(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
The Blue Hotel- Part One. The Palace Hotel at Fort Romper was painted a light blue, a color of blue found on the legs of a certain bird that makes it bright in any surroundings. The Palace Hotel, then, looked always loud and screaming in a way that made the bright winter scenes of Nebraska seem only a dull gray. It stood alone, and when the snow was falling, the town two hundred yards away could not be seen. When a traveler came from the railroad station, he was obliged to pass the Palace Hotel before he came to the group of low houses which was Fort Romper. It was believed that no traveler could pass the Palace Hotel without looking at it. Pat Scully, the hotel owner, had proved himself a master at choosing paints. It is true that on clear days, when the long lines of trains swept through Fort Romper, passengers were surprised at the sight. Those that knew the brown-reds, and the dark greens of the eastern part of the country laughingly expressed shame, pity, shock. But to the citizens of this western town and to the people who stopped there, Pat Scully had performed a wonder.
As if the displayed delights of such a blue hotel were not sufficiently inviting, Scully went every morning and evening to meet the trains that stopped at Romper. He would express greetings and welcome to anyone he might see hesitating. One morning when a snow-covered engine dragged its long string of cars to the station, Scully performed the marvelous trick of catching three men. One was a shaky and quick-eyed Swede, with a great, shining, cheap bag; one was a tall, sun-browned cowboy, who was on his way to a job near the Dakota border; one was a little silent man from the east coast, who didn't look like it and didn't announce it. Scully practically made them prisoners. He was so quick and merry and kindly that each probably thought it would be cruel to try to escape. So they followed the eager little man. He wore a heavy fur cap pulled tightly down on his head. It caused his two red ears to stand out stiffly, as if they were made of tin. At last, Scully grandly conducted them through the door of the blue hotel. The room which they entered was small. It was occupied mostly by a huge stove in the center, which was burning with great force. At various points on its surface the iron had become shiny and glowed yellow from the heat. Beside the stove, Scully's son, Johnnie, was playing a game of cards with a farmer. They were quarreling.
With loud words Scully stopped their play, and hurried his son upstairs with the bags of the new guests. He himself led them to three bowls of icy water. The cowboy and the Easterner washed themselves in this water until they were as red as fire. The Swede, however, merely placed his fingers in the bowl. It was noticeable throughout these proceedings that the three travelers were made to feel that Scully was very kind indeed. He was giving out great favors. Afterward they returned to the first room. There, sitting about the stove, they listened to Scully shouting at his daughters, who were preparing the noon meal. They employed the silence of experienced men who move carefully among new people. The Swede was especially silent. He seemed to be occupied in making secret judgments of each man in the room. One might have thought that he had the sense of foolish fear which accompanies guilt. He looked like a badly frightened man. Later, at dinner, he spoke a little, directing his conversation entirely to Scully. He said that he had come from New York, where he had worked for ten years as a suit maker. These facts seemed to interest Scully, and afterward he told that he had lived at Romper for fourteen years. The Swede asked about the crops and the price of labor. He seemed hardly to listen to Scully's lengthy replies. His eyes continued to wander from man to man.
Finally, with a laugh, he said that some of these western towns were very dangerous; and after this declaration he straightened his legs under the table, nodded his head, and laughed again, loudly. It was plain that this had no meaning to the others. They looked at him, wondering and in silence. After dinner, it was decided to play a game of cards. The cowboy offered to play with Johnnie, and they all turned to ask the Swede to play with the little Easterner. The Swede asked some questions about the game. Learning that it wore many names, and that he had played it under another name, he accepted the invitation. He came toward the men nervously, as though he expected to be attacked. Finally, seated, he looked from face to face and laughed sharply. This laugh was so strange that the Easterner looked up quickly, the cowboy sat with his mouth open, and Johnnie paused, holding the cards with still fingers. Afterward there was a short silence. Then Johnnie said, "Well, let's begin. Come on now!" They pulled their chairs forward until their knees touched under the table. They began to play, and their interest in the game caused the others to forget the strange ways of the Swede.
