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VOA慢速英语-- 'From the Cabby's Seat,' by O. Henry

时间:2017-08-20 15:13:37

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(单词翻译)

 

The cabby has his own special place from which he looks at life. His view of people is simpler, perhaps, than the view of a man who does any other kind of work.

From the high seat of his cab1, he looks down upon everybody. People are not important to him unless they wish to go somewhere. Then they are only something to be carried from one place to another.

You may be a president or you may be no one, but to a cabby you are only a fare — only someone who rides in his cab for a price. You get into his cab, he shakes you a while, and he puts you down.

Then the time for payment2 has arrived. If you pay him the lawful3 amount and no more, you can easily see what he thinks of you. He thinks you’re less than nothing. If you discover suddenly that you have no money with you, you will wish you were dead.

It is probably true that the cabby’s view of life is formed by the shape of his cab. He sits up there on his seat, high as a god. The seat is small; no one shares it with him. While you are in his cab, your future is in his hands. You are helpless5. The cab shakes you. You can’t get out until he stops his horse. If you want to speak to him, you must talk through a little hole in the back of the cab.

In a cab you no longer feel like a person. You may be someone very important. But in a cab you’re no more than something in a box, being carried from one place to another.

One night there were sounds of pleasure and joy in the big house beside McGary’s Family Restaurant. The sounds seemed to come from the rooms of the Walsh family. A crowd of interested neighbors stood outside the door.

Again and again a waiter came bringing food or drink from the restaurant. The neighbors stood aside every time to let him pass. Then they would move near the door again. And all the time they were talking about what was happening inside. Anyone who listened would have learned6 quickly and easily that Norah Walsh was being married.

After some time had gone by, the happy people started coming out the door. They mixed at once with the neighbors who were standing7 there. Joyful8 cries and laughing voices rose in the night air. All this noise was born of the drinks from McGary’s Restaurant.

At the edge9 of the street stood Jerry O’Donovan’s cab. No cleaner or more shining cab could be found. And Jerry’s horse! I tell you he was fat with good food.

Among the moving crowd Jerry’s high hat could now and then be seen. His nose, too, could be seen; it was thick and red, for it had been beaten by fares who wanted to fight. And also now and then, his fine green coat appeared. It was easy to see that Jerry had had more than enough to drink. Everyone had noticed it.

Out of the crowd on the street or perhaps from among the people walking past the house, came a young woman. She stopped beside the cab. Jerry saw her there. A fare! He made a sudden4 move, and three or four people near him fell down. He himself — No! He caught himself in time and did not fall.

Quickly he went up to his seat. When he was there, he was safe. All of McGary’s drink could not throw him down from there.

“Step in, lady,” said Jerry.

The young woman stepped into the cab. The door closed. The crowd in the street jumped away. The horse started and the fine cab rolled down the street.

The horse went fast at first, but after a little time he went more slowly. Then Jerry called down through the hole in the back of the cab. He tried to make his voice soft; he wished to please.

“Where will you be going to?”

“Any place you wish,” was the answer. The voice was happy. It sounded like music.

“She’s riding for pleasure,” thought Jerry. And then he said: “Take a trip in the park, lady. It will be cool and fine.” “Just as you wish,” answered the fare, pleasantly.

The cab turned toward10 Fifth Avenue11, then went north on that perfect street. Jerry was moved up and down in his seat, and from one side to the other.

McGary’s drinks moved at the same time, and seemed to rise inside his head. He began to sing.

Inside the cab the fare sat up straight on the seat. She looked to the right and to the left at the lights and the houses. It was dark inside the cab, and her eyes were shining like stars.

When they came to Fifty-Ninth Street, Jerry was half asleep. But his horse went through the park gate. The horse knew where they were. The horse pulled the cab into the park every night.

And the fare sat there, as if in a happy dream. She could smell the clean fresh smell of green leaves and flowers. And the wise animal pulling the cab moved as usual. He was at home here.

