VOA慢速英语2012 AMERICAN STORIES - 'Rappaccini's Daughter' by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Part 1

 

AMERICAN STORIES - 'Rappaccini's Daughter' by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Part 1

SHEP O’NEAL: Now, the Special English program AMERICAN STORIES.

Our story today is called "Rappaccini’s Daughter." It was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. We will tell the story in two parts. Here is Kay Gallant¹ with the first part of our story.

KAY GALLANT: Many years ago, a young man named Giovanni Guasconti left his home in Naples to study in northern Italy. He rented a small room on the top floor of a dark and ancient palace. Long ago, the building had belonged to a noble² family. Now, an old woman, Signora Lisabetta, rented its rooms to students at the University of Padua.

Giovanni’s room had a small window. From it he could see a large garden that had many plants and flowers. “Does the garden belong to you?” he asked Signora Lisabetta one day.

“Oh no!” she said quickly. “That garden belongs to the famous doctor, Giacomo Rappaccini. People say he uses those plants to make strange kinds of medicine. He lives in that small brown house in the garden with his daughter, Beatrice.”

Giovanni often sat by his window to look at the garden. He had never seen so many different kinds of plants. They all had enormous⁴ green leaves and magnificent⁵ flowers in every color of the rainbow.

Giovanni’s favorite plant was in a white marble⁶ vase⁷ near the house. It was covered with big purple flowers.

One day, while Giovanni was looking out his window, he saw an old man in a black cape⁸ walking in the garden. The old man was tall and thin. His face was an unhealthy yellow color. His black eyes were very cold.

The old man wore thick gloves on his hands and a mask over his mouth and nose. He walked carefully among the plants, as if he were walking among wild animals or poisonous snakes. Although he looked at the flowers very closely⁹, he did not touch or smell any of them.

When the old man arrived at the plant with the big purple flowers, he stopped. He took off his mask and called loudly, “Beatrice! Come help me!”

“I am coming, Father. What do you want?” answered a warm young voice from inside the house. A young woman came into the garden. Her thick, dark hair fell around her shoulders in curls¹⁰. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes were large and black.

She seemed full of life, health and energy as she walked among the plants. Giovanni thought she was as beautiful as the purple flowers in the marble vase. The old man said something to her. She nodded her head as she touched and smelled the flowers that her father had been so careful to avoid.

Several weeks later, Giovanni went to visit Pietro Baglioni, a friend of his father’s. Professor Baglioni taught medicine at the university. During the visit, Giovanni asked about Doctor Rappaccini. “He is a great scientist,” Professor Baglioni replied. “But he is also a dangerous man.”

“Why?” asked Giovanni.

The older man shook his head slowly. “Because Rappaccini cares more about science than he does about people. He has created many terrible poisons¹¹ from the plants in his garden. He thinks he can cure sickness with these poisons.

It is true that several times he has cured a very sick person that everyone thought would die. But Rappaccini’s medicine has also killed many people. I think he would sacrifice any life, even his own, for one of his experiments.”

“But what about his daughter?” Giovanni said. “I’m sure he loves her.”

The old professor smiled at the young man. “So,” he said, “You have heard about Beatrice Rappaccini. People say she is very beautiful. But few men in Padua have ever seen her. She never leaves her father’s garden.”

Giovanni left professor Baglione’s house as the sun was setting¹². On his way home, he stopped at a flower shop where he bought some fresh flowers. He returned to his room and sat by the window.

Very little sunlight¹³ was left. The garden was quiet. The purple flowers on Giovanni’s favorite plant seemed to glow¹⁴ in the evening’s fading¹⁵ light.

Then someone came out of the doorway¹⁶ of the little brown house. It was Beatrice. She entered the garden and walked among the plants. She bent¹⁷ to touch the leaves of a plant or to smell a flower. Rappaccini’s daughter seemed to grow more beautiful with each step.

When she reached the purple plant, she buried her face in its flowers. Giovanni heard her say “Give me your breath¹⁸, my sister. The ordinary air makes me weak. And give me one of your beautiful flowers.” Beatrice gently broke off one of the largest flowers. As she lifted it to put it in her dark hair, a few drops of liquid from the flower fell to the ground.

One of the drops landed on the head of a tiny lizard¹⁹ crawling²⁰ near the feet of Beatrice. For a moment the small animal twisted²¹ violently²². Then it moved no more. Beatrice did not seem surprised. She sighed and placed the flower in her hair.

