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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Soon after they left the shop on the Vatican Garden in Rome, Mrs. Angle1 opened the box and showed her husband the costly2 stone she had bought. "I love them, I just love them!" She said. She dropped the stones back into the box as she and her husband began walking across the street. Halfway3 across, her husband pulled her out of the way of a passing automobile4. "What is wrong with you?" He asked. "I just thought of the words I said to the shop owner. I told him I loved him. I wanted to say I love the stones, but I used the wrong word. I should have said it pleases me. Do you think he understood?" To Mr. Angle it was not important if the shop man understood or not. What was important was his own wish that she would stop trying to speak Italian when it wasn't necessary. On their last trip into the hills, her use of Italian had helped. But they were in Rome now. Almost everyone here talked English, or at least understood it.
《你好》。他们离开罗马梵蒂冈花园的商店后不久,安格尔夫人打开盒子,向丈夫展示她买的昂贵的宝石。“我爱它们,我只是爱它们!”她说。当她和丈夫穿过街道时,她把宝石放回盒子里。走到一半,她丈夫把她从一辆经过的汽车旁边拉了过来。“你怎么了?”他问道。“我只是想起了我对店主说的话,我告诉他我爱他,我想说的是我爱宝石,但我用错了词。我应该说宝石让我感到愉快,你认为他明白吗?”对安格尔先生来说,店员是否理解并不重要,重要的是他希望她在不必要的时候不要再试图说意大利语了。他们最后一次去山上旅行时,她说意大利语起了作用。但他们现在在罗马,这里几乎每个人都说英语,至少能听懂。
They sat in front of the hotel and rested their tired feet. Mrs. Angle looked around at the flowers changing their color with the light of the setting5 sun. ''Bello, molto bello! (Beautiful, very beautiful)'', she said. Mr. Angle breathed deeply6 and asked the waiter to bring them each a drink. ''Check, please!'' He shouted. Mrs. Angle, still in sort of a dream at the beauty around them, said, ''You should have said 'Il conto'. In England, it's bill; la addition, in France; il conto, in Rome.'' ''Check, please!'' Mr. Angle said again and almost at once it was in his hand. ''It's just as easy to say conto as check. Conto is what you say, not what I say.'' The elevator boy opened the door for them and she said, "Settimo piano, per favore.''(Seventh storey7, please.) And the boy answered, "Seventh floor, OK?'' And no one said another word. Not until Mr. Angle opened the door of their room, he let his wife enter first, and then said, "Do you want to eat in the hotel or go out? '' "Whatever you want to do. " His wife answered. "Well, I would like to go back to the place that has the fountain8 and serves ravioli. '' "There are many fountains9 in Rome", she said, "and there are places near them that serve ravioli. You see, you won't even say an Italian name, you could mean anywhere. No one would know where you meant. ''
他们坐在旅馆门前休息他们疲惫的脚,安格尔太太环顾四周,望着落日的阳光把花朵的颜色改变了。“漂亮,非常漂亮,她说。安格尔先生深吸了一口气,叫服务员给他们各拿一杯饮料,“Check!”他喊道。安格尔太太仍然感觉四周的美景让她好像置身梦境一样,她说:“你应该说‘账单’。在英国,账单是bill;在法国是la addition;在罗马是il conto。”“Check!”安格尔先生又说了一遍,账单几乎马上就递到了他的手里。“conto”和“check”说起来一样容易,你说的是Conto,那不是我说的。”开电梯的男孩为他们打开门,她说:“七层,谢谢。”男孩回答说,“七层,对吗?”没人再说一句话。安格尔先生打开他们的房门,让妻子先进去,然后说:“你想在旅馆里吃饭还是出去吃?”“你想怎么样都行。”妻子回答。
"Well, you know, "He answered, "Do you want to go there?'' "Yes.'' She held one of her black dresses up to the light, and placed a pink flower on one shoulder of the dress. "Italian is so easy, conto, that's all you have to say.'' Mr. Angle took his shirt off and reached for a clean one. He looked at her: "What do you want me to do? Go around, telling shop owners that I love them? '' "That is not fair, just because I made a mistake and told you. Now you think everything I say is wrong. '' "No," he answered, "but I do not think it is always right like this ciao thing that you say. " "What ciao thing? '' "You say it all the time. Every time you see a child you rush up to it and say 'Ciao'. " "Oh, you mean ciao, that's what I said ciao. I asked the waiter what it means10 and he told me it's something Italian people say to greet other Italians. I know it is, it's like Hi or Hello there. " Mr. Angle shook his hand, "It's more than that. It's something Italian say to other Italians when they know them very well. But you say it to people you don't know. Only to children. But why to them? You do not rush up to strange children at home and say Hi to them. "
