青少年双语美文第04篇 Off the Shelf 窃书记

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[00:00.50]04 Off the Shelf	窃书记
[00:07.39](By Patti Smith)	
[00:09.52]When I was ten years old, I lived with my family in a small ranch house in rural South Jersey. 我10岁的时候，和家人一起住在南泽西郊区一个低矮的小平房里。
[00:18.73]I often accompanied my mother to the A&P to buy groceries. 我经常陪妈妈到A&P超市去买日用品。
[00:23.44]We did not have a car, so we walked, and I would help her carry the bags. 我们没有车，所以都是走着去的，而我都会帮她拎袋子。
[00:28.80]My mother had to shop very carefully, as my father was on strike. 妈妈买东西必须精打细算，因为爸爸当时正在罢工。
[00:34.51]She was a waitress, and her salary and tips barely sustained us. 她是一个服务员，工资和小费加在一起也就勉强够维持我们的生活。
[00:39.98]One day, while she was weighing prices, a promotional display for the World Book Encyclopedia caught my eye. 一天，当她在超市里比较价格时，《世界百科全书》的促销展示吸引了我的注意。
[00:49.50]The volumes were cream-colored, with forest-green spines stamped in gold. 那是一套奶白色的书，暗绿色的书脊上面烫着金字。
[00:55.76]Volume I was ninety-nine cents with a ten- dollar purchase. 购物满10美元就可以用99美分买这套书的第一册。
[01:00.72]All I could think of, as we combed the aisles for creamed corn, dry milk, cans of Spam, and shredded wheat, 当我们穿梭在超市货架通道之间寻找着奶油玉米、奶粉、斯帕姆午餐肉罐头和脆麦片条时，
[01:09.23]was the book, which I longed for with all my being. 我满脑子想的都是那本书，一门心思就想得到它。
[01:13.93]I stood at the register with my mother, holding my breath as the cashier rang up the items. 我和妈妈站在收银台旁，我屏住呼吸，看着收银员输入那些东西的金额结账。
[01:20.78]It came to over eleven dollars. 总金额超过了11美元。
[01:23.73]My mother produced a five, some singles , and a handful of change. 妈妈拿出一张5美元、几张1美元和一把零钱。
[01:30.10]As she was counting out the money, I somehow found the courage to ask for the encyclopedia. 在她数钱的时候，我不知怎的鼓起了勇气问她要那本百科全书。
[01:36.14]"Could we get one?" “我们买一本行吗？”
[01:38.60]I said, showing her the display. "It's only ninety-nine cents. "	我一边说，一边指着那个促销展示让她看，“只要99美分。”
[01:43.74]I did not understand my mother's increasing anxiety; 我当时并不理解妈妈渐增的焦虑不安----
[01:48.65]she did not have enough change and had to sacrifice a large can of peas to pay the amount. 她带的零钱不够，不得不放弃一大罐豌豆才够付款。
[01:56.39]"Not now, Patricia," she said sternly.“现在不行，帕特里夏，”她厉声说道，
[02:00.50] "Today is not a good day. "“今天不行。”
[02:02.34]I packed the groceries and followed her home, crestfallen . 我把买的杂货都装进袋子里，垂头丧气地跟着她回了家。
[02:06.67]The next Saturday, my mother gave me a dollar and sent me to the A&P alone. 接下来的那个周六，妈妈给了我1美元，派我独自去A&P超市买东西。
[02:13.94]Two quarts of milk and a loaf of bread--that's what a dollar bought in 1957. 我要买两夸脱牛奶和一长条面包，在1957年，1美元可以买到这些。
[02:20.28]I went straight to the World Book display. 我径直走到了《世界百科全书》的展台。
[02:23.82]There was only one first volume left, which I placed in my cart. 第一册只剩下了一本，我把它放进了我的购物车。
[02:28.78]I didn't need a cart, but took one so I could read as I went up and down the aisles. 我并不需要购物车，但我却推了一个，因为这样我就能一边看书一边推着它在过道里走来走去。
[02:34.70]A lot of time went by, but I had little concept of time, a fact that often got me in trouble. 很长时间过去了，但我这个人向来没有什么时间观念----这经常让我惹上麻烦。
[02:42.37]I knew I had to leave, but I couldn't bear to part with the book. 我知道我得走了，但又实在舍不得放下那本书。
[02:46.40]Impulsively I put it inside my shirt and zipped up my plaid windbreaker . 于是我一时冲动，将那本书塞进了我的衬衫里面，然后拉上了我那件印有格子图案的防风夹克的拉链。
[02:52.65]I was a tall, skinny kid, and I'm certain the shape of the book was obvious. 那时的我长得又高又瘦，我敢肯定书的轮廓一定特别明显。
[02:57.94]I strolled the aisles for several more minutes, then went through the checkout, paid my dollar,我在过道里又转悠了几分钟，然后走到收银台，付了1美元，
