高級英語 Advanced English(張漢熙) 第一冊 1.The Middle Eastern Bazaar
- 聽力原文
- 參考譯文
- 詞匯
1.The Middle Eastern Bazaar
The Middle Eastern bazaar takes you back hundreds --- even thousands --- of years. The one I am thinking of particularly is entered by a Gothic - arched gateway of aged brick and stone. You pass from the heat and glare of a big, open square into a cool, dark cavernwhich extends as far as the eye can see, losing itself in the shadowy distance. Little donkeys with harmoniously tinkling bells thread their way among the throngsof people entering and leaving the bazaar. The roadway is about twelve feet wide, but it is narrowed every few yards by little stalls where goods of every conceivable kind are sold. The din of the stall-holder; crying their wares, of donkey-boys and porters clearing a way for themselves by shouting vigorously, and of would-be purchasers arguing and bargaining is continuous and makes you dizzy.
Then as you penetrate deeper into the bazaar, the noise of the entrance fades away, and you come to the muted cloth-market. The earthen floor, beaten hard by countless feet, deadens the sound of footsteps, and the vaulted mud-brick walls and roof have hardly any sounds to echo. The shop-keepers speak in slow, measured tones, and the buyers, overwhelmed by the sepulchral atmosphere, follow suit .
One of the peculiarities of the Eastern bazaar is that shopkeepers dealing in the same kind of goods do not scatter themselves over the bazaar, in order to avoid competition, but collect in the same area, so that purchasers can know where to find them, and so that they can form a closely knit guild against injustice or persecution . In the cloth-market, for instance, all the sellers of material for clothes, curtains, chair covers and so on line the roadway on both sides, each open-fronted shop having a trestle trestle table for display and shelves for storage. Bargaining is the order of the cay, and veiled women move at a leisurely pace from shop to shop, selecting, pricing and doing a little preliminary bargaining before they narrow down their choice and begin the really serious business of beating the price down.
It is a point of honour with the customer not to let the shopkeeper guess what it is she really likes and wants until the last moment. If he does guess correctly, he will price the item high, and yield little in the bargaining. The seller, on the other hand, makes a point of protesting that the price he is charging is depriving him of all profit, and that he is sacrificing this because of his personal regard for the customer. Bargaining can go on the whole day, or even several days, with the customer coming and going at intervals .
One of the most picturesque and impressive parts of the bazaar is the copper-smiths' market. As you approach it, a tinkling and banging and clashing begins to impinge on your ear. It grows louder and more distinct, until you round a corner and see a fairyland of dancing flashes, as the burnished copper catches the light of innumerable lamps and braziers . In each shop sit the apprentices – boys and youths, some of them incredibly young – hammering away at copper vessels of all shapes and sizes, while the shop-owner instructs, and sometimes takes a hand with a hammer himself. In the background, a tiny apprentice blows a bi-, charcoal fir e with a huge leather bellowsworked by a string attached to his big toe -- the red of the live coals glowing, bright and then dimming rhythmicallyto the strokes of the bellows.
Here you can find beautiful pots and bowls engrave with delicate and intricate traditional designs, or the simple, everyday kitchenware used in this country, pleasing in form, but undecorated and strictly functional. Elsewhere there is the carpet-market, with its profusion of rich colours, varied textures and regional designs -- some bold and simple, others unbelievably detailed and yet harmonious. Then there is the spice-market, with its pungentand exotic smells; and the food-market, where you can buy everything you need for the most sumptuous dinner, or sit in a tiny restaurant with porters and apprentices and eat your humble bread and cheese. The dye-market, the pottery-market and the carpenters' market lie elsewhere in the maze of vaulted streets which honeycomb this bazaar. Every here and there, a doorway gives a glimpse of a sunlit courtyard, perhaps before a mosque or a caravanserai , where camels lie disdainfully chewing their hay, while the great bales of merchandise they have carried hundreds of miles across the desert lie beside them.
