现代大学英语精读book4unit6课文

1、Book4-Unit5TextATheTelephoneAnwarF.AccawiWhenIwasgrowingupinMagdaluna,asmallLebanesevillageintheterraced,rockymountainseastofSidon,timedidntmeanmuchtoanybody,exceptmaybetothosewhoweredying.Inthosedays,therewasnorealneedforacalendarorawatchtokeeptrackofthehours,days,months,andyears.Weknewwhattodoandw

2、hentodoit,justastheIraqigeeseknewwhentoflynorth,drivenbythehotwindthatblewinfromthedesert.Theonlytimepiecewehadneedofthenwasthesun.Itroseandset,andtheseasonsrolledbyandwesowedseedandharvestedandateandplayedandmarriedourcousinsandhadbabieswhogotwhoopingcoughandchickenpoxandthosechildrenwhosurvivedgre

3、wupandmarriedtheircousinsandhadbabieswhogotwhoopingcoughandchickenpox.Welivedandlovedandtoiledanddiedwithouteverneedingtoknowwhatyearitwas,oreventhetimeofday.Itwasntthatwehadnosystemforkeepingtrackoftimeandoftheimportanteventsinourlives.Butourswasanaturalor,rather,adivinecalendar,becauseitwasframedb

4、yactsofGod:earthquakesanddroughtsandfloodsandlocustsandpestilences.Simpleasourcalendarwas,itworkedjustfineforus.3.Take,forexample,thebirthdateofTetaImKhalil,theoldestwomaninMagdalunaandallthesurroundingvillages.WhenIaskedGrandma,HowoldisTetaImKhalil4.Grandmahadtothinkforamoment;thenshesaid,Ivebeento

5、ldthatTetawasbornshortlyafterthebigsnowthatcausedtheroofonthemayorshousetocavein.AndwhenwasthatIasked.Oh,aboutthetimewehadthebigearthquakethatcrackedthewallintheeastroom.7.Well,thatwasenoughforme.Youcouldntbemoreaccuratethanthat,now,couldyou8.Andthatsthewayitwasinourlittlevillageforasfarbackasanybod

6、ycouldremember.Oneofthemostunusualofthedateswaswhenawhirlwindstruckduringwhichfishandorangesfellfromthesky.Incredibleasitmaysound,thestoryofthefishandorangeswastrue,becausemenwhowouldnotlieeventosavetheirownsoulstoldandretoldthatstoryuntilitwasincorporatedintoMagdalunascalendar.Theyearofthefish-bear

7、ingwhirlpoolwasnotthelastremarkableyear.Manyothersfollowedinwhichstrangeandwonderfulthingshappened.Therewas,forinstance,theyearofthedrought,whentheheavenswereshutformonthsandthespringfromwhichtheentirevillagegotitsdrinkingwaterslowedtoatrickle.Thespringwasaboutamilefromthevillage,inaravinethatopened

8、atoneendintoasmall,flatclearingcoveredwithfinegraydustandhard,marble-sizedgoatdroppings.Intheyearofthedrought,thatlittleclearingwasalwayspackedfullofnoisykidswithbigbrowneyesandstickyhands,and10.theirmotherssinewy,overworkedyoungwomenwithcracked,brownheels.Thechildrenranaroundplayingtagorhide-and-se

9、ekwhilethewomentalked,flies,andawaitedtheirturnstofilluptheirjarswithdrinkingwaterhometotheirnappingmenandwetbabies.Thereweredayswhenwehadtowaitfromsunupuntillateafternoonjusttofillasmallclayjarwithprecious,coolwater.Sometimes,amidthelongwaitandtheheatandthefliesandthesmellofgoatdung,tempersflared,a

10、ndtheyoungerwomen,anxiousabouttheirbabies,toshooedbringarguedoverwhoseturnitwastofillupherjar.Andsometimestheargumentsescalatedintofull-blown,knockdown-dragoutfights;thewomenwouldgrabeachotherbythehairandcurseandscreamandspitandcalleachothernamesthatmademyearstingle.Welittlebrownboyswhowentwithourmo

11、therstofetchwaterlovedthesefights,becausewegottoseethewomenslegsandtheircoloredpantiesastheygrappledandrolledaroundinthedust.Onceinawhile,wegotluckyandsawmuchmore,becausesomeofthewomenworenothingatallundertheirlongdresses.God,howIusedtolookforwardtothosefights.Iremembertherush,theexcitement,thesunda

12、ncingonthedustcloudsasadressrippedandayoungwhitebreastwasrevealed,thenquicklyhidden.Inmycalendar,thatyearofdroughtwillalwaysbeoneofthebestyearsofmychildhood.11.But,inanotherway,theyearofthedroughtwasalsooneoftheworstofmylife,becausethatwastheyearthatAbuRaja,theretiredcook,decideditwastimeMagdalunago

13、titsowntelephone.Everycivilizedvillageneededatelephone,hesaid,andMagdalunawasnotgoingtogetanywhereuntilithadone.Atelephonewouldlinkuswiththeoutsideworld.AfewmenliketheretiredTurkish-armydrillsergeant,andthevineyardkeeperdidalltheycouldtotalkAbuRajaoutofhavingatelephonebroughttothevillage.Buttheywere

14、outshoutedandignoredandfinallyshunnedbytheothervillagersforresistingprogressandtryingtokeepagoodthingfromcomingtoMagdaluna.Onewarmdayinearlyfall,manyofthevillagerswereoutintheirfieldsrepairingwallsorgatheringwoodforthewinterwhentheshoutwentoutthatthetelephone-companytruckhadarrivedatAbuRajasdikkan,o

