And then she came outside, Arlene. She stood down below and she said, “Supper’s ready!”
“What are we having?” he said.
"Hamburger hot dish.”
“Good,” he said. “Good!”
“Are you ready to come down?” She said.
"Yes,” he said, “I’m ready, it’s just a problem of getting out of this jacket, I’m frozen to the roof...”
He never told anybody. It’s a shame not to be able to tell a story as good as how he escaped death on the roof of his own house. He thought that maybe he could find a group that’s devoted to people who almost froze in the winter. And they could get together, maybe once a month would be good enough, and they could meet and they could tell their stories. And he would get a chance to stand up and tell his roof-shoveling--almost freezing story.
屋顶遇险记
铲雪可是件大事，每个开车经过的人都看得到你的劳动成果，所以人们给屋顶除雪绝对不惜余力。
有一回克拉伦斯·奔森在自家的屋顶上铲雪太卖力气了，就躺下来休息一会。他累得筋疲力尽，脚后跟便往沟里一伸，身子往沥青屋顶上一倒。由于使了那么多力气，他觉得暖烘烘的，太阳还在天空中照耀着，接下来他所知道的就是睡醒了过来，他睡了已有好一会儿，觉得冷飕飕的，他还感到什么巨型大物在拽着他的胸口，他朝下一望，脚跟子已经不在沟里了--而是悬挂在沟上。他的羊毛衫--他穿着的上衣给冻在了屋顶上，衣服背和他伸出去的胳膊全给冻在屋顶上，冻得是纹丝不动。人们在街上开车经过时朝他又是按喇叭又是挥手，所以他才发现自己的胳膊给冻住了。
就在这时，他听到有车开进了隔壁的车道，那是他邻居阿思克兰太太。哦，他太希望她瞧不见他了！他静静地仰躺在屋顶上。阿思克兰太太是镇上的话匣子，她说起人来从不客气。他听到她朝房子走过来，接着她的脚步停了下来。他屏住了呼吸。
她说话了：“奔森先生？”
“是我，”他说，“我在屋顶上。”
“我知道，我看到你了，你还好吗？”
“好，我还好！”
“你在那顶上做什么？”
“我在丈量房顶。”
“用什么量？”
“左手指尖到右手指尖是大约六英尺，阿思克兰太太。”他说。
“你量来做什么？”
“我们在考虑增加一个房间。”
她为此思考了好一会儿，“你量完了吗？”她问道。
“没有，我停下来是因为忘了数是四个臂宽还是五个。”
她放下东西，走进奔森家的院子，仰着头看。她说：“我看是四个。你确定你没事吗？”
“我很好。”他说。
“待在上边小心点。”
“会的，”他说道，“谢谢你！”
于是她回了自己的屋。他听到她关了门。
他想到要蹬屋顶，或许那办法能让屋里的爱琳发现他的困境，可他脚上穿的是橡皮靴，发不出什么响声。然后他想起爱琳或许正看着电视。其实爱琳一大早就说过要看电视放的一部电影，那电影足有四个钟头长呢，要等到她看完电影后想起来找我--她老公，我早在这儿翘辫子了！这么怪诞的死法，镇上非议论个经年不息不可，经年不息啊！
说时迟，爱琳她就走了出来。她站在下面说道：“晚饭准备好了！”
“我们吃什么？”他问。
“热鱼汉堡包。”
“好，”他说，“好！”
“你准备下来了吗？”她问。
“是的，”他说，“我这就下来，问题是我的上衣脱不下来，我给冻在屋顶了……”
这次历险他谁也没给说。太可惜了，这么好的故事竟然不能跟人说--说他如何从自家屋顶上死里逃生。他想，也许该寻找一个专门为冬天差点冻死的人们服务的组织，最好一个月聚会一次讲述自己的故事。那么他就可以站起来，大讲特讲他怎么在屋顶上铲雪，又怎么挨冻的了。
注释:
1) shovel v. 铲
2) speck n. 斑点
3) hook v. 钩
4) pitch n. 沥青
5) exertion n. 努力，行使
6) chilly a. 寒冷的
7) outstretched a. 伸展的
8) honk v. 按汽车喇叭
9) pull in 进站，靠岸
10) driveway n. 车道
11) charitable a. 仁慈的
12) fingertip n. 指尖
13) span n. 宽度，跨度
14) grocery n. 食品，杂货
15) predicament n. 困境
★★《2003年09月号-第42期-Disc01-07》★★
The Mysterious Recluse
Garbo -- divine, mysterious, 1)reclusive. One of the most famous faces of the 20th century. On screen she was 2)raw sexuality, off screen her affairs with men and women 3)captivated the press. And her silence made her a legend. But it was a legend she tried to escape for fifty years. What was the secret of Greta Garbo? The truth lies in the face, the voice and our own appetite for mystery.