Suddenly the Swede spoke to Johnnie: "I suppose there have been a good many men killed in this room." The mouths of the others dropped open and they looked at him. "What are you talking about?" said Johnnie. The Swede laughed again his loud laugh, full of a kind of false courage. "Oh, you know what I mean all right," he answered. "I don't!" Johnnie protested. The card game stopped, and the men stared at the Swede. Johnnie evidently felt that as the son of the hotel owner he should make a direct inquiry. "Now, what are you trying to say?" he asked. The Swede's fingers shook on the edge of the table. "Oh, maybe you think I haven't been anywhere. Maybe you think I don't have any experience?" "I don't know anything about you," answered Johnnie "and I don't care where you've been. I just don't know what you're trying to say. Nobody has ever been killed in this room." The cowboy, who had been steadily gazing at the Swede, then spoke: "What's wrong with you, fellow?" Apparently it seemed to the Swede that he was powerfully threatened. He trembled, and turned pale near the comers of his mouth. He sent an appealing glance in the direction of the little Easterner. "They say they don't know what I mean," he remarked bitterly to the Easterner.
The latter answered after long and careful thought. "I don't understand you," he said calmly. The Swede made a movement then which announced that he thought he had met attack from the only place where he had expected sympathy, if not help. "I see that you are all against me. I see—" The cowboy felt as though he had lost his senses. "Say," he cried, as he threw the cards fiercely down upon the table, "say, what are you trying to do?" The Swede jumped up. "I don't want to fight!" he shouted. "I don't want to fight!" The cowboy stretched his long legs slowly and carefully. His hands were in his pockets. "Well, who thought you did?" he inquired. The Swede moved rapidly back toward a corner of the room. His hands were out protectingly in front of his chest, but he was making an apparent struggle to control his fright. "Gentlemen," he almost whispered, "I suppose I am going to be killed before I can leave this house! I suppose I am going to be killed before I can leave this house!" A door opened, and Scully himself entered. He paused in surprise as he noted the terror-filled eyes of the Swede. Then he said, "What's the matter here?" The Swede answered him quickly and eagerly: "These men are going to kill me." "Kill you!" shouted Scully. "Kill you! What are you talking about?" The Swede put out his hands helplessly.
Scully turned upon his son. "What is this, Johnnie?" The lad had become ill-tempered. "I don't know," he answered. "It doesn't make any sense to me." He began to pick up the cards, gathering them together angrily. "He says a good many men have been killed in this room, or something like that. And he says he's going to be killed here, too. I don't know what's wrong with him. He's probably crazy." Scully then looked for explanation to the cowboy, but the cowboy simply shook his head. "Kill you?" said Scully again to the Swede. "Kill you? Man, you're crazy." "Oh, I know," burst out the Swede. "I know what will happen. Yes, I'm crazy—yes. Yes, of course, I'm crazy—yes. But I know one thing—" There was suffering and terror upon his face. "I know I won't get out of here alive." Scully turned suddenly and faced his son. "You've been troubling this man!" Johnnie's voice was loud with its burden of undeserved blame. "Why, good God, I haven't done anything to him!" The Swede broke in. "Gentlemen, do not trouble yourselves. I will leave this house. I will go away, because—" he blamed them with his glance— "because I do not want to be killed." "You will not go away," said Scully.
"You will not go away until I hear the reason of this business. If anybody has troubled you, I will take care of him. This is my house. You are under my roof, and I will not allow any peaceful man to be troubled here." He looked threateningly at Johnnie, the cowboy, and the Easterner. "Don't, Mr. Scully, don't. I will go away. I do not want to be killed." The Swede moved toward the door which opened to the stairs. It was evidently his intention to go at once for his bag. "No, no," shouted Scully commandingly; but the pale-faced man slipped by him and disappeared. "Now," Scully angrily to the others, "what does this mean?" Johnnie and the cowboy cried together: "Why, we didn't do anything to him!" Scully's eyes were cold. "No," he said, "you didn't?" Johnnie repeated his words. "Why, this is the wildest madman I ever saw. We didn't do anything at all. We were just sitting here playing cards, and he—" The father suddenly spoke to the Easterner. "What have these boys been doing?" The Easterner thought again. "I didn't see anything wrong at all," he said at last, slowly. Scully began to shout. "But what does it mean?" He stared fiercely at his son. "I ought to beat you for this, my boy." Johnnie was wild. "Well, what have I done?" he screamed at his father.
重点解析
1.be obliged to 不得不；被迫做
I shall be obliged to go tomorrow.
明天我不得不去。
2.at last 最后；最终
The case came to an end at last.
这案子终于完结了。
3.listen to 倾听；听从
We listen to our employees and value their input.
我们听取员工的想法，重视他们的意见和建议。
4.go away 走开；离去
This lotion will make the hurt go away.