“好吧,我想回到有喷泉和意式饺子的地方去吃。”“罗马有很多喷泉,”她说,“附近有一些地方有意式饺子。你看,你甚至连一个意大利名字都不会说,这可以是任何地方,没人会知道你的意思。“好吧,你知道,”他回答,“你想去那儿吗?”“是的。”她把一件黑色连衣裙举到灯下,在裙子的一个肩上放上一朵粉红色的花。“意大利语很容易,conto,你只需要说这个就行了。”安格尔先生脱下衬衫,伸手去拿一件干净的。他看着她说:“你想让我做什么?去告诉店主我爱他们吗?”“这不公平,只是因为我犯了错误,还告诉了你。现在,你觉得我说的一切都是错的。”“不,”他回答说,“但我不认为你说ciao的这种事情总是对的。”“什么ciao的事情?”“你一直在说,每次你看到孩子,就冲上去说‘Ciao’。”“哦,你是说ciao,我就这么说。我问服务员这是什么意思,他告诉我这是意大利人问候时说的话。我知道它就像是在打招呼。”安格尔先生握了握他的手,“不止是这样,这是意大利人彼此非常熟识时,相互说的话。但你是对自己不认识的人说,只对孩子们说。但是为什么对孩子说呢?你不会冲到待在家里的陌生的孩子跟前跟他们打招呼。”
The telephone rang and Mrs. Engle answered, saying " Pronto (hello)''. The person on the other end thought she could speak Italian and began talking in Italian. The talk ended with both sides talking English. "That's what I mean." he said, "It's making them believe you can talk Italian." "I really think they know I can't speak too much Italian." "Then, why do you do it?'' he asked. Mrs. Angle touched the pink flower which she had placed on her dress. ''I like to communicate. I like to reach out my hand and my mind. When I talk to children, I do it for their mothers and fathers. They are so proud of their children. So even if I say the wrong things, they know I'm trying to understand them and perhaps they will try to understand me. It's being friendly and it's fun." "I'm not criticizing11 you. But can't you be friendly in English?" Mrs. Angle stepped into her dress. "Do you mean I sound foolish?" "Not you especially. Anyone." "I see what you mean." "Well, really?" They entered the elevator. He saw that the pink flower was gone from her dress. And she just smiled at the elevator boy when he said "Good Evening". And even when they got down to the street, she was silent12. Usually she told the car driver where to take them in Italian. But now she waited for her husband to tell him.
电话铃响了,恩格尔太太去接电话,她说“你好”。另一端的人以为她会说意大利语,就开始用意大利语说话。她俩后来是用英语结束的对话。“这就是我的意思,”他说,“这让他们认为你会说意大利语。”“我真的认为他们知道我不会说太多意大利语。”“那你为什么这么做?”他问道。安格尔太太摸了摸她放在衣服上的那朵粉红色的花。“我喜欢交流,我喜欢伸出手,延展我的思想。我和孩子们交谈时,我为的是他们的父母,他们为自己的孩子感到骄傲。所以,即使我说错话,他们也知道我在试图理解他们,也许他们也会试着理解我。这是相互友好,而且很有趣。”“我没有批评你,但你说英语不能表示友好吗?”安格尔太太穿上裙子,“你是说我听起来很傻吗?”“不是针对你,而是任何人。”“我明白你的意思了。”“嗯,真的吗?”他们走进电梯。他看到她裙子上的粉红色花朵不见了。开电梯的男孩说“晚上好”时,她只是对他微笑。即使他们走到街上,她也保持沉默。通常,她会用意大利语告诉司机把它们带到哪里去,但现在她等着丈夫告诉他。
At the eating place it was the same. She smiled at the waiter but said nothing. And when Mr. Angle showed her the menu, she just said, "I'll have a casserole added13 sparrowgrass. The ravioli first, of course.'' The waiter left after smiling and talking in Italian to her, but she just smiled at him. She looked around the room, not saying anything. "Was she angry?" Mr. Angle wondered. Was she treating him with one of her silent periods? No, he knew all her silences. This one was different. When their drinks came, her eyes met his calmly. There was no bitterness14 in them, no anger. Perhaps she was tired, but she didn't look tired. The waiter understood English, so she talked English and that was that. Or was it? No, something was wrong, and he had to find out what. He began talking to test her feelings. "This is a good place. I'm happy we came back to Rome." "Yes, it is very nice." she answered. Um, something was wrong. Nice was a word she never used in Rome. It wasn't the word for Rome anyway. You might say Rome is noisy, perhaps colorful, even romantic15, but never just nice. As they ate, Mrs. Angle agreed with everything he said, but she was too quiet. Something had left her.
