold pockets and design.
Paul rushed into the concert hall as soon as he had changed clothes.
He ran up and down the hall, helping people.
He became more and more excited. His face became pink and his eyes seemed larger and very bright.
He looked almost handsome. At last everyone was seated.
The orchestra began to play and Paul sat down with a sigh of relief.
The music seemed to free something in Paul's spirit.
Then a woman came out and began to sing.
She had a rich, strong soprano voice. Paul felt truly happy for the first time that day.
At the end of the concert Paul went back to the dressing room.
After he had changed his clothes again he went outside the concert hall.
He decided to wait for the singer to come out.
While he waited he looked across the street to the large hotel called "The Schenley."
All the important people stayed at The Schenley when they visited Pittsburgh.
Paul had never been inside it, but he used to stand near the hotel's wide glass doors.
He liked to watch the people enter and leave.
He believed if he could only enter this kind of a hotel, he would be able to leave school, his teachers, and his ordinary, gray life behind him...forever.
At last the singer came out of the concert hall.
Paul followed her as she walked to the hotel.
He was part of a large crowd of admirers who had waited to see her.
When they all reached the hotel, she turned and waved.
Then the doors opened and she disappeared inside.
Paul stared into the hotel as the doors slowly closed.
He could feel the warm, sweet air inside.
And for a moment, he felt part of a golden world of sparkling lights and marble floors.
He thought about the mysterious dishes of food being served in the hotel's dining room.
He thought about green bottles of wine growing cold in silver buckets of ice.
He turned away from the hotel and walked home.
He thought of his room with its horrible yellow wallpaper, the old bed with its ugly red cover. He shook his head.
Soon he was walking down the street where he lived.
All the houses on Cordelia Street were exactly alike.
Middle class businessmen had bought them for their families.
All their children went to school and to church. They loved arithmetic.
As Paul walked toward his house he felt as if he were drowning in ugliness.
He longed for cool colors and soft lights and fresh flowers.
He didn't want to see his ugly bedroom or the cold bathroom with its cracked mirror and gray floor.
Paul went around to the back of his father's house.
He found an open window and climbed into the kitchen.
Then he went downstairs to the basement. He was afraid of rats.
But he did not want to face his own bedroom. Paul couldn't sleep.
He sat on the floor and stared into the darkness until morning came.
The following Sunday Paul had to go to church with his family.
Afterwards, everyone came home and ate a big dinner.
Then all the people who lived on Cordelia Street came outside to visit each other.
After supper Paul asked his father if he could visit a friend to get some help with his arithmetic.
Paul left the house with his school books under his arm.
But he didn't go to his friend's house. Instead he went to see Charley Edwards.
Charley was a young actor. Paul liked to spend as much time as he could at the theater where Charley Edwards and his group acted in their plays.
It was only at the theater and the concert hall that Paul felt really alive.
The moment he smelled the air of these places he felt like a prisoner suddenly set free.
As soon as he heard the concert hall orchestra play he forgot all the ugly, unpleasant events in his own life.
Paul had discovered that any kind of music awakened his imagination.
Paul didn't want to become a musician, however.
He didn't want to become an actor, either.
He only wanted to be near people who were actors and musicians.
He wanted to see the kind of life these artists led.
Paul found a schoolroom even worse after a night at the theater or the concert hall.
He hated the school's bare floors and cracked walls.
He turned away from his dull teachers in their plain clothes.
He tried to show them how little he thought of them and the studies they taught.
He would bring photographs of all the actors he knew to school.
He would tell the other students that he spent his evenings with these people at elegant restaurants.
Then he would announce that he was going away to Europe or to California, or to Egypt for a while.
The next day he would come to school smiling nervously.
His sister was ill, he would say. But he was still planning to make his trip next spring.
Paul's problems at school became worse.
Even after the meeting with his teachers, things did not get better.
He told them he had no time to study grammar and arithmetic.
He told them he had to help the actors in the theater. They were old friends of his.
Finally, his teachers went to Paul's father.
He took Paul out of school and made him get a job.
He told the manager at the concert hall that Paul could not work there anymore.
His father warned the doorman at the theater not to let Paul into the place.
And Charley Edwards promised Paul's father not to see Paul again.
All the actors at the theater laughed when they heard about the stories Paul had been telling.
The women thought it was funny that Paul had told people he took them out to nice restaurants and sent them flowers.
They agreed with the teachers and with his father that Paul's was a bad case.
