欢乐美语:Go West, Young Man 西部览胜

　　INTRODUCTION¹ TO ACT I
Today on TUNING² IN THE U.S.A., we’re at the Stewarts’ home in Riverdale, New York. The mail has just arrived. And in the mail is a cassette³ tape from Richard Stewart. Richard and his friend Andreas Pappas have sent a recorded message about their travels across the country. As Robbie and Grandpa play the tape, Grandpa remembers his travel adventures when he was a young man. And then Grandpa surprises Robbie with an idea for a new adventure.
ACT I
Robbie: Grandpa, the mail’s here! We got another cassette tape from Richard.
Grandpa: Great! Let’s play the tape, where is this one from?
Robbie: Let’s see. [He puts the tape in the cassette recorder and turns it on.]
Richard’s voice: Hello, everybody. This is Richard --out West. Say “hello,” Andreas.
Andreas’s voice: Hello, everybody.
Richard’s voice: We’re having a great time. I’ve taken hundreds of photographs.
Andreas’s voice: And I’ve recorded all kinds of music.
Richard’s voice: We’re looking forward to seeing Grandpa in Denver next week. Right now, we’re in Texas, at a small Baptist church.
Andreas’s voice: In a few minutes, we’re going to hear some gospel music.
Richard” voice: Oops⁴! The church service is starting. I’ll tell you more after we go hear the music. Good-bye for now.
[The tape stops.]
Grandpa: It sounds like they are having a fine time!
Robbie: And Richard’s looking forward to seeing you out there next week. You’ll have a great time, I’m sure. [He thinks.] Colorado. I’ve never been there.
Grandpa: Denver. The Rocky⁵ Mountains. I remember when I went west as a young man. That was in 1938.
Robbie: What did you find out there?
Grandpa: I found a job with the U.S. Forrest Service.
Robbie: What kind of job was it?
Grandpa: I helped fight forest fires.
Ro: Boy! Life was more exciting in the old days.
Gr: Oh, I don’t know. You can find adventure anywhere.
Ro: Not in Riverdale, New York. The most exciting thing around here is the monkey house at the zoo.
Gr: Hello. North American Airlines? I have a reservation⁶ for Saturday on flight number 240 to Denver, Colorado. My name is Malcolm Stewart.
Ro: [He whispers⁷.] What are you doing, Grandpa?
Gr: Shh! Yes, ma’am, that’s right… I would like to reserve⁸ a second seat on the flight. It’s for my grandson, Robbie Stewart.
Ro: [whispering] I don’t believe it!
Gr: Tourist class, please… Thank you… Good-bye. [He hangs up the phone.]
Robbie: Grandpa, I… I can’t just fly off to Denver all of a sudden⁹.
Gr: You only live once, boy. Well, do you want to come with me?
Ro: I sure do, Grandpa.
Introduction to act II
This time on Tuning in the U.S.A., Robbie and Grandpa are flying to Denver, Colorado, to meet Richard Stewart. They are thirty-five thousand feet in the air, looking down on the beauty of the fields below. They see the Great Plains of the central United¹⁰ States, and Grandpa remembers his trip across America fifty years ago. He shares his memories with Robbie.
Act II
Announcer¹¹: [He speaks on the loudspeaker¹² at the airport.] Last call. Flight 240 to Denver, Colorado, now boarding, Gate 13.
Grandpa: C’mon, Robbie. That’s our flight! Hurry up!
Robbie: Let me carry your travel bag, Grandpa.
Gr: Excuse me, sir. Where is gate 13?
Man: Gate 30? Sure. Go down this corridor-
Gr: No, no. Thirteen. Gate thirteen.
Man: Oh, I thought you said thirty. Gate 13 is right over there.
Grandpa: Thanks. C’mon, Robbie. [to an attendant¹³] Is this the flight to Denver?
Attendant: Yes it is. May I see your tickets, please?
Gr: Here they are.
At: You can go right through that door. Have a nice flight. [later that afternoon. Grandpa and Robbie are in the airplane.]
Ro: Look down there, Grandpa. It looks like they’ve planted corn across the whole country. It’s so beautiful. Look at those squares of color.
Gr: Uh-huh. I guess we’re over Iowa or South Dakota. I hitchhiked through there back in 1938.
Ro: You hitchhiked all the way to Colorado?
Gr: Yeah. People did that a lot back then. I probable¹⁴ slept in that field over there and caught catfish¹⁵ from that river. Have you ever had roasted¹⁶ corn and catfish for breakfast?
Ro: No, I can’t say that I have. How long did it take to get to Denver?
Gr: Oh, a couple of weeks. I don’t remember, exactly.
Robbie: Why so long? Didn’t cars stop and pick you up?
Gr: Oh, they stopped. But there weren’t so many cars in those days. And people took more time to do things.
Ro: Now we can fly and see half the country in a couple of hours.
Gr: Oh, I don’t know about that. If you really want to see America, you have to walk down the back roads. Take a bath in the rivers.
Ro: Sleep under the trees?
Grandpa: You’re getting the idea.
Ro: Maybe someday I’ll take a trip like that. I could write a book about it.
Gr: Great idea!
At: Excuse me. Would you gentlemen like some lunch now?
Ro: I’d like some roasted corn and catfish, please.
Gr: Me, too!
At: We just gave away the last of our catfish. How about some chicken?
Gr: [He laughs.] Well, I guess that’ll be just fine.

