读者文摘:魔术改变了我的生活(6)

The week after I finished school, I drove to Los Angeles to begin my career as a professional magician.

毕业一周后，我开车去洛杉矶开始我的职业魔术师生涯。

I have never held another job.

我从来没有做过别的工作。

For years I have traveled the country performing. Every crowd is different.

多年来，我在全国各地演出。每次观众都是不同的。

Sometimes you have to charm them or cajole them, sometimes you have to entice¹ or fascinate,

有时候，你必须去吸引他们，或者去“勾引”他们，有时候你必须让他们着迷，

and sometimes you have to roll up your sleeves and fight, winning the room with a careful blend of intensity² and goodwill³,

有时你不得不卷起袖子战斗，将强硬和善意巧妙结合起来，赢得全场的喝彩。

convincing the audience that you're either a genius or a madman and that, either way,they should probably stop and listen.

让观众相信你要么是个天才要么是个疯子，不管怎样，也许他们应该停下来听听。

Tonight my arrival onstage at a college in Chicago was met with a mixture of applause and disdain⁴,

今晚，我来到芝加哥一所大学的讲台上，台下的掌声和轻蔑交织一起。

the audience being equal parts people who came to see a magic show and people who came to drink.

观众分成两部分，一部分是来看魔术表演的，一部分是来闹事的。

One six-foot, 250-pound bruiser with a crew cut started booing even before they finished my introduction.

还没开始自我介绍，一个6尺，250磅，留着平头的彪形大汉就开始发出嘘声。

Now I am standing⁵ on a table—his table—in the basement of the student union.

现在我正站在学生会地下室的一张桌子上——他的桌子。

"Listen," I say, scanning the room.

我扫视着房间说道：“听着，

"In a minute, you are going to see something impossible.

一分钟后是见证奇迹的时刻。

Some of you are going to scream.

你们中的一些人会尖叫。

Some of you are going to yell. This gentleman right here is going to soil himself.”

一些人可能会大喊。这位先生要失望了。”

Crew Cut is looking at me like he wants to fight,

那个大汉看着我，想打架的样子，

but I have him pinned in his seat with the gaze of 300 people who are finally paying attention.

但我把他“压制”在座位上，300人的目光集中在他身上。

For the moment, he can only glower⁶.

眼下，他只能怒目而视。

"I'm not doing this for the money.

“我这么做不是为了钱。

I'm not doing this for the glory. If I were, I sure wouldn't be here.

不是为了荣耀，如果是，我肯定不会在这里。

1 entice   

v.诱骗，引诱，怂恿

参考例句：

• Nothing will entice the children from television.没有任何东西能把孩子们从电视机前诱开。
• I don't see why the English should want to entice us away from our native land.我不明白，为什英国人要引诱我们离开自己的国土。

2 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

3 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

4 disdain   

n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑

参考例句：

• Some people disdain labour.有些人轻视劳动。
• A great man should disdain flatterers.伟大的人物应鄙视献媚者。

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 glower   

v.怒目而视

参考例句：

• He glowered at me but said nothing.他怒视着我，却一言不发。
• He glowered and glared,but she steadfastly refused to look his way.他怒目而视，但是她铁了心不肯朝他这边看。