Giovanni leaned²³ out of the window so he could see her better. At this moment, a beautiful butterfly flew over the garden wall. It seemed to be attracted by Beatrice and flew once around her head. Then, the insect’s bright wings stopped and it fell to the ground dead. Beatrice shook her head sadly.

Suddenly, she looked up at Giovanni’s window. She saw the young man looking at her. Giovanni picked up the flowers he had bought and threw them down to her. “Young lady,” he said, “Wear these flowers as a gift from Giovanni Guasconti.”

“Thank you,” Beatrice answered. She picked up the flowers from the ground and quickly ran to the house. She stopped at the door for a moment to wave shyly to Giovanni. It seemed to him that his flowers were beginning to turn brown in her hands.

For many days, the young man stayed away from the window that looked out on Rappaccini’s garden. He wished he had not talked to Beatrice because now he felt under the power of her beauty.

He was a little afraid of her, too. He could not forget how the little lizard and the butterfly had died.

One day, while he was returning home from his classes, he met Professor Baglioni on the street.

“Well, Giovanni,” the old man said, “have you forgotten me?” Then he looked closely at the young man. “What is wrong, my friend? Your appearance²⁴ has changed since the last time we met.” It was true. Giovanni had become very thin. His face was white, and his eyes seemed to burn with fever.

As they stood talking, a man dressed in a long black cape came down the street. He moved slowly, like a person in poor health. His face was yellow, but his eyes were sharp and black. It was the man Giovanni had seen in the garden. As he passed them, the old man nodded coldly to Professor Baglioni. But he looked at Giovanni with a great deal of interest.

“It’s Doctor Rappaccini!” Professor Baglioni whispered²⁵ after the old man had passed them. “Has he ever seen your face before?”

Giovanni shook his head. “No,” he answered, “I don’t think so.”

Professor Baglioni looked worried. “I think he has seen you before. I know that cold look of his! He looks the same way when he examines an animal he has killed in one of his experiments. Giovanni, I will bet³ my life on it. You are the subject of one of Rappaccini’s experiments!”

Giovanni stepped away from the old man. “You are joking,” he said. “No, I am serious.” The professor took Giovanni’s arm. “Be careful, my young friend. You are in great danger.”

Giovanni pulled his arm away. “I must be going,” he said “Good night.”

As Giovanni hurried to his room, he felt confused²⁶ and a little frightened.

Signora Lisabetta was waiting for him outside his door. She knew he was interested in Beatrice. “I have good news for you,” she said. “I know where there is a secret entrance into Rappaccini’s garden.”

Giovanni could not believe his ears. “Where is it?” he asked. “Show me the way.”

SHEP O’NEAL: You have just heard part one of the story called "Rappaccini’s Daughter." It was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and adapted for Special English by Dona de Sanctis. Your storyteller was Kay Gallant. Listen next week for the final part of our story. This is Shep O’Neal.

1 gallant   

adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的

参考例句：

• Huang Jiguang's gallant deed is known by all men. 黄继光的英勇事迹尽人皆知。
• These gallant soldiers will protect our country.这些勇敢的士兵会保卫我们的国家的。

2 noble   

n.贵族；adj.高贵的，高尚的，贵族的，辉煌的

参考例句：

• He is a noble man,we all admire him.他是一个道德高尚的人，我们都敬佩他。
• Niagara falls is a noble sight.尼亚加拉瀑布是一壮观的景色。

3 bet   

v.打赌，以(与)...打赌；n.赌注，赌金；打赌

参考例句：

• I bet you can't do this puzzle.我敢说，你解决不了这个难题。
• I offered to bet with him.我提出与他打赌。

4 enormous   

adj.巨大的；庞大的

参考例句：

• An enormous sum of money is injected each year into teaching.每年都有大量资金投入到教学中。
• They wield enormous political power.他们行使巨大的政治权力。

5 magnificent   

adj.壮丽的，宏伟的；华丽的；极好的

参考例句：

• The museum that we visited is very magnificent.我们参观的博物馆是很宏伟的。
• That's a magnificent task.这是一项宏伟的任务。

6 marble   

n.大理石，石弹，雕刻品；adj.大理石的，冷酷无情的，坚硬的

参考例句：

• Marble is a precious stone.大理石是一种珍贵的石料。
• The statue was carved out of marble.这尊像是大理石雕成的。

