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精读讨论：AMERICAN STORIES - 5/10/2008 -
| － 作者：Webmaster 日期：2008年5月10日 8:49:00 阅读： 次 | VAN ALLEN 注：通过长期与网友交流，发现有很多的人学习 VOA Special English 都只是停留上随便听听，随便看看的层次。以这样消极的方式学习越久，你就越会发现虽然自己花了相当的时间学习英语，但除了知识面有所增长，英语语言能力水平几乎没有提高，导致丧失学习兴趣，最后逐步放弃，以失败告终。
孔夫子说“学而不思则罔”真是太有道理了，其实事事洞明皆学问，细细品读、分析 VOA Special English 的每篇文章，我们学到了文章主题所透露的知识，更能学到了英语英语语言的词汇、短语、表达技巧等。学习英语不要贪多，太多了就会消化不良，细嚼慢咽，真正用心去学，就能体验到学习的乐趣。
欢迎大家通过回帖的形式发表自己的学习笔记。
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VAN ALLEN注：这篇 AMERICAN STORIES 文本是网友提供的听写版本！如果发现跟录音不一致的地方，敬请指正！
Now the Special English program American Stories.
Our story today is called "No Place to Hang the Lantern". It was written by John Wotarua. It is about a young farmer Nate and his wife Olive who is soon to become a mother. And their cow Maudie who is also going to be a mother. It is a story about the beauty of birth, the wonder of new life. Here is Shep O'Neal with our story.
Olive Bowen made some hot coffee to bring to her husband Nate who was over in the barn. He was helping their cow Maudie to give birth. Olive herself was expecting a baby very soon. She felt heavy and moved around slowly.
The coffee boiled on the stove and Olive poured some into a pot and carried it to the barn. It was black inside the barn. The darkness made Olive nervous and she stood at the door not sure what to do. Should she call Nate or go slowly and carefully through the darkness. Then she saw a light at the far end. Olive called out to Nate and was happy to see the light come toward her. Nate held his lantern high as he came up to Olive and said: "Where is your lamp? You shouldn't have some out when it's too cold."
"I brought you some hot coffee."
Nate was happy that she did. But he did not want her to say. He took the things Olive carried and asked her to sit down. "Maybe for a minute to get warm," she said.
Olive kept looking into the darkness of the barn to see where Maudie was. Maudie was ready to have her calf any minute now.
"I don't want you to stay," her husband said.
"Oh, no, Nate, I don't want to. If it begins to happen, I'll go back to the house."
They walked slowly to the back of the barn to look at Maudie. Nate looked around for something Olive could sit on.
"Would this be all right?"
He helped Olive sit down on a small stool. He made the oil stove hotter so she could get warm. Then he told her again that he did not want her to stay when Maudie's calf came. It wasn't something a young wife should see, especially a young wife who would soon be a mother herself.
Nate sat down on the floor near Olive. The cow lay quietly, chewing some hay. Husband and wife did not say much as they waited; words did not seem to some easily to them.
But, after some time, Olive said she was sorry that she could not help Nate with the cow. Nate smiles and told her not to worry about him--after all, he said, Maudie was having the calf-not he. And Maudie would know what to do when the time came.
There was something else that was worrying Oive, and she did not know just how to begin to talk about it--At last, she spoke out, not sure what Nate's answer would be. "Momma says--I mean Momma thinks--maybe I should go to her house to have the baby ... After all, the doctor lives in town. If you couldn't get him here in time, I don't know what I would do."
She had said it, and was glad that at last she got the word out. Nate was a quiet, thoughtful and gentle man. He knew that Olive was afraid and he wanted to calm her fears.
"Of course," he answered. "That's a good idea. It would be much easier for you in your mother's house."
Time seemed to be moving slowly--too slowly for Olive. She looked nervously at the cow. She asked Nate when the cow would begin. Nate answered that birth had already stared--Maudie had pain a short time ago. Then Nate began to rub the cow's head ...the cow turned its head away from his hands...and then Suddenly it came... a frightening bellow that gave Olive a violent. Olive could see it clearly--part of the head of the young calf stowly, painfully coming out.