You have just heard part one of the American story "Paul's Case."
It was written by Willa Cather. Your storyteller was Kay Gallant.
重点解析
1.rush into 冲进；匆忙进入
It is so brave of him to rush into the building to put out the fire with his own jacket.
他冲进大楼用自己的夹克衫把火扑灭了，真是太勇敢了。
2.turn away 转过脸去；拒绝（某人）进入
This person would turn away from her and start speaking to her parents.
人将离开她，开始和她父母讲话。
3.long for 渴望；羡慕
I long for eternity because there I shall meet my unwritten poems and my unpainted pictures.
我渴望着来生，因为在那里我将会看到我的未写出的诗和未画出的画。
4.climb into 进入；（非正）穿衣
She insisted that she had seen a thief climb into the house through the window.
她坚持说她曾看见一个扒手从窗口爬进了房间。
5.take out 取出；把…带出去
Take out a pen and paper right now and start writing your letter to your future self.
现在就拿出笔和纸，开始给未来的自己写封信吧。
参考译文
现在是美国之音慢速英语美国故事节目。
我们今天的故事叫做《保罗事件》。作者薇拉·凯瑟。
《保罗事件》分为两部分。凯·加伦特演播故事的第一部分。
保罗不喜欢上学。他从不做功课。
他也不喜欢老师。他的爸爸拿他没辙。老师们也是一筹莫展。
一天下午，匹兹堡中学的全体教师聚在一起讨论他的问题。
保罗迟到了。他进屋的时候，老师们正在等他。
在他那个年龄，他虽然消瘦，但还算是个高个。衣服穿在他身上显得有点小，但很干净。
在他黑色夹克的扣眼里插了一支扎眼的红花。
一位老师问保罗：“你知不知道为什么叫你来？”
保罗彬彬有礼地回答说以前自己犯了错误，但现在他想改好。这又是谎话。保罗经常撒谎。
老师们开始发言。不满和贬斥如潮水般喷涌出来。
一位老师说，保罗上课不注意听老师讲课，却与同学聊天。
另一位说，保罗上课时经常用手蒙住眼睛。
第三位老师说，保罗上课时老往窗外看，却不看她讲课。老师们毫不留情地指责他，批评他。
当大家发言的时候保罗的眉梢不时跳上跳下。
但微笑一直挂在他的嘴角，只有当他的手偶尔碰到衣服上的红花时，指尖才微微动一下。
会议终于结束了。保罗的微笑更加夸张，也更加灿烂。
他优雅地冲大家鞠了个躬，然后走出大厅。
老师们既愤怒又迷惑。
艺术科老师的话代表了大家的心声，他说：“保罗身上有种我无法理解的东西”。
“我不认为他的本质有多坏，”他说。
“只是这孩子身上有什么东西不对劲。”
接下来，这位艺术课老师向大家讲起有一个温暖的下午，保罗在他的课堂上睡着了。
他注意到，保罗的脸色苍白疲倦，隐隐有线纹，皮肤下的蓝色毛细血管依稀可见，就像老人一样。
即使在睡梦中，他的眉毛还在上下跳动。
离开会场之后，从学校一出来，保罗便一边吹着口哨，一边顺着山坡向下跑。
因为他在音乐厅的那份差事要迟了。
保罗是那儿的引座员，负责把观众带到座位上。也为大家捎东西什么的。
当他把节目单递到大家手中的时候，便会优雅地鞠一个躬。
大家都夸他讨人喜欢，是这里最好的引座员。
这天晚上，保罗一到音乐厅，就直奔更衣室。
其余6个小孩儿已经到了。
保罗开始兴奋地换制服。
他非常喜欢自己绿色的、带有金色口袋和图案的制服。
一换好衣服，他迅速冲进音乐厅。
他在大厅里跑来跑去，帮助人们。
