(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Our story is called "A Pair of Silk Stockings." It was written by Kate Chopin. Here is Barbara Klein with the story. Little Missus Sommers one day found herself the unexpected owner of fifteen dollars. It seemed to her a very large amount of money. The way it filled up her worn money holder gave her a feeling of importance that she had not enjoyed for years. The question of investment was one she considered carefully. For a day or two she walked around in a dreamy state as she thought about her choices. She did not wish to act quickly and do anything she might regret. During the quiet hours of the night she lay awake considering ideas. A dollar or two could be added to the price she usually paid for her daughter Janie's shoes. This would guarantee they would last a great deal longer than usual. She would buy cloth for new shirts for the boys. Her daughter Mag should have another dress. And still there would be enough left for new stockings — two pairs per child. What time that would save her in always repairing old stockings! The idea of her little family looking fresh and new for once in their lives made her restless with excitement. The neighbors sometimes talked of the "better days" that little Missus Sommers had known before she had ever thought of being Missus Sommers. She herself never looked back to her younger days. She had no time to think about the past.
The needs of the present took all her energy. Missus Sommers knew the value of finding things for sale at reduced prices. She could stand for hours making her way little by little toward the desired object that was selling below cost. She could push her way if need be. But that day she was tired and a little bit weak. She had eaten a light meal—no! She thought about her day. Between getting the children fed and the house cleaned, and preparing herself to go shopping, she had forgotten to eat at all! When she arrived at the large department store, she sat in front of an empty counter. She was trying to gather strength and courage to push through a mass of busy shoppers. She rested her hand upon the counter. She wore no gloves. She slowly grew aware that her hand had felt something very pleasant to touch. She looked down to see that her hand lay upon a pile of silk stockings. A sign nearby announced that they had been reduced in price. A young girl who stood behind the counter asked her if she wished to examine the silky leg coverings. She smiled as if she had been asked to inspect diamond jewelry with the aim of purchasing it. But she went on feeling the soft, costly items. Now she used both hands, holding the stockings up to see the light shine through them.
Two red marks suddenly showed on her pale face. She looked up at the shop girl. "Do you think there are any size eights-and-a-half among these?" There were a great number of stockings in her size. Missus Sommers chose a black pair and looked at them closely. "A dollar and ninety-eight cents," she said aloud. "Well, I will buy this pair." She handed the girl a five dollar bill and waited for her change and the wrapped box with the stockings. What a very small box it was! It seemed lost in her worn old shopping bag. Missus Sommers then took the elevator which carried her to an upper floor into the ladies' rest area. In an empty corner, she replaced her cotton stockings for the new silk ones. For the first time she seemed to be taking a rest from the tiring act of thought. She had let herself be controlled by some machine-like force that directed her actions and freed her of responsibility. How good was the touch of the silk on her skin! She felt like lying back in the soft chair and enjoying the richness of it. She did for a little while. Then she put her shoes back on and put her old stockings into her bag. Next, she went to the shoe department, sat down and waited to be fitted. The young shoe salesman was unable to guess about her background. He could not resolve her worn, old shoes with her beautiful, new stockings. She tried on a pair of new boots. She held back her skirts and turned her feet one way and her head another way as she looked down at the shiny, pointed boots.
Her foot and ankle looked very lovely. She could not believe that they were a part of herself. She told the young salesman that she wanted an excellent and stylish fit. She said she did not mind paying extra as long as she got what she desired. After buying the new boots, she went to the glove department. It was a long time since Missus Sommers had been fitted with gloves. When she had bought a pair they were always "bargains," so cheap that it would have been unreasonable to have expected them to be fitted to her hand. Now she rested her arm on the counter where gloves were for sale. A young shop girl drew a soft, leather glove over Missus Sommers's hand. She smoothed it down over the wrist and buttoned it neatly. Both women lost themselves for a second or two as they quietly praised the little gloved hand. There were other places where money might be spent. A store down the street sold books and magazines. Missus Sommers bought two costly magazines that she used to read back when she had been able to enjoy other pleasant things. She lifted her skirts as she crossed the street. Her new stockings and boots and gloves had worked wonders for her appearance. They had given her a feeling of satisfaction, a sense of belonging to the well-dressed crowds.
She was very hungry. Another time she would have ignored the desire for food until reaching her own home. But the force that was guiding her would not permit her to act on such a thought. There was a restaurant at the corner. She had never entered its doors. She had sometimes looked through the windows. She had noted the white table cloths, shining glasses and waiters serving wealthy people. When she entered, her appearance created no surprise or concern, as she had half feared it might. She seated herself at a small table. A waiter came at once to take her order. She ordered six oysters, a chop, something sweet, a glass of wine and a cup of coffee. While waiting to be served she removed her gloves very slowly and set them beside her. Then she picked up her magazine and looked through it. It was all very agreeable. The table cloths were even more clean and white than they had seemed through the window. And the crystal drinking glasses shined even more brightly. There were ladies and gentlemen, who did not notice her, lunching at the small tables like her own. A pleasing piece of music could be heard, and a gentle wind was blowing through the window. She tasted a bite, and she read a word or two and she slowly drank the wine.
