英语故事 保罗事件（1） 薇拉凯瑟

英语故事保罗事件

（1）薇拉•凯瑟Pauls Caseby Willa Cather,Part OneOurstory todayis calledPauls Case.Willa Catherwrote it.Donna deSanctis adaptedit forVOALearning English.Pauls Casewill betold intwo parts.Here isKay Gallantwith part one of the story.Paul hatedschool.He did not dohis homework.He did not likehisteachers.Pauls fatherdid notknowwhat to do with him.His teachersdidnotknow either.One afternoon,all his teachers atPittsburghHigh Schoolmet togetherwith himto discusshis case.Paul waslate.When heentered theroom histeacherssat waitingfor him.He wastall forhis ageand verythin.His clotheswere toosmall forhim,but theywere clean.He hadabrightredflowerinthebuttonholeofhisblackjacket.OneoftheteachersaskedPaulwhyhehadcometo the meeting.Paul saidpolitely that he wantedtodobetter inschool.This wasa lie.Paul oftenlied.His teachersbegan tospeak.They hadmany complaints.One saidPaul talkedto theother studentsinsteadofpayingattentiontothelessons.AnothersaidPaulalwayssatinclasswithhishandscoveringhis eyes.A thirdteacher saidPaul lookedout thewindow insteadof lookingat her.His teachersattackedhim withoutmercy.Paulseyebrowsmoved upanddownashisteachersspoke.Hissmileneverleft hisface,buthisfingersshook as he touchedthe floweron hiscoat.At lastthe meetingwas over.Pauls smilegot evenwider.He bowedgracefully andleft theroom.His teacherswere angryand confused.The art teacher spokefor allof themwhen he said therewassomething aboutPaul thathe didntunderstand.I dontthink hereally meansto bebad/hesaid,Theres justsomething wrongwith thatboy.Then theartteacherremembered onewarm afternoonwhenPaul hadfallen asleepin hisclass.Pauls facewas whitewith thinblue veinsunder theskin.Theboys facelooked tiredand lined,like anold mans.His eyebrowsmoved up and down,even in hissleep.After heleftthemeeting,Paulran down thehillfromtheschool whistling.Hewas lateforhisjobat theconcerthall.Paul wasanusherthere.He showedpeopletotheirseats.He carriedmessagesfor them.He broughtthem theirprograms with a politebow.Everyone thoughthe wasa charmingboy and thebest usherat thehall.When Paulreached the concert hallthatevening,hewent immediatelytothe dressingroom.About sixboyswere alreadythere.Paul beganchanging his clothes withexcited hands.He lovedhis greenuniformwith thegold pocketsand design.Carnegie MusicHallPaul rushedinto theconcert hallas soonas he had changedclothes.He ranupanddown thehall,helping people.He becamemore andmore excited.His facebecame pinkand hiseyes seemedlargerandverybright.Helookedalmosthandsome.Atlasteveryonewasseated.Theorchestrabegantoplayand Paulsat downwithasigh ofrelief.The musicseemed tofree somethingin Paulsspirit.Then awoman cameout andbegan tosing.Shehad arich,strong sopranovoice.Paul felttruly happyfor thefirst timethat day.At theend of theconcertPaul wentback to the dressingroom.After hehad changedhisclothesagainhe wentoutside theconcert hall.He decidedto wait for thesinger tocome out.While hewaited helookedacrossthestreettothelargehotelcalledTheSchenley.AlltheimportantpeoplestayedatTheSchenley whenthey visitedPittsburgh.Paul hadnever beeninside it,but heused tostand nearthehotelswideglassdoors.Helikedtowatchthepeopleenterandleave.Hebelievedifhecouldonlyenterthis kind of ahotel,he wouldbe ableto leaveschool,his teachers,and hisordinary,gray lifebehindhim...forever.Atlastthesingercameoutoftheconcerthall.Paulfollowedherasshewalkedtothehotel.Hewaspartofalargecrowdofadmirerswhohadwaitedtoseeher.Whentheyallreachedthehotel,sheturnedandwaved.Then thedoors openedand shedisappeared inside.Paul stared into the hotel asthe doorsslowlyclosed.Hecouldfeelthewarm,sweetairinside.Andforamoment,hefeltpartofagoldenworldof sparklinglights andmarble floors.He thoughtabout themysterious dishesof foodbeing servedinthe hotelsdining room.He thoughtabout greenbottles ofwine growingcold insilver bucketsof ice.He turnedaway fromthehoteland walkedhome.He thoughtof hisroom withits horribleyellowwallpaper,the oldbed withits