(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
"A Retrieved Reformation" . In the prison shoe-shop, Jimmy Valentine was busily at work making shoes. A prison officer came into the shop, and led Jimmy to the prison office. There Jimmy was given an important paper. It said that he was free. Jimmy took the paper without showing much pleasure or interest. He had been sent to prison to stay for four years. He had been there for ten months. But he had expected to stay only three months. Jimmy Valentine had many friends outside the prison. A man with so many friends does not expect to stay in prison long. "Valentine," said the chief prison officer, "you'll go out tomorrow morning. This is your chance. Make a man of yourself. You're not a bad fellow at heart. Stop breaking safes open, and live a better life." "Me?" said Jimmy in surprise. "I never broke open a safe in my life." "Oh, no," the chief prison officer laughed. "Never. Let's see. How did you happen to get sent to prison for opening that safe in Springfield? Was it because you didn't want to tell where you really were? Perhaps because you were with some lady, and you didn't want to tell her name? Or was it because the judge didn't like you? You men always have a reason like that. You never go to prison because you broke open a safe." "Me?" Jimmy said.
His face still showed surprise. "I was never in Springfield in my life." "Take him away," said the chief prison officer. "Get him the clothes he needs for going outside. Bring him here again at seven in the morning. And think about what I said, Valentine." At a quarter past seven on the next morning, Jimmy stood again in the office. He had on some new clothes that did not fit him, and a pair of new shoes that hurt his feet. These are the usual clothes given to a prisoner when he leaves the prison. Next they gave him money to pay for his trip on a train to the city near the prison. They gave him five dollars more. The five dollars were supposed to help him become a better man. Then the chief prison officer put out his hand for a handshake. That was the end of Valentine, Prisoner 9762. Mr. James Valentine walked out into the sunshine. He did not listen to the song of the birds or look at the green trees or smell the flowers. He went straight to a restaurant. There he tasted the first sweet joys of being free. He had a good dinner. After that he went to the train station. He gave some money to a blind man who sat there, asking for money, and then he got on the train. Three hours later he got off the train in a small town. Here he went to the restaurant of Mike Dolan. Mike Dolan was alone there. After shaking hands he said, "I'm sorry we couldn't do it sooner, Jimmy my boy. But there was that safe in Springfield, too.
It wasn't easy. Feeling all right?" "Fine," said Jimmy. "Is my room waiting for me?" He went up and opened the door of a room at the back of the house. Everything was as he had left it. It was here they had found Jimmy, when they took him to prison. There on the floor was a small piece of cloth. It had been torn from the coat of the cop, as Jimmy was fighting to escape. There was a bed against the wall. Jimmy pulled the bed toward the middle of the room. The wall behind it looked like any wall, but now Jimmy found and opened a small door in it. From this opening he pulled out a dust-covered bag. He opened this and looked lovingly at the tools for breaking open a safe. No finer tools could be found any place. They were complete; everything needed was here. They had been made of a special material, in the necessary sizes and shapes. Jimmy had planned them himself, and he was very proud of them. It had cost him over nine hundred dollars to have these tools made at a place where they make such things for men who work at the job of safe-breaking. In half an hour Jimmy went downstairs and through the restaurant. He was now dressed in good clothes that fitted him well. He carried his dusted and cleaned bag. "
Do you have everything planned?" asked Mike Dolan. "Me?" asked Jimmy as if surprised. "I don't understand. I work for the New York Famous Bread and Cake Makers Company. And I sell the best bread and cake in the country." Mike enjoyed these words so much that Jimmy had to take a drink with him. Jimmy had some milk. He never drank anything stronger. A week after Valentine, 9762, left the prison, a safe was broken open in Richmond, Indiana. No one knew who did it. Eight hundred dollars were taken. Two weeks after that, a safe in Logansport was opened. It was a new kind of safe; it had been made, they said, so strong that no one could break it open. But someone did, and took fifteen hundred dollars. Then a safe in Jefferson City was opened. Five thousand dollars were taken. This loss was a big one. Ben Price was a cop who worked on such important matters, and now he began to work on this. He went to Richmond, Indiana, and to Logansport, to see how the safe-breaking had been done in those places. He was heard to say: "I can see that Jim Valentine has been here. He is in business again. Look at the way he opened this one. Everything easy, everything clean. He is the only man who has the tools to do it. And he is the only man who knows how to use tools like this.
