高效磨耳朵 | 最好的英语听力资源

William Shakespeare by Jennifer Bassett

单词提示

1.Earl 伯爵
2.plague 瘟疫
3.council 议会，委员会
4.sonnets 十四行诗
5.lodgings 暂住的房间
6.sworn 发誓
7.thee 第二人称，你

原文

Chapter 5: The plague years

Will wrote his play Richard Iii for Richard Burbage, and it was a great success.
Richard Iii was a wicked king, a murderer, but he was wonderful on the stage with Burbage's,great voice and fine acting.
Soon all London was saying King Richard's famous words when his horse is killed in war, “A horse, a horse. My kingdom for a horse.”
All kinds of people came to see plays, and Will was making a lot of new friends.
One day after the play, he was talking to a young man outside the Rose.
He was a very beautiful young man, a bit like a girl perhaps, but still very good looking.
Later,I asked Will who he was.
“The Earl of Southampton.” Will said, “he's only 18, but he loves poetry and plays.”
“Isn't he a friend of the Earl of Essex?” I asked.
Everybody knew the Earl of Essex.
He was young and good looking, and some people said that Queen Elizabeth was in love with him.”
I don't know about that.
The Queen was 59 years old and a very, very clever woman.
But it was true that she liked to have good looking young men around her, and the Earl of Essex was her favorite.
Then it all changed later, of course.
“Yes,he is.” said Will, “but I think Essex is a dangerous man, Henry needs better friends than him.”
“Henry?” I said surprised, “my word, do you really call him Henry, not Lord Southampton?”
“Only when other people aren't there.” Will laughed,“I'm still just an actor from Stratford, Toby, not very important. Let's go and have a drink at the Boar's Head on our way home.”
Will was always like that, quiet, never shouting about himself to the world.
In the Boar's Head, we met some friends and started talking.
The talk was all about the plague, which was coming back again into London.
“Have you heard the latest news?” said one man, “They say that more than 30 people are dying every week now, and the city council said another man wants to close all the theatres. They always do that. When the play comes to London, there'll be no work for any of us actors.”
“But the players can go on tour surely,” said Will.
“Yes,”said the first man, “But it's a hard life, a different town, a different inn, a different play every night. I think I'll stay in London.”
The plague is terrible in any place, but it was worst in London, in those narrow streets with houses so close together and the dirty water running down the middle of the street.
There was no escape.
When the plague came, it ran like fire through the town.
If someone in a house got the plague, then the doors were shut and locked and a big red cross was put on the door.
Nobody could leave the house.
You had to stay inside and fight or die.
If you were rich, you left London as fast as you could.
In September 1592, the city council closed the theatres.
“Are we going on tour, Will?.” I said to him one day, “or back to Stratford?”
“We can't stay in London. You go back to Stratford, Toby.” he said slowly, “I'm going to Lord Southampton's home in Hampshire for a while. He's asked me to go and stay with him. I can do some writing there, read his books, meet a few people.”
I looked at him, “There's a woman in this somewhere, isn't there? You've had a strange look in your eyes for weeks.”
Will laughed, but didn't answer my question.
The theatres in London didn't open again until June 1594.
Will often visited Lord Southampton, but sometimes we went on tour with the company or spent time at home in Stratford.
Will began to spend more time in Stratford, because it was quiet there and he could do his writing.
I never heard what Anne thought about it all.
During those years, Will wrote a lot of poetry.
He wrote his beautiful long poem Venus and Adonis for his friend Lord Southampton, and he wrote many of his famous short poems, the sonnets.
But they didn't go in a book, they were only for his friends to read.
One day, when we were back in London, I was reading some of his latest sonnets.
Will was out somewhere, and I was at home in our lodgings in Bishop's Gate.
A lot of the poems were about a woman, a terrible black haired, black eyed woman.
She was cruel and cruel, then she was true and loving, and then she was cruel again.
For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright, who art as black as hell, as dark as night.
“Was Will writing about himself here?” I asked myself, “And who was this woman, this dark lady?”
I always like to know what's going on, so I listened and watched and looked at all his women friends.
Then one day I saw her, I was coming in the door at our lodgings, and she was coming downstairs.
She had black hair and great stormy black eyes, and there was gold at her ears and round her neck.
I stood back and she went past me like a ship sailing into war.
She looked wild and angry and very, very beautiful.
“Woo,”I said to myself, “if that's Will's dark lady, he'll never have a quiet, easy life.”
The woman looked Italian, so I went and asked John Florio about her.
Florio was Lord Southampton's Italian teacher.
We saw a lot of him in those days.
I described the woman, and he knew her at once.
“Amelia,”he said. “Amelia Bassano. Now Amelia Lanier, wife to Alfonso O Lanier. Before that, she lived with the old Lord Chamberlain. She wasnot his wife, you understand, but why do you want to know, my friend?”
“If she's a married lady, she doesn't have a lover now then.”
Florio laughed loudly, “Lovers, you don't know Amelia Lanier, she's a bad woman, my friend, a bad woman.”
Now he spoke very quietly for a time, “She was the friend of Lord Southampton, but not now.”
That is all finished.
I didn't ask him about Will, perhaps Amelia Lanier was Will's dark lady, or perhaps Will was just trying to help his friend Lord Southampton.
Nobody will ever know now.