Jerry too tried to do as he did every night. His voice was thick, but he asked the questions that cabbies always ask in the park.

“You want to stop at the Casino Restaurant, lady? Have something to eat? Listen to the music? Everyone stops.”

“I think that would be nice,” said the fare.

They made a sudden stop at the door of the restaurant. The cab door opened. The fare stepped out.

At once she seemed caught by the wonderful music. The lights and the colors were bright, almost blinding. Someone put a piece of paper into her hand. On it was a number — 34. She looked around and saw her cab. It was 20 yards away, taking its place in a line with other waiting cabs12.

She was led inside, and soon she was seated at a table.

She realized that she was expected to buy something. She had a little money. She counted it and found enough to buy something cold and fresh to drink. There she sat, drinking slowly and looking at every- thing around her. Life here had new color, a new shape. It did not seem real. It was like a beautiful dream.

At 50 tables sat people who looked to her like kings and queens. She thought their clothes and jewels were wonderfully rich. And now and then one of these people would look at her. They saw a small woman in a simple dress. They saw a plain face. But on that face they saw an expression of love of life, and the queens wished that they could look the same.

While she sat there, two hours passed. The kings and queens began to leave. Their cabs rolled away. The music ended. The waiters took everything off tables near hers. She was sitting there almost alone.

Jerry’s fare stood up and held out the numbered piece of paper. “Is someone going to give me something for this?” she asked.

A waiter told her that it was for her cab. He said that she should go to the door and give it to the man there.

This man took it and called the number. Only three cabs stood in line now. The driver of one of them went and found Jerry asleep inside his cab.

Jerry spoke13 a few words in anger, and then went up to his seat. He turned the horse and the cab rolled to the door and stopped. His fare entered. The cab turned again, and went through the cool darkness of the park, following the street that would lead most quickly to the gate.

At the gate, Jerry began suddenly to think. He was still half asleep, but there was a doubt in his mind. There were one or two things he had to ask about. He stopped his horse, and his voice came down through the hole in the back of the cab.

“I want to see four dollars before we go any farther14. Have you got the money?”

“Four dollars!” laughed the fare, softly15. “No. I’ve only got a few cents with me.”

Jerry made the horse run. The animal’s feet were very loud on the street. But above the noise of the horse’s feet, Jerry’s voice could be heard. He was full of anger. He shouted at the stars in the sky. He shouted at other cabs as they passed. His words were so bad that another driver, hearing them, could not believe his ears.

But Jerry knew what he could do about this fare without money.

He knew where he was going.

At the building with the green lights beside the door he pulled his horse to a stop. He opened the cab door and he jumped to the ground.

“Come on, you,” he said, and his voice was hard.

His fare came out with the dreaming smile still on her plain face. Jerry took her by the arm and led her inside. He was going to tell the cops17 what had happened. They would do something about it.

A gray-haired cop16 looked across the table. He and the cabby were no strangers.

Jerry began, in his loud, hard voice, “I’ve got a fare here that—”

Jerry stopped. He put his hand, reddened by the weather, to his face. The drink from McGary’s Restaurant no longer clouded his mind so darkly.

“A fare, sir,” he continued, with a wide smile, “that I want you to meet. It’s my wife that I married at old man Walsh’s this evening. And a wild time we had, it’s true. Shake hands with him, Norah, and we’ll go home.”

Before stepping into the cab again, Norah took a long deep breath18. “I’ve had a very nice time, Jerry,” said she said.