Yes, I want Mr. Valentine. Next time he goes to prison, he's going to stay there until his time is finished." Ben Price knew how Jimmy worked. Jimmy would go from one city to another far away. He always worked alone. He always left quickly when he was finished. He enjoyed being with nice people. For all these reasons, it was not easy to catch Mr. Valentine. People with safes full of money were glad to hear that Ben Price was at work trying to catch Mr. Valentine. One afternoon Jimmy Valentine and his bag arrived in a small town named Elmore. Jimmy, looking as young as a college boy, walked down the street toward the hotel. A young lady walked across the street, passed him at the corner, and entered a door. Over the door was the sign, "The Elmore Bank." Jimmy Valentine looked into her eyes, forgetting at once what he was. He became another man. She looked away, and brighter color came into her face. Young men like Jimmy did not appear often in Elmore. Jimmy saw a boy near the bank door, and began to ask questions about the town. After a time the young lady came out and went on her way. She seemed not to see Jimmy as she passed him "Isn't that young lady Polly Simpson?" asked Jimmy. "No," said the boy. "She's Annabel Adams. Her father owns this bank."
Jimmy went to the hotel, where he said his name was Ralph D. Spencer. He got a room there. He told the hotel man he had come to Elmore to go into business. How was the shoe business? Was there already a good shoe-shop? The man thought that Jimmy's clothes and manners were fine. He was happy to talk to him. Yes, Elmore needed a good shoe-shop. There was no shop that sold just shoes. Shoes were sold in the big shops that sold everything. All business in Elmore was good. He hoped Mr. Spencer would decide to stay in Elmore. It was a pleasant town to live in and the people were friendly. Mr. Spencer said he would stay in the town a few days and learn something about it. No, he said, he himself would carry his bag up to his room. He didn't want a boy to take it. It was very heavy. Mr. Ralph Spencer remained in Elmore. He started a shoe-shop. Business was good. Also he made many friends. And he was successful with the wish of his heart. He met Annabel Adams. He liked her better every day. At the end of a year everyone in Elmore liked Mr. Ralph Spencer. His shoe-shop was doing very good business. And he and Annabel were going to be married in two weeks. Mr. Adams, the small-town banker, liked Spencer. Annabel was very proud of him. He seemed already to belong to the Adams family.
One day Jimmy sat down in his room to write this letter, which he sent to one of his old friends: Dear Old Friend: I want you to meet me at Sullivan's place next week, on the evening of the 10th. I want to give you my tools. I know you'll be glad to have them. You couldn't buy them for a thousand dollars. I finished with the old business—a year ago. I have a nice shop. I'm living a better life, and I'm going to marry the best girl on earth two weeks from now. It's the only life—I wouldn't ever again touch another man's money. After I marry, I'm going to go further west, where I'll never see anyone who knew me in my old life. I tell you, she's a wonderful girl. She trusts me. Your old friend, Jimmy. On the Monday night after Jimmy sent this letter, Ben Price arrived quietly in Elmore. He moved slowly about the town in his quiet way, and he learned all that he wanted to know. Standing inside a shop, he watched Ralph D. Spencer walk by. "You're going to marry the banker's daughter, are you, Jimmy?" said Ben to himself. "I don't feel sure about that!" The next morning Jimmy was at the Adams home. He was going to a nearby city that day to buy new clothes for the wedding. He was also going to buy a gift for Annabel. It would be his first trip out of Elmore. It was more than a year now since he had done any safe-breaking. Most of the Adams family went to the bank together that morning.