7 vase   

n.花瓶，瓶

参考例句：

• She knocked the vase off by accident.她不小心把花瓶打掉了。
• I saw the vase in the window of a shop.我在一家商店的橱窗里看见了这个花瓶。

8 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

9 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。

10 curls   

n.一绺鬈发( curl的名词复数 )；卷曲物；螺旋状物；（指头发）拳曲v.（使）弯曲( curl的第三人称单数 )；（使）卷曲；盘旋；缠绕

参考例句：

• His hair curls naturally. 他的头发天生鬈曲。
• Her hair fell over her shoulders in a cascade of curls. 她的卷发像瀑布一样垂在肩上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 poisons   

n.毒药( poison的名词复数 )；酒；极糟的食物；极有害的思想（或心情等）v.毒死( poison的第三人称单数 )；污染；放毒于；对…有不良影响

参考例句：

• The poisons generated by remorse inveigh against the system, and eventually produce marked physical deterioration. 由悔恨产生的毒素侵袭着身体组织，最终造成明显的体质恶化。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• She has put into the small, unwise head of the chipmunk the untutored fear of poisons. 花栗鼠愚蠢的小脑袋里却有天生的对于毒药的恐惧。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

12 setting   

n.背景

参考例句：

• The play has its setting in Vienna.该剧以维也纳为背景。
• Where and when a story takes place is called the setting.故事发生的地点和时间称为故事背景。

13 sunlight   

n.日光，阳光，日照

参考例句：

• The room was flooded with warm and golden sunlight.房间充满着温暖、金色的阳光。
• In the bright sunlight she had to narrow her eyes.在强烈阳光下她必须眯着双眼。

14 glow   

n.白热光；激情；vi.发白热光，(身体)发热

参考例句：

• The sunset glow is just like a picture.晚霞恰如一幅图画。
• There was a dull red glow in the night sky above the steelworks.夜晚炼钢厂的上空闪着暗红色的光。

15 fading   

n. 褪色, 枯萎, 衰退 动词fade的现在分词

参考例句：

• Hopes of a peace settlement are now fading. 和平解决的希望越来越小了。
• The king is fading fast. 国王的身体很快就衰弱了。

16 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

17 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

18 breath   

n.呼吸，气息，微风，迹象，精神，一种说话的声音

参考例句：

• I'm just going out for a breath of fresh air.我正要出去呼吸新鲜空气。
• While climbing up the stairs the old man always loses his breath.那老人上楼时总是气喘吁吁的。

19 lizard   

n.蜥蜴，壁虎

参考例句：

• A chameleon is a kind of lizard.变色龙是一种蜥蜴。
• The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect.蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。

20 crawling   

n.表面涂布不均v.爬( crawl的现在分词 )；（昆虫）爬行；缓慢行进；巴结

参考例句：

• You should be ashamed of yourself, crawling to the director like that. 你那样巴结董事，应该感到羞耻。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Stubborn, self-confident Guo Zhenshan has never gone crawling to anyone. 坚强、自信、有气魄的郭振山，实在说，永远也不会向人低三下四啊！ 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

21 twisted   

adj.（感情、欲望等）反常的，变态的v.扭，搓，缠绕( twist的过去式和过去分词 )；歪曲；转动；扭转

参考例句：

• After the crash the car was a mass of twisted metal. 那辆车撞成了一堆扭曲的废铁。
• The rope had twisted itself around the wheel, stopping the motor. 绳子把轮子缠住，电动机就不转了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 violently   

adv.猛烈地； 暴力地

参考例句：

• She shook her head violently.她拼命摇头。
• He reacted violently only under provocation.只因为被激怒，他才暴力相向。

23 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。

24 appearance   

n.出现，露面；容貌

参考例句：

• In appearance, he was a little like his father.他看起来有点像他的父亲。
• She was a young woman of good appearance.她是一位年轻貌美的女子。

25 whispered   

adj.耳语的，低语的v.低声说( whisper的过去式和过去分词 )；私语；小声说；私下说

参考例句：

• She sidled up to me and whispered something in my ear. 她悄悄走上前来，对我耳语了几句。
• His ill luck has been whispered about the neighborhood. 他的不幸遭遇已在邻居中传开。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 confused   

adj.困惑的，烦恼的

参考例句：

• They asked so many questions that they confused me.他们问了许多问题，都把我弄糊涂了。
• A wise man is never confused.智者不惑。