Words in This Story

cabby – n. a person who drives a cab

view – n.

cab – n. a vehicle19 that carries passengers to a place for an amount of money that is based on the distance traveled

fare – n. a passenger who pays to travel on a bus, train, boat, or airplane or in a cab

park – n. a piece of public land in or near a city that is kept free of houses and other buildings and can be used for pleasure and exercise

cent(s) – n. a unit of money that is equal to a smaller part of the basic unit of money in many countries

cop(s) - n. a person whose job is to enforce laws, investigate crimes, and make arrests


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1 cab ExWzHt     
n.计程车,出租车,出租单马车;vi.乘出租马车
参考例句:
  • The cab drove over his legs.马车从他腿上碾过。
  • Shall we walk or take a cab?我们步行还是坐出租车?
2 payment qL4xJ     
n.付款,支付,偿还,偿还,报应
参考例句:
  • I gave ten pounds in payment for the goods I bought.我买那些东西付了10英镑。
  • This last payment will wipe out your debt to me.这最后一笔付款将了结你欠我的债务。
3 lawful ipKzCt     
adj.法律许可的,守法的,合法的
参考例句:
  • It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
  • We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。
4 sudden YsSw9     
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。
5 helpless FdAxb     
adj.无助的,无依无靠的;不能自力的
参考例句:
  • The other team was helpless and we had a real field day.对方队很弱,我们轻易取胜。
  • They felt helpless to do anything about it.他们对这事感到无能为力。
6 learned m1oxn     
adj.有学问的,博学的;learn的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
  • In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里,他被视为有学问的人。
7 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
8 joyful N3Fx0     
adj.欢乐的,令人欢欣的
参考例句:
  • She was joyful of her good result of the scientific experiments.她为自己的科学实验取得好成果而高兴。
  • They were singing and dancing to celebrate this joyful occasion.他们唱着、跳着庆祝这令人欢乐的时刻。
9 edge xqoxx     
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。
10 toward on6we     
prep.对于,关于,接近,将近,向,朝
参考例句:
  • Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
  • Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了,并跑了过去。
11 avenue OeGyY     
n.林荫道;大街;途径,手段
参考例句:
  • This is a shady avenue.这是条林阴大道。
  • He drove slowly.The avenue was crowded with people.他慢慢地开车,因为大街上挤满了人。
12 cabs a2c16ec6ff87a69e522e2288235dcdde     
出租车( cab的名词复数 ); (公共汽车、火车等的)司机室; 驾驶室; 出租马车
参考例句:
  • Cabs and carriages, their lamps gleaming like yellow eyes, pattered by. 公共马车和私人马车嗒嗒地驶过,车灯像一双双黄色的眼睛闪闪发亮。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
  • Outside were cabs and taxis and a line of hotel runners. 外边停着出租的马车、汽车,还站着一排旅馆接待人。
13 spoke XryyC     
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。
14 farther olHxM     
adj.更远的,进一步的;adv.更远的,此外;far的比较级
参考例句:
  • I can throw the ball farther than you can.这个球我能比你扔得远。
  • The farther hill is five kilometres away.那座更远的小山在五公里以外。
15 softly HiIzR4     
adv.柔和地,静静地,温柔地
参考例句:
  • He speaks too softly for her to hear.他讲话声音太轻,她听不见。
  • She breathed her advice softly.她低声劝告。
16 cop Jvlzkp     
n.警察;vt.抓住
参考例句:
  • The cop told him to button his lip.警察叫他闭嘴。
  • The robber was overpowered by the cop.抢劫犯被警察制伏。
17 cops 2a0b059e51cc7166bec7f81b0985a1d4     
n.堆,顶;警察( cop的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • As usual, the cops get the baddies in the end. 跟平常一样,警察最后把坏人都抓起来了。
  • Somebody call the cops! 去个人报警啊!
18 breath 9SCyv     
n.呼吸,气息,微风,迹象,精神,一种说话的声音
参考例句:
  • I'm just going out for a breath of fresh air.我正要出去呼吸新鲜空气。
  • While climbing up the stairs the old man always loses his breath.那老人上楼时总是气喘吁吁的。
19 vehicle zivw0     
n.车辆,交通工具,运载工具;媒介,表现手段
参考例句:
  • Air is the vehicle of sound.空气是声音传播的媒介。
  • The power plant burns used vehicle tyres as fuel.这家电厂用废弃轮胎作燃料。

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