翻译

第五章：瘟疫岁月

威尔为理查德·伯比奇创作了剧本《理查三世》，并取得了巨大的成功。
理查三世是个邪恶的暴君、一个杀人犯，但在舞台上，凭借伯比奇洪亮的嗓音和精湛的演技，这个角色被演绎得精彩绝伦。
很快，全伦敦的人都在传诵着国王理查在战马被杀时的那句名言：“马，马，一马换江山！”
形形色色的人都来看戏，威尔也因此结识了许多新朋友。
一天演出结束后，他在玫瑰剧院外和一个年轻人交谈。
那是个非常俊美的年轻人，或许带点阴柔之气，但依然十分英俊。
后来，我问威尔他是谁。
“是南安普顿伯爵，”威尔说，“他才18岁，但非常热爱诗歌和戏剧。”
“他不是埃塞克斯伯爵的朋友吗？”我问。
埃塞克斯伯爵可是个家喻户晓的人物。
他年轻俊美，有人说伊丽莎白女王都对他动了情。
我倒不觉得。
女王当时已经59岁了，是个极其聪明的女人。
不过，她确实喜欢让俊美的年轻人陪在身边，而埃塞克斯伯爵正是她最宠爱的一个。
当然，他们后来的关系还是变了。
“是的，他是。”威尔说，“但我觉得埃塞克斯是个危险人物，亨利需要比他更好的朋友。”
“亨利？”我惊讶地说，“天哪，你居然真的叫他亨利，而不是南安普顿勋爵？”
“只有没外人的时候才这么叫。”威尔笑着说，“托比，我毕竟只是个来自斯特拉特福的演员，没什么大不了的。走吧，我们回家路上去野猪头酒馆喝一杯。”
威尔总是这样，低调内敛，从不向世人张扬自己。
在野猪头酒馆里，我们遇见了几个朋友，大家开始闲聊起来。
话题全绕着瘟疫转，因为瘟疫又卷土重来，逼近伦敦了。
“你们听说最新消息了吗？”一个人说，“据说现在每周都有30多人丧命，市议会里又有人提议关闭所有剧院。他们总是这样。等瘟疫在伦敦蔓延开来，我们这些演员就都没饭吃了。”
“不过演员们肯定可以去外地巡演吧？”威尔说。
“是啊，”第一个人回答，“但那日子太苦了。每个晚上都要换一座城、换一家客栈、演一出不同的戏。我想我还是留在伦敦吧。”
瘟疫在任何地方都很可怕，但在伦敦却最为致命。那里街道狭窄，房屋紧紧挨在一起，肮脏的污水就在街道中央流淌。
根本无处可逃。
瘟疫一旦爆发，就像烈火般席卷全城。
如果一户人家有人染病，大门就会被死死锁住，门上还会画上一个大大的红十字。
谁也不许离开。
你只能待在里面，要么拼命活下去，要么等死。
如果你有钱，就会以最快的速度逃离伦敦。
1592年9月，市议会下令关闭了所有剧院。
“我们要去外地巡演吗，威尔？”有一天我问他，“还是回斯特拉特福？”
“我们不能留在伦敦了。托比，你回斯特拉特福吧。”他慢吞吞地说，“我要去汉普郡南安普顿伯爵的家里住一阵子。他邀请我去他那儿。我可以在那儿写点东西，读读他的藏书，再结交些人。”
我看着他：“这背后是不是有个女人？你这几个星期的眼神可不太对劲。”
威尔笑了笑，却没有回答我的问题。
直到1594年6月，伦敦的剧院才重新开门。
威尔经常去拜访南安普顿伯爵，但有时我们也会跟着剧团去巡演，或者回斯特拉特福的家里住上一阵。
威尔开始花更多时间待在斯特拉特福，因为那里很安静，适合他写作。
我从没听过安妮对此有什么想法。
在那几年里，威尔写了很多诗。
他为好友南安普顿伯爵写了那首优美的长诗《维纳斯与阿多尼斯》，还写了许多著名的十四行诗。
但这些诗并没有结集出版，只是拿给朋友们私下传阅。
有一天，当我们回到伦敦时，我正在读他最新写的几首十四行诗。
威尔出门去了别的地方，我一个人待在主教门我们租住的屋子里。
他有很多首诗都在写一个女人，一个有着可怕的黑发、黑眼睛的女人。
她时而残忍冷酷，时而深情专一，接着又再次变得冷酷无情。
“我曾发誓说你美丽，以为你光彩照人，谁知你黑如地狱，暗似长夜。”
“威尔这是在写他自己吗？”我自问，“而这个女人，这位‘黑女士’，到底是谁？”
我一向喜欢打听个究竟，所以我留心观察着他身边的所有女性朋友。
后来有一天，我终于见到了她。
当时我正走进我们租住的屋子，而她正从楼上走下来。
她有着黑色的头发和一双如暴风雨般深邃的黑眼睛，耳朵和脖子上都戴着金饰。
我退到一旁，她从我身边走过，就像一艘驶向战场的战船。
她看起来狂野、愤怒，却又美得惊心动魄。
“天哪，”我心里暗想，“如果这就是威尔的‘黑女士’，那他这辈子都别想过上安稳舒心的日子了。”
那个女人看起来像意大利人，于是我去找了约翰·弗洛里奥打听。
弗洛里奥是南安普顿伯爵的意大利语老师。
那阵子我们经常见到他。
我向他描述了那个女人的模样，他立刻就知道是谁了。
“是艾米莉亚，”他说，“艾米莉亚·巴萨诺。现在叫艾米莉亚·拉尼尔，是阿方索·德·拉尼尔的妻子。在那之前，她曾和老宫廷大臣住在一起。你明白的，她并不是他的妻子。不过，我的朋友，你打听她做什么？”
“如果她是个有夫之妇，那她现在应该没有情夫了吧？”
弗洛里奥大声笑了起来：“情夫？你还不了解艾米莉亚·拉尼尔啊，我的朋友，她是个坏女人，是个坏女人。”
接着，他压低声音，沉默了一会儿才说：“她曾是南安普顿伯爵的情人，但现在不是了。一切都结束了。”
我没有再向他打听威尔的事。
也许艾米莉亚·拉尼尔就是威尔诗中的“黑女士”，又或许威尔只是在帮他的朋友南安普顿伯爵打掩护。
事到如今，再也没有人知道了。