这种护肤液能使疼痛消失。
参考译文
《蓝色旅馆》。罗珀堡的皇宫酒店被漆成浅蓝色，在某种鸟的腿上也能看到这种蓝色，这种蓝色使它在任何环境中都很明亮。皇宫酒店看起来总是很吵闹、人声嘈杂，使布拉斯加州明亮的冬季景象看起来呈现一片暗灰色。酒店孤零零地矗立在那里，下雪时，200码外的小镇都看不见了。当一个旅行者从火车站到来时，必须先经过皇宫酒店，然后才能来到罗珀堡那群低矮的房子处。人们认为，没有一个旅行者经过皇宫酒店时会不看它一眼。酒店老板帕特·史高丽证明了自己是一位挑选油漆的大师。事实上，在晴朗的日子里，当长列火车飞驰过罗珀堡时，乘客们会对眼前的景象感到惊讶。那些知道该国东部充斥着棕红色和深绿色的人，笑着表达出羞耻、怜悯和震惊。但是，对于这个西部城镇的居民和在那里停留的人们来说，帕特·史高呈现了一份奇观。
仿佛这样一家蓝色酒店所展示的愉悦感还不够引人注目，史高丽每天早晚都会去迎接停在罗珀的火车，他会向那些看起来似乎感到犹豫不决的人表示问候和欢迎。一天早上，当一辆被雪覆盖的发动机机头把长长的火车拖到车站时，史高丽表演了一个神奇的捉三人技法。其中一个是一位摇摇晃晃、目光敏捷的瑞典人，他拿着一个闪闪发光的廉价大袋子；另一个是一位个头高大、晒得黝黑的牛仔，他正在前往达科他州边界附近的工作地点；另一个是来自东海岸的一位沉默的小个子男人，他看起来不像，也没说什么。史高丽几乎让他们成为了囚犯，他是如此敏捷、快乐、和蔼，以至于每个人都可能认为试图逃跑太残忍了。于是，他们跟着那个热心的小男人。他头上戴着一顶紧紧拉下来的厚皮帽，这顶帽子让他那两个红耳朵僵硬地支棱着，好像它们是锡做成的。最后，史高丽庄重地领着他们穿过蓝色酒店的大门。他们进入的房间很小，主要被中间一个巨大的火炉占据，火焰在火炉中熊熊燃烧。铁表面的不同点由于受热，发出闪闪的光亮，并呈现出黄色。在炉子旁边，史高丽的儿子约翰尼正在和一个农夫玩纸牌游戏，他们吵起来了。
史高丽大声说了几句，停止了他们的游戏，让儿子把新来客人的袋子匆匆送上楼。他亲自领他们来到三碗冰水旁。牛仔和伊斯特纳在水里洗了洗手，手都变得和火焰一样红了。然而，瑞典人只是把手指放在碗里。在整个过程中，三位游客都感到史高丽非常和蔼。他在热心地帮忙。后来，他们回到第一个房间，坐在炉边，听史高丽对正在准备午饭的女儿们大喊大叫。她们小心翼翼地在新来的人中穿行。瑞典人特别沉默，他似乎忙于悄悄地为房间里的每个人下判断。人们可能会认为，他有一种伴随着罪恶感的可笑的恐惧。他看起来似乎非常害怕。后来，在吃晚饭时，他说了一点话，把谈话内容完全引向了史高丽。他说，他是从纽约来的，他在那做了十年的西装匠。史高丽似乎对这些事实很感兴趣，后来他说，他在罗珀住了14年。瑞典人询问农作物和劳动力的价格，他似乎根本不听史高丽冗长的回答。他的眼睛继续在几个人之间徘徊。
最后，他笑着说，西部城镇中有一些地方非常危险。说完这句话，他在桌子下面把腿伸直，点了点头，又放声大笑起来。很明显，这对其他人没有什么意义。他们看着他，充满了疑惑，没有说一句话。晚饭后，他们决定玩会纸牌游戏。牛仔主动提出要和约翰尼一起玩，他们都转身请求瑞典人和小伊斯特纳一起玩。瑞典人问了些有关游戏的问题，得知这个游戏有很多名字，他们用另外一种叫法。他接受了邀请。他紧张地走向那些人，好像预料到自己会受到攻击。最后，他坐下来，和大家面面相觑，然后大笑不止。这笑声是如此怪异，伊斯特纳很快抬起头来，牛仔张开嘴坐在那里。约翰尼停下来，握牌的手指都僵住了。随后是一片短暂的沉寂。接着，约翰尼说：“好吧，我们开始吧。快点！”他们把椅子往前拉，在桌子下面都互相碰到了彼此的膝盖。他们开始玩起来，他们对游戏的兴趣使其他人忘记了瑞典人的怪异行事。