She moved her toes around in the silk stockings. The price of it all made no difference. When she was finished, she counted the money out to the waiter and left an extra coin on his tray. He bowed to her as if she were a princess of royal blood. There was still money in her purse, and her next gift to herself presented itself as a theater advertisement. When she entered the theater, the play had already begun. She sat between richly dressed women who were there to spend the day eating sweets and showing off their costly clothing. There were many others who were there only to watch the play. It is safe to say there was no one there who had the same respect that Missus Sommers did for her surroundings. She gathered in everything —stage and players and people -- in one wide sensation. She laughed and cried at the play. She even talked a little with the women. One woman wiped her eyes with a small square of lace and passed Missus Sommers her box of candy. The play was over, the music stopped, the crowd flowed outside. It was like a dream ended. Missus Sommers went to wait for the cable car. A man with sharp eyes sat opposite her. It was hard for him to fully understand what he saw in her expression. In truth, he saw nothing -- unless he was a magician. Then he would sense her heartbreaking wish that the cable car would never stop anywhere, but go on and on with her forever. "A Pair of Silk Stockings" was written by Kate Chopin. Your storyteller was Barbara Klein. Dana Demange adapted and produced it.
重点解析
1.looked down 看不起，往下看
Then she looked down.
她向下看了看。
2.restless 焦躁不安的；不安宁的
The mind of most people is very restless.
大多数人的思想都是焦躁不安的。
3.In truth 真实地；实在
This period completes many of the movements that in truth began months earlier.
此期间将完成很多的转变，这些转变确实在数月前就开始运作了。
4.as if 犹如，好似
Right now, start acting as if the above statement is true at all times.
如果上面的那句话在任何时候都是真的，现在，就开始行动。
5.push away 推开
I began to think how ridiculous it is that our most useful allure is resistance and that our natural reaction is to push away someone who shows that he cares.
我开始想这是有多滑稽。 我们最管用的魅力是拒绝，我们最本能的反应是推开那些表现出关心我们的人。
参考译文
我们的故事叫做《一双丝袜》。作者凯特·肖邦，芭芭拉·克莱恩为您讲述。一天，小萨默斯夫人发现自己意外地拥有了15美元。对她来说，这似乎是一笔很大的钱数，这些钱把她那破旧不堪的旧钱包塞得满满的鼓鼓的，这种情况给了她一种很重要的感觉，就像她多年来一直没有享受过的一样。投资的问题是一个占据了她心思的极大的问题。一两天来，她一直在一种梦幻般的状态中游走，但却是真正地沉浸在谋划投机买卖的算计之中。她不希望匆忙行事，做出任何可能事后后悔的事。但是在清净的夜晚，当她清醒地躺在床上的时候，头脑中还在盘算着她的计划，一、两美元通常应该花到给詹妮买一双鞋子上，这将确保鞋子穿的时间比通常更长一些。她会买那么多码的細布，为马吉做新衣服，而且，还有足够布用来做新袜子——每个孩子两双，还能省下一会儿时间呢！她的小心思看起来又新鲜又精致，在他们的生活中又一次令她兴奋，使她不安而又清醒，满怀期待。邻居们有时会说起某些“更好的日子”发生时的事情，而萨默斯夫人就知道她当时还没想过自己会成为小萨默斯夫人呢 。她自己也不喜欢这种病态的回忆。她没有时间——一秒钟也没有——去专注于过去。现在的需要占据了她的所有精力。萨默斯夫人是一个懂得如何讨价还价的人，她能一站就是好几个小时， 一英寸一英寸地走向她想要的目标，从而卖到低于成本价的东西。如果需要的话，她可以用胳膊肘挤来挤去为自己开道挤着向前走;那天她有点虚弱和疲惫。