51.
She is listening to music now.
她正在听音乐。

52.
The flower will come out soon.
花很快就会开了。

53.
What are these?
这些是什么？

54.
Do you know where he went?
你知道他去哪里了吗？

55.
We were in Seattle four days ago.
我们四天前在西雅图。

56.
He always goes to London.
他总是去伦敦。

57.
I have no money to buy the dictionary.
我没有钱买字典。

58.
He lives in a house with a pool.
他住在一个带游泳池的房子里。

59.
Do you want to try that new restaurant?
你想去那家新餐馆试试吗？

60.
This is a wallet.
这是一个钱包。

听前提示
一、每期提供10个单词，每个单词都会有2-3个例句，方便理解记忆。
二、每个单词和句子都会重复5遍，其中第2遍为慢速，有助于识别。
三、本材料的整体难度较低，可以用来听力磨耳朵和单词查漏补缺。

Day 175

1741.
Prevent
v.(from)预防，防止，阻止

How can I prevent this from happening?
我怎样才能防止这种情况发生？
We're trying to prevent the infection from spreading.
我们正在努力防止感染蔓延。

1742.
Previous
a.先前的，以前的

She has a child from a previous marriage.
她和前夫有个孩子。
Please list your previous jobs in the past 3 years.
请列出你过去3年的工作经历。
This question is closely related to the previous one.
这个问题与前一个问题密切相关。