Greta Lovisa Gustafson was born on September 18, 1905 in the working class soda 4)mall merrier of Stockholm.
The 19-year-old Garbo said goodbye to her family in Stockholm, she was given visa number 396 and arrived in New York City on July 5, 1925. At the time MGM 5)publicity chief Howard Dietz said of 6)Garbo, “I hate that name, It reminds me of garbage.” America was unimpressed with Greta -- but a series of 7)amateur photos was about to launch Garbo’s career.
After three months, production chief Irving Thalberg assigned Garbo to The Torrent. Garbo’s natural manner distinguished her from more histrionic silent actors. MGM had found Garbo’s identity. Off screen, Garbo barely spoke English. When she tried to joke that she was an “imported star”, but accidentally said “important star” the crew laughed at her 8)vanity. On screen, MGM enhanced the 9)mystique of its new star by teaming her with the best photographers and designers.
Clarence Sinclair Bull was assigned to do all her official photography. He would become known as “the man who shot Garbo.” He referred to her as the Mona Lisa of the 20th century.
Garbo created a new kind of 10)glamour. A combination of sexuality, fashion and mystery. Audiences wanted to know more about the woman behind the face, but Garbo refused to talk. The studio played along since her 11)reticence seemed to create more interest in the Swedish 12)sphinx. The 13)subtext of one of her next films was thinly 14)veiled. Queen Christina was the story of the legendary 17th century Swedish leader who 15)abdicated her throne rather than 16)subjugate herself to a man.
Greta Garbo (Lines from Queen Christina): I thought you would understand when you saw me again what had happened. Could it have been so enchanting to be a woman? Mother queen -- just a woman in a man’s arms.
Garbo inspired and yet 17)defied interpretation, on screen and off. For the final shot of Queen Christina, Mamoulian gave his 18)inscrutable leading lady her most brilliant direction. He asked her to think of nothing.
Garbo’s era had passed. She had outlived most of her lovers and costars. Greta Garbo’s screen legend had become Greta Garbo urban legend. In 1970’s New York, a Garbo sighting as she marched through the streets of Manhattan stopping only to browse through 19)junk shops and 20)antique stores was recorded the same status as a UFO. She became a 21)cult figure and showed up in unlikely places. On Friday April 28, 1990, she went for her regular 22)dialysis treatment but did not return. She died on Easter Sunday.
They say the only thing an actor owes the public is a performance. That much Garbo gave. Whether she had nothing to say or simply said nothing doesn’t matter. Hers was a perfect face. A blank screen on to which the world projected what it needed to see. Her silence told us what we wanted to hear.