[03:04.57] swiftly bagged the three items, and headed home with my heart pounding. 迅速将三样东西装进袋子里，然后回家。我的心怦怦直跳。
[03:09.80]Suddenly I felt a heavy tap on my shoulder and turned to find the biggest man I had ever seen. 突然，我觉得有人在我肩膀上重重拍了一下，我转过身去，发现是一个大个子男人，那是我见过的块头最大的人。
[03:17.25]He was the store detective, and he asked me to hand it over. 他是那家超市的保安，他让我把东西交出来。
[03:22.38]I just stood in silence.我一声不吭地站在那儿。
[03:24.93] "We know you stole something--you will have to be searched. "“我们知道你偷了东西，你得让我们搜身。”
[03:29.62]Horrified, I slid the heavy book out from the bottom of my shirt. 我吓坏了，把那本厚重的书从衬衣下摆处滑了出来。
[03:34.60]He looked at it quizzically . 他大惑不解地看着那本书。
[03:37.14]"This is what you stole, an encyclopedia?"	“这就是你偷的东西，一本百科全书？”
[03:40.44]"Yes," I whispered, trembling. “是的。”我小声回答，身体有点儿发抖。
[03:44.10]"Why didn't you ask your parents?"	“为什么不让你的父母买给你呢？”
[03:46.93]"I did,"  I said, "but they didn't have the money. "	“我问过，”我说，“但他们没有钱。”
[03:51.32]"Do you know it's wrong?"	“你知道这是不对的吗？”
[03:53.35]"Yes. "	“我知道。”
[03:55.18]"Do you go to church? "	“你去教堂做礼拜吗？”
[03:57.23]"Yes, twice a week. "	“是的，每周去两次。”
[03:59.64]"Well, you're going to have to tell your parents what you did. "	“好吧，你得告诉你的父母你都做了什么。”
[04:03.41]"No, please. "	“不要，求求你了。”
[04:06.70]"Then I will do it. What's the address? "“那我来告诉他们。你们家住哪儿？”
[04:09.39]I was silent. 我没回答。
[04:11.18]"Well, I'll have to walk you home. "	“好吧，那我就得送你回家了。”
[04:13.32]"No, please, I will tell them. "	“不要，求你了，我会告诉他们的。”
[04:16.38]"Do you swear?"	“你发誓？”
[04:18.80]"Yes, yes, sir. "	“是的，是的，先生。”
[04:20.29]My mother was worried when I arrived home. 当我到家的时候，妈妈急坏了。
[04:23.37]"Where were you? I needed the bread for your father's sandwiches. “你去哪儿了？我等着用面包给你爸爸做三明治呢。
[04:28.39]I told you to come right home. "	我告诉过你要直接回家的啊。”
[04:30.53]And suddenly everything went green, like right before a tornado. 突然，我感觉眼前的一切都变暗了，就好像龙卷风即将来临前一样。
[04:35.71]My ears were ringing, I felt dizzy, and I threw up . 我的耳朵嗡嗡作响，我觉得头昏眼花，然后就吐了。
[04:40.19]My mother tended to me immediately, as she always did. 妈妈立刻开始照顾起我来，就像她经常做的那样。
[04:44.65]She had me lie on the couch and got a cold towel for my head and sat by me with her anxious expression. 她让我躺在沙发上，拿了一条冷毛巾敷在我的额头上，然后一脸担心地坐在我身边。
[04:52.40]"What is it, Patricia?" she asked. "Did something bad happen?"	“怎么了，帕特里夏？”她问，“是不是发生了什么不好的事儿？”
[04:57.11]"Yes," I whispered. "I stole something. " “是的，”我低声说，“我偷东西了。”
[05:01.54]I told her about my lust for the book, my wrongdoing, and the big detective. 我告诉了她我对那本书的渴望，我犯下的错，还有那个大个子保安的事儿。
[05:08.39]My mother was a good mother, but she could be explosive , and I tensed, 我妈妈是一个好妈妈，不过她脾气火爆，所以我很紧张，
[05:14.45]waiting for the barrage of verbal punishment, the sentencing that always seemed to outweigh the crime. 等着她大骂我一顿，等着接受那似乎总比所犯的错要重的惩罚。
[05:21.28]But she said nothing. 但她什么都没说。
[05:23.28]She told me that she would call the store and tell the detective I had confessed, and that I should sleep. 她告诉我她会给超市打电话，告诉那个保安我已经坦白了，然后让我好好睡一觉。
[05:30.31]When I awoke, sometime later, the house was silent. 我睡了一段时间醒来后，发现屋子里静悄悄的。
[05:34.87]My mother had taken my siblings to the field to play. 妈妈带我的兄弟姐妹们去院子里玩了。
[05:38.63]I sat up and noticed a brown-paper bag with my name on it. 我坐起身来，看到了一个写着我名字的棕色纸袋。
[05:43.64]I opened it and inside was the World Book Encyclopedia, Volume I. 我打开袋子，里面正是那本《世界百科全书》第一册。

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青少年双语美文第04篇 Off the Shelf 窃书记