There were Mr. Adams, Annabel, Jimmy, and Annabel's married sister with her two little girls, aged five and nine. They passed Jimmy's hotel, and Jimmy ran up to his room and brought along his bag. Then they went to the bank. All went inside—Jimmy, too, for he was one of the family. Everyone in the bank was glad to see the good-looking, nice young man who was going to marry Annabel. Jimmy put down his bag. Annabel, laughing, put Jimmy's hat on her head and picked up the bag. "How do I look?" she asked. "Ralph, how heavy this bag is! It feels full of gold." "It's full of some things I don't need in my shop," Jimmy said. "I'm taking them to the city, to the place where they came from. That saves me the cost of sending them. I'm going to be a married man. I must learn to save money." The Elmore bank had a new safe. Mr. Adams was very proud of it, and he wanted everyone to see it. It was as large as a small room, and it had a very special door. The door was controlled by a clock. Using the clock, the banker planned the time when the door should open. At other times no one, not even the banker himself, could open it. He explained about it to Mr. Spencer. Mr. Spencer seemed interested but he did not seem to understand very easily. The two children, May and Agatha, enjoyed seeing the shining heavy door, with all its special parts. While they were busy like this, Ben Price entered the bank and looked around. He told a young man who worked there that he had not come on business; he was waiting for a man. Suddenly there was a cry from the women.
They had not been watching the children. May, the nine-year-old girl, had playfully but firmly closed the door of the safe. And Agatha was inside. The old banker tried to open the door. He pulled at it for a moment. "The door can't be opened," he cried. "And the clock—I hadn't started it yet." Agatha's mother cried out again. "Quiet!" said Mr. Adams, raising a shaking hand. "All be quiet for a moment. Agatha!" he called as loudly as he could. "Listen to me." They could hear, but not clearly, the sound of the child's voice. In the darkness inside the safe, she was wild with fear. "My baby!" her mother cried. "She will die of fear! Open the door! Break it open! Can't you men do something?" "There isn't a man nearer than the city who can open that door," said Mr. Adams, in a shaking voice. "My God! Spencer, what shall we do? That child—she can't live long in there. There isn't enough air. And the fear will kill her." Agatha's mother, wild too now, beat on the door with her hands. Annabel turned to Jimmy, her large eyes full of pain, but with some hope, too. A woman thinks that the man she loves can somehow do anything. "Can't you do something, Ralph? Try, won't you?"
He looked at her with a strange soft smile on his lips and in his eyes. "Annabel," he said, "give me that flower you are wearing, will you?" She could not believe that she had really heard him. But she put the flower in his hand. Jimmy took it and put it where he could not lose it. Then he pulled off his coat. With that act, Ralph D. Spencer passed away and Jimmy Valentine took his place. "Stand away from the door, all of you," he commanded. He put his bag on the table, and opened it flat. From that time on, he seemed not to know that anyone else was near. Quickly he laid the shining strange tools on the table. The others watched as if they had lost the power to move. In a minute Jimmy was at work on the door. In ten minutes— faster than he had ever done it before—he had the door open. Agatha was taken into her mother's arms. Jimmy Valentine put on his coat, picked up the flower and walked toward the front door. As he went he thought he heard a voice call, "Ralph!" He did not stop. At the door a big man stood in his way. "Hello, Ben!" said Jimmy, still with his strange smile. "You're here at last, are you? Let's go. I don't care, now." And then Ben Price acted rather strangely. "I guess you're wrong about this, Mr. Spencer," he said. "I don't believe I know you, do I?" And Ben Price turned and walked slowly down the street.
重点解析
1.at once 马上,立刻
James will be back at once, hang on.
詹姆斯马上就回来,别挂断电话 。
2.put on 穿上;上演
He put on his clothes in a hurry.
他急忙穿上衣服 。
3.work on 影响,对…起作用;
Selecting any of those links takes you directly to the work item so you can work on it.