1743.
Price
n.价格，价钱；代价v.标价

Does this price include tax?
这个价格含税吗？
The price has increased slightly.
价格略有上涨。
We must compete with the local stores in price.
我们必须在价格上与当地商店竞争。

1744.
Pride
n.自豪；自满v.使自豪

You are my pride.
你是我的骄傲。
I take pride in my work.
我为自己的工作感到自豪。
She took too much pride in her appearance.
她为自己的外表感到非常自豪。

1745.
Primary
a.最初的；首要的，主要的，基本的

This is our primary target.
这是我们的主要目标。
My primary concern is your safety.
我最关心的是你的安全。
The primary aim of this course is to improve your spoken English.
本课程的主要目的是提高您的英语口语。

1746.
Prince
n.王子，亲王

I wish I were a prince.
我真希望自己是王子。
He is the prince of England.
他是英格兰的王子。

1747.
Princess
n.公主，王妃

She is the princess of Japan.
她是日本的公主。
You look like a princess in that dress.
你看起来像穿那件衣服的公主。

1748.
Principle
n.原理，原则；主义，信念

It's against my principles.
这违反了我的原则。
You should live up to your principles.
你应该遵守你的原则。

1749.
Print
n.印刷，印刷品v.印刷，打印

Can you print it out for me?
你能帮我打印出来吗?
This book was printed in 2014.
这本书是2014年印刷的。

1750.
Printer
n.打印机；印刷商，印刷工人

Where is the printer?
打印机在哪里？
I bought this printer yesterday.
我昨天买了这台打印机。
If the printer has a paper jam, see page 15 for help.
如果打印机出现卡纸，请参阅第15页以获取帮助。

2023年四省联考英语听力

第一节 （共5小题；每小题1.5分，满分7.5分）
听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。

1. What will thewoman probably do next?
A. Pay forthe clothes.
B. Goto another store.
C. Tryon some dresses.
2. What will the man do about the camera?
A.Have it repaired.
B.Lend it to Larry.
C. Change it for a new one.
3. Why does the woman suggest having a party?
A. Bill has got a pay raise.
B. Bill has found a good job.
C. Bill has finished a project.
4. Where will the woman go to celebrate her mom’s birthday?
A.Café Blue.
B.Chez Marie.
C.Leblanc.
5. What are the speakers mainly talking about?
A. A park.
B. The weather.
C. Bob’s pets.

第二节 （共15小题；每小题1.5分，满分22.5分）
听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。

听第6段材料，回答第6、7题。
6.What is the probable relationship between the speakers?
A. Doctor and patient.
B. Husband and wife.
C. Salesman and customer.
7.What does the man suggest the woman do?
A. Do more exercise.
B. Drink plenty of water.
C. Stop eating chocolate.

听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。
8. Why does Joshua make the call?
A. To ask for advice.
B. To make an apology.
C. To check the time.
9. Where is Joshua now?
A. In Cider Street.
B. On Elmer Road.
C. In Poplar Street.
10. What is Joshua’s destination?
A. Maria’s house.
B. The National Bank.
C. West in Hospital.

听第8段材料，回答第11至13题。
11. How much rent would the man like to pay every month?
A. £400.
B. £800.
C. £950.
12. What is an advantage of the flat?
A. It’s convenient for shopping.
B. It’s in a quiet neighborhood.
C. It’s next to the man’s college.
13.What is the man going to do tomorrow?
A. Find another flat.
B. Move into the flat.
C. Check on the flat.

听第9段材料，回答第14至17题。
14.Where are the speakers?
A. On a bus.
B. At a store.
C. In a church.
15. What was the man’s first challenge this week?
A.To do some volunteer work.
B. To encourage others to smile.
C.To treat a stranger to a dinner.
16.What day is it today?
A.Tuesday.
B. Wednesday.
C. Thursday.
17. What will the woman do next?
A. Make an application.
B. Call her husband.
C. Pay for her groceries.

听第10段材料，回答第18至20题。
18.What should a public speaker avoid doing according to the woman?
A. Talking too loudly.
B. Speaking too fast.
C. Saying too much.
19.Why should the closing of a speech be carefully planned?
A. It’s usually the most remembered part.
B. It’s the last chance to make your point.
C. It’s as important as the opening words.
20.What does the woman suggest a public speaker do during the speech?
A. Show a good sense of humor.
B. Motivate the audience to act.
C. Meet challenges with courage.