冰雪美人--葛丽泰·嘉宝
嘉宝，二十世纪最著名的人物之一，如仙女般的神秘，超凡脱俗。银幕上她飘渺撩人，银幕外她的爱情传闻成为传媒争相报道的对象。沉默使她成为传奇人物，五十年的遁世更是一个传奇。嘉宝到底有何神秘之处？真相尽在她的脸庞上、声音里和人们对神秘的好奇之中。
1905年9月18日，葛丽泰·洛维萨·格斯塔夫森出生于斯德哥尔摩市苏打街的一个工人家庭。
十九岁的嘉宝告别斯德哥尔摩的家，拿着396号签证，于1925年7月5日抵达纽约市。当时，米高梅的广告总经理霍华德·迪兹对嘉宝的评价是“我讨厌嘉宝这个名字，它让我想到垃圾。”美国人对葛丽泰也没有丝毫印象，但有一群业余摄影师准备要推动嘉宝的事业前进。
经过三个月的演出之后，制片主任欧文·撒尔伯格指定嘉宝参与《激流》的演出。嘉宝自然的气质使她在众多的无声电影演员中脱颖而出。米高梅发现了嘉宝的独特之处。银幕外，嘉宝很少说英语。有次她想笑称自己是一个“进口明星”时，却不小心说成了“重要明星”，那令工作人员取笑她虚荣。银幕上，米高梅通过给她配备最好的摄影师和造型师来增加这位新星的神秘感。
克拉伦斯 ·辛克莱·布尔被指派负责她所有正式场合的摄影工作。他因为给嘉宝拍摄而名声鹊起。而他则把嘉宝比作是二十世纪的蒙娜丽莎。
嘉宝展现了一种全新的魅力，那就是集性感、时尚与神秘于一身。观众想知道更多关于她的幕后故事，但嘉宝拒绝透露。她的沉默似乎让人们对这个瑞典女神越来越着迷，而电影公司也竭力给予配合。这样她接下来的一部影片的潜台词就不言而喻了。《瑞典女王》讲述的是十七世纪瑞典女王宁愿放弃王位而不愿屈服于一个男子的传奇故事。
嘉宝（影片《瑞典女王》中的台词）：等我们再见时，我想你会明白这一切的。做一名女人就这么诱人吗？皇太后--不过是在男人怀里的一个女人。
嘉宝富有表现力，但她很反感旁人的指手划脚，银幕内外皆是如此。在《瑞典女王》的最后一个镜头中，马蒙利亚给予他那难以捉摸的女主角无以伦比的指导。他叫她什么都不要想。
现在，嘉宝的时代已经过去了。她比她的爱慕者和合作过的明星都要长寿。嘉宝的银幕神话转变成了嘉宝的都市童话。在二十世纪七十年代的纽约，一个拍摄嘉宝穿过曼哈顿街道，驻足浏览便宜店和古董店的录像，其价值等同于发现不明飞行物的镜头。她是人们顶礼膜拜的人物，并且常出现在意想不到的地方。1990年4月28日星期五，她去进行常规的透析治疗，但再也没能回来。她于星期天复活节逝世了。
都说演员贡献给公众的只有表演。嘉宝尽力了。她究竟是无话可说或者只是不发一言，这些都不重要了。她那完美无缺的脸孔正如一块白幕，投影了全世界想要看到的一切。她的不语恰恰道出了我们最想聆听的声音。
注释:
1) reclusive a. 隐遁的，隐居的
2) raw sexuality: 性感撩人
3) captivate v. 迷住，迷惑
4) mall n. 商业街，林荫路
5) publicity n. 宣传，广告
6) garbo还有“垃圾工人”的意思。
7) amateur n. 业余爱好者
8) vanity n. 虚荣
9) mystique n. 神秘性，奥秘
10) glamour n. 魅力，魔力
11) reticence n. 沉默寡言
12) sphinx n. [希神]斯芬克斯（有翼的狮身女怪，传说她常叫过路行人猜谜，猜不出者即遭杀害）
13) subtext n. 潜在意思
14) veil v. 戴面纱，隐藏
15) abdicate v. 退位，放弃
16) subjugate v. 屈服
17) defy v. 抵抗，抵触
18) inscrutable a. 难以了解的，不能理解的
19) junk n. 垃圾
20) antique n. 古董，古物
21) cult n. 礼拜
22) dialysis n. [化] 透析，分离
★★《2003年09月号-第42期-Disc01-08》★★
Laughing with Helen Hunt
David: How do you like being in New York City? Of course you spend a lot of time here anyway in New York City.
Helen: I’m up here about half the time.
David: You have your dog with you?
Helen: I do, my dog and I were here for the 1)blizzard.
David: Oh, yes.
Helen: And I have a white snow dog who lives in Los Angeles and never saw the snow in a day in his life, so when it snowed he said, this is the greatest stuff in the world! This is like fantastic, and he was doing snow dog things I’d never seen, it was great. Jumping on like all fours.
David: Now you say “snow dog” and that’s what kind of breed is it?
Helen: St. Moyand.
David: Oh. And they’re normally big mountain snow kind of guys, right?
Helen: Yeah, and mine lives in the 2)San Fernando Valley.
David: And so he just absolutely went nuts for the snow?
Helen: The whole neighbourhood was like a dog park. It was great.
David: And does he get along with other dogs in your park?
Helen: He does, he does, on the leash they get a little weird, you know how that is, if you take them off the leash, their tails wag and they are fine, but he walks up... He was attacked once by a much bigger dog so now he sees a dog that could kill him in a minute and he bares his teeth --and it’s really not wise.