选择任意一个直接带您到工作项目的这些链接,这样您就可以处理它了 。
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 。
参考译文
《重新做人》
。看守来到监狱制鞋工场,吉米·瓦伦汀正在那里勤勤恳恳 地缝着鞋帮 。看守把他领到前楼办公室 。典狱长把当天早晨州长签署的赦免状结了吉米 。吉米接过来时有几分厌烦的神气 。他被判四年徒刑,蹲了将近十个月 。他原以为最多三个月就能 恢复自由 。象吉米·瓦伦汀这样在外面有许多朋友的人,进了监狱连头发都不必剃光 。"喂,瓦伦汀,"典狱长说,"你明天早晨可以出去啦 。振作起来,重新做人 。你心眼并不坏 。以后别砸保险箱了,老老实实地过日子吧 。""我吗?"吉米诧异地说 。"哎,我生平没有砸过一只保险箱 。""哦,没有吗,"典狱长笑了,"当然没有 。现在让我们来看看 。你是怎么由于斯普林菲尔德的那件案子给送进来的?是因为你不想说出你的真实身份吗?是不是因为你怕牵连某一个社会地位很高的人,故意不提出当时不在出事现场的证据?还是仅仅因为不仗义的陪审团亏待了你?你们这些自称清白的罪犯总是要找借口的 。""我吗?"吉米还是露出无辜的样子斩钉截铁地说 。"哎,典狱长,我生平没有到过斯普林菲尔德!""带他回去吧,克罗宁,"典狱长微笑着说,"替他准备好出去的衣服 。明天早晨七点钟放他出去,让他先到大房间里来
。你最好多考虑考虑我的劝告,瓦伦汀 。"第二夭早晨七点一刻,吉米已经站在典狱长的大办公室里 。他穿着一套极不称身的现成衣服和一双不舒服的吱吱发响的皮鞋,那身打扮是政府释放强行挽留的客人时免费供给的 。办事员给他一张火车票和一张五元的钞票,法律指望他靠这笔钱来重新做人,成为安分守己的好公民 。这五美元本应该帮助他成为一个更好的人 。典狱长请他抽了一支雪茄,同他握手告别 。瓦伦汀,九七六二号,档案上注明 "州长赦免" 。詹姆斯·瓦伦汀先生走进了外面阳光灿烂的世界 。吉米不去理会鸟儿的歌唱,绿树的婆婆和花草的芬芳,径直朝一家饭馆走去 。在那里,他尝到了久违的自由的欢乐,酒足饭饱之后从饭馆出来,悠闲地走向车站 。他扔了一枚两毛五分的银币给一个坐在门口,捧着帽子行乞的盲人,然后上了火车 。三小时后,火车把他带到州境附近的一个小镇上 。 他到了迈克·多兰的咖啡馆,同迈克握了手 。当时只有迈克一个人在酒吧后面 。"真对不起,吉米老弟,我们没有把这件事早些办妥 。"迈克说 。"我们要对付斯普林菲尔德提出的反对,州长几乎撒手不干了 。你好吗?""很好 。"吉米说 。''我的钥匙还在吗?''他拿了钥匙,上楼打开后房的房门 。一切都同他离开时一样 。他们就是在这里找到吉米并把他送进监狱的,地板上有一小块布 。当他们用武力逮捕他时,那位著名的侦探本·普赖斯的衬衫上给扯下了一颗钮扣,如今钮扣还在地板上.吉米把贴墙的折床放下来,推开墙壁上一块暗板,取出一只蒙着灰尘的手提箱
如今失窃的数字相当高了本·普赖斯不得不插手于预
。经过比较,他发现盗窃的方法惊人地相似 。他去了印第安纳州的里士满和洛根斯波特,想看看这些地方是如何进行安全突破的 。本·普赖斯调查了失窃现场,宣布说: "那是'花花公子'吉米·瓦伦汀的手法 。他又恢复营业了 。瞧那个暗码盘,象潮湿天气技萝卜那般轻易地拔了出来 。只有他的钳子才干得了 。再瞧这些发条给削得多么利落!吉米一向只消钻一个洞就行了 。哎,我想我得逮住瓦伦汀先生 。下次可不能有什么减刑或者赦免的蠢事,他得蹲满刑期才行 。"本·普赖斯了解吉米的习惯 。他经手处理斯普林菲尔德那件案子时就摸熟了吉米的脾气 。跑得远,脱身快,不找搭档,喜欢交上流社会的朋友,这些情况让瓦伦汀赢得了难得失风的名声 。