听美国故事练听力 18

　　There are a hundred places in New York like Gabriel's. Up front is asmall bar¹, in back there are a few booths³ and a half of dozen⁴ tables,the husband is the cook, and the wife takes care of the bar. It has aname, which is the first name of the husband or the wife or the townwhere they came from-Lois, Tony's, Estelle's or Maria's or theCalaberian or the Belonia.
To many people in New York, one of these places is the nearest thingto home they would never know. People in New York have twoneighborhoods, the one where they work, and the one where they live.
The way the city is one man's office is next to another man's home.
And the street that is one man's place to make a dollar is alsoanother man's place to make a life. So each of these littlerestaurants has two complete and different groups of customers, thelunch people and the dinner people. The lunch people are the ones whowork in the neighborhood, they appear during the middle of the day.
The dinner people are the ones who live there; they appear at nightafter they finish work. They never meet although to both groups, theplaces home. Sometimes the place means⁵ so much to some people thatthey are neither lunch nor dinner people. They really live there. Thecity is their living room; the place is their dining room. One of thepeople who once felt that way about Gabrielle's is a man named JeffCobby.
In a place like Gabrielle's the lunch people start coming into eatabout 12:30. Gabrielle makes the drinks at the bar; she also takes themoney. Every day about noon, she begins to worry. If the regularpeople are not regular, there will soon be no such place asGabrielle's. It is good to have people coming in off the street, butit is the regulars those who come in everyday⁶ who are important. SoGabrielle worries until the six men from the office around the cornercome in, and thank God⁷, filled the corner table. These are the peopleshe can depend on. Then in walks the man who comes alone. He eatswhatever fish there is, reads the newspaper, and drinks a half bottleof wine everyday. And here is the young man and young woman who havebeen coming for two whole months now. They are in love Monday,Wednesday, and Thursday. They have a violent⁸ fight every Friday.
Gabrielle wonders what they do on Tuesday.
There is in Gabrielle's as there is in every one of these places. Oneman who comes at lunchtime, sits down at the bar, and gets quietlydrunk everyday. He comes to eat lunch. Each day he tells himself thathe will have no more than two drinks, and then gets something to eat.
But somehow¹⁰, the two drinks always get to be three. And after that hestops counting. These are the regular ones. These are the lunchpeople. And from 12:30 to 3:00, many things happen to the lunchpeople. They fall in and out of love. They decide to live fully¹¹ andenjoy it, to save money and spend it, to be nicer to people than everbefore. Some promise themselves to eat less, and lose a little weight.
Two men become business partners and have a drink to celebrate it. Aman at the bar has been waiting for a girl, but she never comes, hedecides never to see her again, no matter what, and he has a drink, tocelebrate his decision. The man in the second booth² is trying hard notto ask the other man in the same booth for the job, he puts his handin his pocket, and discovers that he has spent all his money. Theseare the things that keep happening at Gabrielle's between 12:30 and3:00. By 3:00 most of the lunch people have gone back to theiroffices, their studios¹², their adding machines and business meetingsexcept for Jeff Cobby, who has not been in Gabrielle's for five yearsbecause he has not been in New York for five years.
When you come to a town for the first time, it is strange. But JeffCobby was at home as long as it was a new town. Since the US is fullof new towns, he did very well for five years. But then, what happenedwas that there were no more new towns. He wanted to come home.
He came back to New York, and everything was strange. This was hishometown where everything was supposed to be in a certain place, andwas not. All the corners looked like corners he used¹³ to know, but notexactly. There was supposed to be a movie theatre here, but it now wasan automobile¹⁴ garage. This was where there was that bar and grill¹⁵ ,but it now was a place to park cars.
Everything was bigger, or smaller, or in the wrong place. Two days ofthis were twenty , then he was walking down the street, and he saw thesign-Gabrielle. Well, he thought, let me get this over with walk in,and find out that all that is left is the name.
As he went down the steps, he remembered why he had forgottenGabrielle's. He had remembered Helen, and when they were lunch people,and cocktail¹⁶ people, and dinner people, and clothing time people. Itwas a long time ago.
He opened the door. No, it could not be the same one, but it was. Thenice middle-aged¹⁷ lady who took care of people's hats and coats wasstill at Gabrielle's. She knew his name and kissed him. She took himinto the kitchen where Gabrielle's husband was still the cook andstill shy.
Jeff came back and sat at the bar, and watched the people in therestaurant, he talked to Gabrielle when it became quiet, and not sobusy. He sat down in a booth with Gabrielle and her husband, and hadsomething to eat and to drink. He was home. New York was his hometown,some things did not change.
He came back the next day for lunch, and the next, and that evening hecame back for dinner. He had walked all over the city; he had seen toomany movies. He had slept too much, and had drunk⁹ too much. Except forthe small talk-the good mornings and good nights and isn't it a niceday. He had not really talked to anybody in three days.
The third evening he was sitting at the bar, telling Gabrielle whatSanta Fe was like when he saw a girl, sitting at the far end of theroom. She had just come in. While she leaned¹⁸ forward, she looked veryclosely at the man across the table. Then she took her short whitegloves, one finger at a time, in the way some women do. It hardlyseemed possible that after all these years a little thing like thatcould mean so much.
For the time it took her to get off her gloves, everything stopped forJeff. It was as if all these years, and all these towns had nothappened, all because he saw a girl in Gabrielle's leaning¹⁹ forward,listening, taking off short gloves, one finger at a time. Gabriellesaw him watching, and she nodded²⁰ her head, yes. It made no differencethough, if it was Helen, or if it was a girl who leaned forward,listening like Helen.
What made the difference was that he was still such a fool, that hewas still in love with a girl who did not love him. It was somethinghe could never tell anyone. They would think he was lying, or wasinsane, or both. But it was true. He wanted to get out fast, before hesaw Helen and she saw him.
Once they saw each other, he knew he would try once again to make herlove him. And if there was one thing he knew, she did not and wouldnot love him. Just as it was true that he had loved her, and alwayswould. Just so it was true, that she never did and never would lovehim. He said goodbye to Gabrielle, and told her he did not feel likehaving dinner after all, He said he would be back. He went out intothe street, and shivered²¹. He would not come back; it was time to finda new town.
You have just heard the American story "About a Place CalledGabrielle's. It was written by Robert Paul Smith. It was published²² in1958 by Esquire Incorporated²³. Your Narrator²⁴ was Shep O’Neal. TheVoice of America invites you to listen again next week at this timefor another American story told in Special English. This is ShirleyGriffith.

