美国语文第六册 第53期:我的演说经历(2)

 　　My next experience in elocution was still more disheartening,  我接下来的演说经历依旧非常令人气馁，

　　so that I never had a chance of showing what I was capable of in that way till I set up for myself. 以至于我从来没有机会表现出我能按照那种方式驾驭演讲，直到我亲自践行。

　　Master Moody¹, my next instructor², was thought to have uncommon³ qualifications for teaching oratory⁴. 我的下一任老师穆迪被认为在教授演说术上具有非凡的能力。

　　He was a large, handsome, heavy man, over six feet high; and having understood that the first, second, and third prerequisite⁵ in oratory was action, 他块头很大，相貌英俊，身高超过六英尺，深谙演说术三昧，

　　the boys he put in training were encouraged to most vehement⁶ and obstreperous⁷ manifestations⁸. 他鼓励接受训练的孩子要尽最大程度的热情去展现，打破种种束缚。

　　Let me give an example, and one that weighed heavily on my conscience for many years after the poor man passed away. 我不妨举一个例子，在这个可怜的人过世多年后，他的大块头还驻留在我的意识中，挥之不去。

　　Among his pupils were two boys, brothers, who were thought highly gifted in elocution. 在他的学生中有两个孩子，一对兄弟，在演说方面被认为天赋极高。

　　The master, who was evidently of that opinion, had a habit of parading them on all occasions before visitors and strangers; 这位老师显然也抱有这个看法，他有一个习惯，在所有场合，只要有访客和陌生人在场，都会拿他们炫耀。

　　though one bad lost his upper front teeth and lisped badly, and the other had the voice of a penny trumpet⁹. 然而这兄弟二人，一个上门牙掉了，严重口齿不清；另一个嗓音就像小号。

　　Week after week these boys went through the quarrel of Brutus and Cassius, for the benefit of myself and others, 过了好几个星期，他们俩当着我和其他人的面，像布鲁图和凯西厄那样争吵，

　　to see if their example would not provoke us to a generous competition for all the honors. 看看他们的争吵是否会激起我们为了所有人的荣誉而进行慷慨的竞争。

1 moody   

adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的

参考例句：

• He relapsed into a moody silence.他又重新陷于忧郁的沉默中。
• I'd never marry that girl.She's so moody.我决不会和那女孩结婚的。她太易怒了。

2 instructor   

n.指导者，教员，教练

参考例句：

• The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。
• The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

3 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。

4 oratory   

n.演讲术；词藻华丽的言辞

参考例句：

• I admire the oratory of some politicians.我佩服某些政治家的辩才。
• He dazzled the crowd with his oratory.他的雄辩口才使听众赞叹不已。

5 prerequisite   

n.先决条件；adj.作为前提的，必备的

参考例句：

• Stability and unity are a prerequisite to the four modernizations.安定团结是实现四个现代化的前提。
• It is a prerequisite of entry to the profession that you pass the exams.做这一行的先决条件是要通过了有关的考试。

6 vehement   

adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的

参考例句：

• She made a vehement attack on the government's policies.她强烈谴责政府的政策。
• His proposal met with vehement opposition.他的倡导遭到了激烈的反对。

7 obstreperous   

adj.喧闹的，不守秩序的

参考例句：

• He becomes obstreperous when he's had a few drinks.他喝了些酒就爱撒酒疯。
• You know I have no intention of being awkward and obstreperous.你知道我无意存心作对。

8 manifestations   

n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式）

参考例句：

• These were manifestations of the darker side of his character. 这些是他性格阴暗面的表现。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• To be wordly-wise and play safe is one of the manifestations of liberalism. 明哲保身是自由主义的表现之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 trumpet   

n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘

参考例句：

• He plays the violin, but I play the trumpet.他拉提琴，我吹喇叭。
• The trumpet sounded for battle.战斗的号角吹响了。