(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Our story today is called "A Girl for Walter". It was written by Theodore Jacobs. Here is Shep O' Neil with the story. We never knew what Walter was, we called him an idiot. We called it that without knowing if he really was as foolish and stupid as an idiot. Walter worked for a food store. He carried food to the homes that ordered it on the telephone. When we saw Walter coming down the street, pushing his four wheel wagon filled with food, we knew we would have fun. We stopped playing our games and followed him. We always saw him coming. He wore the same cloth every day. A brown hat, green shirt opened at the neck, and a pair of gray pants. We recognized the way he walked too, long slow steps with stiff legs. We followed him down the street, try to walk as he did.
Often, we would try to pull his hat off and see how funny he looked. Walter did not seem to be troubled by our words, except when we talked about girls. When one of us asked him how his lover like was, or said "Hey, Walter, I hear a beautiful woman is looking for you." He was get very angry. He would push his food wagon with one hand and try to capture one of us with the other. If he caught one, he held him close to his face and shouted in a loud voice. "I am going to get a girl. I am going to get a girl." Sometimes, he would say it again and again even when we get tired making fun of him. He would walk down the street shouting to himself. "I am going to get a girl." Walter did not bring food to our house, mother was afraid of him. She went to a different store and bought the food home herself. When grandmother came to live with us, this changed.
Grandmother liked all sorts of people. She was interest in people no one else loved. During her life, she had made friends with men who drank too much, women who ate too much, and people who were just very lonely. Grandmother worked with church groups for many years but finally stopped. I think she could not work with them because she did not agree that it was right to try to change a person. Grandmother liked people for what they were. If she knew a man who drank too much, she would not tell him to stop drinking. She would tell him how to drink and still be a gentleman. Once, she wrote a book on ten different ways to drink, and still act as if you had not had a drink. The important thing to grandmother was that things were done well in the right way and with control. When grandmother learned about Walter, she told my mother she wanted Walter to bring the food to the house. Mother, of course, was strongly against it. She thought all sorts of strange things would happen. She did not trust Walter. But grandmother simply said, "Oh pooh, you are forty two years old, Sarah." And then she telephoned to the people at the food store and told them to let Walter bring the food.
Walter and grandmother became friends. The first time, he came to the house. He told grandmother he was going to get a girl. Grandmother seemed pleased, and told him how nice it would be. She said the trouble with young man today is that they do not know how to win a girl's heart. "You must be honest", she said. Walter just stood there and listened. Grandmother then told him how her husband won her heart. She told him about her marriage and the great love there was between them. As he listened, Walter made funny faces and moved his mouth from one side of his face to the other. When she finished her story, she asked Walter where he met his young ladies. Walter did not say anything. "I can understand how difficult it is for young people to meet these days." Then she said in a low voice, "If you meet a nice young lady, Walter, do you know how to act?" "What? No, I don't" Walter said. "Well, you should." Grandmother said, and she told him how. Walter and grandmother became very close. Every time he came with food, she had a talk ready for him. It was funny to me, but to Walter and grandmother was serious.
Later, she began to read books to Walter, a little from a book each time he came. The first book was called "How to dress when you go out with a girl?" The next book told how a young man should act when he meets the girl's mother and father. Walter seemed to enjoy readings at least he listened. He would stand next to the wall and wrinkle his nose. If grandmother expected more from Walter, she never showed it, she continued reading to him. As time past, Walter listened harder than before. He never took his eyes off grandmother as she read. When she smiled, he smiled too. When she was serious, Walter became serious. She read about the problems of early friendship. "How to become better friends and how to decide your girl is the right one to marry." Grandmother was almost finished reading one day, when Walter stopped her. "Know something Mrs. Gorman, I have a girl." "How wonderful?" grandmother answered. "I really do, a girl like you always talking." "Isn't that wonderful? Where did you meet her?" "A friend helped me." "Isn't that exciting, tell me about her, is she nice?" "I like her very much." "Well, she must be. What's her name?" "I forgot. That's something. I told her my name was Walter." "Would you kind her and a gentleman?" "All the time, I told her the nice thing." "I am proud of you, Walter, is she pretty?" Walter did not answer. He told again how he met her. It seemed to me that he had to say a thing more than once or no one would believe them.