他越来越兴奋。脸色潮红，眼睛大而明亮。
看上去蛮帅气的。最后大家都就位了。
管弦乐队开始演奏，保罗则带着一份释然的心情在后排的空座上坐下来。
音乐似乎使保罗的精神平静下来。
接下来出场一位女演员开始演唱。
她有一副浑厚高亢的女高音的嗓音。在那一天保罗第一次感到由衷的快乐。
音乐会之后保罗回到更衣室。
换完衣服就来到室外。
他不急着走，要等到那位歌手走出来。
一边等，他一边四处望，看到了马路对面的“斯堪利”大酒店。
到匹兹堡的所有重要人物都住“斯堪利”大酒店。
保罗从未进去过，但有一次他曾经靠近过酒店巨大的玻璃门。
他喜欢看着人们在那里进进出出。
他心里有个信念：只要他进到这扇门里，就可以把学校、老师、乏味、平淡的生活统统关在门外……永远。
那位歌手终于走出音乐厅，向“斯堪利”大酒店走去。
保罗就一路跟随。
他是这位女歌星庞大“粉丝”阵容的一员。
当看到他们全部跟到酒店的时候，她转过身来。
然后当大门打开的时候，她消失在里头。
大门徐徐关闭的时候，保罗一直注视着。
他似乎触到了来自里面的温暖，甜蜜的空气。
恍惚间，自己仿佛置身于那个金碧辉煌、铺着大理石地板的、绚烂的世界。
他想像着在宾馆餐厅用神秘的餐具用餐。
从冒着冷气的银色冰桶中取出绿色酒瓶装的红酒喝下去的情景。
他转身往家走。
一想到家里令人难以忍受的黄色墙纸和罩着难看的床罩的旧床。便不禁摇了摇头。
不久他就走在回家的路上。
科德里亚马路两边的房子非常相象。
都是中产商人及其他们的大家庭的自住房。
孩子们的生活也像这些房子一样千篇一律：上学，去教堂。学算术。
当保罗往家走的时候，他感到好像溺水一样难以呼吸。
他的意识还停留在美艳，柔光和鲜花之中。
他不想看到难堪的卧室，裂了纹的梳妆镜和铺着灰色地板的阴冷的浴室。
保罗绕到父亲住所的后身。
发现一扇打开的窗户，就爬上去，跳进厨房。
然后下楼到地下室。他害怕老鼠。
可更害怕面对自己的卧室。他难以入睡。
索性坐在地板上，直勾勾地盯着黑夜，直到天亮。
下个星期天，保罗不得不随全家去教堂。
礼拜之后，大家各自散去，回家吃饭。
接着，住在科德里亚大街的居民会走出室外，相互问候。
晚餐之后，保罗对父亲说自己要到一个朋友家请教数学问题。
他夹着教科书走出家门。
可并不往朋友家走。而是去找查理·爱德华。
查理是个年轻演员。保罗喜欢花大把时间泡在剧院看查理·爱德华和他的剧团表演。
只有在剧院和音乐厅，保罗才感到自己活着。
一旦呼吸到这里的空气，他觉得就像囚犯重获自由。
每当听到音乐厅里响起管弦乐演奏的声音的时候，他顿时会忘掉自己乏味、郁闷的生活。
他发现随便什么音乐都能够激发自己的想象力。
可是，他并不想成为音乐家。
也不想做演员。
只是想跟音乐家和演员呆在一起。
只为了解他们的生活。
在剧院和音乐厅混了一夜之后，保罗觉得学校更加难以忍受。
他讨厌学校光秃秃的地板，以及裂着大缝的院墙。
他冲着没趣儿的老师们一扭身便离开了。
他就是想让这些穿着老土的老师们看看，在自己的眼里他们以及他们的教学是多么的无足轻重。
有时他会把明星照片带到学校。
会指着照片里的某几位明星说自己昨晚就是跟他们在某个一流饭店吃饭来着。
然后就会说自己哪天会去欧洲或加利福尼亚，兴许还要到埃及住上一阵子。
第二天，他又会面带微笑、神经兮兮地来到学校。
说自己的妹妹病了，没有去成。可他心里一直在计划着明年春天的旅行。
保罗在学校的情况更加恶化了。
即使经过了那次“诊疗会”，也没见有任何好转。
他跟老师们说自己没时间学语法和算术。
因为自己在剧院有事要做。老朋友的事，没办法！
最终，学校请来了保罗的父亲。
父亲把他领回家，找了份工作。
并告诉剧院老板自己的孩子不能再在那里工作了。
保罗的父亲警告剧院门卫不许再放保罗进去。
查理·爱德华也答应不再见保罗。
当剧院的演员们听说保罗讲给人们的故事的时候，全都大笑不止。
女演员们觉得保罗跟大家说他带大家出去吃饭，还献花给他们，简直太可笑了！
他们全都同意老师们和保罗父亲的观点，保罗的事是个麻烦事。
这是美国故事《保罗事件》的第一部分。
作者薇拉·凯瑟。演播者凯·加伦特。
