(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Captain Delano went down to Captain Cereno's cabin to cheer him up and say goodbye. "Better and better, Don Benito," he said as he entered the cabin, "your troubles will soon be over." The American invited the Spanish captain to come aboard his boat for a cup of coffee. Cereno's eyes brightened. But then the light in them died. He shook his head and said he could not accept the invitation. Captain Delano was offended. He was about to withdraw when Don Benito rose from his chair and took Delano's hand. The Spaniard's hand shook. And he was too excited to speak. Delano pulled his hand away and turned, climbing back to the deck. His face was troubled. Captain Delano could not understand Don Benito's actions. One minute the Spaniard was warm and polite. Then -- just as quickly -- cold and hostile. Captain Delano asked himself: Why did he refuse to join me? Why is he so unfriendly?
Captain Delano got to the deck and was about to step down into his boat when he heard his name. To his surprise, Don Benito was calling, coming quickly toward him. Captain Delano was pleased and turned back to meet him. Don Benito warmly took his hand, with more energy and emotion than he had ever shown. But his excitement seemed too much for him, and he could not speak. Babo then came between the two men and put his arm around Don Benito to support him. Clearly, he wanted to end the meeting between the two captains. Walking between the two men, Babo went with them to the walkway. Don Benito would not let go of Captain Delano's hand. He held it tightly across the servant's body. Soon, they were standing by the ship's side, looking down onto the American boat. Its crew turned up their wondering eyes. Captain Delano did not know what to do as he waited for Don Benito to let go of his hand. He wanted to step down into his boat. But Don Benito still firmly held his hand.
Then, in an excited voice the Spaniard said: "I can go no further. Here I must say goodbye. Farewell, my dear, dear Don Amasa. Go! Go!" And he tore his hand loose. "Go, and God protect you better than he did me. Go, Don Amasa, my best friend." Captain Delano was deeply moved. He would have stayed for another minute or so, but he caught the eye of Babo. It seemed to say, ‘This is bad for Don Benito's health.' And so he quickly took the short step down into his boat with the continuing farewells of Don Benito, who stood rooted at the ship's side. Captain Delano sat down in the back of his boat, gave Don Benito a last salute, and ordered his men to push off. The boat began to move. Suddenly, Don Benito sprang over the side and came down at Delano's feet. And he kept shouting toward the Spanish ship. His cries were so wild that no one could understand him. An American officer asked what does this mean. Captain Delano turned a cold smile upon Captain Cereno and said he neither knew nor cared. It seems, he added, that the Spaniard has taken it into his head to give his people the idea that we want to kidnap him. Or else...and suddenly Captain Delano shouted: "Watch out for your lives!" He saw Babo, the servant, on the rail above, with a dagger in his hand. He was ready to jump.
What followed happened so quickly that Captain Delano could not tell one incident from another. They all came together in one great blur of violent action and excitement. As Babo came down, Captain Delano flung Don Benito aside and caught the rebel leader, pulling the dagger from his hand. He pushed Babo firmly down in the bottom of the boat, which now began to pick up speed. Then, Babo, with his one free hand, pulled a second dagger from his clothes and struck at Captain Cereno. Captain Delano knocked it from his hand. Now, he saw everything clearly: Babo had leaped into the whale boat – not to kill him – but to kill Captain Cereno. For the first time, he understood the mysterious behavior of Don Benito – a prisoner under sentence of death. He looked back at the Spanish ship and got a clear picture of what its captain had escaped. On board the San Dominick, the shouting rebels were raising their axes and knives in a wild revolt. They stopped some of the Spanish sailors from jumping into the sea. A few, however, jumped, while two or three, who were not quick enough, went hurrying up the top-most wood arms.
Captain Delano signaled to his ship, ordering it to get its guns ready. When the whale boat reached his ship Captain Delano asked for ropes. He tied Babo, and had him pulled up on deck. A small boat was quickly sent out to pick up three Spanish sailors who had jumped from Captain Cereno's ship. Captain Delano asked Don Benito what guns the rebels had. He answered that they had none that could be used. In the first days of the rebellion, a cabin passenger now dead had destroyed the few guns there were. The Americans fired six shots at the San Dominick. But the rebel ship moved out of reach. Small boats were armed and lowered. Captain Delano ordered his men into them. And they moved out to capture the rebel ship. The boats caught up with the San Dominick when it was nearly night. But the moon was rising, and the gunners were able to see where they were shooting. The rebels had no bullets. And they could do nothing but yell. Many of the rebels were killed and the San Dominick was captured. After an investigation, Babo was found guilty of stealing a ship and of murder, and was hanged. Captain Benito Cereno never was well again and he soon died. So, ended the terrible story of the slave revolt aboard the slave ship, the San Dominick.
