第十二课Lesson TwelveLittle Things Are Big

Lesson Twelve Little Things Are Big 打印本页

一、词 汇

eve n. 前夕，前日

memorial adj. 纪念的，记忆的 subway n. (美) 地铁

traveling adj. (美/英) 旅行的 traveling bag n. 旅行袋 nice looking adj. 好看的 avenue n. 大街

medium-sized adj. 中等的，中型的 customary adj. 合乎习惯的

deserted adj. 无人通行的，已无人居住的 adult adj. 成人的，大人的 steep adj. 陡峭的

concrete n. & adj. 混凝土 courteous adj. 有礼貌，客气 courtesy n. 礼貌的，客气的 face v. 面临，面对 obviously adv. 明显

Negro n. (含轻蔑之意)黑种人，黑人 approach v. 走进，向?靠近 likely adj. 可能会，有可能

prejudiced adj. 有成见的，有偏见的 prejudice n. 成见，偏见 accent n. 口音 reaction n. 反应

misjudge v. （对?）判断错误 slander n. 诽谤

the press n. 报纸，杂志，新闻界 hesitate v. 犹豫，踌躇 traditional adj. 传统的 illiterate adj. 不识文字的 way adv. 远为?，?得多 incident n. 事件

chauvinism n. 沙文主义 unjust adj. 不公平的 policy n. 政策，方针 rude adj. 粗鲁的，无礼的 racism n. 种族主义 divide v. 分开，分配 fail v. 有负于

millionth adj. 百万分之一的

二、课文分析

It was very late at night on the eve of Memorial Day. She got on the subway train at the 34th Street Pennsylvania Station. I am still trying to remember how she managed to push herself in with a baby on her right arm, a traveling bag in her left hand and two children, a boy and a girl about three and five years old, following after her. She was a nice-looking lady in her early twenties.

在阵亡将士纪念日前夕的非常晚的晚上，她进入地铁第 34 街道宾夕法尼亚站。我仍然努力记住她怎么设法上车，一个婴孩在她的右胳膊上, 在她的左手是一个旅行包，两个孩子, 男孩和女孩大约三岁和五岁, 跟在她后面。她是一个好看的夫人，大约二十岁出头。

At Nevins Street Station, Brooklyn, I saw her preparing to get off at the next station-Atlantic Avenue-which happened to be the place where I had to get off. Just as it was a problem for her to get on, it was going to be a problem for her to get off the train with two small children to be taken care of, a baby on her right ram, and a medium-sized bag in her left hand.

在布鲁克林Nevins 街站，我看见她准备下车，大西洋大道也是我必须下车的地方。她有两个小孩要照看，右手抱着个婴儿，左手还拿着个不大不小的提包，上车不容易，下车同样也不容易。

And there I was, also preparing to get off at the Atlantic Avenue, with nothing to take care of-not even the customary book under my arm.

瞧，我就在那儿，我也准备在大西洋大街站下车，手里什么也没拿，就连我一般都要夹在胳膊下的书也没带。

As the train was entering the Atlantic Avenue station, some white man stood up from his seat and helped her out, placing the children on the long, deserted platform. There were only two adults on the long platform some time after midnight on the evening of last Memorial Day.

当地铁进入大西洋大街站, 某个白人从他的位子上站起帮助她, 把孩子放在长长的没有人的站台上。上一个阵亡将士纪念日前夕午夜后的一段时间里，只有两个成年人在这个长长的站台上。

I could see the steep, long concrete stairs going down to the Long Island Railroad or up into the street. Should I offer my help as the American white man had done? Should I take care of the girl and the boy, take them by their hands until they were out of the station?

offer sth. to sb. 给?提供

我能察觉陡峭、长长的混凝土台阶向下通向另一个地铁站，向上通向街道。我是否也应该如同美国白人那样提供我的帮助？我是否应该去照看那两个孩子，拉着他们的手直到他们走出地铁站之外？

Puerto Ricans are a courteous people. And here I was-a Puerto Rican- hours past midnight, faced with two white children and a white lady with a baby on her right arm and a bag on her left hand, obviously needing somebody to help them, at least until they went up the long concrete stairs. Puerto Ricans是一个非常有礼貌的民族。 我是一个波多黎各人。午夜过后, 一个提箱, 两个白人孩子和一个白人妇女与一个婴孩在她的胳膊上非常需要别人帮助她, 至少帮她直到走出

长长的地铁。

a boy on her right arm He ran away, gun in hand. 他手里端着枪跑了

She read the letter, tears in her eyes. 她含着泪读着这封信。 But how could I, a Negro and a Puerto Rican, approach this white lady, who very likely might be prejudiced against Negroes and anybody with a foreign accents, in a deserted subway station very late at night?

