温馨夜读 PART2 05 We Did lt! 我们成功了

 

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[00:00.97]We Did lt! 我们成功了！

[00:07.77]Children were enthusiastically rehearsing 

[00:11.40]and decorating the rural school for their approaching concert.

[00:15.74]As I glanced up from my teacher’s desk, 

[00:18.72]Patty stood waiting to lodge¹ her urgent request.

[00:22.74]“Every year I g-g-g-get to do quiet stuff.

[00:28.87]The other kids are always in a p-p-p-play or something.

[00:34.01]Talking. This year, I w-w-want to do a p-p-p-poem, myself!”

[00:41.13]As I looked into those eager eyes, all possible excuses fizzled.

[00:46.48]Patty’s yearning² drew from me a promise that she would have a “reciting” part.

[00:52.50]That promise proved to be very difficult to keep.

[00:56.76]None of my resource books had any useful selections.

[01:01.04]In desperation, I stayed up most of the night writing a poem, 

[01:06.32]carefully avoiding those letters that trick the tongue.

[01:09.67]It was not great literature, 

[01:12.11]but it was custom-tailored to cope with Patty’s speech problem.

[01:16.24]Day after day, Patty and I plodded³ through recitals⁴.

[01:20.40]She carefully matched her timing⁵ to my silent mouthing.

[01:24.67]She accepted the drudgery⁶, eagerly anticipating her first speaking part.

[01:30.80]Concert night found the children in a frenzy⁷ of excitement.

[01:35.17]In a dither the master of ceremonies came to me, waving his printed program.

[01:40.53]“There has been a mistake! You have listed Patty for a recitation.

[01:46.33]That girl can’t even say her own name without stuttering.”

[01:50.93]Because there was not time enough for explanations,

[01:54.21]I brushed his objection aside with, “We know what we are doing.”

[01:58.69]The entertainment was moving along well.

[02:01.98]As item after item was presented, 

[02:05.03]parents and friends responded with encouraging applause.

[02:08.32]When it was time for the questionable⁸ recitation, the MC again challenged me,

[02:14.78]insisting that Patty would embarrass everyone.

[02:18.06]Losing patience, I snapped, “Patty will do her part. You do yours.

[02:23.20]Just introduce her number.”

[02:25.61]The curtain parted to show Patty, radiant, confident.

[02:30.31]Those hours of rehearsing took possession of the moment.

[02:34.25]In perfect control, the little charmer synchronized⁹ her words 

[02:39.64]to my silent mouthing below the footlights.

[02:42.13]She uttered each syllable¹⁰ with controlled clarity, 

[02:46.53]and without a splutter or stammer¹¹.

[02:49.02]With eyes sparkling, she made her triumphant¹² bow.

[02:53.29]The curtain closed. A hushed silence held the audience.

[02:58.42]Gradually the stillness gave way to suppressed chuckles¹³, and then to enthusiastic applause.

[03:04.66]Utterly thrilled, I floated backstage.

[03:08.27]My little heroine threw her arms around me and, 

[03:12.69]bubbling with joy, blurted¹⁴ out, “we d-d-d-did it!”

1 lodge   

v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆

参考例句：

• Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？
• I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。

2 yearning   

a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的

参考例句：

• a yearning for a quiet life 对宁静生活的向往
• He felt a great yearning after his old job. 他对过去的工作有一种强烈的渴想。

3 plodded   

v.沉重缓慢地走（路）( plod的过去式和过去分词 )；努力从事；沉闷地苦干；缓慢进行（尤指艰难枯燥的工作）

参考例句：

• Our horses plodded down the muddy track. 我们的马沿着泥泞小路蹒跚而行。
• He plodded away all night at his project to get it finished. 他通宵埋头苦干以便做完专题研究。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 recitals   

n.独唱会( recital的名词复数 )；独奏会；小型音乐会、舞蹈表演会等；一系列事件等的详述

参考例句：

• His recitals have earned him recognition as a talented performer. 他的演奏会使他赢得了天才演奏家的赞誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her teachers love her playing, and encourage her to recitals. 她的老师欣赏她的演奏，并鼓励她举办独奏会。 来自互联网

5 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

6 drudgery   

n.苦工，重活，单调乏味的工作

参考例句：

• People want to get away from the drudgery of their everyday lives.人们想摆脱日常生活中单调乏味的工作。
• He spent his life in pointlessly tiresome drudgery.他的一生都在做毫无意义的烦人的苦差事。

7 frenzy   

n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动

参考例句：

• He was able to work the young students up into a frenzy.他能激起青年学生的狂热。
• They were singing in a frenzy of joy.他们欣喜若狂地高声歌唱。

8 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

9 synchronized   

同步的

参考例句：

• Do not use the synchronized keyword in Managed Objects. 不要在管理对象上使用synchronized关键字。 来自互联网
• The timing of the gun was precisely synchronized with the turning of the plane's propeller. 风门的调速与飞机螺旋桨的转动精确同步。 来自辞典例句

10 syllable   

n.音节；vt.分音节

参考例句：

• You put too much emphasis on the last syllable.你把最后一个音节读得太重。
• The stress on the last syllable is light.最后一个音节是轻音节。

11 stammer   

n.结巴，口吃；v.结结巴巴地说

参考例句：

• He's got a bad stammer.他口吃非常严重。
• We must not try to play off the boy troubled with a stammer.我们不可以取笑这个有口吃病的男孩。

12 triumphant   

adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的

参考例句：

• The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
• There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。

13 chuckles   

轻声地笑( chuckle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Father always chuckles when he reads the funny papers. 父亲在读幽默报纸时总是低声发笑。
• [Chuckles] You thought he was being poisoned by hemlock? 你觉得他中的会是芹叶钩吻毒吗？

14 blurted   

v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She blurted it out before I could stop her. 我还没来得及制止，她已脱口而出。
• He blurted out the truth, that he committed the crime. 他不慎说出了真相，说是他犯了那个罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》