Perhaps the most unforgettable thing in the bazaar, apart from its general atmosphere, is the place where they make linseed oil. It is a vast, sombre cavern of a room, some thirty feet high and sixty feet square, and so thick with the dust of centuries that the mudbrick walls and vaulted roof are only dimly visible. In this cavern are three massive stone wheels, each with a huge pole through its centre as an axle. The pole is attached at the one end to an upright post, around which it can revolve, and at the other to a blind-folded camel, which walks constantly in a circle, providing the motive power to turn the stone wheel. This revolves in a circular stone channel, into which an attendant feeds linseed. The stone wheel crushes it to a pulp, which is then pressed to extract the oil .The camels are the largest and finest I have ever seen, and in superb condition – muscular, massive and stately.
The pressing of the linseed pulp to extract the oil is done by a vast ramshackle apparatus of beams and ropes and pulleys which towers to the vaulted ceiling and dwarfs the camels and their stone wheels. The machine is operated by one man, who shovels the linseed pulp into a stone vat, climbs up nimbly to a dizzy height to fasten ropes, and then throws his weight on to a great beam made out of a tree trunk to set the ropes and pulleys in motion. Ancient girders girders creak and groan , ropes tighten and then a trickle of oil oozes oozes down a stone runnel into a used petrol can. Quickly the trickle becomes a flood of glistening linseed oil as the beam sinks earthwards, taut and protesting, its creaks blending with the squeaking and rumbling of the grinding-wheels and the occasional grunts and sighs of the camels.
第一課 中東的集市
中東的集市仿佛把你帶回到了幾百年、甚至幾千年前的時代。此時此刻顯現(xiàn)在我腦海中的這個中東集市，其入口處是一座古老的磚石結(jié)構(gòu)的哥特式拱門。你首先要穿過一個赤日耀眼、灼熱逼人的大型露天廣場，然后走進一個涼爽、幽暗的洞穴。這市場一直向前延伸，一眼望不到盡頭，消失在遠處的陰影里。趕集的人們絡(luò)繹不絕地進出市場，一些掛著鈴鐺的小毛驢穿行于這熙熙攘攘的人群中，邊走邊發(fā)出和諧悅耳的叮當叮當?shù)捻懧?。市場的路面約有十二英尺寬，但每隔幾碼遠就會因為設(shè)在路邊的小貨攤的擠占而變窄;那兒出售的貨物各種各樣，應(yīng)有盡有。你一走進市場，就可以聽到攤販們的叫賣聲，趕毛驢的小伙計和腳夫們大著嗓門叫人讓道的吆喝聲，還有那些想買東西的人們與攤主討價還價的爭吵聲。各種各樣的噪聲此伏彼起，不絕于耳，簡直叫人頭暈。
隨后，當往市場深處走去時，人口處的喧鬧聲漸漸消失，眼前便是清靜的布市了。這里的泥土地面，被無數(shù)雙腳板踩踏得硬邦邦的，人走在上面幾乎聽不到腳步聲了，而拱形的泥磚屋頂和墻壁也難得產(chǎn)生什么回音效果。布店的店主們一個個都是輕聲輕氣、慢條斯理的樣子;買布的顧客們在這種沉悶壓抑的氣氛感染下，自然而然地也學著店主們的榜樣，變得低聲細語起來。
中東集市的特點之一是經(jīng)銷同類商品的店家，為避免相互間的競爭，不是分散在集市各處，而是都集中在一塊兒，這樣既便于讓買主知道上哪兒找他們，同時他們自己也可以緊密地聯(lián)合起來，結(jié)成同盟，以便保護自己不受欺侮和刁難。例如，在布市上，所有那 1些賣衣料、窗簾布、椅套布等的商販都把貨攤一個接一個地排設(shè)在馬路兩邊，每一個店鋪門面前都擺有一張陳列商品的擱板桌和一些存放貨物的貨架。討價還價是人們習以為常的事。頭戴面紗的婦女們邁著悠閑的步子從一個店鋪逛到另一個店鋪，一邊挑選一邊問價;在她們縮小選擇范圍并開始正兒八經(jīng)殺價之前，往往總要先同店主談?wù)搸拙?，探探價底。
對于顧客來說，至關(guān)重要的一點是，不到最后一刻是不能讓店主猜到她心里究竟中意哪樣東西、想買哪樣東西的。假如讓店主猜中了她所要買的商品的話，他便會漫天要價，而且在還價過程中也很難作出讓步。而在賣主那一方來說，他必須竭盡全力地聲稱，他開出的價錢使他根本無利可圖，而他之所以愿意這樣做完全是出于他本人對顧客的敬重。顧客有時來了又去，去了又來，因此，像這樣討價還價的情形有可能持續(xù)一整天，甚至好幾天。