David: But he’s a big dog.
Helen: Yeah.
David: But he’s a 3)sissy then, is what you’re saying. Is that what is all... the poor thing, what’s his name?
Helen: His name is Johnny.
David: Oh, that’s cute. Johnny, named after...?
Helen: I like to think 4)Johnny Carson, I got him when his name was already Johnny but still I like to think he’s named after Johnny.
David: You think Johnny would be proud? I guess...
Helen: I’m sure right now he’s watching. It’s his shining moment in his career. I have to say to you, however, that when I was a kid I used to watch Johnny Carson every night and when the world got crazy and scary it was comforting. And now that the world is crazy and scary your show is very, very comforting. I’m very grateful that you keep on...
David: Oh, well that’s very sweet of you, thank you very much.
Helen: Sure.
David: And you did, you mentioned when you came out here you’d actually taken some time off, and I don’t think you’ve been on our show for at least a year and a half to two years. What kind of stuff did you do when you were taking time off? Or was that just the excuse you gave us?
Helen: No, not that much. I did work on my house. You know, nothing that thrilling. I had an epic battle with a rat that got into my house...
David: Oh really? You have rats?
Helen: I had a rat. One bastard rat. Which I discovered because an antique quilt on the wall was eaten like a... like a tiger had gotten in the house.
David: Oh, really?
Helen: And then on the counter where the fruit is was like his exact tooth mark. It was really brutal... so I call a rat guy, who shows up with a gun... and, truly, like whatever that was... a shotgun and I’m thinking...
David: Release them! Turn them 5)loose... here we go!
Helen: I’m thinking he’s not shooting bullets in my living room. Is it rat, like a rat stun gun, I don’t know, and he had horrible aim and a girlfriend, who was over, thought he was cute so they’re 6)flirting with each other...
David: Oh, Lord!
Helen: My dog who’s been bred for, you know, generations to capture him is sort of licking his paws and yawning, the rat is giving me the finger like 7)Donald Rumsfeld. Like he’s blind! So, my boyfriend set a very elaborate trap, like with a little appetizer and a glass of wine and an 8)entré--and then BANG, got him!
David: So you’re getting rid of the rat.
Helen: Got him.
David: But this is one thing I don’t think people are aware of. I’ve heard other folks say in Los Angeles that you got an 9)epidemic of rats, and here in New York City we are knee deep in rats.
Helen: Oh, my God!
David: The world will 10)tilted on its axis from the weight of rats one day. Don’t you think so?
Helen: I do...
