听美国故事练听力 28

　　(MUSIC)Our story this week is "Keesh." It was written by Jack¹ London. Here isShep O’Neal to tell you the story.
(MUSIC)Storyteller: Keesh lived at the edge² of the polar³ sea. He had seenthirteen suns in the Eskimo way of keeping time. Among the Eskimos,the sun each winter leaves the land in darkness. And the next year, anew sun returns, so it might be warm again.
The father of Keesh had been a brave man. But he had died hunting forfood. Keesh was his only son. Keesh lived along with his mother,Ikeega.
One night, the village council⁴ met in the big igloo of Klosh-kwan, thechief. Keesh was there with the others. He listened, then waited forsilence.
He said, “It is true that you give us some meat. But it is often oldand tough meat, and has many bones.”
The hunters were surprised. This was a child speaking against them. Achild talking like a grown man!
Keesh said, “My father, Bok, was a great hunter. It is said that Bokbrought home more meat than any of the two best hunters. And that hedivided the meat so that all got an equal share.”
“Naah! Naah!” the hunters cried. “Put the child out! Send him tobed. He should not talk to gray-beards this way!”
Keesh waited until the noise stopped. “You have a wife, Ugh-gluk,”
he said. “And you speak for her. My mother has no one but me. So Ispeak. As I say, Bok hunted greatly, but is now dead. It is only fairthen that my mother, who was his wife, and I, his son, should havemeat when the tribe⁵ has meat. I, Keesh, son of Bok, have spoken.”
Again, there was a great noise in the igloo. The council ordered Keeshto bed. It even talked of giving him no food.
Keesh jumped to his feet. “Hear me!” he cried. “Never shall I speakin the council igloo again. I shall go hunt meat like my father, Bok.
”
There was much laughter⁷ when Keesh spoke⁶ of hunting. The laughterfollowed Keesh as he left the council meeting.
The next day, Keesh started out for the shore, where the land meetsthe ice. Those who watched saw that he carried his bow and manyarrows. Across his shoulder was his father’s big hunting spear⁸. Againthere was laughter.
One day passed, then a second. On the third day, a great wind blew.
There was no sign of Keesh. His mother, Ikeega, put burned seal oil onher face to show her sorrow⁹. The women shouted at their men forletting the little boy go. The men made no answer, but got ready tosearch for the body of Keesh.
Early next morning, Keesh walked into the village. Across hisshoulders was fresh meat. “Go you men, with dogs and sleds. Follow myfootsteps. Travel for a day,” he said. “There is much meat on theice. A she-bear and her two cubs¹⁰.”
His mother was very happy. Keesh, trying to be a man, said to her,“Come, Ikeega, let us eat. And after that, I shall sleep. For I amtired.”
There was much talk after Keesh went to his igloo. The killing¹¹ of abear was dangerous. But it was three times more dangerous to kill amother bear with cubs. The men did not believe Keesh had done so. Butthe women pointed¹² to the fresh meat. At last, the men agreed to go forthe meat that was left. But they were not very happy.
One said that even if Keesh had killed the bear, he probably had notcut the meat into pieces. But when the men arrived, they found thatKeesh had not only killed the bear, but had also cut it into pieces,just like a grown hunter.
So began the mystery of Keesh.
On his next trip, he killed a young bear…and on the following trip, alarge male bear and its mate¹³.
Then there was talk of magic and witchcraft¹⁴ in the village. “He huntswith evil¹⁵ spirits,” said one. “Maybe his father’s spirit hunts withhim,” said another.
Keesh continued to bring meat to the village. Some people thought hewas a great hunter. There was talk of making him chief, after oldKlosh-kwan. They waited, hoping he would come to council meetings. Buthe never came.
“I would like to build an igloo.” Keesh said one day, “but I haveno time. My job is hunting. So it would be just if the men and womenof the village who eat my meat, build my igloo.” And the igloo wasbuilt. It was even bigger than the igloo of the Chief Klosh-kwan.
One day, Ugh-gluk talked to Keesh. “It is said that you hunt withevil spirits, and they help you kill the bear.”
“Is not the meat good?” Keesh answered. “Has anyone in the villageyet become sick after eating it? How do you know evil spirits are withme? Or do you say it because I am a good hunter?”
Ugh-gluk had no answer.
The council sat up late talking about Keesh and the meat. They decidedto spy¹⁶ on him.
On Keesh’s next trip, two young hunters, Bim and Bawn, followed him.
After five days, they returned. The council met to hear their story.
“Brothers,” Bim said, “we followed Keesh, and he did not see us.
The first day he came to a great bear. Keesh shouted at the bear,loudly. The bear saw him and became angry. It rose high on its legsand growled¹⁷. But Keesh walked up to it.”
“We saw it,” Bawn, the other hunter, said. “The bear began to runtoward Keesh. Keesh ran away. But as he ran, he dropped a little roundball on the ice. The bear stopped and smelled the ball, then ate it.
Keesh continued to run, dropping more balls on the ice. The bearfollowed and ate the balls.”
The council members listened to every word. Bim continued the story.
“The bear suddenly stood up straight and began to shout in pain.
“Evil spirits,” said Ugh-gluk.
I do not know,” said Bawn. “I can tell only what my eyes saw. Thebear grew weak. Then it sat down and pulled at its own fur with itssharp claws¹⁸. Keesh watched the bear that whole day.”
“For three more days, Keesh continued to watch the bear. It wasgetting weaker and weaker. Keesh moved carefully up to the bear andpushed his father’s spear into it.”
“And then?” asked Klosh-kwan.
“And then we left.”
That afternoon, the council talked and talked. When Keesh arrived inthe village, the council sent a messenger¹⁹ to ask him to come to themeeting. But Keesh said he was tired and hungry. He said his igloo wasbig and could hold many people, if the council wanted a meeting.
Klosh-kwan led the council to the igloo of Keesh. Keesh was eating,but he welcomed them. Klosh-kwan told Keesh that two hunters had seenhim kill a bear. And then, in a serious voice to Keesh, he said, “Wewant to know how you did it.” Did you use magic and witchcraft?”
Keesh looked up and smiled. “No, Klosh-kwan. I am a boy. I knownothing of magic or witchcraft. But I have found an easy way to killthe ice-bear. It is head-craft, not witchcraft.”
“And will you tell us, O Keesh?” Klosh-kwan asked in a shakingvoice.
“I will tell you. It is very simple. Watch.”
Keesh picked up a thin piece of whalebone. The ends were pointed andsharp as a knife. Keesh bent²⁰ the bone into a circle. Suddenly he letthe bone go, and it became straight with a sharp snap²¹. He picked up apiece of seal meat.
“So,” he said, “first make a circle with a sharp, thin piece ofwhale bone. Put the circle of bone inside some seal meat. Put it inthe snow to freeze. The bear eats the ball of meat with the circle ofbone inside. When the meat gets inside the bear, the meat gets warm,and the bone goes snap! The sharp points make the bear sick. It iseasy to kill then. It is simple.”
Ugh-gluk said, “Ohhh!” Klosh-kwan said “Ahh!” Each said somethingin his own way. And all understood.
That is the story of Keesh, who lived long ago on the edge of thepolar sea. Because he used head-craft, instead of witchcraft, he rosefrom the poorest igloo to be the chief in the village. And for all theyears that followed, his people were happy. No one cried at night withpains of hunger.
(MUSIC)Announcer: You have just heard the story, "Keesh." It was written byJack London. Your storyteller was Shep O’Neal. This is ShirleyGriffith.
(MUSIC)