中午，她想去吃一顿便餐——不！她想起了她的一天，想让孩子们也来这个地方吃饭，以便自己再次去购物，她这样想着，竟然完全忘记了吃午餐。她坐在相对较为空寂的柜台前的一个旋转的凳子上她浑身无力地走上前去，漫无目地地将手搭在柜台上。她没有戴手套。渐渐地，她意识到她的手碰到了一些非常光滑很能抚慰人心的东西上。她低头一看，她的手放在一堆丝袜上。旁边的一个布告板上写着降价。站在柜台后面的一个年轻女孩问她是否想要检查一下丝袜的丝织线。她微微一笑，就好像是被要求检查一颗钻石的冠饰，并最终决定购买钻石一样。但她继续感受着这柔软的、光滑而奢华的东西——双手握着，举起它们，看着它们的光闪。两个红斑点突然出现在她那苍白的脸颊上。她抬头看着那女孩。“你觉得这里面有八分半的吗?”事实上，这个尺寸的比其他任何尺寸的都要多。萨默斯夫人选择了一双黑色的，并且还仔细地看了很久。“一美元九十八美分，”她大声地说。“好吧，我要这双。”她递给女孩一张五美元的钞票，等待着她找零钱并打包。一个多么小的包裹啊！它似乎在她那破旧购物袋的深处消失了。萨默斯夫人乘电梯，来到楼上的女士等候区。在一个幽静的角落里，她脱下自己的棉袜，换上了刚买的新丝绸。
她似乎要趁机会让那劳累而疲惫的状态休息一下并放弃了自己的一些机械冲动，以引导自己的行动并免除自己的责任。生丝品套到她的脚上，皮肤的感觉是多么的好啊！她觉得就像是躺在软垫椅上，享受了一会儿奢侈，令她陶醉。她这样地享受了一会儿。然后她穿上鞋子，把棉袜卷起来，塞进包里。在这之后，她就直接去了鞋部，并在她原来坐过的那个座位上坐了下来。那位年轻的鞋店售货员猜不出她的背景，她也不能把鞋子和袜子穿合适，她试穿了一双新靴子。她撩起裙子，一只脚转向一边，头转向另一边，低头看了一眼那光亮的尖头靴。她的脚和脚踝看起来都很漂亮。她没有意识到那是属于她的，是她自己的一部分。她想要一种既漂亮又时髦的搭配，她告诉那个为她服务的年轻人，只要她能得到她想要的东西，就不在乎价格上的差别。买了新靴子后，她去了手套店。自从萨默斯夫人配上合适的手套以来，已经很长一段时间了。她很难得地才买了一双总是“特价”的，还这样便宜的，以至于让她以为指望它们能配得上自己的纤纤小手的想法是荒谬而不合理的。现在，她把她的胳膊肘放在了手套柜台的垫子上，一个漂亮的、可爱的年轻人，拉出来一个柔软的皮制手套，放在萨默斯夫人的手上 。她把它套在手上抚平一直拉到手腕上，扣子都整齐地扣好，两个人都沉浸在对这个小小而匀称的手套的赞赏和沉思中。但还有其他一些地方可能还得花钱的。在这条街道上几步远的地方，有一堆书和杂志堆在货摊橱窗上。
萨默斯夫人买了两本高价的杂志，诸如当她有了其他一些令人愉快的事情时，在这一天她通常都会去读。此外当走到十字路口时，她就会把裙子撩起来。她的长统袜、靴子和一双很合身的手套，在她的举止上都能创造奇迹——给了她一种自信的感觉，一种属于穿着得体的人群的归属感。她非常饿。但她还会再一次平静地忍着对食物的渴望，直到回到自己的家。但是，导致她的冲动不会让她接受任何这样的想法。在街拐角处有一家餐馆。她从来没有进过这家的门，她有时从外面看看，瞥见了一尘不染的缎子和闪闪发光的水晶饰品，以及那些为时尚人士服务的举步轻盈的侍者。当她出现时，并没有感到惊讶，也没有惊慌，因为她当初曾有点的担心。她独自坐在一张小桌子上，一个服务殷勤周到的侍者马上走过来，要她点菜。她点了半打蓝蚝，一种甜点，一杯莱茵红酒，然后再要一小杯黑咖啡。在她等待上菜的时候，她很从容地退下手套，并把手套放在旁边。然后她拿起一本杂志，浏览了一遍，这一切都很令人愉快。桌上铺的这个锦缎比透过窗户看起来更干净，水晶饰品也更加闪闪发光。有一些安静的女士和先生们，他们都没有注意到她，像她自己一样在小桌子上吃午餐。一种柔和的、悦耳的音乐传来，一阵微风透过窗户吹了进来。
她尝一口，读一两句，抿一口琥珀色的葡萄酒，并在丝袜里扭动着脚趾。丝袜的价格毫无差别。她把饭钱数给了侍应生，并在她的盘子上留下了一枚额外的硬币，于是侍应生在她面前鞠了一躬，就像是在具有贵族血统的公主面前一样。她的钱包里还有钱，她的下一个诱惑就像一张午后剧场的海报一样呈现在她的面前。过了一会儿，她走进剧院，演出已经开始了，她被领到一个座位坐下，两边是一些穿着漂亮衣服的女人，她们都是去那里消磨时间，吃糖果，炫耀她们的艳俗衣着的。还有很多人只是纯粹为了来玩乐和看表演的。可以肯定的说，没有一个人能像萨默斯夫人那样对她的周围环境抱有如此在意的态度。她把整个舞台、演员和人物都聚集在一起，全神贯注地欣赏着，享受着，她看着喜剧就笑起来，然后又哭了起来，他们就这个问题进行了一些讨论。这位俗艳的女人用一个带香味的蕾丝花边的小方巾擦眼睛，抽鼻涕，然后把她的糖果小盒子递给了萨默斯夫人。演出结束了，音乐停止了，人群蜂拥而出。这就像一个梦结束了。萨默斯夫人走到街角里，等候电缆车。一个眼睛敏锐的男人，坐在她对面，他对在那里看到的景象感到迷惑不解。事实上，他什么也没看到，除非他是个巫师，能够实现一个令人印象深刻的愿望，一种强烈的渴望，那就是缆车永远不要停在任何地方，而是让他和她永远在一起。
