加载中…SAT阅读文章（文学作品）第3篇
(2016-12-29 10:19:17)
标签：
sat阅读 |
分类： SAT备考 |
本文选自Louisa May
Alcott路易莎·梅·奥尔科特的《玫瑰盛開》《Rose in
Bloom》
路易莎·梅·奥尔科特（Louisa
May
Alcott，1832年11月29日－1888年3月6日）是一位19世纪的美国小说家，最著名的作品是《小妇人》，这部小说是以奥尔科特的童年经历为基础所创作的，并于1868年出版。
路易莎·奥尔科特文学生涯的巅峰是从小说《小妇人》（Little
Women: or Meg, Jo, Beth and
Amy，1868年出版）的第一部分出版后开始的，这是一部半自传式的作品，描述她与姊妹儿童时代居住在麻色诸塞州的生活。而第二部，也称为《好妻子》（Good
Wives，1869年出版），则是描写她们跨入成年后与个自的婚姻的故事。《小绅士》（Little
Men）则描述与她一起住在康河康科特兰馆果园屋（Orchard House）的外甥的个性与；《乔的男孩们》（Jo's Boys and
How They Turned Out）则家庭的故事系列最后的作品。
《传统的女儿》（An
Old-Fashioned Girl）、《Aunt Jo's Scrap
Bag》（总共6集，出版于1871年－1879年）、《她的名字叫“玫瑰”》（Eight Cousins）与续集《玫瑰的故事》（Rose
in
Bloom）这些路易莎后期的作品大部分都是追随着《小妇人》的剧情路线，而且受到广大忠实读者的欢迎。
奧爾柯特的作品《八個表兄妹》（Eight Cousins, 1875），敘述孤兒玫瑰（Rose
Campbell）到姑婆家依親，遇見和藹的艾力克叔叔（Uncle Alec）、勤儉的小女傭菲比（Phebe
Moore）、意見多多的姑媽們，以及性情各異的七位表兄弟：穩重的亞契（Archie）、王子般受寵的查理（Charlie）、書蟲馬克（Mac）、愛美的史提夫（Steve）、活力十足的小戰士喬迪（Geordie）與威爾（Will）、小娃兒傑米（Jamie）。姑媽們對玫瑰的到來感到棘手，遂和艾力克叔叔約定，讓他照顧玫瑰一年，並接受她們的審視。
從醫的艾力克，自信滿滿地對不習慣與父親以外之人相處、蒼白孱弱的玫瑰，開下了「處方」───讓十三歲的她向菲比學習自己動手做家事、充分運動，接受男孩們的陪伴。不久，玫瑰開始有了屬於她這個年紀的紅潤與活潑。在這一年中，玫瑰和她的同伴們經歷一連串事件，漸漸成長，並體會到助人之樂。玫瑰決定向叔叔建議，改變菲比的命運……
《八個表兄妹》之中，奧爾科特寫出了對孩童近視、虛榮心等等「症頭」的處方，是相當適合親子共讀的作品。
續篇《玫瑰盛開》（Rose in Bloom,
1876）中，經歷隔著大西洋的幾年分離，玫瑰和那些男孩們都長大了。
或許成年才是困擾的開始：當亞契愛上叔叔收養的孤兒菲比，漂亮的小少爺查理和戴厚片眼鏡的讀書人馬克開始受玫瑰吸引，人際關係的平衡被打破，一切不再像從前。
上流社會的衣香鬢影，並不能滿足玫瑰的心靈；菲比在歌唱方面非凡的成就，亦無法使高傲的坎貝爾家，接受她做為媳婦進門。
甚麼才是最好的選擇？像查理沈浸在奢華的生活及舞會中的歡愉，如史提夫想仰仗愛情建立美滿家庭，抑或馬克般追求學問、菲比那樣一展長才，還是進行慈善事業？接踵而來的突發狀況，考驗著玫瑰、菲比與眾男孩。生老病死等課題，使他們成長，終於覓得生命的歸宿。
This passage is excerpted
from Louisa May Alcott, Rose in Bloom, originally published in
1876.
Three young men stood together
on a wharf one bright October day awaiting the arrival of an ocean
steamer with an impatience which found a vent in lively skirmishes
with a small lad, who pervaded the premises like a will-o'-the-wisp
and afforded much amusement to the other groups assembled
there.
"They are the Campbells,
waiting for their cousin, who has been abroad several years with
her uncle, the doctor," whispered one lady to another as the
handsomest of the young men touched his hat to her as he passed,
lugging the boy, whom he had just rescued from a little expedition
down among the piles.
"Which is that?" asked the
stranger.
"Prince Charlie, as he's called
a fine fellow, the most promising of the seven, but a little fast,
people say," answered the first speaker with a shake of the head.
"Are the others his brothers?"
"No, cousins. The elder is
Archie, a most exemplary young man. He has just gone into business
with the merchant uncle and bids fair to be an honor to his family.
The other, with the eyeglasses and no gloves, is Mac, the odd one,
just out of college."
"And the boy?"
"Oh, he is Jamie, the youngest
brother of Archibald, and the pet of the whole family. Mercy on us
he'll be in if they don't hold on to him!"
The ladies' chat came to a
sudden end just there, for by the time Jamie had been fished out of
a hogshead, the steamer hove in sight and everything else was
forgotten. As it swung slowly around to enter the dock, a boyish
voice shouted, "There she is! I see her and Uncle and Phebe! Hooray
for Cousin Rose!" And three small cheers were given with a will by
Jamie as he stood on a post waving his arms like a windmill while
his brother held onto the tail of his jacket.
Yes, there they were, Uncle
Alec swinging his hat like a boy, with Phebe smiling and nodding on
one side and Rose kissing both hands delightedly on the other as
she recognized familiar faces and heard familiar voices welcoming
her home.
"Bless her dear heart, she's
bonnier than ever! Looks like a Madonna doesn't she? with that blue
cloak round her, and her bright hair flying in the wind!" said
Charlie excitedly as they watched the group upon the deck with
eager eyes.
"Madonnas don't wear hats like
that. Rose hasn't changed much, but Phebe has. Why, she's a regular
beauty!" answered Archie, staring with all his might at the
dark-eyed young woman with the brilliant color and glossy black
braids shining in the sun.
"Dear old Uncle! Doesn't it
seem good to have him back?" was all Mac said, but he was not
looking at "dear old uncle" as he made the fervent remark, for he
saw only the slender blond girl nearby and stretched out his hands
to meet hers, forgetful of the green water tumbling between
them.
During the confusion that
reigned for a moment as the steamer settled to her moorings, Rose
looked down into the four faces upturned to hers and seemed to read
in them something that both pleased and pained her. It was only a
glance, and her own eyes were full, but through the mist of happy
tears she received the impression that Archie was about the same,
that Mac had decidedly improved, and that something was amiss with
Charlie. There was no time for observation,
however, for in a moment the shoreward rush began, and before she
could grasp her traveling bag, Jamie was clinging to her like an
ecstatic young bear. She was with difficulty
released from his embrace to fall into the gentler ones of the
elder cousins, who took advantage of the general excitement to
welcome both blooming girls with affectionate impartiality. Then
the wanderers were borne ashore in a triumphal procession, while
Jamie danced rapturous jigs before them even on the
gangway.
Archie remained to help his
uncle get the luggage through the Custom House, and the others
escorted the damsels home. No sooner were they shut up in a
carriage, however, than a new and curious constraint seemed to fall
upon the young people, for they realized, all at once, that their
former playmates were men and women now.
喜欢
0
赠金笔