uglyred cover.He shookhis head.Soon hewas walkingdownthestreet wherehe lived.All thehouses on Cordelia Streetwere exactlyalike.Middleclassbusinessmenhadboughtthemfortheirfamilies.Alltheirchildrenwenttoschoolandto church.They lovedarithmetic.As Paulwalked towardhis househe feltas ifhe weredrowning inugliness.He longedfor coolcolors andsoft lightsand freshflowers.He didntwant tosee hisuglybedroom orthe coldbathroom withits crackedmirror andgray floor.Paul wentaround to the backof hisfathers house.He foundan openwindow andclimbed intothekitchen.Then hewent downstairstothebasement.He wasafraid ofrats.But hedidnotwant tofacehis ownbedroom.Paul couldntsleep.He saton thefloor andstaredintothe darknessuntil morningcame.The followingSunday Paul had togo tochurch with his family.Afterwards,everyone camehome andatea bigdinner.Then all the peoplewho livedonCordeliaStreet cameoutside tovisit eachother.After supperPaul askedhisfather ifhecouldvisita friendtoget somehelp withhisarithmeticPaulleftthehouse with his schoolbooks underhis arm.But hedidnt goto hisfriends house.Instead hewenttoseeCharleyEdwards.Charleywasayoungactor.Paullikedtospendasmuchtimeashecouldatthetheater whereCharley Edwardsand hisgroup actedin theirplays.It wasonlyatthetheaterandtheconcert hallthatPaulfeltreallyalive.Themomenthesmelled theairof these placeshe feltlike aprisoner suddenlyset free.As soonasheheard theconcert hallorchestraplay heforgot allthe ugly,unpleasant eventsinhisown life.Paul haddiscovered that any kindof musicawakened hisimagination.Paul didntwant tobecome amusician,however.He didntwant tobecome anactor,either.He onlywantedtobenearpeoplewhowereactorsandmusicians.Hewantedtoseethekindoflifetheseartistsled.Paul founda schoolroomeven worseafter anight atthe theaterortheconcert hall.He hatedtheschools barefloors andcracked walls.He turnedaway fromhis dullteachers in their plainclothes.Hetried toshow themhow littlehe thoughtof themandthestudies theytaught.Hewouldbringphotographsofalltheactorsheknewtoschool.Hewouldtelltheotherstudentsthathespent hisevenings with these peopleat elegantrestaurants.Then hewould announcethathewasgoing awayto Europeor toCalifornia,or toEgypt fora while.The nextday hewould cometo schoolsmilingnervously.Hissisterwasill,hewouldsay.Buthewasstillplanningtomakehistripnextspring.Pauls problemsat schoolbecame worse.Even afterthemeetingwithhisteachers,things didnot getbetter.He toldthemhehadnotime tostudygrammar andarithmetic.He toldthem hehadto helptheactorsinthe theater.They wereold friendsof his.Finally,histeacherswent toPauls father.He tookPaul outof schooland madehim geta job.He toldthemanagerattheconcerthallthatPaulcouldnotworkthereanymore.HisfatherwarnedthedoormanatthetheaternottoletPaulintotheplace.AndCharley EdwardspromisedPaulsfathernottoseePaulagain.All theactors atthetheaterlaughed whenthey heardabout thestories Paulhad beentelling.Thewomen thoughtit wasfunny thatPaulhadtold peoplehe tookthem outto nicerestaurants andsentthem flowers.They agreedwiththeteachers andwithhisfather thatPauls wasa badcase.You havejust heardpartoneoftheAmerican storyPauls Case.WillaCatherwrote it.Donna deSanctis adapteditforVOA LearningEnglish.Your storytellerwas KayGallant.Words inThis StoryPittsburgh-Placename aportinSWPennsylvania;thelargestriverport intheUSandanimportantindustrialcentre,formerly withlarge steelmills.vein-n.any oneofthetubes thatcarry bloodfrom partsofthebody backtothehearteyebrows-n.the lineof hairthat growsover youreyeusher-n.a personwho leadspeople totheir seatsin atheater,atawedding,etc.uniform-n.a specialkindofclothing thatallthemembers of a groupor organizationwearmarble-n.a kindof stonethat isoften polishedand usedin buildingsand statueswallpaper-n.thick decorativepaper usedto coverthe wallsofaroomsoprano-adj.relatingtothehighestfemalesingingvoiceorthehighestvoicepartinasinginggroupNow itsyour turn.What doyou thinkof PaulIs theresomething wrongwithhimWrite tous inthecomments section.。