1 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

2 edge   

n.边(缘)；刃；优势；v.侧着移动，徐徐移动

参考例句：

• Sight along the edge to see if it's straight.顺着边目测，看看直不直。
• She lived on the extreme edge of the forest.她住在森林的最边缘。

3 polar   

adj.两极的，极地的，南辕北辙的，南极的，北极的，极性的；n.极线，极面

参考例句：

• It's very cold in the polar regions.南北极地带是很寒冷的。
• Love and hatred are polar feelings.爱与恨是完全相反的感情。

4 council   

n.理事会，委员会，议事机构

参考例句：

• The town council passed a law forbidding the distribution of handbills.市议会通过法律，禁止散发传单。
• The city council has declared for improving the public bus system.市议会宣布同意改进公共汽车系统。

5 tribe   

n.部落，种族，一伙人

参考例句：

• This is a subject tribe.这是个受他人统治的部落。
• Many of the tribe's customs and rituals are as old as the hills.这部落的许多风俗、仪式都极其古老。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 laughter   

n.笑，笑声

参考例句：

• I don't know how my story caused so much laughter.我不知我的故事怎么引起如此大笑。
• The audience gave way to uncontrollable bursts of laughter.听众忍不住发出一阵阵笑声。

8 spear   

n.矛，枪，矛尖；嫩叶；v.刺戳

参考例句：

• He thrust her with a spear.他用矛刺她。
• It's more like a spear than anything else.它比别的东西来更象矛。

9 sorrow   

n.悲哀；悲痛

参考例句：

• It helps to share your sorrow with someone else.向他人诉说你的痛苦对你是有益的。
• I think she did it more in sorrow than in anger.我觉得她这样做更多是出于悲哀而不是愤恨。

10 cubs   

n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lioness guarding her cubs 守护幼崽的母狮
• Lion cubs depend on their mother to feed them. 狮子的幼仔依靠母狮喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

12 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

13 mate   

n.伙伴，同事；配偶；大副；v.(使)交配

参考例句：

• Where is the mate to this glove?这副手套的另一只在哪儿？
• She has been a faithful mate to him.她一直是他忠实的配偶。

14 witchcraft   

n.魔法，巫术

参考例句：

• The woman practising witchcraft claimed that she could conjure up the spirits of the dead.那个女巫说她能用魔法召唤亡灵。
• All these things that you call witchcraft are capable of a natural explanation.被你们统统叫做巫术的那些东西都可以得到合情合理的解释。

15 evil   

n.邪恶，不幸，罪恶；adj.邪恶的，不幸的，有害的，诽谤的

参考例句：

• We pray to God to deliver us from evil.我们祈求上帝把我们从罪恶中拯救出来。
• Love of money is the root of all evil.爱钱是邪恶的根源。

16 spy   

n.间谍，侦探，侦察；vt.侦察，找出，发现；vi.做密探，侦查

参考例句：

• I'm sure my neighbours spy on me.我肯定邻居暗中监视我。
• The spy never told his family about his underground activities.那个间谍从来不把他的地下活动告诉他的家人。

17 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 claws   

n.爪( claw的名词复数 )；（有壳水生动物的）螯；爪形夹具；（机械的）爪

参考例句：

• the claws of a crab 螃蟹的螯
• The lion's claws had gouged a wound in the horse's side. 狮爪在马身一侧抓了一道深口。

19 messenger   

n.报信者，先驱

参考例句：

• By the time the messenger reached him,the damage had been done.送信人赶到他那儿时，损失已经造成了。
• I'll order a special messenger to deliver the document.我会派专人把文件送去。

20 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。

21 snap   

n.啪地移动，突然断掉；v.猛咬，咬断，谩骂，砰然关上

参考例句：

• He broke off the twig with a snap.他啪地一声把那根树枝折断了。
• These earrings snap on with special fasteners.这副耳环是用特制的按扣扣上去的。