听力文本

Once, the King of Siam could do anything he wanted with his people. That is what is called an absolute monarchy. When-I-was-a-boy, if any one acted very “bossy” or ordered others around, we used to say, “Who do you think you are? The King of Siam?”
But now the King of Thailand has to rule according to the laws of the country and cannot do just as he pleases the way his ancestors used to do.
The Buddhists believe that when they die their souls go into the bodies of animals. The kings’ souls they think go into the bodies of white elephants, so in Thailand the White Elephant is sacred. The white elephantsare, however, more gray than white. Once any white elephant found in a herd had to be presented to the King to bring good luck to him and to the kingdom. Because these royal white elephants did no work, we have come to call something we may have that is of no use, and yet we must keep and take care of, “a white elephant.” A friend of mine has an old worn-out automobile that will not run, that he can neither sell nor give away, and as it takes up space in his garage he calls it his “white elephant.”
In Burma the ordinary gray elephant is used as we use an automobile, truck, or tractor and costs about the same as an automobile does. An elephant carries people, he carries loads, he lifts logs, he plows. A driver sits on the elephant’s head and taps him on one side or the other to let him know just what he is to do and he does it. He works regular hours and knows when it’s time to start work and when it’s time to quit. It is as if he belonged to a labor union, and he will not work at all unless he has had one or more baths each day!
We always say wood will float, but there is a kind of wood in Burma that is so heavy it will not float. It is called “Teak.” They use teak instead of other woods in making furniture, for white ants eat up and destroy anything made out of softer woods.

参考译文

过去，暹罗的国王可以对他的人民为所欲为，这就是所谓的君主专制。我小时候，如果有人非常专横或者以命令的口气叫别人干这干那，我们就会说，“你以为你是谁啊？是暹罗的国王吗？”
但是，现在泰国的国王必须按照法律统治国家，不能像他的祖先那样为所欲为了。
佛教徒相信自己死后灵魂会进入动物体内，他们认为国王的灵魂会进入白象体内，因此，在泰国白象是神圣的。不过，白象与其说是白色，还不如说是灰色的。一旦在象群中发现了白象，就必须献给国王，希望它给国家和国王带来好运。因为这些皇家白象不干活、无所事事，所以，如果我们有个无用的东西但又不得不留着它、照顾它，我们就把这个东西叫做“白象”。我的一个朋友有辆破旧的汽车，不能开了，他卖不掉也送不了人，由于它还占着车库的位子，他就把这辆汽车叫做“白象”。
在缅甸，普通的灰色大象可以当做汽车、卡车、拖拉机使用，一头大象的价格和一辆汽车差不多。大象运载人和货物、装卸木料、耕地。驾驭者坐在大象的头上，轻轻拍打它一侧或者另一侧，让他明白该去做什么，大象就会按指令去做。按固定时间工作，知道什么时候开始干活，什么时候停工，好像它是属于某个工会工人似的，大象每天至少洗一次澡，否则它绝不肯干活。
我们总说木头都会浮在水中，但是在缅甸有一种木头很重，放在水中都浮不起来，这种木头叫做“柚木”。人们用柚木代替别的木头来做家具，因为白蚁可以吃掉并毁坏所有较软木材做的东西。