英文原文1

【英文原文】

What Women Want

Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a neighboring kingdom.1 The monarch could have killed him but was moved by Arthur's youth and ideals. So the monarch offered him freedom, as long as he could answer a very difficult question.2

Arthur would have a year to figure out3 the answer; if after a year, he still had no answer, he would be put to death.

The question: What do women really want?

Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query.4 But since it was better than death, he accepted the monarch's proposition5 to have an answer by year's end.

He returned to his kingdom and began to poll6 everybody: the princess, the priests, the wise men, the court jester7.

He spoke with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer. Many people advised him to consult the old witch,8 only she would know the answer.

The price would be high; the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged.9

The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no alternative10 but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer his question, but he'd have to accept her price first:

The old witch wanted to marry Gawain, the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table11 and Arthur's closest friend!

Young Arthur was horrified12. She was hunchbacked and hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises, etc.13 He had never encountered such a repugnant creature.14

He refused to force his friend to marry her and have to endure such a burden.

Gawain, upon learning of the proposal15, spoke with Arthur.

英文原文2

He told him that nothing was too big a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the preservation of the Round Table.16 Hence, their wedding was proclaimed17, and the witch answered Arthur's question thus:

What a woman really wants is to be in charge of her own life.18

Everyone instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and that Arthur's life would be spared.19

And so it was. The neighboring monarch granted Arthur total freedom.

What a wedding Gawain and the witch had!

Arthur was torn between relief and anguish.20 Gawain was proper as always, gentle and courteous.21 The old witch put her worst manners on display, and generally made everyone very uncomfortable.22

The honeymoon hour approached. Gawain, steeling23 himself for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom. But what a sight awaited him! The most beautiful woman he'd ever seen lay before him!

The astounded24 Gawain asked what had happened.

The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she'd appeared as a witch, she would henceforth be her horrible, deformed self half the time, and the other half, she would be her beautiful maiden self.25

Which would he want her to be during the day, and which during the night?

What a cruel question!

Gawain pondered his predica-ment.26 During the day, a beautiful woman to show off27 to his friends, but at night, in the privacy28 of his home, an old witch?

Or would he prefer having by day a hideous witch, but by night a beautiful woman with whom to enjoy many intimate29 moments?

What would you do?

What Gawain chose follows below, but don't read it until you've made your own choice.

Make YOUR choice BEFORE you read Gawain's answer!

Noble Gawain replied that he would let her choose for herself.

Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge of her own life.

重点讲解1

【重点讲解】

1. 年轻的亚瑟王中了埋伏，被邻国的国王关了起来。King Arthur: 亚瑟王，中世纪传奇故事中的不列颠国王；ambush: 埋伏，伏击；monarch /'m=n2k/: 君主，国王。

2. 因此国王表示可以给他自由，只要他能回答出一个非常难的问题。as long as: = so long as, 只要，如果。

3. figure out: <美口>想出。

4. 即便是知识最渊博的人也会被这样的问题难住，对于年轻的亚瑟而言，这问题就更没法回答了。 perplex: 使困惑，使茫然。

5. proposition: 提议。

6. poll: 对……进行民意测验，这里指“征询每一个人的意见”。

7. court jester: （中世纪时）宫廷中的逗乐小丑，弄臣。

8. consult: 请教；witch: 巫婆，女巫。

9. exorbitant: （价格、要求等）过高的，过度的；charge: 要（价）。

10. alternative: 供抉择的解决办法，供替代的抉择。

11. the Knights of the Round Table: 圆桌骑士团（传说中亚瑟王麾下的骑士们环桌而坐，故有此称）。

12. horrified: 震惊的。

13. hunchbacked: 驼背的；hideous: 极丑的，可怕的；sewage: 污水，阴沟水；obscene: 讨人厌的，可憎的。

14. encounter: 遭遇，遇到；repugnant: 令人厌恶的，使人极度反感的。

15. proposal: 提议。

重点讲解2

16. 他告诉亚瑟，跟亚瑟的生命以及保全圆桌骑士团相比，做出什么样的牺牲都不为过。

17. proclaim: 宣布，公布。

18. 女人真正想要的是能够掌控自己的生活。

19. 所有的人都立刻意识到女巫说出了大实话，亚瑟有救了。utter: 讲，说出。

20. 亚瑟同时被获释后的宽慰和亏欠好友的痛苦这两种感觉折磨着。

21. 加韦跟平常一样地高尚体面：温文尔雅，谦恭有礼。

22. 老巫婆极尽无礼之能事，让每个人都非常不快。

23. steel: 使坚强去面对。这里指加韦给自己打气，硬着头皮去见新娘。

24. astounded: 震惊的，惊骇的。

25. 美女回答说，当她以一个女巫的面目出现时加韦对她还那么好，所以今后有一半的时间她会是那个可怕丑陋的自我，而另一半时间里，她将是另一个自我：一位年轻美丽的女子。

26. ponder: 沉思，考虑；predicament: 困境。

27. show off: 炫耀，卖弄。

28. privacy: 秘密，私下。

29. intimate: 亲密的，密切的。