新視野大學(xué)英語讀寫教程第四冊第三單元B篇原文和翻譯

unit3BABlindManHelpedMeSeetheBeautifulWorldItwaslateafternoonwhenthechairmanofourBangkok-basedcompanygavemeanassignment:IwouldleavethenextdaytoaccompanyanimportantChinesebusinessmantotouristsitesinnorthernThailand.Silentlyangry,Istaredatmydesk.Thestacksofpaperborewitnesstoahugeamountofworkwaitingtobedone,eventhoughIhadbeenworkingsevendaysaweek.HowwillIevercatchup?Iwondered.Afteraone-hourflightthenextmorning,wespentthedayvisitingattractionsalongwithhundredsofothertourists,mostofthemloadedwithcamerasandsmallgifts.Irememberfeelingannoyedatthisdensecollectionofhumanity.ThateveningmyChinesecompanionandIclimbedintoacharteredvantogotodinnerandashow,onewhichIhadattendedmanytimesbefore.Whilehechattedwithothertourists,Iexchangedpoliteconversationinthedarkwithamanseatedinfrontofme,aBelgianwhospokefluentEnglish.Iwonderedwhyheheldhisheadmotionlessatanoddangle,asthoughhewereinprayer.Thenthetruthstruckme.Hewasblind.Behindmesomeoneswitchedonalight,andIcouldseehisthicksilveryhairandstrong,squarejaw.Hiseyesseemedtocontainawhitemist."CouldIpleasesitbesideyouatthedinner?"heasked."AndI'dloveitifyou'ddescribealittleofwhatyousee.""I'dbehappyto,"Ireplied.Myguestwalkedaheadtowardtherestaurantwithnewlyfoundfriends.TheblindmanandIfollowed.Myhandheldhiselbowtosteerhim,buthesteppedforwardwithnosignofhesitationorstoop,hisshoulderssquared,hisheadhigh,asthoughhewereguidingme.Wefoundatableclosetothestage.HeorderedhalfaliterofbeerandIorderedagrapesoda.Aswewaitedforourdrinks,theblindmansaid,"ThemusicseemsoutoftunetoourWesternears,butithascharm.Pleasedescribethemusicians."Ihadn'tnoticedthefivemenperformingatthesideofthestageasanintroductiontotheshow."They'reseatedcross-leggedonarug,dressedinloosewhitecottonshirtsandlargeblacktrousers,withfabricaroundtheirwaiststhathasbeendyedbrightred.Threeareyounglads,oneismiddle-agedandoneiselderly.Onebeatsasmalldrum,anotherplaysawoodenstringedinstrument,andtheotherthreehavesmaller,violin-likepiecestheyplaywithabow."Asthelightsdimmed,theblindmanasked,"Whatdoyourfellowtouristslooklike?""Allnationalities,colors,shapesandsizes,agalleryofhumanfaces,"Iwhispered.AsIloweredmyvoicefurtherandspokeclosetohisear,theblindmanleanedhisheadeagerlytowardme.Ihadneverbeforebeenlistenedtowithsuchintensity."VeryclosetousisanelderlyJapanesewoman,"Isaid."Justbeyondherayellow-hairedScandinavianboyofaboutfiveisleaningforward,hisfacejustbelowhers.They'remotionless,waitingfortheperformancetostart.It'stheperfectlivingportraitofchildhoodandoldage,ofEuropeandAsia.""Yes,yes,Iseethem,"theblindmansaidquietly,smiling.Acurtainatthebackofthestageopened.Sixyounggirlsappeared,andIdescribedtheirviolet-coloredsilkskirts,whiteblouses,andgold-coloredhatslikesmallcrowns,withflexiblepointsthatmovedinrhythmwiththedance."Onthetipsoftheirfingersaregoldennailsperhaps8centimeterslong,"Itoldtheblindman."Thenailshighlighteachelegantmovementoftheirhands.It'sadelightfuleffect."Hesmiledandnodded."Howwonderful—Iwouldlovetotouchoneofthosegoldennails."Thefirstperformanceendedjustaswefinisheddessert,andIexcusedmyselfandwenttotalktothetheatermanager.Uponreturning,Itoldmycompanion,"You'vebeeninvitedbackstage."Afewminuteslaterhewasstandingnexttooneofthedancers,herlittlecrownedheadhardlyreachinghischest.Sheshylyextendedbothhandstowardhim,thebrassfingernailsshiningintheoverheadlight.Hishands,fourtimesaslarge,reachedoutslowlyandheldthemasthoughtheywereholdinguptwotinybirds.Ashefeltthesmooth,curvingsharpnessofthemetaltips,thegirlstoodquitestill,gazingupintohisfacewithanexpressionofwonder.Alumpformedinmythroat.Aftertakingacabbacktotheinn,withmyChinesegueststillwiththeothers,theblindmanpattedmyshoulder,thenpulledmetowardhimandembracedmetightly."Howbeautifullyyousaweverythingforme,"hewhispered."Icanneverthankyouenough."LaterIthought:Ishouldhavethankedhim.Iwastheonewhohadbeenblind,myeyesmerelyskimmingthesurfaceofthings.Hehadhelpedmelifttheveilthatgrowssoquicklyoveroureyesinthisbusyworld,toseeawholenewrealmI'dfailedtoappreciatebefore.Aboutaweekafterourtrip,thechairmantoldmetheChineseexecutivehadcalledtoexpressgreatsatisfactionwiththetrip."Welldone,"thechairmansaid,smiling.Iknewyoucoulddothemagic."Iwasnotabletotellhimthatthemagichadbeendonetome.Words:901已經(jīng)是下午很晚了，我們駐曼谷公司的主席分配給我一個任務(wù)：要我在第二天陪一位重要的中國客商去泰國北部的旅游點。我眼睛瞪著桌子，心里直冒火。桌上成堆的文件足以證明，盡管我一周七天都在工作，可還有大量的工作等著我去做。我真不知道如何才能把這些活兒趕出來。第二天早晨，坐了一個小時飛機后，我們與其他數(shù)百名游客一起游覽了一些景點。他們大多數(shù)都帶著相機，滿載著小禮物。我仍記得那天擠在密集的人群中，心里很惱火。當天晚上我和這位中國伙伴一起坐上了旅游包車去吃晚飯、看表演。那場表演我以前看過很多次了。他跟其他游客聊著天，我則在黑暗中跟一位坐在我前面的男士說些應(yīng)酬的話。他是位比利時人，講一口流利的英語。我開始感到奇怪，為什么他的頭一動不動地保持著一個古怪的角度，好像在禱告一樣。后來我才恍然大悟，他是位盲人。我身后有人打開了燈，我看到了他濃密的銀發(fā)，還有方正有力的下巴。他的雙眼里似乎有一層白膜?！拔页燥垥r能坐在您的旁邊嗎？”他問道?！拔液芟肽馨芽吹降南蛭衣宰鹘榻B?！薄拔液軜芬?，”我回答說。我的客人與幾位新交的朋友徑直走進了餐館，我和這位盲人跟了進去。我用手攙著他的肘部給他領(lǐng)路，但他昂首挺胸地前行，沒有絲毫的猶豫或佝僂，好像是他在給我?guī)?。我們找了一張靠近舞臺的桌子，他要了半升啤酒，我則要了一杯葡萄汽水。我們等著上飲料時，這位盲人說：“我們西方人聽起來這首樂曲似乎變調(diào)了，但還是挺有魅力的，您能描述一下奏樂的人嗎？”我并沒注意到舞臺那頭的五個人，他們在奏著演出的開場樂曲?！八麄儽P著腿坐在小地毯上，身著寬松的白色棉布襯衫和肥大的黑褲，腰系染成鮮紅色的布帶。他們中三個是年輕小伙子，還有一位中年樂手和一位老年樂手。他們中一個擊鼓，另一個奏著木制的弦樂器，另外三個用琴弓拉著一種類似小提琴但要小一些的樂器?！惫饩€暗下來，盲人問：“那些游客們都長什么模樣？”“他們來自不同國家，膚色、體形、個頭也都不同，簡直就是一個不同種族人的大聚會，”我低聲說。我把聲音壓得更低，湊近他的耳朵說話，他也熱切地把頭靠過來。從來沒有人如此強烈地想聽我講話?！半x我們很近的是一位日本老婦人，”我說?！八赃呌幸粋€黃頭發(fā)的斯堪的納維亞男孩，大約五歲