1 bar   

n.条，棒，条状物；酒吧，（卖东西的）柜台

参考例句：

• I went to the bar yesterday.我昨天去酒吧了。
• They walked into the bar.他们走进了酒吧。

2 booth   

n.小房间，公用电话亭，岗亭；货摊

参考例句：

• Where can I find a telephone booth?我在哪儿可以找到电话亭？
• Let's walk around to each booth.我们到每个摊子转一转吧！

3 booths   

售货棚，摊位( booth的名词复数 )； 小房间

参考例句：

• There're many booths at the exhibition. 展览会上有许多摊位。
• The market people peer at him from their booths and stalls. 集市上的人从他们的货棚和摊子里凝视着他。

4 dozen   

n.十二个，几十，许多

参考例句：

• I'll have a dozen eggs.我买一打鸡蛋。
• I buy a dozen of socks.我买了一打袜子。

5 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

6 everyday   

adj.每天的，日常的，平常的

参考例句：

• Sweeping the floor is his everyday work.扫地是他的日常工作。
• He practices speaking English everyday.他每天练习说英语。

7 god   

n.上帝，神；被极度崇拜的人或物

参考例句：

• God knows how the cat got up on the roof.只有天知道那只猫是怎样爬上房顶的。
• God wills that man should be happy.上帝愿人类幸福。