但我怎么能够做呢，作为一个黑人并且是波多黎各人, 在夜里接近这个白人妇女，在一个无人烟的地铁站里?也许非常可能这个妇女对黑人和操着外国口音的人都有偏见。

What would she say? What would be the first reaction of this white American woman perhaps coming from a small town with a bag, two children and a baby on her right arm? Would she say: Yes, of course, you may help me. Or would she think bad things perhaps? What would I do if she screamed as I went towards her to offer my help?

她会说什么？这名或许来自一个小镇，提着一个箱子，两个孩子和一个婴孩在她的右胳膊上的白人美国妇女第一反应是什么？她是否会说: 是, 当然, 你可以帮助我。或许她所想的更糟? 如果我走上前去帮助她，她尖叫起来我应该怎么办呢？ Was I misjudging her? So many slanders are written every day in the daily press against the Negroes and Puerto Ricans. I hesitated for a long, long minute. The traditional good manners that the most illiterate Puerto Rican passes on from father to son were struggling inside me. Here was I, way past midnight, face to face with a situation that could very well become an incident of prejudice and chauvinism caused by the unjust policy of our society today.

pass on 传下去

我是否错判她了？许多诽谤被每天写在每日新闻来针对黑人和波多黎各人。我犹豫了一长会。即使是一个文盲的波多黎各人也会从父亲那里继承到这种礼貌。瞧，现在午夜已过多时，我面临的形势会酿成一种种族偏见及种族沙文主义的事件，其根源是现实社会不合理的政策。 It was a long minute. I passed on by her as if I saw nothing. As if I didn't see that she needed help. Like a rude animal walking on two legs, I just moved on, half running along the long subway platform, leaving the children and the woman alone. I took the steps of the long concrete stairs in twos until I reached the street above and the cold air hit my warm face.

这一分钟过的很慢。我从她身边径直走了过去，好像什么也没有看见。好像我没有看到她需要帮助。像一个两条腿走路，不懂礼貌的动物，我只是往前走着，半跑着走过了这长长的地铁站台，留下了孩子和那位妇女。我两步并作一步地沿着混凝土的台阶走着，直到我走到街道上，冷风吹着我发烫的脸。

This is what racism and prejudice and chauvinism and divided society can do to the people and to a nation!

这就是种族主义、种族歧视、沙文主义、种族隔离的社会对人民、对国家所做的事!

Perhaps the lady was not prejudiced after all. Or not prejudiced enough to scream when a Negro toward her in a deserted subway station a few hours past midnight. 或许这个夫人没有种族偏见。或许她不会偏见到一个黑人走向她时她会尖叫起来，在午夜过后几小时的孤零零的地铁站。

If you were not that prejudiced, I failed you, dear lady. I know that there is a chance in a million that you will read these lines. I am willing to take the millionth chance. If you were not prejudiced, I failed you, lady. I failed you, children. I failed myself to myself. take a chance 冒险，碰运气

如果你不是带有偏见, 我真的让你失望, 亲爱的夫人。我知道也许只有百万分之一的机会你能读到这些字。我愿碰碰这百万分之一的运气。如果你不是带有偏见, 我让你失望, 亲爱的夫人，我让你们失望，孩子们，我也有负于我自己。

I buried my courtesy early on Memorial Day morning. But here is a promise that I make to myself here and now; if I am ever faced with an occasion like that again, I am going to offer my help regardless of how the offer is going to be received.

在阵亡将士纪念日早晨我忘记我的礼貌。但现在我要对我自己做出承诺; 如果我再面对一个那样的场合, 我将提供我的帮助，不管这个帮助是怎样被接受。 regardless of 介词 不论，不管

The club welcomes all people, regardless of age. 这个俱乐部欢迎所有人参加，没有年龄限制。 Then I will have my courtesy with me again. 那我就会重新成为一个有礼貌的人。

三、语法与练习

（一）Useful Expressions（常用短语） on the eve of 在?前夕

in one's early/late 20's 二十出头或快三十 take care of 照顾，照看 offer sth. to sb. 主动提供

be prejudiced against 对..有偏见 make a promise 承诺

be faced with 面临，面对 pass (sth.) on (to) 把?传给 （二）Verb Pattern（动词句型）

主语+及物动词+宾语+宾语补语（不定式短语） I wish you to tell me the truth. ask sb. to do sth.

Henry asked his brother Colin to read out his will. 注意：

1.用于这一句型的动词有allow, advise, expect, forbid, invite, hate, like, order, teach, tell, warn 等。

2.用于这一句型的部分动词可用于被动结构。 如：

Andersen was told (by the princess ) to learn a useful trade. （三）Vocabulary Exercises

1.根据下列构词法规则完成以下练习。

*mis-(坏；错；不)+动词/名词/形容词 → 动词/名词/形容词如： misspell 拼错 mistrust 不相信 mistranslate 错译