Now the VOA Special English program "American Stories". Our storytoday is called "Paul's Case". It was written by Willa Cather. "Paul'sCase" will be told in 2 parts. Here is Kay Gallant with part one ofthe story.
Paul hated school. He did not do his homework. He did not like histeachers. Paul's father did not know what to do with him. His teachersdid not know either.
One afternoon, all his teachers at Pittsburgh High School met togetherwith him to discuss his case. Paul was late. When he entered the room,his teachers sat waiting for him. He was tall for his age and verythin. His clothes were too small for him but they were clean. He had abright red flower in the buttonhole of his black jacket. One of theteachers asked Paul why he had come to the meeting. Paul said politelythat he wanted to do better in school. This was a lie. Paul oftenlied. His teachers began to speak. They had many complaints. One saidPaul talked to the other students instead of paying attention to thelessons. Another said Paul always sat in class with his hands coveringhis eyes. A third teacher said Paul looked out the window instead oflooking at her. His teachers attacked him without mercy. Paul'seyebrows moved up and down as his teachers spoke. His smile never lefthis face but his fingers shook as he touched the flower on his coat.
At last, the meeting was over. Paul's smile got even wider. He bowedgracefully and left the room. His teachers were angry and confused.
The art teacher spoke for all of them when he said there was somethingabout Paul that he didn't understand.
"I don't think he really means to be bad", he said. "There is justsomething wrong with that boy." Then the art teacher remembered onewarm afternoon, when Paul had fallen asleep in his class, Paul's facewas white with thin blue veins under the skin. The boy's face lookedtired and lined like an old man's. His eyebrows moved up and down evenin his sleep.
After he left the meeting, Paul ran down the hill from the schoolwhistling. He was late for his job at the concert hall. Paul was anusher there. He showed people to their seats. He carried messages forthem. He brought them their programs with the polite bow. Everyonethought he was a charming boy and the best usher at the hall.
When Paul reached the concert hall that evening, he went immediatelyto the dressing room. About 6 boys were already there. Paul beganchanging his clothes with excited hands. He loved his green uniformwith the gold pockets and design. Paul rushed into the concert hall assoon as he had changed clothes. He ran up and down the hall, helpingpeople. He became more and more excited. His face became pink and hiseyes seemed larger and very bright. He looked almost handsome. Atlast, everyone was seated. The orchestra began to play. And Paul satdown with a sigh of relief.
The music seemed to free something in Paul's spirit. Then a woman cameout and began to sing. She had a rich strong soprano voice. Paul felttruly happy for the first time that day. At the end of the concert,Paul went back to the dressing room. After he had changed his clothesagain, he went outside the concert hall. He decided to wait for thesinger to come out. While he waited, he looked across the street tothe large hotel called "Schenley". All the important people stayed atthe Schenley when they visited Pittsburgh. Paul had never been insideit but he used to stand near the hotel's wide glass doors.
He liked to watch the people enter and leave. He believed if he couldonly enter this kind of a hotel, he would be able to leave school, histeachers, and his ordinary gray life behind him forever. At last, thesinger came out of the concert hall. Paul followed her as she walkedto the hotel. He was part of a large crowd of admirers who had waitedto see her. When they all reached the hotel, she turned and waved.
Then the doors opened and she disappeared inside. Paul stared into thehotel as the doors slowly closed. He could feel the warm sweet airinside. And for a moment he felt part of a golden world of sparklinglights and marble floors. He thought about the mysterious dishes offood being served in the hotel's dining room. He thought about greenbottles of wine growing cold in silver buckets of ice. He turned awayfrom the hotel, and walked home. He thought of his room with itshorrible yellow wallpaper, the old bed with its ugly red cover. Heshook his head. Soon, he was walking down the street where he lived.
All the houses on Cordelia Street were exactly alike. Middle-classbusinessmen had bought them for their families. All their childrenwent to school and to church. They loved arithmetic. As Paul walkedtoward his house, he felt as if he were drowning in ugliness. Helonged for cool colors and soft lights and fresh flowers. He didn'twant to see his ugly bedroom, or the cold bathroom with its crackedmirror and gray floor. Paul went around to the back of his father'shouse. He found an open window, and climbed into the kitchen. Then hewent downstairs to the basement. He was afraid of rats, but he did notwant to face his own bedroom. Paul couldn't sleep. He sat on the floorand stared into the darkness until morning came. The following SundayPaul had to go to church with his family. Afterwards, everyone camehome and ate a big dinner. Then all the people who lived on CordeliaStreet came outside to visit each other. After supper, Paul asked hisfather if he could visit a friend to get some help with hisarithmetic. Paul left the house with his schoolbooks under his arm buthe didn't go to his friend's house. Instead he went to see CharlieEdwards. Charlie was a young actor. Paul liked to spend his much timeas he could at the theatre, where Charlie Edwards and his group actedin their place. It was only at the theatre and the concert hall thatPaul felt really alive. The moment he smelt the air of these places,he felt like a prisoner suddenly set free. As soon as he heard theconcert hall orchestra play, he forgot all the ugly unpleasant eventsin his own life. Paul had discovered that any kind of music awakenedhis imagination. Paul didn't want to become a musician, however. Hedidn't want to become an actor either. He only wanted to be nearpeople who were actors and musicians. He wanted to see the kind oflife these artists led. Paul found the schoolroom even worse after anight at the theatre or the concert hall. He hated the school's barefloors and cracked walls. He turned away from his dull teachers intheir plain clothes. He tried to show them how little he thought ofthem and the studies they taught. He would bring photographs of allthe actors he knew to school. He would tell the other students that hespent his evenings with these people at elegant restaurants.
Then he would announce that he was going away to Europe or toCalifornia, or to Egypt for a while. The next day he would come toschool smiling nervously. His sister was ill he would say, but he wasstill planning to make his trip next spring.
Paul's problems at school became worse. Even after the meeting withhis teachers, things did not get better. He told them he had no timeto study grammar and arithmetic. He told them he had to help theactors in the theatre. They were all friends of his. Finally histeachers went to Paul's father. He took Paul out of school and madehim get a job. He told the manager at the concert hall that Paul couldnot work there any more. His father warned the doorman at the theatrenot to let Paul into the place. And Charlie Edwards promised Paul'sfather not to see Paul again. All the actors at the theatre laughedwhen they heard about the stories Paul had been telling. The womenthought it was funny that Paul had told people he took them out tonice restaurants and sent them flowers. They agreed with the teachersand with his father that Paul's was a bad case.
You have just heard part one of the American Story "Paul's case". Itwas written by Willa Cather. Your storyteller was Kay Gallant. Listenagain next week at this time for the final part of "Paul's Case" toldin Special English on the Voice of America. I'm Steve Ember.
薇拉·凯瑟(Willa Cather l873-1947),20世纪上半叶美国著名的女作家,著名评论家。出生在弗吉尼亚州，幼时随父母迁居到中西部的内布拉斯加州。内布拉斯加大学毕业后曾任中学教员、记者和杂志编辑。1912年开始专事写作。其作品有《哦，拓荒者们!》(1913)，《我的安东尼亚》(1918)，《一个沉沦的妇女》
(1923)，《教授的住宅》(1925)，及《死神来迎接大主教》(1927)，《莎菲拉与女奴》(1940)等 |