答案
1-5 CABCB 6-10 BABCA
11-15 BACBB 16-20 CACAB

听力原文
Text 1
W:Excuse me, do you have a fitting room?
M:Yes. It'son the right hand side behind that cash desk.
W:Can I bring more than one dress to try on?
M:Sure.

Text 2
M:Oh, I wish I hadn't borrowed this camera from Larry. I dropped it. It doesn't work now.
W:Let's go downtown and find someone to fix it.
M:Okay.

Text 3
M:Kate,good news. The company I did a field project for offered me a job at a good starting salary.
W:Wonderful, Bill. Let'shave a party this weekend.

Text 4
W:I can't decide where to take my mom to dinner for her birthday, Crest Cafe, or Blue Plate.
M: Crest cafe is better. Or you can try King Lees. I had dinner there yesterday. It was fantastic.
W: Okay, I'll try it. Thanks.

Text 5
W: Bob,you are wet all over. Where did you go?
M: I went to jog in the park. Didn't?
W: There would be a thunderstorm today?
M: I knew there would be a shower, but I didn't expect it would rain, cats and dogs.

Text 6
W: Oh dear, I gained￡5 in the last 2 months. These jeans don't fit me now.
M: Don't worry. you still look pretty.
W: But it's too quick. I eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water. I haven't done anything differently. What gives?
M: Maybe because of those healthy foods. You know, too much dark chocolate,nuts and fruits can all lead to weight gain.
W: You're right. I should stop eating them.
M: No needs, dear. You can just take more exercise and still enjoy those foods.

Text 7
W: Hello, Joshua.
M: Hi,Maria. I'm sorry. We can't be at your place on time.
W: Yeah,we were wondering where you were. What happened?
M: We seem to have made a wrong turn and got lost.
W: Where are you?
M: Let me see. We passed the national bank on Elmer road 10 minutes ago, and we're now on a street with a tall white building. I think it's Popular Street.
W: Gee, you really are lost. The best thing to do is to drive back down Elmer Road until you get to Western Hospital, and then turn right.
M: Drive back down Elmer road?
W: Yes. After you turn right at the hospital, Cider street will be the second street on your right.
M: Got it. Thanks. Hopefully we'll be there by 7:30.

Text 8
M: Excuse me, I'm calling about the ad for the flat.
W: It's still available.
M: Good.The ad says the rent is￡950 a month. Could it be￡800 if I rent it for a longer period of time?
W: Possible. We can talk about it. By the way, you can find someone to share the rent. It's a two-bedroom flat.
M: Thank you for the advice. How close is the flat to London College? I have classes every weekday there.
W: It's about eight blocks from the college, but you can take a number of buses right out in front.
M: Oh, If there's a busy road out front, is it noisy?
W: It's a little noisy, but the place is really convenient. There's a shopping center right across the street. I see.
M: Is it possible for me to drop by and see the flat tomorrow?
W: Sure. You can take No. 9 bus and get off at the art gallery.
M: Thanks.See you tomorrow.

Text 9
W: So slow.
M: Yea, It's a long line. People are buying a lot for the holiday. Would you like to go ahead of me?
W: Really?Thank you so much. My husband is waiting outside the store. We're in a hurry. I really appreciate it.
M: That's okay. If you don't mind, could you pay it forward by doing something kind for someone else?
W: Sure.I'd love to. I will figure out something nice to do on my way back.
M: By the way, I'm doing it for random acts of Kindness Week. Could I tell you something about it?
W: Yes,please!
M: It's initiated by the local church. We do it from Monday to Thursday.On Monday, we encouraged people to smile more. Tuesday's challenge was to have lunch with someone we don't normally eat with. Yesterday, we had the third challenge, volunteering. I helped at a nursing home. Today we do something for someone in need and ask them to pay it forward.
W: That's great. I love it. How can I join?
M: Here is the website. Just apply online.
W: It's simple. I'll do it now.
Text 10
W: Good afternoon, everyone. I'm here to offer you some tips on public speaking. One of the worst mistakes you can make as a public speaker is talking too long. It doesn't matter if your entire speech was(is) good. The audience came(come) away with information that will change their lives. If you talk too long, they will leave saying that speaker just wouldn't quit. Don't let this happen to you, say what you have to say and sit down. Before you do,give them a well-thought-out closing. The last thing you say is generally what the audience remembers most. Just like your opening, your closing doesn't have to be humorous. It could be challenging, thoughtful, or it could retell your point in a different way. Please, at some time during your talk, ask the audience to do something. Many a great talk went no farther than the walls of the meeting room, because the audience wasn't moved to action. If you haven't asked them to do something by now, the closing is your last chance.