8 violent   

adj.暴力的，猛烈的，激烈的，极端的，凶暴的，歪曲的

参考例句：

• The madman was violent and had to be locked up.这个精神病患者很凶暴，不得不把他锁起来。
• They caught him and gave him a violent beating.他们抓住了他，把他狠狠打了一顿。

9 drunk   

adj.醉酒的；(喻)陶醉的；n.酗酒者，醉汉

参考例句：

• People who drives when they are drunk should be heavily penalised.醉酒驾车的人应受重罚。
• She found him drunk when she came home at night.她晚上回家时，经常发现他醉醺醺的。

10 somehow   

adv.以某种方式，不知怎么搞地

参考例句：

• Somehow,I never got the chance to learn.不知怎么的，我从来都没有学的机会。
• But somehow,he got out.He's alive.可不知怎么的，他还活着出来了。

11 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

12 studios   

n.（艺术家的）工作室( studio的名词复数 )；画室；播音室；（舞蹈）练功房

参考例句：

• She was blacklisted by all the major Hollywood studios because of her political views. 由于她的政见，所有好莱坞大制片公司都拒绝用她。
• Our interns also greet our guests when they arrive in our studios. 我们的实习生也会在嘉宾抵达演播室的时候向他们致以问候。 来自超越目标英语 第4册

13 used   

adj.用旧了的，旧的；习惯于…；过去惯/经常

参考例句：

• I used to work until nearly 6:00 o'clock each day.我过去常常工作到6:00左右。
• He used to walk anywhere from two to five miles an hour.他过去经常一小时走二至五英里。

14 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

15 grill   

n.烤架，铁格子，烤肉；v.烧，烤，严加盘问

参考例句：

• Put it under the grill for a minute to brown the top.放在烤架下烤一分钟把上面烤成金黄色。
• I'll grill you some mutton.我来给你烤一些羊肉吃。

16 cocktail   

n.鸡尾酒；餐前开胃小吃；混合物

参考例句：

• We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。
• At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上，人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。

17 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

18 leaned   

v.（使）倾斜，屈身( lean的过去式和过去分词 )；倚；依赖；使斜靠

参考例句：

• He leaned forward, his hands clasped tightly together. 他俯身向前，双手十字交错地紧握着。
• He leaned back, exulting at the success of his plan. 他向后一靠，为自己计划成功而得意扬扬。

19 leaning   

n.倾向，爱好，偏爱v.（使）倾斜，屈身( lean的现在分词 )；倚；依赖；使斜靠

参考例句：

• a leaning towards comedy rather than tragedy 偏爱喜剧而不是悲剧
• Jackson is leaning over backwards to persuade his wealthy uncle. 杰克逊想尽种种办法去讨好他那个有钱的叔叔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 nodded   

v.点头( nod的过去式和过去分词 )；打盹；打瞌睡；点头致意

参考例句：

• He nodded absently, his attention absorbed by the screen. 他专心注视着屏幕，只是心不在焉地点了点头。
• She nodded her head in agreement. 她点头表示同意。

21 shivered   

（因寒冷，害怕等）颤抖，哆嗦( shiver的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• We shivered in the damp of the forest. 我们因树林里的湿气而打寒颤。
• She shivered involuntarily as he approached her. 他离她越来越近，她不由自主地颤抖起来。

22 published   

v.出版( publish的过去式和过去分词 )；（在互联网上）发表；公布；在报刊)发表

参考例句：

• The findings of the commission will be published today. 委员会的调查结果将于今天公布。
• His diary was not published during his lifetime. 他的日记在他生前未曾发表过。

23 incorporated   

a.结合的，并为一体的

参考例句：

• Many of your suggestions have been incorporated in the plan. 你的很多建议已纳入计划中。
• These conditions must be expressly incorporated into the contract of employment. 这些条件都必须明确地写进雇佣合同之中。

24 narrator   

n.讲述者；解说员；旁白者

参考例句：

• He listens and waits for the narrator to explain more.他听著，等待讲的人进一步解释。
• The story's narrator is an actress in her late thirties.故事的叙述者是位年近四十的女演员。