NCE lesson22 （YY小美好）

 Lesson 22:By heart 熟记台词
          
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Which actor read the letter in the end, the aristocrat or the gaoler?
    Some plays are so successful that they run for years on end. In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same lines night after night. One would expect them to know their parts by heart and never have cause to falter. Yet this is not always the case.
    A famous actor in a highly successful play was once cast in the role of an aristocrat who had been imprisoned in the Bastille for twenty years. In the last act, a gaoler would always come on to the stage with a letter which he would hand to the prisoner. Even though the noble was expected to read the letter at each performance, he always insisted that it should be written out in full.
    One night, the gaoler decided to play a joke on his colleague to find out if, after so many performances, he had managed to learn the contents of the letter by heart. The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell. Just then, the gaoler appeared with the precious letter in his bands. He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat. But the copy he gave him had not been written out in full as usual. It was simply a blank sheet of paper. The gaoler looked on eagerly, anxious to see if his fellow actor had at last learnt his lines. The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds. Then, squinting his eyes, he said: 'The light is dim. Read the letter to me'. And he promptly handed the sheet of paper to the gaoler. Finding that he could not remember a word of the letter either, the gaoler replied:‘ The light is indeed dim, sire, I must get my glasses.’With this, he hurried off the stage. Much to the aristocrat's amusement, the gaoler returned a few moments later with a pair of glasses and the usual copy of the letter with he proceeded to read to the prisoner.
　　【New words and expressions】 生词和短语
　　★run (ran, run)
　　v. （戏剧，电影等）连演，连映
　　The film is so successful that it runs for several weeks.
　　★lines
　　n. （剧本中的）台词
　　★part
　　n. 剧中的角色，台词
　　★falter
　　v. 支吾，结巴说
　　=stammmer
　　He has practised the poem several times, so he has no cause to falter.
　　蹒跚而行，=stagger He faltered home.
　　★cast (cast, cast)
　　v. 连派……扮演角色
　　The actor was cast in the role of hero.
　　★role
　　n. 角色
　　★aristocrat
　　n. 贵族
　　★imprison
　　v. 关押
　　put sb. imprison 关押
　　He was imprisoned for 10 years.
　　imprisonment n.监禁 关押
　　sentence sb to life imprisonment
　　宣判某人终生监禁
　　监狱：prison,jail,gaol
　　send sb to prison
　　put sb in prison
　　throw sb into prison
　　in prison:　坐牢，in the prison 在监狱里面
　　He is in prison(jail).
　　He is behind bars.
　　★Bastille
　　n. 巴士底狱
　　★gaoler
　　n. 监狱长，看守
　　★colleague
　　n. 同事
　　★curtain
　　n. （舞台上的）幕布
　　★reveal
　　v. 使显露
　　The secret hasn't been revealed.
　　reveal: 揭露，揭穿，把什么露出来
　　A curtain was up and revealed the beautiful scenery.
　　disclose: 揭发 揭露 公开
　　disclose the truth
　　discover: 发现
　　uncover: 揭开盖子
　　A very tight dress reveals the beautiful figure.
　　revealable. adj.可展现的
　　revealer: 探测器
　　★cell
　　n. 单人监房，监号
　　★blank
　　adj. 空白的
　　★squint
　　v. 眯着（眼）看，瞄
　　squint one's eyes
　　He squinted his eyes and looked at the letter.
　　★dim
　　adj. 昏暗
　　The room is too dim so I can't read the letter.
　　gloomy:(天气,心情)抑郁的
　　The weather is gloomy today.
　　He is in gloomy mood.
dusky:(天色）漆黑的，黑暗的
murky 黑暗的朦胧的阴郁的
　　I can't go out at murky night.
　　misty: 多雾的，迷蒙的
The building is out of sight on such a misty day.
在多雾的天气看不见那座建筑
　　★sire
　　n. （古用法）陛下
　　★proceed
　　v. 继续进行
　　proceed to（介词）/with: 进行继续某事
　　Let's proceed to business.
　　You must proceed with your work.
　　proceed from:　从什么着手开始继续
　　They proceed from lesson 1.
　　proceed against: 起诉某人
　　He decided to proceed against his neighbour.