Olive felt shaky. Her hands nervously touched her own body. She could feel the shape of her baby. Nate was worried, he told Olive to leave. But Olive could not go....she just could not pull herself away. She kept looking at Maudie as the cow made her great noises and struggled to push out the calf. Nate saw that the cow was in trouble. He knew she needed
help. He looked for a nail in the wall where he could hang his lamp. There was none. He was angry, but did not know what to do. He had to have light. Olive said he should have asked another farmer to help him. This made Nate even more angry. He ordered Olive out of the barn.
Suddenly, Olive saw that Nate was also afraid--fearful that the cow's struggle would be too much for him alone. And at that moment she decided that nothing could drive her from the barn. She demanded that Nate give her the lamp to hold so that he could have all the light he needed to help Maudie.
Nate said,"no," the birth would make her sick... "Please go," he said. Olive laughed and answered: "Nate, I think it is you who is going to be sick. Give me lamp!"
The emergency strangely changed Olive. She no longer felt fearful. There was a sudden new strength in her...it surprised her. Nate looked at his wife. As she took the lamp from him,
he smiled. He softly touched Olive's face with his hand. Olive had never before felt so close her husband. It was a wonderful moment.
Now, Nate could see, and could work. He put fresh hay around Maudie and went to look for some old cloth. He needed the cloth, he said to hold the calf's wet head as he pulled it out.
Nate and Olive joked and laughed as they waited. But soon they stopped. For the cow was now in violent pain, and they could see the calf's whole head. Olive held the lamp.
Nate told her not to look. But she had to look. As she watched, Olive was afraid, but not for the cow or even for herself. She was fearful for the baby-for the little creature that was coming into the world. At last, it was done.
Maudie was quiet. In the hay, lay a little wet calf. It tried to stand up, but could not.
Nate gently helped the calf to its feet. He brought it to Maudie. He opened the calf's mouth so that it could take milk from its mother. But Maudie made an angry noise and kicked the calf away. Nate Spoke to Maudie at though she could understand him: "Here now! A mother shouldn't do that to her baby!" Olive asked, "Doesn't she love her bably?" Nate said, "She still remembers her pain. But she'll love her calf in the morning."
Olive and Nate were both tired. Olive remembered the coffee she had brought to the barn. She put it on the hot stove. Nate dried the calf with the cloth. As he worked, Olive looked through the barn window. She saw the apple trees with snow on them and the light in her kitchen and the frist grace of the morning sun. It made her feel warm and happy. She was part of her husband's life.
Suddenly, Olive heard the sound of the boiling coffee. She turned from the window. She laughed as she saw Nate trying to cover the long, kicking legs of the baby calf. And he laughed, too.
Now, the calf was covered and quiet, sleeping near its mother. Nate and Olive sat in the hay. They held hands as they drank the hot coffee. They felt no need to speak as they looked at the beauty of the first baby in their lives.
You have been listening to the Special English program American Stories. Our story today is called "No Place to Hang the Lantern". It was written by John Wotarua, and was published by Yankee Magazine. Your storyteller was Shep O'Neal. The producer was Lawan Daives. The Voice of America invites you to listen again next week at the same time to another American story told in Special English. This is Shirley Griffith.
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VAN ALLEN：上文虽然存在多处错误，但能听写到这个程度已属不易，在此对这位热心网友表示感谢。下面是网友dtgwx和我对此文的一些修订（修订之处用粗体标出），当然这也不能保证其100%正确，如果发现了错误的地方，敬请各位网友们继续指正。
（TO BE CONTINUED）
Now, the Special English program AMERICAN STORIES.
Our story today is called "No Place to Hang a Lantern". It was written by John Wotarua. It is about a young farmer Nate and his wife Olive who is soon to become a mother and their cow Moddy who is also going to be a mother. It is a story about the beauty of birth, the wonder of new life. Here is Shep O'Neal with our story.
Olive Bowen made some hot coffee to take to her husband Nate who was over in the barn. He was helping their cow Moddy to give birth. Olive herself was expecting a baby very soon. She felt heavy and moved around slowly.
The coffee boiled on the stove and Olive poured some into a pot and carried it to the barn. It was black inside the barn. The darkness made Olive nervous and she stood at the door not sure what to do. Should she call Nate or go slowly and carefully through the darkness. Then she saw a light at the far end. Olive called out to Nate and was happy to see the light come toward her.