1 introduction   

n.(to)介绍；传入，引进；导言，导论，绪论

参考例句：

• The introduction tells you how to use the book.引言告诉你怎样使用这本书。
• A letter of introduction will ensure you an interview.凭一封介绍信准保会接待你。

2 tuning   

n.调谐，调整，调音v.调音( tune的现在分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• They are tuning up a plane on the flight line. 他们正在机场的飞机跑道上调试一架飞机。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The orchestra are tuning up. 管弦乐队在定弦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 cassette   

n.卡式录音带盒；卡式胶卷盒

参考例句：

• He inserted a cassette into the machine.他把一盒录像带放入机器。
• And let's not forget our cassette player and some tapes.还别忘了带上我们的卡式录音机和一些录音带。

4 oops   

int.哎哟（ 表示惊讶；沮丧；狼狈；轻度道歉等）

参考例句：

• Oops!I'm on the wrong plane!糟糕！我上错飞机了！
• Oops!I nearly dropped my cup of tea!哎呀！我险些儿把自己的一杯茶掉到地上！

5 rocky   

adj.岩石的，像岩石的；多岩石的

参考例句：

• She drives carefully up the rocky lane.她驾车小心地从这条很多石头的小路上驶过去。
• There is only one port along this rocky coast.这个多岩石的海岸只有一个港口。

6 reservation   

n.保留条件，限制条件；预订座位

参考例句：

• The instruction should be carried out without any reservation.应当不折不扣地执行这个指示。
• I accept your statement without reservation.我完全相信你的话。

7 whispers   

v.低声说( whisper的第三人称单数 )；私语；小声说；私下说

参考例句：

• We spoke in whispers for fear that we might wake the baby. 我们轻声说话，以免吵醒婴儿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They spoke in whispers lest they should be heard. 他们低声耳语惟恐被人听见。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 reserve   

n.储备（物），储藏量，预备队；vt.储备，保存，保留，预定，预约

参考例句：

• We'll reserve the ticket for you till tomorrow noon.票为您保留到明天中午。
• This area was once a wildlife reserve.该地区曾是一个野生动物保护区。

9 sudden   

n.突然，忽然；adj.突然的，意外的，快速的

参考例句：

• All of a sudden he turned about and saw me.他突然转过身来看见了我。
• The horse was badly frightened by the sudden noise.那匹马被突然而来的嘈杂声吓坏了。

10 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

11 announcer   

n.宣布者；电(视)台播音员，报幕员

参考例句：

• The radio announcer said it was nine o'clock.电台播音员报时9点整。
• The announcer tells the listeners what programme comes next.广播员告诉听众下一个是什么节目。

12 loudspeaker   

n.扬声器，扩音器

参考例句：

• The loudspeaker's stopped working.扩音器不响了。
• There is a loudspeaker in a radio.收音机里有个喇叭。

13 attendant   

n.随从，跟班，出席者，服务员；adj.伴随的，出席的，注意的，在场的

参考例句：

• She was interrupted by the entrance of an attendant.服务员进来，打断了她的话。
• We met the officer attendant on the general.我们见到了随从将军的副官。

14 probable   

adj.可能的，有望发性或实现的

参考例句：

• It is probable to finish the job before dark.天黑之前有可能完成这项工作。
• It is hardly probable that he will succeed.他不会成功。

15 catfish   

n.鲶鱼

参考例句：

• Huge catfish are skinned and dressed by hand.用手剥去巨鲇的皮并剖洗干净。
• We gigged for catfish off the pier.我们在码头以鱼叉叉鲶鱼。

16 roasted   

a.烤好的

参考例句：

• I love the delightful odour of freshly roasted coffee beans. 我喜欢新烘咖啡豆的清香气味。
• They roasted his new book. 他们狠狠地挖苦他的新书。