William Shakespeare by Jennifer Bassett

单词提示

1.playgoers 戏迷
2.wigs 假发
3.rehearsals 排练

原文

Chapter 4: A new life in London

It's two days journey to London by horse, and Will talked all the way.
His eyes were bright and excited.
He was full of plans, and poems, and a love of life.
“I talked to one of the queen's men.” he told me, “He said that he could find me work in the theatre, acting perhaps, or helping to write some plays. I showed him some of my writing and he was very interested.”
When we rode into London, I began to feel afraid.
This was a big, big city, and we were just two unimportant young men from a small town.
I'll never forget the noise, and the smells, and the crowds.
There were 200000 people living in the city of London.
I never saw so many people before in my life.
We went down to the River Thames, and saw the famous London Bridge with all its shops and houses.
Down the river was the Tower of London.
Enemies of the Queen went into the tower through the river gate and mostly came out without their heads.
We found a small inn in east, cheap, not too expensive, and had some bread, meat,and beer for our supper.
“Well,we're here.” Will said at last.
I said, “What do we do next?”
He laughed everything.
The next day, we began to look for work.
Those early years were wonderful.
We didn't have much money of course, and we had to work very hard.
A new actor only got six shillings a week, and there wasn't work every week.
I decided not to be an actor.
“Why not?” said Will, “It's a great life.”
We were working that month for the Queen's men at the theatre called The Curtain Up in Shoreditch.
Will was acting four small parts in two different plays.
He played a soldier and a murderer in one play.
And in the other play, he was a thief and also an Italian lord in love with the Queen of the knight, and he loved it.
“I'm not clever like you,” I said, “I can't remember all those words. I forget who I am. I say the soldier's words when I'm an Italian lord, I come on stage too late or too soon. I stand in all the wrong places.”
Will laughed, “What are you going to do then?”
“Costumes,”I say, “and properties. I had a talk with John Hemmings, and he said they need a new man to help with all the clothes and the other things.”
“Yes,”Will said slowly, “you'll be good at that now. I've got a fight on stage tomorrow and I have to die with lots of blood. How are you going to get me some blood? I've already got it.”
I smiled kindly at him, “Sheep's blood, I got it down at Smithfield Market this morning. You can have as much blood as you want. I'm keeping it warm for you.”
Will was good at acting, not the best, but good.
An actor had to do everything, he had to learn his words of course, perhaps for six different plays at the same time.
No theatre put on the same play every day, he had to dance and sing and play music,he had to jump and fall and fight and the fights had to look real.
The playgoers of London knew a real fight when they saw one.
John Hemmings of The Queen's Men taught us both a lot.
He was a good friend then, and for many years.
I had a lot to learn, too.
I learned how to make shoes out of brown paper, how to clean the actor's hats with a bit of bread, then they looked like new again.
I ran all over London to buy the best hair for the wigs.
I learned how to make fish and fruit and a piece of meat out of wood and colored paper.
Will was busy day and night.
I don't know when he slept.
He was acting in plays, he was writing his own plays, he was reading books, he was meeting other writers, making friends.
He was learning, learning, learning…
One day, we were having a glass of beer with Richard Burbage at the Boar's Head in east cheap.
Burbage was an actor with Lord Strange's Men. He was very friendly with Will.
“You've written four plays now, Will.” he said, “they're good and you're getting better all the time. And I'm getting better as an actor all the time. Come and work with Lord Strange's men at the Rose Theatre on Bankside. You can write for us.”
So,we both went to the Rose.
John Hemmings came with us.
And Augustine Phillips, he was a good actor, too.
We worked harder than ever at the Rose.
Plays were always in the afternoon because of the daylight.
We had rehearsals in the morning.
And by lunchtime, people were already coming across the river to get their places for the play, and more and more people came.
By 1592, London was hearing the name William Shakespeare again and again.

