大学英语4 第7课.docx

大学英语4 第7课.docx

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大学英语4第7课

大学英语精读第四册07

大耳朵英语　　2005-09-3000:

38:

21　【打印】

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UnitSeven

Clickthebuttontolistentothetext

Ayoungmanfindsitverydifficulttosaynotoa

womanandasaresulthegetsintotrouble.The

restauranttowhichhehasagreedtotakehisluncheon

dateisfartooexpensiveforhissmallpocketbook.

How,then,willhebeabletoavoidtheembarrassing

situation?

THELUNCHEON

W.SomersetMaugham

Icaughtsightofherattheplay,andinanswertoherbeckoningI

wentoverduringtheintervalandsatdownbesideher.ItwaslongsinceI

hadlastseenher,andifsomeonehadnotmentionedhernameIhardly

thinkIwouldhaverecognisedher.Sheaddressedmebrightly.

"Well,it'smanyyearssincewefirstmet.Howtimedoesfly!

We're

noneofusgettinganyyounger.DoyourememberthefirsttimeIsawyou?

Youaskedmetoluncheon."

DidIremember?

ItwastwentyyearsagoandIwaslivinginParis.Ihadatinyapart-

mentintheLatinQuarteroverlookingacemetery,andIwasearningbarely

enoughmoneytokeepbodyandsoultogether.Shehadreadabookofmine

andhadwrittentomeaboutit.Ianswered,thankingher,andpresentlyI

receivedfromheranotherlettersayingthatshewaspassingthroughParis

andwouldliketohaveachatwithme;buthertimewaslimited,andthe

onlyfreemomentshehadwasonthefollowingThursday;shewasspending

themorningattheLuxembourgandwouldIgiveheralittleluncheonat

Foyot'safterwards?

Foyot'sisarestaurantatwhichtheFrenchsenators

eat,anditwassofarbeyondmymeansthatIhadnevereventhoughtof

goingthere.ButIwasflattered,andIwastooyoungtohavelearnedtosay

notoawoman.（Fewmen,Imayadd,learnthisuntiltheyaretoooldto

makeitofanyconsequencetoawomanwhattheysay.）Ihadeightyfrancs

（goldfrancs）tolastmetherestofthemonth,andamodestluncheon

shouldnotcostmorethanfifteen.IfIcutoutcoffeeforthenexttwo

weeksIcouldmanagewellenough.

IansweredthatIwouldmeetmyfriend---bycorrespondence---at

Foyot'sonThursdayathalfpasttwelve.ShewasnotsoyoungasIexpect-

edandinappearanceimposingratherthanattractive.Shewas,infact,a

womanofforty（acharmingage,butnotonethatexcitesasuddenand

devastatingpassionatfirstsight）,andshegavemetheimpressionofhav-

ingmoreteeth,whiteandlargeandeven,thanwerenecessaryforany

practicalpurpose.Shewastalkative,butsincesheseemedinclinedtotalk

aboutmeIwaspreparedtobeanattentivelistener.

Iwasstartledwhenthebilloffarewasbrought,forthepriceswerea

greatdealhigherthanIhadanticipated.Butshereassuredme.

"Inevereatanythingforluncheon,"shesaid.

"Oh,don'tsaythat!

"Iansweredgenerously.

"Inevereatmorethanonething.Ithinkpeopleeatfaxtomuch

nowadays:

Alittlefish,perhaps.Iwonderiftheyhaveanysalmon."

Well,itwasearlyintheyearforsalmonanditwasnotonthebillof

fare,butIaskedthewaiteriftherewasany.Yes,abeautifulsalmonhad

justcomein,itwasthefirsttheyhadhad.Iordereditformyguest.The

waiteraskedherifshewouldhavesomethingwhileitwasbeingcooked.

"No,"sheanswered,"Inevereatmorethanonething.Unlessyouhave

alittlecaviare.Inevermindcaviare."

Myheartsankalittle.IknewIcouldnotaffordcaviare,butIcould

notverywelltellherthat.Itoldthewaiterbyallmeanstobring

caviare.FormyselfIchosethecheapestdishonthemenuandthatwasa

muttonchop.

"Ithinkyouareunwisetoeatmeat,"shesaid."Idon'tknowhowyou

canexpecttoworkaftereatingheavythingslikechops.Idon'tbelievein

overloadingmystomach."

Thencamethequestionofdrink.

"Ineverdrinkanythingforluncheon,"shesaid.

"NeitherdoI,"Iansweredpromptly.

"Exceptwhitewine,"sheproceededasthoughIhadnotspoken."These

Frenchwhitewinesaresolight.They'rewonderfulforthedigestion."

"Whatwouldyoulike?

"Iasked,hospitablestill,butnotexactlyeffu-

sive.

Shegavemeabrightandamicableflashofherwhiteteeth.

"Mydoctorwon'tletmedrinkanythingbutchampagne."

IfancyIturnedatriflepale.Iorderedhalfabottle.Imentioned

casuallythatmydoctorhadabsolutelyforbiddenmetodrinkchampagne.

"Whatareyougoingtodrink,then?

"

"Water."

Sheatethecaviareandsheatethesalmon.Shetalkedgailyofartand

literatureandmusic.ButIwonderedwhatthebillwouldcometo.Whenmy

muttonchoparrivedshetookmequiteseriouslytotask.

"Iseethatyou'reinthehabitofeatingaheavyluncheon.I'msure

it'samistake.Whydon'tyoufollowmyexampleandjusteatonething?