重点解析
1.refuse to 不肯;拒却
I refuse to honour your bill.
我拒绝兑现你的票据
2.turn up 朝上翻;露面
You turn up out of the blue and expect me to look after her?
你这么突然出现还指望我来照顾她?
3.come down 下来;下降
The curtain came down after the first act.
第一幕过后,幕布落了下来
4.be able to 能够;有能力做某事
If only I could get some sleep, I would be able to cope.
要是能睡上一会儿,我就能应付了
参考译文
《班尼托西兰诺》
德拉诺船长轴上甲板,正要上他的小船 。这时他听到有人叫他的名字 。令他吃惊的是,喊他的人正是贝尼托,边喊边迅速向他走来 。德拉诺船长很高兴,转身去见他 。贝尼托热情地握住他的手,比以往任何时候都更有活力和激情 。但他似乎太激动了,无法言语 。巴博随后走到两人中间,用胳膊搂住贝尼托,扶住他 。很明显,他想结束两位船长的会面 。巴博在两个人中间,同他们一起走上通道 。贝尼托不肯放开德拉诺船长的手,他传过巴博的身体紧拉着不放 。很快,他们就来在船边,俯视着这条美国船只 。船员们抬起了好奇的眼睛 。德拉诺船长不知所措,他在等着贝尼托放开他的手 。他想下船,但是贝尼托仍然紧紧地握着他的手 。
然后,这个西班牙人激动地说:“我不能再往前走了,我必须在这道别 。再见了老兄 。快走!快走!”他把手挣脱 。“去吧,上帝能更好地保护 。走吧,我最好的朋友 。”德拉诺船长深受感动,他本想再呆一分钟左右,但他看到了巴博的双眼,它们似乎在说:‘这对贝尼托的健康不利 。’于是,他很快就迈着一小步下了船,与站在船边的贝尼托继续道别 。德拉诺船长坐在船尾,向贝尼托致敬,命令他的手下离开 。船开始移动 。突然,贝尼托跳到德拉诺的脚下 。他不停地朝着这艘西班牙船喊叫 。那喊声太狂野了,竟然没人能听懂 。一位美国军官问他在喊什么,德拉诺船长冷笑了一下,说他不知道,也不关心 。他补充道,这个西班牙人似乎是想让他的人相信我们要绑架他 。或者……突然德拉诺船长喊道:“小心!”他看见仆人巴博站在上面的栏杆上,手里拿着一把匕首,准备跳下去 。
接下来的事情发生得太快了,德拉诺船长无法把它们分清,都是在一片混乱的暴力行为和骚动之中发生的 。巴博下来时,德拉诺船长把贝尼托扔到一边,抓住了叛军领袖,从他手中拔下匕首 。他把巴博牢牢地推到船底,船现在开始加速 。然后,巴博用能用的那只手从衣服中拔出第二把匕首,向塞雷诺船长刺去 。德拉诺船长把匕首从他手中打掉了 。现在,他一切都明白了:巴博跳上捕鲸船不是为了杀死他,而是为了杀死塞雷诺船长 。他第一次知晓了贝尼托的神秘行为,这是一个被判死刑的囚犯 。他回头看了看那艘西班牙船,清楚地知道了船长避开的是什么 。在圣多米尼克号上,喊叫的反叛者举起斧头和刀子疯狂地反抗 。他们阻止了一些西班牙水手跳进海里 。然而,有几个人跳了下去,而两三个动作不够快的人急忙爬到最上面的木质把手处 。
德拉诺船长向他的船发了信号,命令它备好枪炮 。当捕鲸船到达他的船时,船长德拉诺要了绳子 。他把巴博绑起来,把他拉到甲板上 。一艘小船很快被派去接三名从塞雷诺船长的船上跳下来的西班牙水手 。德拉诺船长询问贝尼托,叛军用的是什么枪 。他回答说,他们的枪没法用 。在反抗爆发的头几天,一位已经遇难的乘客把几把枪毁掉了 。美国人向圣多米尼克开了六枪,但是叛军的船已经离开了射程 。船员把小船装备好后放下水,德拉诺船长命令手下上船,他们出动去抓捕叛军的船 。夜幕已近时,小船赶上了圣多米尼克号 。月亮升起,炮手们能够看到他们射击的地方 。叛军没有了子弹,他们只能大叫 。许多叛军被杀,圣多明尼克号被俘虏 。经过审查,巴博被判犯有盗窃船只罪和谋杀罪,并被处以绞刑 。贝尼托·塞雷诺船长再也没能康复,不久就去世了 。于是,圣多米尼克号奴隶船上的奴隶起义就此结束 。