"She must be nice," grandmother said. "I hope you comb your hair and wear a coat when you see her. And you must promise me that you will always be a gentleman." After that, grandmother read "How to Choice the Right Wedding Ring and How to be Prepare for Marriage?" She seemed to be in a hurry as if Walter might get marry before she had finished his education. Nothing mother said helped. Grandmother continued to teach Walter. The next book she read to Walter was "How to love your wife?" Soon after grandmother finished reading it, she died. Just like that. It was difficult to believe. It was only after I saw them lower her body and cover it that I knew she would not come back. The morning after she died, Walter came with food. Mother went to the door. "Mrs. Gorman is dead" she told Walter. "She died last night." Walter did not move at first, he did not seem to understand or he thought she was lying. He then tried to enter, but mother shut the door a little. "Can't you understand, she is dead, no one is here, she died last night, please do not come here again." Walter just stood there, his face white. Mother closed the door on him. She telephoned the food store and told them not to send Walter any more.
I did not see Walter again for a long time, I had forgotten all about him and the days that grandmother had read to him. Then one day, I saw him. He looked different, he was wearing a suit of cloth, the coat was old, and the trousers had been worn many times. He wore a white shirt and a necktie. I waited until he walked up to me, and I walked along with him. "Hello, Walter, do you remember me?" He turned quickly toward me, then smiled as he recognized my face. "Oh, sure, hiya, how are you?" "I am fine, Walter, how are you doing?" "Thank you, ok. How are you doing?" "Fine." We walked a few steps in silence. Suddenly, I had the old feeling that grandmother was still alive and Walter was still coming to the house. Without thinking, I asked "How is your girl, Walter?" Suddenly, he was on me holding and tearing my shirt. He pulled me close to him and shouted "She is still alive! She is still alive!" His cry was loud and real. He pushed me away from him and I fell to ground, he ran down the street. As I get off, I could still hear him crying until his voice was lost among the sounds of playing boys.
重点解析
1.have fun 玩的开心；玩得高兴
Have fun with your coworkers.
和你的同事一起玩的开心。
2.as if 好像；仿佛
It sounds as if you have grown apart from Tom.
听起来好像你和汤姆之间产生了隔阂。
3.ready for 准备好；准备就绪的
I think he may be ready for a sleep soon.
我想他也许很快就要睡一觉了。