集市上最引人注目、給人印象最深刻的地方之一是銅器市場。你一走近這里，耳朵里便只聽得見金屬器皿互相碰擊時所發(fā)出的一陣陣砰砰啪啪、丁丁當當?shù)捻懧?走得越近，響聲便越來越大，越來越清晰。直待你走到拐角處一轉(zhuǎn)彎，眼前便出現(xiàn)了锃亮的銅器，它們映照著無數(shù)盞明燈和火盆，流光飛舞，有如仙境。每個銅匠鋪子里都有幾個徒工--他們都是一些男性青少年，其中有的年齡小得讓人難以置信--在那里不停地錘打著一些形狀各異、大小不一的銅器，而鋪子的老板則在一旁指點著，有時也親自操錘敲打幾下。鋪子的后邊，還有一個小不點兒的徒工在那里用一根拴在大腳趾上的繩子鼓動著一個巨大的皮風箱，煽著一大爐炭火--燃燒著的木炭隨著風箱的鼓動而有節(jié)奏地變得忽明忽暗。
在這里，你會看到許多精美的鍋碗瓢盆，上面雕刻著各種精細復(fù)雜的傳統(tǒng)圖案，也能看到一些當?shù)厝巳粘Ｊ褂玫馁|(zhì)樸無華的廚房用具，雖無花紋圖案，但造形美觀，經(jīng)濟實用。 再走一處便是地毯市場。這兒有各種質(zhì)地的地毯，它們色彩斑炯，花紋圖案富有地方特色--有的簡單粗獷，有的精巧和諧得令人吃驚。再往前走便是香料市場，這里充滿各種濃烈的異香奇味;接下來是食品市場，在這里，你可以買到豪華酒宴上所需的任何山珍海味，也可以與徒工、腳夫一道坐進小飯館里去吃那不能登大雅之堂的面包和奶酪。集市里有棚頂?shù)慕窒锟v橫交錯，有如一座迷宮，鱗次櫛比地坐落其間的有印染市場、陶器市場和木器市場。隨便走到哪兒，你都有可能透過某個門洞瞥見一個灑滿陽光的庭院，那也許是個清真寺的院子，也許是個商旅客棧的院子。在那兒，總會有幾頭駱駝旁若無人地臥著嚼草料，而在駱駝的身邊則總是堆放著它們穿越沙漠，從幾百英里以外的地方馱運而來的大捆大捆的貨物。
除了其給予人的總體印象外，集市中最令人難忘的地方恐怕要算是榨亞麻籽油的作坊了。那是一間約三十英尺高、六十英尺見方的屋子，空間闊大，但光線幽暗，猶如洞穴一般。其拱形屋頂及四面的泥磚墻壁因厚厚地覆蓋著數(shù)百年積下的灰塵而變得模糊難辨。屋內(nèi)有三個大石磙，每個石磙上都有一根粗木桿從中心穿過，作為磙軸，磙軸的一端與一根立柱相連，使石磙可以繞立柱作旋轉(zhuǎn)運動，另一端則套在一頭蒙著眼罩的駱駝身上，通過駱駝不停地繞圈子走動來帶動石磙旋轉(zhuǎn)。石磙沿著一個環(huán)形石槽作圓周運動，石槽旁邊有一人專門負責往槽里裝亞麻籽。亞麻籽先由石磙碾成漿，然后再拿去榨油。油坊的駱駝是我見過的駱駝中最大最好的，而且體格健壯無比--肌肉發(fā)達，身軀偉岸，氣宇軒昂。
榨油工序是由一套搖搖欲墜的機械裝置來完成的。該裝置由大梁、纜索和滑輪組合而成，猶如一座高塔聳立在屋中，上端直與拱形屋頂相接。相形之下，油坊里的駱駝和石磙便顯得矮小起來。這套裝置是由一個人操作的。他先將亞麻籽漿鏟入一只大石缸里，繼而動作利索地爬上令人頭暈?zāi)垦５母咛幭道卫|索，然后全身使勁壓在一根用樹干做成的粗大的橫梁上，帶動纜索的滑輪裝置運轉(zhuǎn)。古木大梁壓得嘎吱作響，纜索開始繃緊，接著便見一滴滴的油沿著一條石槽流入一只廢舊汽油桶里。隨著大梁越壓越低，纜索越繃越緊，大梁的嘎吱聲，石磙的轆轆聲，以及駱駝不時發(fā)出的咕嚕咕嚕的呼吸聲和嘆息聲響成一片，榨出的油也很快地由涓滴細流變成了一股晶瑩發(fā)亮、奔騰不止的洪流。
(選自《高級閱讀與欣賞》，1962)
詞匯(Vocabulary)
Bazaar (n.) : (in Oriental countries)a market or street of shops and stalls(東方國家的)市場，集市
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
cavern (n.) : a cave，esp.a large cave洞穴，山洞(尤指大洞穴，大山洞)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
shadowy (adj.) : dim;indistinct模糊的;朦朧的
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: cornflowerblue" color=white>harmonious (adj.) : having musical tones combined to give a pleasing effect;consonant(音調(diào))和諧的，悅耳的/harmoniously adv.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
throng (n.) :a great number of people gathered together;crowd人群;群集
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
conceivable (adj.) : that can be conceived，imagined 可想象的，想得到的
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
din (n.) : a loud，continuous noise喧鬧聲，嘈雜聲
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
would-be ( adj.) : intended to be預(yù)期成為……的;將要成為……的
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
muted (adj.) : (of a sound)made softer than is usual(聲音)減弱的
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
vaulted ( adj.) : having the form of a vault;arched穹窿形的;拱形的
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sepulchral(n.) : a cave，esp.a large cave洞穴，山洞(尤指大洞穴，大山洞)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
shadowy (adj.) : suggestive of the grave or burial;dismal;gloomy墳?zāi)拱愕?陰森森的
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
guild ( n.) : any association for mutual aid and the promotion of common interests互助會;協(xié)會