15、rcountrystore.Whenthetruckcameintoview,everybodydroppedwhattheyweredoingandrantoAbuRajashousetoseewhatwashappening.ItdidnottakelongforthewholevillagetoassembleatAbuRajasdikkan.Someoftherichvillagerswalkedrightintothestoreandstoodattheelbowsofthetwoimportant-lookingmenfromthetelephonecompany,whoproce

16、ededwithutmostgravity,likepriestsatCommunion,towireupthetelephone.Thepoorervillagersstoodoutsideandlistenedcarefullytothedetailsrelayedtothembythenot-so-poorpeoplewhostoodinthedoorwayandcouldseeinside.14.Thebaldmaniscuttingthebluewire,someonesaid.15.Heisstickingthewireintotheholeinthebottomoftheblac

17、kbox,someoneelseadded.Thetelephonemanwiththemustacheisconnectingtwopiecesofwire.Nowheistwistingtheendstogether,athirdvoicechimedin.BecauseIwassmall,Iwriggledmywaythroughthedenseforestoflegstogetafirsthandlookattheaction.Breathless,Iwatchedasthemeninblueputtogetherablackmachinethatsupposedlywouldmake

18、itpossibletotalkwithuncles,aunts,andcousinswholivedmorethantwodaysrideaway.Itwasshortlyaftersunsetwhenthemanwiththemustacheannouncedthatthetelephonewasreadytouse.HeexplainedthatallAbuRajahadtodowasliftthereceiver,turnthecrankontheblackboxafewtimes,andwaitforanoperatortotakehiscall.AbuRajagrabbedther

19、eceiverandturnedthecrankforcefully.Withinmoments,hewastalkingwithhisbrotherinBeirut.Hedidntevenhavetoraisehisvoiceorshouttobeheard.19.Andthetelephone,asitturnedout,wasbadnews.Withitscoming,thefaceofthevillagebegantochange.Oneofthefasteffectswastheshiftingofthevillagescenter.Beforethetelephonesarriva

20、l,themenofthevillageusedtogatherregularlyatthehouseofImKaleem,ashort,middle-agedwidowwithjet-blackhairandaraspyvoicethatcouldbeheardalloverthevillage,evenwhenshewasonlywhispering.ShewasadevoutCatholicandalsothevillagewhore.Themenmetatherhousetoargueaboutpoliticsanddrinkcoffeeandplaycardsorbackgammon

21、.ImKaleemwasnotatrueprostitute,however,becauseshedidnotchargeforherservicesnotevenforthecoffeeandteathatsheservedthemen.Shedidnotneedthemoney;herson,whowasoverseasinAfrica,senthermoneyregularly.ImKaleemlovedallthemensheentertained,andtheylovedher,everyoneofthem.Inaway,shewasmarriedtoallthemeninthevi

22、llage.Everybodyknewitbutnobodyobjected.ActuallyIsuspectthewomendidnotmindtheirhusbandsvisitstoImKaleem.Oh,theywrungtheirhandsandcomplainedtooneanotherabouttheirmensunfaithfulness,butsecretlytheywererelieved,becauseImKaleemtooksomeofthepressureoffthemandkeptthemenoutoftheirhairwhiletheyattendedtothei

23、rendlesschores.ImKaleemwasalsoakindofconfessorandtroubleshooter,talkingsensetothosemenwhowerehavingfamilyproblems,especiallytheyoungerones.20.BeforethetelephonecametoMagdaluna,ImKaleemshousewasbustlingatjustaboutanytimeofday,especiallyatnight,whentheloudvoicesofthementalking,laughing,andarguingcould

24、beheardinthestreetbelowareassuring,homeysound.Herhousewasanislandofcomfort,anoasisforthewearyvillagemen,exhaustedfromhavingsolittletodo.21.ButitwasntlongbeforemanyofthosementheyoungeronesespeciallystartedspendingmoreoftheirdaysandeveningsatAbuRajasdikkan.There,theywouldeatanddrinkandtalkandplaycheck

25、ersandbackgammon,andthenleantheirchairsbackagainstthewallthesignalthattheywerereadytotossbackandforth,likeaball,thelatestrumorsgoingaroundthevillage.Andtheywerealwayslookingupfromtheirgamesanddrinksandtalktoglanceatthephoneinthecorner,asifexpectingittoringanyminuteandbringnewsthatwouldchangetheirliv

26、esanddeliverthemfromtheiraimlessexistence.Inthemeantime,theysmokedcheap,hand-rolledcigarettes,dugdirtoutfromundertheirfingernailswithbigpocketknives,anddranklukewarmsodasthattheycalledKacula,Seffen-Ub,andBebsi.Thetelephonewasalsobadnewsformepersonally.Ittookawaymylucrativebusinessasourceofmuch-neede

27、dincome.Before,IusedtohangaroundImKaleemscourtyardandplaymarbleswiththeotherkids,waitingforsomemantocalldownfromawindowandaskmetoruntothestoreforcigarettesorliquor,ortodeliveramessagetohiswife,suchaswhathewantedforsupper.Therewasalwayssomethinginitforme:atenorevenatwenty-five-piasterpiece.Onagoodday

28、,Irannineortenofthoseerrands,whichassuredasteadysupplyofmarblesthatIusuallylosttootherboys.ButasthedayswentbyfewerandfewermencametoImKaleems,andmoreandmorecongregatedatAbuRajastowaitbythetelephone.Intheevenings,thelaughterandnoiseofthementrailedoffandfinallystopped.AtAbuRajasdikkan,thecallsdideventuallycome,asexpected,andmenandwomenstartedleavingthevillagethewayahailstormbegins:firsto