4.in silence 沉默地；静静地
They walked on in silence for a while.
他们默默无语地走了一会儿。
参考译文
我们今天要讲述的故事叫做《沃特的女友》，作者西奥多·雅各布，讲述人夏普·奥尼尔。我们从来不知道沃尔特过去是做什么的，我们管他叫白痴，我们不知道他是否真像白痴一样愚蠢。沃尔特在一家食品店工作，他把食物送到电话订购的人家。当我们看到沃尔特沿着街道走来，推着装满食物的四轮货车，我们就知道有好玩的了。我们停止玩耍，然后跟着他。我们总是看到他来，他每天都穿同样的衣服。一顶棕色的帽子，领口开着的绿色衬衫，一条灰色的裤子。我们也认出了他走路的样子，腿很僵硬，步履缓慢。我们跟着他走在街上，试着像他那样走路。
我们通常会试着把他的帽子摘下来，看看他看起来有多滑稽。沃尔特似乎并没有被我们的话所困扰，除非我们在谈论女孩。当我们中的一个人问起他的爱人时，或者说“嗨，沃尔特，我听说有个漂亮女人在找你。”他会很生气，会用一只手推着他的货车，用另一只手试图抓住我们中的一个。如果他抓住了一个，就会把那个人紧紧拉到脸前，大声喊叫。“我要找个女友，我要找个女友。”有时，他会一遍一遍地说，即使我们厌倦了取笑他。他会走在街上自言自语，“我要找个女友。”沃尔特并不来我家送食品，母亲害怕他。她去另一家商店，自己把食物买回家。祖母来和我们一起住时，情况发生了变化。
祖母喜欢各种各样的人，她对别人都不喜欢的人很感兴趣。她在一生中，结交了很多朋友，酗酒的男人，贪食的女人，还有一些非常孤独的人。祖母曾与教会团体合作过多年，但最终不再做了。我想她不能与他们合作，是因为她不认为尝试改变一个人是正确的。祖母喜欢人们保持本来面目，如果她认识一个酗酒的男人，就不会叫他停止喝酒。她会告诉他怎样像个绅士一样饮酒。有一次，她写了一本用十种不同的方式饮酒，但仍看起来好像没喝过酒的书。对祖母来说，重要的是使用正确的方法，并加以控制，把事情做好。祖母得知沃尔特的情况后，她告诉母亲想让沃尔特把食物送到家里。母亲当然强烈反对，她把各种会发生的怪事都考虑到了，她不信任沃尔特。但是祖母只是简单地说，“哦，你42岁了，莎拉。”然后她打电话给食品店的人，让他们叫沃尔特来送食物。
沃尔特和祖母成了朋友。第一次，他来到我家，告诉祖母他要找个女友。祖母似乎很高兴，告诉他那样该有多好。她说，现在年轻人的问题是他们不知道如何赢得女孩的芳心。“你必须诚实，”她说。沃尔特只是站在那里听着，祖母告诉他，自己的丈夫如何赢得了她的芳心。她和沃尔特谈论自己的婚姻和他们夫妻之间的挚爱。沃尔特一边听，一边做鬼脸，把嘴从脸的一边移到另一边。她讲完故事后，问沃尔特他在哪儿能认识年轻女孩，沃尔特什么也没说。“我能理解现在年轻人见面有多困难，”她后来低声说，“如果你遇到一位漂亮的年轻女士，沃尔特，你知道怎么做吗？”“什么？“不，我不知道。”沃尔特说。“好吧，你应该知道。”祖母说，然后告诉他要怎么做。沃尔特和祖母关系很好，每次他带着食物来，她都要和他谈谈。这对我来说很有趣，但对沃尔特和祖母来说却很认真。
后来，她开始给沃尔特读书。每次他来的时候，她都读一点书。第一本书叫《和女孩约会时该如何穿着？》。下一本书讲述了年轻人在见女孩父母时该如何表现。沃尔特似乎喜欢读书，至少他在倾听。他会站在墙边皱着鼻子。如果祖母对沃尔特有更多期望时，她从来不会表现出来，她会继续读给他听。随着时间推移，沃尔特听得比以前更认真了。祖母读书时，他从不把目光从她身上移开。她笑的时候，他也笑。她认真的时候，沃尔特也变得严肃起来。她读过关于友谊在早期阶段出现的问题的文章。“如何成为更好的朋友，如何决定这个女孩是正确的结婚对象。”有一天，祖母快读完时，沃尔特拦住了她。“戈尔曼太太，我有了一个女友。”“多好啊？”奶奶回答道。“我真的很喜欢，一个像您这样爱说话的女孩。”“这不是很好吗？你在哪儿遇见的她？”“一个朋友帮我找的。”“那不是很令人激动吗，告诉我她的情况，她人好吗？”“我非常喜欢她。”“嗯，她一定是。她叫什么名字？”“我忘了，叫什么来着。我告诉她我叫沃尔特。”“你能像绅士一样善待她吗？”“我一直都这么做，我给她讲美好的事情。”“我为你骄傲，沃尔特，她漂亮吗？”沃尔特没有回答，他又讲了一遍怎么认识的她。在我看来，他必须不止一次地说一件事，否则没人会相信那些话。
“她一定很好，”祖母说，“我希望你见到她时把头梳理一下，穿件外套。你必须向我保证，永远都像个绅士。”之后，奶奶读了《如何选择合适的结婚戒指、如何筹备婚礼》。她似乎很着急，好像沃尔特在结束接受她的教育前就要结婚了。母亲说的话都帮不上什么忙。祖母继续教导沃尔特。她给沃尔特读的下一本书是《如何爱护妻子？》。祖母读完后不久就去世了。情况就是这样了。很难相信，我看到他们把她的身体放低并盖好棺盖之后，才知道她不会再回来了。她去世后的第二天早上，沃尔特过来送食物。母亲去开门。“戈尔曼太太去世了，”她告诉沃尔特，“她昨晚去世了。”沃尔特一开始一动不动，他似乎不明白，或者他认为母亲在撒谎。他想进屋，但母亲把门关了一下。“你不明白吗，她去世了，没人在屋里，她昨晚去世了，请不要再来这里了。”沃尔特站在那儿，脸色苍白。母亲在他面前关上了门。她打电话给食品店，告诉他们不要再派沃尔特来送食物了。
我很长一段时间没有再见到沃尔特了，我已经把他和祖母给他读书的日子都遗忘了。后来有一天，我看见了他，他的样子和以前不同，身上穿着一套衣服，外套很旧，裤子也穿了很多次，上身是白衬衫，还打着领带。我一直等到他向我走来，然后跟着他走。“你好，沃尔特，你还记得我吗？”他迅速转向我，认出我的脸时他笑了。“哦，当然，你好吗？”“我很好，沃尔特，你怎么样？”“很好，谢谢你，你呢？”“我很好。”我们默默地走了几步。突然，我有一种旧有的感觉，祖母还活着，沃尔特还来家里。我不假思索地问：“你的女友怎么样了，沃尔特？”突然，他抓住我，撕扯着我的衬衫。他把我拉近他，喊道：“她还活着！她还活着！”他的哭声响亮而真切。他把我从他身边推开，我摔倒在地，他沿街跑了。我离开时，仍然能听到他的哭声，最后他的声音消失在玩耍的男孩们的声音之中。