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
trestle (n.) :a frame consising of a horizontal beam fastened to two pairs of spreading legs，used to support planks to form a table，platform，etc.支架;腳手臺架;擱凳
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
impinge (v.) : strike，hit，or dash;have an effect撞擊，沖擊，沖撞;對……具有影響
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
fairyland (n.) : the imaginary land where the fairies live;a lovely enchanting place仙境;奇境
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
burnish ( v.) : make or become shiny by rubbing;polish擦亮;磨光;拋光
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
brazier ( n.) : a metal pan，bowl，etc.，to hold burning coals or charcoal，as for warming a room or grilling food火盆;火缽
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
dim ( v.) :make or grow unclear(使)變暗淡;(使)變模糊
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
rhythmic /rhythmical ( adj.) :having rhythm有韻律的;有節(jié)奏的/rhythmically adv
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
bellows ( n.) :(sing.&p1.)a device that produces a stream of air through a narrow tube when its sides are pressed together(used for blowing fires，etc.)(單復(fù)同)風箱
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
intricate ( adj.) :complex;hard to follow or understand because full of puzzling parts，details，or relationships;full of elaborate detail錯綜復(fù)雜的;精心制作的
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
exotic ( adj.) :strange or different in a way that is striking or fascinating奇異的;異常迷人的
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sumptuous ( adj.) :involving great expense;costly lavish豪華的;奢侈的;昂貴的
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
maze ( n.) :
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
( n.) :a confusing，intricate network of winding pathways 迷津;迷宮;曲徑
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
honeycomb ( v.) :fill with holes like a honeycomb使成蜂窩狀
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mosque ( n.) :a Moslem temple or place of worship清真寺;伊斯蘭教堂
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
caravanserai /caravansery ( n.) :in the Orient.a kind of inn with a large central court，where caravans stop for the night東方商隊(或旅行隊)的客店
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
disdainful ( n.) :feeling or expressing disdain;scornful and aloof;proud輕視的，輕蔑的;傲慢的/disdainfully adv.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
bale ( n.) :a large bundle大包，大捆
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
linseed ( n.) :the seed of flax亞麻籽
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
somber ( adj.) :dark and gloomy or dull陰沉的;昏暗的
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
pulp ( n.) :a soft，moist，formless mass that sticks together漿
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ramshackle ( adj.) :1ikely to fall to pieces;shaky要倒塌似的，搖搖欲墜的 .
