https://online2.tingclass.net/lesson/shi0529/0009/9492/155.mp3
https://image.tingclass.net/statics/js/2012
胡敏讀故事記托福詞匯 第155期:一個銀行職員性格的另一面 The other side of a bank clerk's character
中英對照
The other side of a bank clerk's character
一個銀行職員性格的另一面
John Brigs was known for always being nice, neat and tidy, at least to his colleagues.
約翰·布里格斯以友善、整潔和干凈著稱,至少在同事眼中他是如此。
Little did they know about the negative side of John's character, which manifest itself on a Friday or a Saturday night.
很少有人知道他性格中消極的一面,因為這些方面只有在星期五或者星期六晚上才顯現(xiàn)出來。
Those were the times when John did his best to neglect, negate and neutralize his orderly daytime image as a bank clerk.
只有在這個時候,約翰才會盡量去忘記、否定和中和他白天作為銀行職員時那種干什么事都井井有條的形象。
John's outing is among the neon lights where noisy affairs, filled up with alcohol and nicotine, John would unsteadily navigate the streets of Greenwich village until the amount of money in his pocket was only a negligible quantity.
約翰在閃爍的霓虹燈下逛街溜達,這是喧鬧招搖的事。喝飽了酒、吸足了尼古丁之后,約翰總是搖搖擺擺地穿梭于格林威治村的街道中,一直要到口袋里的錢幾乎沒有了他才回家。
On such nights, John would find himself seeking shelter in some niche, unable even to afford the cab fare home. The streets would already be completely empty, almost as if a neutron bomb had been dropped.
在這些夜晚,約翰身上的錢都不夠付回家的出租車費,只好去尋找某個適合的地方作為棲息之地。
John would amuse, and he would still be sitting there, trying to figure out a way to get home.
街上往往蹤跡全無,簡直就像有人丟了一顆中子彈一樣。每當這時約翰就會陷入沉思,同時他也只能獨自坐在那兒,試圖找到回家的辦法。
One night, he had not even a nickel left to give to some needy people begging at the street corners.
一天夜晚,他身上甚至連五分鎳幣都沒有,無法幫助那些在街角行乞的貧困潦倒的人。
How negligent of me to get myself into this state? John sighed.
讓自己落到這種境地真是太粗心大意了!約翰深深嘆了一口氣。
At last he saw a police patrol car and try to enter into an unsteady negotiation with the officers to give him a ride home, but to no avail.
最后他終于看到了一輛巡邏警車。于是他搖搖晃晃地走過去試圖跟警察商議,說服他們讓他搭車回家,但是毫無效果。
They just left him sitting there.
他們離開了,只留下約翰一個人孤零零地坐在那兒。
When he finally did manage to get home, his wife gave him a stern lecture, John, this is getting to be too much, I can no longer remain neutral to your nocturnal forays.
當約翰終于千方百計回到家以后,他妻子非常嚴厲地教訓了他一次:約翰,你這樣做實在是太過分了。你總是夜間突然固家,對此我再也沒有辦法保持中立狀態(tài)了。
John, look at yourself, do you realize that you are turning me into a nervous wrack. My neurons are shore, that's what my doctor told me.
看看你自己!難道你沒意識到老這樣做會使我神經(jīng)崩潰嗎?醫(yī)生說我的神經(jīng)細胞都已經(jīng)出問題了。
重點詞匯
nocturnal[n?k't?:n?l]
adj. 夜的,夜間發(fā)生的
quantity['kw?ntiti]
n. 量,數(shù)量,大量
amuse[?'mju:z]
v. 消遣,娛樂,使 ... 發(fā)笑
negative['neg?tiv]
adj. 否定的,負的,消極的
n. 底片,負
nicotine['nik?ti:n]
n. 尼古丁
navigate['nævi.geit]
vi. 航行,駕駛,操縱 vt. 航行,駕駛
neutral['nju:tr?l]
adj. 中立的,中性的
n. 中立者,空擋的
orderly['?:d?li]
adj. 有秩序的,整齊的,一絲不茍的,和平的
outing['auti?]
n. 郊游,遠足,外出
neutralize['nju:tr?l.aiz]
v. 使中立,使成中立地帶,中和