美国故事 SENEWS-2005-0730-Feature

And now the weekly Special English program "American Stories".

Our story today is called “Marshal¹ in Rome", it was written by May Brisken². Here is Keg Lant with our story.

Often when he stood next to his wife, Marshal reminded me of an unhappy dog. His eyes looked as if he wanted to please her, but he was afraid he would not. His wife was about 35 years old and very pretty. Her name was March, but Marshal called her Ariel. No one knew why he did this. I wanted to ask him. My husband Robert told me not to. He said March and Marshal talked too much already.

That summer we were traveling through Italy with a group of other American tourists. Marshal and his wife were the only people our age in the group. Marshal was 42 years old. He had a weak heart. I did not understand why he always carried March's heavy suitcases and all her packages, but Robert would not let me ask him. Robert did not like March, because she wanted to buy everything she saw, and he did not like Marshal, because he was rich enough to buy March whatever she wanted.

The day we arrived in Rome, Robert made me promise not to talk to Marshal and March. It was our last day of the trip. Robert said if Marshal and March toured Rome with us, it would ruin a day for him. I said "okay."

We left the hotel early in the morning before Marshal and March woke up. We were out all day visiting museums, monuments³ and churches. When we returned to our hotel that evening, we met Marshal and March. March was trying to open the door to their room. Marshal could not help her. He was carrying about 8 bags of clothing that March had just bought. Robert stood there with his hands in his pockets.

"Did you empty another store, March?” he said.

Marshal laughed, March did not.

"What did you buy Bunny today, Robert?" she asked.

I took the key from her hand. "Here," I said, “let me help you."

Marshal looked over the top of the packages.

“Bunny, where are you and Robert going for dinner?"

I turned the key in the lock.

“We, we heard about this wonderful little Sicilian restaurant." I said as I opened the door. "Would you like to come with us?" I wanted to punish Robert for not helping⁴ March with the door.

Marshal smiled, "I have never eaten Sicilian food, shall we go, Ariel?”

But Robert wanted his freedom. "March would not like this restaurant," he said, "it is not elegant⁵."

Now I was angry, "but the food is very tasty." I said.

Marshal looked at March. "Please, honey."

March looked at Robert and then at Marshal. "Okay, okay, we will go with you, but I will need at least one hour to get dressed," she said.

Two hours later, she was finally ready to leave. By the time we reached the restaurant, we all were very hungry. March pointed⁶ to something on her menu.

"What is this dish?" she asked a waiter. The waiter just shook his head and smiled at her.

"He does not speak English, March." Robert said.

March lifted the napkin⁷. "Eh...", she said.

We followed her eyes and discovered a small hole in the table cloth. Someone had sewed the hole very nicely by hand. "March," I said," this table cloth is white, it is clean. It has even been ironed⁸."

March was not listening to me; she continued to read the menu. “What is caponata?” she asked.

I said, "it is eggplant, olives⁹ and tomatoes.

"I hate eggplant," said March.

Robert moved closer to her, "why not ask for a hamburger and a Coke-Cola, March?" Marshal touched her arm.

“Ariel, honey, put down the menu."

"Ok, let Bunny order for all of us.”

I did not speak Italian, but I took the menu and began pointing to it. The waiter smiled as he wrote down our order.

"You will see," I told March, "there will be plenty of food you will like."

And of course, there was. We ate pasta¹⁰, caponata, veal¹¹ and salad. We drank wine, we ordered dessert and coffee. March loved everything.

After we paid the bill, she said, "You know that was

1 marshal   

n.元帅，总指挥，（美）执法官；vt.整理，集结

参考例句：

• The oldest general was appointed marshal of the armies.资格最老的将军被任命为军队的元帅。
• Marshal your arguments before debating.辩论前整理一下你的论点。

2 brisken   

vt.使活跃; 使活泼，使轻快; 使兴旺（up）vi.变得轻快

参考例句：

3 monuments   

纪念碑( monument的名词复数 )； 遗迹； 遗址； 丰碑

参考例句：

• The work is one of the great monuments of English literature. 此作品是英国文学的不朽名作之一。
• The monuments of men's ancestors were the most impressive exhortations. 先辈们的丰碑最能奋勉人心的。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 elegant   

adj.优美的，文雅的，简练的，简结的

参考例句：

• She was an elegant and accomplished woman.她是位优雅的才女。
• She has a life of elegant ease.她过着风雅悠闲的生活。

6 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。

7 napkin   

n.餐巾；餐巾纸

参考例句：

• She handed him a napkin.她递给他一条餐巾。
• Her father cleaned his glasses with a paper napkin.她父亲用纸巾把眼镜擦干净。

8 ironed   

v.熨平( iron的过去式和过去分词 )；用鱼叉叉（鱼）；用铁铸成；给…加铁具（以使牢固）

参考例句：

• The bank manager has ironed out all my worries about money. 银行经理消除了我对钱款的忧虑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She ironed out all the creases in the shirt. 她熨平了衬衣上的所有皱褶。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 olives   

n.橄榄( olive的名词复数 )；橄榄树；橄榄色；油橄榄

参考例句：

• We sat drinking wine and nibbling olives. 我们坐在那儿，喝着葡萄酒嚼着橄榄。
• He sent her two pieces of olives in letter. 他在信中给她夹了两片橄榄树的叶子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 pasta   

n.生面团，意大利通心粉

参考例句：

• Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling water.在一大锅沸水中煮意大利面。
• Would you like some pasta?想来点意大利面食吗？

11 veal   

n.小牛肉

参考例句：

• She sauteed veal and peppers,preparing a mixed salad while the pan simmered.她先做的一道菜是青椒煎小牛肉，趁着锅还在火上偎着的机会，又做了一道拼盘。
• Marinate the veal in white wine for two hours.把小牛肉用白葡萄酒浸泡两小时。