Nate held his lantern high as he came up to Olive then said, "Where is your lamp? You should not have come out, it's too cold."
"I brought you some hot coffee."
Nate was happy that she did. But he did not want her to stay. He took the things Olive carried and asked her to sit down.
"Maybe for a minute to get warm," she said.
Olive kept looking into the darkness of the barn to see where Moddy was. Moddy was ready to have her calf any minute now.
"I do not want you to stay," her husband said.
"Oh, no, Nate, I do not want to. If it begins to happen, I will go back to the house."
They walked slowly to the back of the barn to look at Moddy. Nate looked around for something Olive could sit on.
"Would this be all right?"
He helped Olive sit down on a small stool. He made the oil stove hotter so she could get warm. Then he told her again that he did not want her to stay when Moddy's calf came. It wasn't something a young wife should see, especially a young wife who would soon be a mother herself.
Nate sat down on the floor near Olive. The cow lay quietly, chewing some hay. Husband and wife did not say much as they waited. Words did not seem to come easily to them.
But after some time, Olive said she was sorry that she could not help Nate with the cow. Nate smiled and told her not to worry about him. After all, he said, "Moddy was having the calf, not he, and Moddy would know what to do when the time came."
There was something else that was worrying Olive, and she did not know just how to begin to talk about it. At last, she spoke out, not sure what Nate's answer would be. "Momma says -- I mean Momma thinks -- maybe I should go to her house to have a baby. After all, the doctor lives in town. If you couldn't get him here on time, I do not know what I would do."
She had said it, and she was glad that at last she got the words out. Nate was a quiet, thoughtful and gentle man. He knew that Olive was afraid and he wanted to calm her fears.
"Of course," he answered. "That's a good idea. It would be much easier for you in your mother's house."
Time seemed to be moving slowly -- too slowly for Olive. She looked nervously at the cow. She asked Nate when the cow would begin. Nate answered that birth had already started. Moddy had pain a short time ago. Then Nate began to rub the cow's head, the cow turned its head away from his hands. And then suddenly it came, a frightening bellow that gave Olive a violent shock. Olive could see it clearly -- part of the head of the young calf slowly, painfully coming out.
Olive felt very shaky. Her hands nervously touched her own body. She could feel the shape of her baby. Nate was worried and he told Olive to leave. But Olive could not go. She just could not pull herself away. She kept looking at Moddy as the cow made her great noises and struggled to push out the calf. Nate saw that the cow was in trouble. He knew she needed help.
He looked for a nail in the wall where he could hang his lamp. There was none. He was angry, but did not know what to do. He had to have light. Olive said he should have asked another farmer to help him. This made Nate even more angry. He ordered Olive out of the barn.
Suddenly, Olive saw that Nate was also afraid, fearful that the cow's struggle would be too much for him alone. And at that moment she decided that nothing could drive her from the barn. She demanded that Nate give her the lamp to hold so that he could have all the light he needed to help Moddy.
Nate said, "No!" The birth would make her sick. "Please go," he said. Olive laughed and answered, "Nate, I think it is you who is going to be sick. Give me the lamp."
The emergency strangely changed Olive. She no longer felt fearful. There was a sudden new strength in her. It surprised her. Nate looked at his wife as she took the lamp from him, he smiled. He softly touched Olive's face with his hand. Olive had never before felt so close to her husband. It was a wonderful moment.
Now, Nate could see and could work. He put fresh hay around Moddy and went to look for some old cloth. He needed the cloth, he said, to hold the calf's wet head as he pulled it out.
Nate and Olive joked and laughed as they waited. But soon they stopped for the cow was now in violent pain, and they could see the calf's whole head. Olive held the lamp.
Nate told her not to look. But she had to look. As she watched, Olive was afraid, but not for the cow or even for herself. She was fearful for the baby. For this little creature that was coming into the world.
At last, it was done. Moddy was quiet. In the hay, lay a little wet calf. It tried to stand up, but could not.