David: It’s just a little crazy...
Helen: I do...
David: Now do we have a clip? I guess we don’t have a clip.
笑访海伦·亨特
大卫：你觉得纽约生活怎样？因为你呆在这座城市里都蛮久的。
海伦：我有半数时间呆在这里。
大卫：和你的宠物狗一起吗？
海伦：是的，我和狗狗曾在这儿体验大风雪。
大卫：噢，是吗。
海伦：我有一只白色的雪狗，现在它在洛杉矶，它从没见过雪，所以下雪时，它高兴得好像这是世界上最美好的东西！真是很奇妙，我以前从没见过它那副样子，真有意思，它撒开四个爪子蹦蹦跳跳个不停。
大卫：你说的“雪狗”，那是一个什么品种？
海伦：是“圣莫亚”的品种。
大卫：哦！这可都是些大山狗，皮毛雪白，块头和一个人差不多，对不对？
海伦：没错，我的狗狗住在圣费尔南多山谷。
大卫：所以它才会一看到雪就高兴得发疯？
海伦：周边环境简直就像是一个狗的乐园。很有意思。
大卫：它和乐园里的其它狗有来往吗？
海伦：有，有。拴着颈圈的时候，狗儿都会有些怪怪的，你应该知道那是怎么回事。而如果给这些狗松开颈圈，它们会摆着尾巴，表示这样很好，可我的狗狗会冲上去……它曾经被一只比它大很多的狗攻击过，所以现在它每看到一只很有杀伤力的狗，它就会龇牙咧嘴狂吠不已，而这样做其实很不明智。
大卫：可是它是一只很大的狗呀。
海伦：没错。
大卫：但按你说的，它却那么胆小。那是不是……这个可怜的家伙叫什么名字？
海伦：它叫强尼。
大卫：哦，很可爱的名字。强尼，这个名字的意义是……？
海伦：我喜欢把这个名字和强尼·卡森联系起来。我刚得到这只狗时，它就叫强尼了，不过我仍然认为它的名字是为了纪念强尼·卡森的。
大卫：那你觉得那个强尼会为此感到骄傲吗？我猜……
海伦：我确信此时此刻他正在收看这个节目。这正是他一生中的璀璨一刻。可我还是想告诉你，当我还是个小孩子时，我每晚都收看强尼·卡森的节目，每当我觉得这个世界变得疯狂和让人恐惧时，他的节目总能让我感到安心。而现在呢，即使这个世界仍然疯狂和让人恐惧，你的节目还是非常非常地能宽慰人心。我很感激你一直坚持下来了……
大卫：呵呵，你真是过奖了，非常感谢。
海伦：别客气。
大卫：刚进来这里时你还提过，你实际上休整了好一阵子，我想你至少也有一年半到两年时间没在我们的节目中露过面了。那么，在那段时间里，你都做了些什么呢？或者那只是你推搪我们的借口？
海伦：不，我可没那么过分。我那时在整理房子。你知道，都是些芝麻绿豆的小事。我与一只窜进房子的老鼠进行了一场大战……
大卫：哦，真的吗？你家有老鼠？
海伦：有过一只，那该死的老鼠。我之所以会发现它，是因为挂在墙上的一幅古挂毯被咬了，咬得像……像是一只老虎在屋里兴风作浪一样。
大卫：哦，真的？
海伦：后来，我又发现放在柜上的水果也有老鼠的牙印，那真是让人觉得不舒服……所以我叫来了一位捕鼠专家，他出现在我面前时带着一把枪……很像是猎枪，这时我就在想……
大卫：饶了它们！让它们逃生吧……我们来了！
海伦：我在想他不能在我的客厅里开枪呀。那是不是一支老鼠麻醉枪，我就不知道了。这个人准星瞄不好，他还带着一个前女友，她认为他很可爱吧，所以这两个人老是在打情骂俏……
大卫：哦，天啊！
海伦：你知道吗，我养的狗怎么也经过了几代的调养，可以抓老鼠，所以它摩拳擦掌，蠢蠢欲动。那只老鼠就像唐纳德·拉姆斯菲尔德一样根本不把我放在眼里。它真是有眼无珠！最后，我的男友精心泡制了一个陷阱，放了一点点小甜点、一杯酒和一份小餐--然后“叭”一声，就抓住老鼠了。
大卫：那么说你们除掉这只老鼠了。
海伦：除掉了。
大卫∶但有一件事，我想大家还不知道。我听说，洛杉矶传言你得了鼠疫，而现在又在纽约，这里，我们却要深陷群鼠围攻了。
海伦：噢，天啊！
大卫：有一天地球将会因为老鼠过多而重心偏移了。你同意吗？
海伦：同意……
大卫：这个观点有点疯狂……
海伦：同意……
大卫：我们有没有夹子啊？我们如果没有夹子怎么办好……
注释:
1) blizzard n. 暴风雪
2) San Fernando Valley: 位于加利福尼亚州洛杉矶市。
3) sissy n. [口]胆小鬼，懦弱的人
4) Johnny Carson: 美国著名谈话节目(Tonight Show)的主持
5) loose a. 自由的
6) flirt v. 调戏某人，与某人调情
7) Donald Rumsfeld: 唐纳德·拉姆斯菲尔德，美国国防部长
8) entré n.（正菜前或两道菜之间的）小菜
9) epidemic n 流行病；时疫
10) tilt v. 使倾斜
★★《2003年09月号-第42期-Disc01-09》★★
Graduates' Best Choice: Back to College
With the job market offering few opportunities for advancement, many in the workforce are going back to school, as a result applications to the nation’s graduate schools are 1)soaring. And the job picture is even tougher for those students graduating from college in the next few months.
With a 3.7 grade point average, a network of contacts and a resume full of achievements, Tracy Silverman, a senior at New York University, figured she’d have no problem getting a job after college.
Tracy Silverman: I thought that is was going to be very easy, I’ve had tons of internships, I’ve met lots of people in the industry but, you know, I passed out my resume and they’re not calling me.