突然，瑞典人对约翰尼说：“我想这个房间里曾有很多人被杀”其他人都张大了嘴，他们看着他。 “你在说什么？”约翰尼说。瑞典人又放声大笑起来，有种虚张声势的感觉。“哦，你知道我的意思吗？”他回答。“没有！”约翰尼抱怨道。纸牌游戏停止了，男人们都盯着瑞典人看。约翰尼显然觉得，作为酒店老板的儿子，他应该直接询问。“现在，你想说什么？”他问。瑞典人的手指在桌子边上摇晃着。“哦，也许你认为我没去过什么地方。也许你认为我没有经验？”“我对你一无所知，”约翰尼回答，“我不在乎你去过哪里。我只是不知道你想说什么，从来没有人在这个房间里被杀。”那个牛仔一直盯着瑞典人，然后他说：“你怎么了，伙计？”显然，在瑞典人看来，他感觉受到了强大的威胁。他颤抖起来，嘴角附近呈现出苍白色。他向小伊斯特纳所在的方向投去了令人感兴趣的目光。“他们说不明白我的意思，”他苦涩地对伊斯特纳说。
伊斯特纳深思熟虑后回答道，“我不明白你的意思，”他平静地说。瑞典人接着动了动，说他认为自己是在唯一希望得到同情的地方却遭到了攻击，“我知道你们都不同意我说的，我明白了。”牛仔觉得他好像失去了知觉。“你说，”他喊道，一边把牌猛地扔到桌子上，“你想怎么样？”瑞典人跳了起来，喊道，“我不想打架！我不想打架！”牛仔小心翼翼地慢慢伸展他的长腿，他的手插在衣袋里。“好吧，谁认为你做了？”他问。瑞典人迅速地向房间的一角走去，他的双手在胸前伸出来，保护着自己。但他显然在努力控制自己的恐惧。“先生们，”他几乎是低声在说，“我想在离开这所房子之前，我会被杀的！我想在离开这所房子之前，我会被杀的！”门开了，史高丽走进来。当他看到瑞典人眼中充满恐惧时，惊讶地停下来。然后他说，“这儿怎么了？”瑞典人迅速而急切地回答他：“这些人要杀了我。”“杀了你！”史高丽喊道。“杀了你！你在说什么？”瑞典人无助地伸出双手。
史高丽转身看着儿子，“这儿怎么了，约翰尼？”这孩子脾气暴躁起来。“我不知道，”他回答。“我没明白。”他开始捡起牌，愤怒地把它们收好。“他说有很多人在这个房间里被杀了之类的话，他还说自己也会在这儿被杀。我不知道他怎么了。他可能疯了。”史高丽接着向牛仔寻求解释，但牛仔只是摇了摇头。“杀了你？”史高丽又对瑞典人说。“杀了你？伙计，你疯了吧。”“哦，我知道了，”瑞典人大声说。我知道会发生什么了。是的，我疯了，没错。是的，当然，我疯，没错。但我知道一件事，”他脸上充满痛苦和恐惧。“我知道我不会活着离开这里。”史高丽突然转过身来，面对着他的儿子。“你一直给这个人找麻烦！”约翰尼的声音响亮，夹带着不该有的责备。“哎呀，天哪，我什么都没对他做啊！”瑞典人插话道：“先生们，别自找麻烦了。我要离开这所房子，我要走了，因为”他目光中在责怪他们，“因为我不想被杀。”“你不会走的，”史高丽说。
“除非我知道这件事的原因，否则你不能离开。如果有人找你麻烦，我会来处理的。这是我的房子。你在我这儿，我不允许任何一个爱好和平的人在这里受到困扰。”他眼神中充满威胁地看着约翰尼、牛仔和伊斯特纳。“不要，史高丽先生，不要，我得走了。我不想被杀。”瑞典人走向通往楼梯的门。很显然，他打算马上去拿他的包。“不，不，”史高丽发出命令似地喊道；但那个面色苍白的人从他身边溜过去，消失了。史高丽生气地对其他人说：“这是什么意思？”约翰尼和牛仔一起喊道：“为什么，我们什么都没对他做！”史高丽的眼神冷冰冰地说：“不，你没有做？”约翰尼重复了他的话。“为什么，这是我见过的最狂野的疯子。我们什么都没做。我们只是坐在这里打牌，而他，”父亲突然对伊斯特纳说，“这些孩子在干什么？”伊斯特纳又想了想，“我没看出有什么问题，”他终于慢慢地说。史高丽开始喊道，“但这是什么意思？”他狠狠地盯着儿子。“我该打你，我的孩子。”约翰尼狂暴起来，“我做了什么？”他冲父亲大喊大叫着。