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
dwarf ( v.) :make small or insignificant;make seem small in comparison使矮小;使無足輕重;使(相形之下)顯得渺小;使相形見絀
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
vat ( n.) :a large tank，tub，or cask for holding liquids大缸;大桶
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
nimble ( adj.) :moving or acting quickly and lightly靈活的;敏捷的/nimbly adv.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
girder ( n.) :a large beam，usually horizontal，of timber or steel.for supporting the joists of a floor，the framework of a building.the superstructure of a bridge，etc•大梁
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
trickle ( n.) :a slow，small flow細流;涓流
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ooze ( v.) :flow or leak out slowly，as through very small holes 滲出;慢慢地流
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
runnel ( n.) :runnel a small stream;little brook or rivulet;a small channel or watercourse小溪;小溝;小槽
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
glisten (v.) :shine or sparkle with reflected light, as a wet or polished surface;flash(濕的表面或光滑面)反光;閃耀，閃光
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
taut ( adj.) :tightly stretched，as a rope(繩子等)拉緊的，繃緊的
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
短語 (Expressions)
thread one’s way: move through carefully or slowly，changing direc- tion frequenfly as moving小心，緩慢地擠過(不斷地改變方向)
例： Slowly she threaded her way back through the moving mass of people.她慢慢擠過熙熙攘攘的人群往回走。
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
follow suit: to do the same as someone else has done趕潮流，學樣
例： Many young girls are fond of following suit at present.時下許多年輕女孩熱衷于趕潮流。
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
narrow down: reduce the number of縮小(范圍，數(shù)字等)
例： Please narrow down the topic of your speech to avoid waste of time.請縮小你講話的主題以免浪費時間。
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
beat down: bargain with(seller)，causing seller to lower price(與賣主)往下砍價
例： It is necessary to know how to beat down the price when bar- gaining.在與賣主講價時應(yīng)該知道怎樣壓價。
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
make a point of: regard or treat it as necessary認為……是必要的
例： The teachers make a point of setting strict demands on the students.老師們認為為學生制定嚴格的要求是很必要的
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
take a hand: join to help幫助，幫忙
例： When you meet troubles we are gladt0 take a hand ourselves.當你遇到困難時我們愿意幫助你。
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
throw one’s weight on to (sth.): use all one’s strength to press down使勁壓在(某物)上
例： he doctor throws his weight on t0 the patient’s chest，but it does not work.醫(yī)生使盡全身力氣壓住病人的胸口，但是無濟于事。
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
set…in motion: set sth.going;launch使…一運動，移動
例： Before the gasoline is discovered，people use diesel oil to set the engine in motion.在發(fā)現(xiàn)汽油之前，人們使用柴油來發(fā)動引擎。
- 網(wǎng)站推薦