I'msureyou'dfeeleversomuchbetterforit."

"Iamonlygoingtoeatonething,"Isaid,asthewaitercameagain

withthebilloffare.

Shewavedhimasidewithanairygesture.

"No,no,Inevereatanythingforluncheon.Justabite,Ineverwant

morethanthat,andIeatthatmoreasanexcuseforconversationthanany-

thingelse.Icouldn'tpossiblyeatanythingmoreunlesstheyhadsomeof

thosegiantasparagus.IshouldbesorrytoleavePariswithouthavingsome

ofthem."

Myheartsank.Ihadseenthemintheshops,andIknewthatthey

werehorriblyexpensive.Mymouthhadoftenwateredatthesightofthem.

"Madamewantstoknowifyouhaveanyofthosegiantasparagus,"I

askedthewaiter.

Itriedwithallmymighttowillhimtosayno.Ahappysmilespread

overhisbroad,priest-likeface,andheassuredmethattheyhadsomeso

large,sosplendid,sotender,thatitwasamarvel.

"I'mnotintheleasthungry,"myguestsighed,"butifyouinsistI

don'tmindhavingsomeasparagus."

Iorderedthem.

"Aren'tyougoingtohaveany?

"

"No,Inevereatasparagus."

"Iknowtherearepeoplewhodon'tlikethem.Thefactis,youruin

yourtastebyallthemeatyoueat."

Wewaitedfortheasparagustobecooked.Panicseizedme.Itwasnot

aquestionnowhowmuchmoneyIshouldhaveleftoverfortherestofthe

month,butwhetherIhadenoughtopaythebill.Itwouldbeembarrassing

tofindmyselftenfrancsshortandbeobligedtoborrowfrommyguest.I

couldnotbringmyselftodothat.IknewexactlyhowmuchIhad,andif

thebillcametomoreImadeupmymindthatIwouldputmyhandinmy

pocketandwithadramaticcrystartupandsayithadbeenpicked.Of

course,itwouldbeawkwardifshehadnotmoneyenougheithertopaythe

bill.ThentheonlythingwouldbetoleavemywatchandsayIwouldcome

backandpaylater.

Theasparagusappeared.Theywereenormous,juicy,andappetising.I

watchedthewickedwomanthrustthemdownherthroatinlargemouthfuls,

andinmypolitewayIspokeabouttheconditionofthedramainthe

Balkans.Atlastshefinished.

"Coffee?

"Isaid.

"Yes,justanice-creamandcoffee,"sheanswered.

Iwaspastcaringnow,soIorderedcoffeeformyselfandanice-cream

andcoffeeforher.

"Youknow,there'sonethingIthoroughlybelievein,"shesaid,as

sheatetheice-cream."Oneshouldalwaysgetupfromamealfeelingone

couldeatalittlemore."

"Areyoustillhungry?

"Iaskedfaintly.

"Oh,no,I'mnothungry;yousee,Idon'teatluncheon.Ihaveacup

ofcoffeeinthemorningandthendinner,butInevereatmorethanone

thingforluncheon.Iwasspeakingforyou."

"Oh,Isee!

"

Thenaterriblethinghappened.Whilewewerewaitingforthecoffee

theheadwaiter,withaningratiatingsmileonhisfalseface,cameuptous

bearingalargebasketfullofhugepeaches.Theyhadtheblushofaninno-

centgirl;theyhadtherichtoneofanItalianlandscape.Butsurely

peacheswerenotinseasonthen?

Lordknewwhattheycost.Iknewtoo-a

littlelater,formyguest,goingonwithherconversation,absentmindedly

tookone.

"Yousee,you'vefilledyourstomachwithalotofmeat"---myone

miserablelittlechop---"andyoucan'teatanymore.ButI'vejusthada

snackandIshallenjoyapeach."

Thebillcame,andwhenIpaiditIfoundthatIhadonlyenoughfora

quiteinadequatetip.Hereyesrestedforaninstantonthethreefrancs

Ileftforthewaiter,andIknewthatshethoughtmemean.ButwhenI

walkedoutoftherestaurantIhadthewholemonthbeforemeandnota

pennyinmypocket.

"Followmyexample,"shesaidasweshookhands,"andnevereatmore

thanonethingforluncheon."

"I'lldobetterthanthat,"Iretorted."I'lleatnothingfordinner

tonight."

"Humorist!

"shecriedgaily,jumpingintoacab."You'requiteahu-

morist!

"

ButIhavehadmyrevengeatlast.IdonotbelievethatIamavindic-

tiveman,butwhentheimmortalgodstakeahandinthematteritispar-

donabletoobservetheresultwithcomplacency.Todaysheweighstwenty-

onestone.

Clickthebuttontolistentothepronunciationsofnewwords

NewWords

luncheonn.&vi.

（formalwordfor）lunch

beckonvt.

signalto（sb.）byamotionofthehandor

head向...招手或点头示意

apartmentn.

asingleroom;（AmE）flatorasetofrooms

房间；（美）一套公寓住房

Latina.

拉丁的

n.

拉丁文

quartern.

divisionofatown,esp.oneofaspecial

classofpeople（都市的）区,街

overlookvt.

haveaviewoffromabove;failtoseeor

notice俯视；忽略

presentlyad.

soon;（AmE）atthepresenttime不久;（美）目前

chatn.,vi.

（have）afriendlyinformalconversation闲谈,聊天

senatorn.

amemberofasenate参议员,上议员

meansn.

money,income,orwealth,esp.largeenough

　toaffordallonen