在吃饭的地方也是一样,她对侍者微笑,但什么也没说。安格尔先生给她看菜单时,她只是说:“我要一份加芦笋的炖菜。当然,先来点意式饺子吧。”侍者微笑着用意大利语跟她说话后离开了,但她只是朝他笑了笑。她环顾了一下房间,什么也没说。“她生气了吗?”安格尔先生想着。她是在用沉默对待他吗?不,他知道她的沉默。这次的不一样。他们喝酒时,她的目光平静地与他相遇。他们没有怨恨,没有愤怒。也许她累了,但她看起来并不累。服务员懂英语,所以她说英语,就这样。真是这样吗?不,有点问题,他必须找出原因,他开始说话来试探她的情绪。“这是个好地方,我很高兴我们回到罗马。”“是的,非常好。”她回答。呃,出了点事。在罗马她从来没用过“好”这个词,反正这不是用来形容罗马的词。你可能会说罗马喧闹,也许是多彩,甚至是浪漫,但绝不仅仅是好。他们吃饭时,安格尔太太同意他说的每一句话,但她太沉默了。有什么东西从她身上离开了。
It was as if someone had turned some of the lights off in the room. You could still see everything, but not so clearly. He looked out of the window onto the street. Rome, rich in history, the warm night, the happy voices, the shouting voices, voices of mothers and fathers, of children, and even of visitors such as he and his wife, visitors who never really saw or understood all there is to see and understand. Then he knew what Mrs. Angle had been trying to do. She had been trying to understand, trying to get a little closer to the city and its people. She had been reaching her hand and her mind out to them. Now she sat across from him as she minded anywhere. New York City, Boston or Podunk. But this was Rome. He had closed the door to her happiness--her ideas of Rome. He had crushed16 her. That was the right word, crushed. And this was the last thing in the world he wanted to do to Mrs. Angle. He breathed deeply and said in a voice louder than he wanted to. "Conto, il conto!'' He felt Mrs. Angle's eyes look at him as he paid the waiter for the food and gave him extra money for himself. Out on the street, they walked near a mother holding a little girl. Mrs. Angle moved closer to the mother and said, "Bella, bellissima(Beautiful, very beautiful)!" The woman lifted the little girl higher for Mrs. Angle to see. Mrs. Angle laughed and made a special wave, "Ciao, ciao!" She looked at her husband and he saw her eyes were filled with happiness again. Mr. Angle felt a strange lump17 in his throat and then he waved to the child in his own way. "Ciao!" He said. And he felt his wife's arm as she moved closer to him and slipped18 it through his.
好像有人把房间里的一些灯关掉了,你仍然能看到一切,但不是那么清楚。他向窗外望去。罗马,历史悠久,温暖的夜晚,欢乐的声音,呼喊的声音,父母、孩子们的声音,甚至是像他和妻子这样的游客的声音,这些游客从来没有真正看到或理解这里的一切。然后,他知道安格尔太太一直想做什么,她一直在努力理解,试图更接近这个城市和这里的人。她一直在向他们伸出她的手和思想,现在她坐在他对面,想去哪儿都行。纽约市、波士顿或波多克,但这里是罗马。他关上了她幸福的大门——她对罗马的看法。他遏制住了她。这个词很恰当,遏制。这是他最不想对安格尔太太做的事。他深吸了一口气,大声地说:“账单,账单!”他付钱给侍者,并给他小费时,感觉安格尔太太的眼睛在看着他。在街上,他们走近一位抱着小女孩的母亲。安格尔太太靠近那位母亲说:“真漂亮,非常漂亮!”那个女人把小女孩举得更高一些,让安格尔太太看看。安格尔太太笑了,还特地挥手说:“你好,你好!”她看着丈夫,他看到她的眼睛又充满了幸福。安格尔先生感到一阵怪异的哽咽,然后用自己的方式向孩子挥手。“你好!”他说。他感觉到妻子靠近他,用胳膊挽住了他的手臂。
1 angle | |
n.角,角度,立场,观点 | |
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2 costly | |
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的 | |
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3 halfway | |
adj.中途的,不彻底的,部分的;adv.半路地,在中途,在半途 | |
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4 automobile | |
n.汽车,机动车 | |
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5 setting | |
n.背景 | |
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6 deeply | |
adv.深刻地,在深处,深沉地 | |
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7 storey | |
n.楼层;楼的一层 | |
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8 fountain | |
n.喷泉,源泉,储水容器,泉水;v.使像喷泉一样流 | |
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9 fountains | |
n.喷水( fountain的名词复数 );喷泉;来源;人工喷泉 | |
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10 means | |
n.方法,手段,折中点,物质财富 | |
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11 criticizing | |
v.评论,批评( criticize的现在分词 ) | |
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12 silent | |
adj.安静的,不吵闹的,沉默的,无言的;n.(复数)默剧 | |
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13 added | |
adj.更多的,附加的,额外的 | |
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14 bitterness | |
n.苦味;痛苦;悲痛;酷烈 | |
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15 romantic | |
adj.浪漫的,风流的,传奇性的,夸大的,想象的,浪漫派的 | |
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16 crushed | |
a.压碎的,倒碎的 | |
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17 lump | |
n.块状,瘤,很多;v.使...成块状,混在一起,忍耐 | |
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18 slipped | |
adj.打滑,打滑的v.滑( slip的过去式和过去分词 );滑脱;下降;(健康状况等)变差 | |
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