Nate gently helped the calf to its feet. He took it to Moddy. He opened the calf's mouth so that it could take milk from its mother. But Moddy made an angry noise and kicked the calf away. Nate Spoke to Moddy as though she could understand him. "Here now! A mother should not do that to her baby!" Olive asked, "Does she not love her baby?" Nate said, "She still remembers her pain. But she will love her calf in the morning."
Olive and Nate were both tired. Olive remembered the coffee she had brought to the barn. She put it on the hot stove. Nate dried the calf with the cloth. As he worked, Olive looked through the barn window. She saw the apple trees with snow on them and the light in her kitchen and the first raise of the morning sun. It made her feel warm and happy. She was part of her husband's life.
Suddenly, Olive heard the sound of the boiling coffee. She turned from the window. She laughed as she saw Nate trying to cover the long, kicking legs of the baby calf. And he laughed too.
Now, the calf was covered and quiet, sleeping near its mother. Nate and Olive sat in the hay. They held hands as they drank the hot coffee. They felt no need to speak as they looked at the beauty of the first baby in their lives.
You have been listening to the Special English program American Stories. Our story today is called "No Place to Hang a Lantern". It was written by John Wotarua, and was published by Yankee Magazine. Your storyteller was Shep O'Neal. The producer was Lawan Davies. The Voice of America invites you to listen again next week at the same time to another American Story told in Special English. This is Shirley Griffith.
| | 消息 奖励 转移 删除 编辑 |
| － 第 1 条回复 作者：郭威 日期：2008年5月10日 12:41:00 | i agree with you ~
| | 消息 奖励 删除 编辑 | | － 第 2 条回复 作者：dtgwx 日期：2008年5月10日 16:22:00 | 这篇文稿有很多拼写错误或与语音不一致的地方。由此我很想知道每期PDF文稿的来源。从页眉文字或最后的网站提示可看出每期都是由UNSV网后期制作的。由于进不了VOA网站，我的问题是：这些文稿是UNSV听写整理的还是直接从VOA网下载然后再整理的?出现如此多的错误我很怀疑这些材料适合不适合象教材一样地去精读。如果仅作为泛泛的听也不说什么了，也没必要细研究句子了，因为句子本身可能就出现了错误，但我心里真的很沉重。
VAN ALLEN注：这篇 AMERICAN STORIES 的文本是听写版本！如果发现跟录音不一致的地方，敬请指正！ | | 消息 奖励 删除 编辑 | | － 第 3 条回复 作者：秦汉朝歌 日期：2008年5月10日 17:18:00 | 新人，报个到，嘻！~
楼上的，沉重什么？听写的东东，人家有错误的，你改进不就得了？
大家一起努力哈~ | | 消息 奖励 删除 编辑 | | － 第 4 条回复 作者：Kira Cao 日期：2008年5月10日 17:48:00 | 嗯 确实不少错误～今天AMERICAN STORIES的题目很好～可翻译为无处安放的××～要不一起来纠错？ | | 消息 奖励 删除 编辑 | | － 第 5 条回复 作者：dtgwx 日期：2008年5月10日 18:13:00 | She saw the apple trees with snow on them and the light in her kitchen and the frist grace of the morning sun.
first grace 我怎么也听不出来。看文字倒像 first rise ,但音又不像。 | | 消息 奖励 删除 编辑 | | － 第 6 条回复 作者：杨昆 日期：2008年5月10日 19:32:00 | barn：a large farm building for storing crops, or for keeping animals in
calf：the baby of a cow, or of some other large animals, such as an elephant
stool：a seat that has three or four legs, but no back or arms
bellow：to shout loudly in a deep voice
shaky：weak and unsteady because of old age, illness, or shock
kick：to hit something with your foot
| | 消息 奖励 删除 编辑 | | － 第 7 条回复 作者：dtgwx 日期：2008年5月11日 10:22:00 | 感谢VAN ALLEN给出的改正稿，希望对PDF也做个修正以便收藏。
另有几处还需补充一下，如不对请指正。(不会加色加粗体，只好用大写体见谅)
Nate held his lantern high as he came up to Olive then said, "Where is your lamp? You should not HAVE come out, it's too cold."
"Momma says -- I mean Momma thinks -- maybe I should go to her house to have A baby.