翻译

第四章：在伦敦的新生活

骑马去伦敦有两天的路程，一路上威尔说个不停。
他的双眼闪烁着兴奋的光芒，脑子里装满了计划、诗歌，以及对生活的无限热爱。
“我和‘女王剧团’的一个演员聊过了，”他告诉我，“他说能帮我在剧院找份活儿，也许是当演员，或者帮着写写剧本。我给他看了我写的一些东西，他非常感兴趣。”
当我们骑马进入伦敦时，我开始感到害怕了。
这是一座极其庞大的城市，而我们不过是两个来自小镇、无足轻重的年轻人。
我永远不会忘记那里的喧嚣、气味和拥挤的人潮。
当时伦敦城里住着20万人。
我这辈子从没见过这么多人。
我们来到泰晤士河畔，看到了著名的伦敦桥，桥上密密麻麻全是店铺和房屋。
顺着河往下游走，便是伦敦塔。
女王的政敌们会被从水门押进塔里，而大多数人都身首异处地出来。
我们在东边找了一家小客栈，价格便宜，不算太贵。
晚饭我们吃了些面包、肉，喝了点啤酒。
“好吧，我们到了。”威尔终于说道。
我问：“我们接下来做什么？”
他对一切都充满干劲。
第二天，我们便开始找工作。
最初的那几年真是奇妙无比。
当然，我们没多少钱，而且必须拼命工作。
一个新演员一周只能赚6先令，而且并不是每周都有活儿干。
我决定不去当演员了。
“为什么不呢？”威尔说，“这可是个极好的行当。”
那个月，我们正在肖迪奇区一家名叫“帷幕剧院”的地方为“女王剧团”干活。
威尔在两出不同的戏里演了四个小角色。
在一出戏里，他演了一个士兵和一个刺客；在另一出戏里，他演了一个小偷，还演了一位爱上骑士女王的意大利领主。他简直爱死演戏了。
“我不像你那么聪明，”我说，“我记不住那么多台词。我连自己是谁都会忘。演意大利领主的时候，我会说出士兵的台词；我上台不是太早就是太晚，还总是站错位置。”
威尔大笑起来：“那你打算做什么？”
“管服装和道具，”我说，“我和约翰·赫明斯聊过了，他说他们需要个新人来帮忙打理衣服和其他物件。”
“是啊，”威尔慢条斯理地说，“你现在做这个肯定合适。明天我在台上有一场打斗戏，我得‘死’得血肉模糊才行。你打算怎么给我弄点血来？”
“我已经弄到了。”我温和地对他笑了笑，“羊血，今天早上我在史密斯菲尔德市场买的。你要多少有多少。我还一直给你温着呢。”
威尔是个不错的演员，虽算不上顶尖，但也相当出色。
当演员什么都得干，背台词自然是基本功，有时候还得同时背下六出不同戏的台词。
剧院不会每天只演同一出戏，所以演员还得会唱歌、跳舞、演奏乐器，还得在台上跳跃、摔倒、打斗，而且打斗必须看起来像真的一样。
伦敦的观众可是火眼金睛，一眼就能看出打斗是不是来真的。
“女王剧团”的约翰·赫明斯教了我们很多东西。
他当时是我们的好朋友，后来也是，这份友谊持续了许多年。
我也有一大堆东西要学。
我学会了怎么用牛皮纸做鞋，怎么用一小块面包把演员的帽子擦得焕然一新。
为了买到做假发最好的毛发，我跑遍了整个伦敦。
我还学会了怎么用木头和彩纸做出鱼、水果和肉块。
威尔从早忙到晚。
我都不知道他什么时候睡觉。
他忙着演戏，忙着写自己的剧本，忙着看书，忙着结交其他作家、交朋友。
他一直在学，学，学……
有一天，我们在东边齐普赛区的“野猪头酒馆”和理查德·伯比奇一起喝啤酒。
伯比奇是“斯特兰奇勋爵剧团”的演员，他和威尔关系极好。
“威尔，你现在已经写了四出戏了，”他说，“写得很好，而且你一直在进步。作为演员，我也在不断进步。来南岸的玫瑰剧院为斯特兰奇勋爵剧团效力吧。你可以专门为我们写剧本。”
于是，我们俩都去了玫瑰剧院。
约翰·赫明斯也跟着我们一起去了。
还有奥古斯丁·菲利普斯，他也是个出色的演员。
在玫瑰剧院，我们比以前更加拼命地工作。
因为需要自然光，演出总是安排在下午。
我们上午排练。
到了吃午饭的时候，人们就已经开始过河来占座等看戏了，而且人越来越多。
到了1592年，伦敦城里的人开始一遍又一遍地听到“威廉·莎士比亚”这个名字。