本·普赖斯已在追踪这个难抓到的开保险箱好手的消息透露了出去,有防盗保险箱的人比较安心一些了 。一天下午,吉米·瓦伦江带着他的手提箱搭了邮车来到艾尔摩尔 。艾尔摩尔是阿肯色州黑槲地带的一个小镇,离铁路线有五英里 。吉米活象是一个从学校回家来的结实年轻的大学四年级学生,他在宽阔的人行道上向旅馆走去 。一位年轻姑娘穿过街道,在拐角那里打他身边经过,走进一词挂着"艾尔摩尔银行"招牌的门 。吉米·瓦伦汀直勾勾地瞅着她,忘了自己是谁,仿佛成了另一个人 。她垂下眼睛,脸上泛起一阵红晕 。有吉米这种气宇和外表的年轻人在艾尔摩尔是不多见的 。银行门口台阶上有个男孩,仿佛是股东老板似地在游荡,吉米便缠住他,开始打听这个小镇的情况,不时给他几枚银币 。没多久,那位姑娘出来了,装着根本没有见到这个提箱子的年轻人,大模大样地自顾自走路
一天,吉米坐在他的房间里写了如下的一封信,寄往他在圣路易斯的一个老朋友的可靠的地址
。亲爱的老朋友:我希望你在下星期三晚上九点钟到小石城沙利文那里去 。我请你帮我料理一 些小事.同时我想把我那套工具送给你 。我知道你一定乐于接受的;复制一套的 话,花一千元都不够.喂,比利,我已经不干那一行啦;一年前歇手的 。我开了一家很好的店铺 。如今我老老实实地过活,两星期后,我将同世界上最好的姑娘结婚 。这才是生活,比利,正直的生活 。现在即使给我一百万,我也不会去碰人家的一块钱了 。结婚后,我打算把铺子盘掉,到西部去,那里被翻旧帐的危险比较少 。我告诉你,比利,她简直是个天使 。她相信我;你的老朋友 :吉米吉米发出这封信之后的星期一晚上,本·普赖斯乘了一辆租来的马车悄悄到了艾尔摩尔 。他不声不响地在镇上闲逛,终于打听到他要知道的事情 。他在斯潘塞鞋店对面的药房里看清了拉尔夫·迪·斯潘塞 。"你快同银行老板的女儿结婚了吗,吉米?'本轻轻地自言自语说 。"嘿,我还不知道呢!"第二天早晨,吉米在亚当斯家里吃早饭 。他那天要到小石城去订购结婚礼服,再替安娜贝尔买些好东西 。那是他到艾尔摩尔后的第一次出门 。自从他干了那些专业"工作"以来,已经过去一年多了,他认为出门一次不会有什么问题 。早饭后,家里的人浩浩荡荡地一起到商业区去;亚当斯先生、安娜贝尔、吉米、安娜贝尔已出嫁的姊姊和她的两个女儿,一个五岁,一个九岁 。他们路过吉米仍旧寄住的旅馆,吉米上楼到他的房间里去拿手提箱
在大人们没有注意的时候,九岁的梅好奇地把阿加莎关进保险库,学着亚当斯先生的样子,关上了钢闩,扭动了暗码盘
。老银行家跳上前去,扳动着把手 。"门打不开了 。"他呻唤着说 。"定时锁没有上,暗码也没有对准 。"阿加莎的母亲又歇斯底里地尖叫起来 。"嘘!"亚当斯先生举起发抖的手说,"大伙都静一会儿 。阿加莎!"他尽量大声地嚷道 。"听我说 。"静下来的时候,他们隐隐约约可以听到那孩子关在漆黑的保险库里吓得狂叫的声音 。--"我的小宝贝!"她母亲哀叫道 。"她会吓死的!开门!哦,把它打开!你们这些男人不能想些办法吗?""小石城才有人能打开这扇门 。"亚当斯先生声音颤抖地说 。''--老天!斯潘塞,我们该怎么办?那孩子,她在里面待不了多久 。里面空气不够,何况她要吓坏的 。"阿加莎的母亲发疯似地用手捶打着保险库的门 。有人甚至提议用炸药 。安娜贝尔转向吉米,她那双大眼睛里充满了焦急,但并没有绝望的神色 。对一个女人来说,她所崇拜的男人仿佛是无所不能的 。"你能想些办法吗,拉尔夫;试试看,好吗?"他瞅着她,嘴唇上和急切的眼睛里露出一抹古怪的柔和的笑容 。"安娜贝尔,"他说,"把你戴的那朵玫瑰给我,好不好?"她以为自己听错了他的话,但还是从胸襟上取下那朵玫瑰,交到他手里