Time seemed to be moving slowly -- too slowly for Olive. She looked nervously at the cow. She asked Nate when the cow would begin. Nate answered that birth had already STARTED.
Olive felt very shaky. Her hands nervously touched her own body. She could feel the shape of her baby. Nate was worried, AND he told Olive to leave. But Olive could not go. She just could not pull herself away. She kept looking at Moddy as the cow made her great noises and struggled to push out the calf. Nate saw that the cow was in trouble. He knew she needed help.
The emergency strangely changed Olive. She no longer felt fearful. There was a sudden new strength in her. It surprised her. Nate looked at his wife as she took the lamp from him, he smiled. He softly touched Olive's face with his hand. Olive had never before felt so close TO her husband. It was a wonderful moment.
Nate gently helped the calf to its feet. He took it to Maudie. He opened the calf's mouth so that it could take milk from its mother. But Moddy made an angry noise and kicked the calf away. Nate Spoke to Moddy AS though she could understand him. "Here now! A mother should not do that to her baby!" Olive asked, "Does she NOT love her baby?" Nate said, "She still remembers her pain. But she will love her calf in the morning."
| | 消息 奖励 删除 编辑 | | － 第 8 条回复 作者：Wellspring.chow 日期：2008年5月11日 10:24:00 | it is wonderful to do so. | | 消息 奖励 删除 编辑 | | － 第 9 条回复 作者：rebacca 日期：2008年5月11日 10:30:00 | 文中第段，这两句话听起来应该是He took it to Moddy. ……. Nate Spoke to Moddy as though she could understand him. 其中是 Moddy 而不是maudie, 是as though 而不是at though, 嘿嘿，俺也班门弄斧一下，大家不要见笑啊。
PS: 不管文章的来源如何，有无错误与否，我觉得这对大家的学习都是一个挑战，是敦促大家更加努力地提高英语水平的动力。“尽信书则不如无书”，所以就需要学习者更加仔细地辨听语音材料，这才是文章的本源所在，嘿嘿，其实我觉得如果有高手尝试着每天发一个听写版本上来，然后大家一起来听，一起来挑错，使文章不断地得到完善，最终达到尽可能准确的水平应该不是一件难事。感谢版主和热心网友提供听力文字材料，同时希望能和更多的英语爱好者多多交流，共同进步！ | | 消息 奖励 删除 编辑 | | － 第 10 条回复 作者：rebacca 日期：2008年5月11日 10:32:00 | lantern: a lamp in a transparent case, often a metal case with glass sides, that has a handle, so that you can carry it outside easily.
call out: shout or say sth loudly to attract sb’s attention
calf: a little young cow
stool: a seat with legs but without backrest or armrests
hay: grass that has been cut and dried and is used to feed animals
thoughtful: think about and care for other people
rub: move your hand backwards and forwards over sth
bellow: shout in a loud deep voice
violent: very strong and sudden, extreme
shaky: shaking and feeling weak caused by strongly nervous.
nail: a small thin pointed piece of metal with a flat head, used for hanging things on a wall or for joining pieces of wood together
| | 消息 奖励 删除 编辑 | | － 第 11 条回复 作者：rebacca 日期：2008年5月11日 10:35:00 | On dtgwx:
你听得好仔细啊，我听了好几遍也没注意到这些错误，真是看出差距来了，希望以后多多交流，我得多多向你学习，还望不吝赐教才好。 | | 消息 奖励 删除 编辑 | | － 第 12 条回复 作者：dtgwx 日期：2008年5月11日 11:31:00 | rebacca:
我的英语并不好。只是在别人提供的材料上多听了几遍而已。我也是来这里学习的。有些看法不一定对。共同学习吧。 | | 消息 奖励 删除 编辑 | | － 第 13 条回复 作者：sabriner 日期：2008年5月11日 20:16:00 | I am a junior! | | 消息 奖励 删除 编辑 | | － 第 14 条回复 作者：糊涂猫 日期：2008年5月12日 6:43:00 | 很佩服能听写原文的人，确实很细心。 | | 消息 奖励 删除 编辑 | | － 第 15 条回复 作者：糊涂猫 日期：2008年5月12日 7:01:00 | I see the light through my window and the first raise of the morning sun. | | 消息 奖励 删除 编辑 |
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