Notes on the text
课文注释
1 on end，连续不断的。
2 in many ways，在许多方面。
3 go on repeating，继续重复。 go on加上现在分词是“继续干”的意思。
4 Yet this is not always the case. 然而情况并非总是如此。
5 in the role of…，充当……角色。
6 Bastille，巴士底狱。
曾是法国巴黎的监狱。1369年始建时是一个要塞，1789年被巴黎市民攻克并捣毁。
7 insisted that it should be written out in full, insist后面所接的宾语从句，常用虚拟语气“should +动词原形”，而should又经常可以省略。
8 play a joke on…，拿……开玩笑。
9 sire是古代仆人对国王的一种尊称，现在仅用于故事和剧本。
10 Much to the aristocrat's amusement，使贵族感到非常可笑的是……。
much为副词，此处修饰其后的介词短语 to the aristocrat's amusement. much to＋sb. 's sth. 是一个常见的状语短语，有“给某人带来很大的……”的意思。
参考译文
有些剧目十分成功，以致连续上演好几年。这样一来，可怜的演员们可倒霉了。因为他们需要一夜连着一夜地重复同样的台词。人们以为，这些演员一定会把台词背得烂熟，绝不会临场结巴的，但情况却并不总是这样。
有一位名演员曾在一出极为成功的剧目中扮演一个贵族角色，这个贵族已在巴士底狱被关押了20年。在最后一幕中，狱卒手持一封信上场，然后将信交给狱中那位贵族。尽管那个贵族每场戏都得念一遍那封信，但他还是坚持要求将信的全文写在信纸上。
一天晚上，狱卒决定与他的同事开一个玩笑，看看他反复演出这么多场之后，是否已将信的内容记熟了。大幕拉开，最后一幕戏开演，贵族独自一人坐在铁窗后阴暗的牢房里。这时狱卒上场，手里拿着那封珍贵的信。狱卒走进牢房，将信交给贵族。但这回狱卒给贵族的信没有像往常那样把全文写全，而是一张白纸。狱卒热切地观察着，急于想了解他的同事是否记熟了台词。贵族盯着白纸看了几秒种，然后，眼珠一转，说道：“光线太暗，请给我读一下这封信。”说完，他一下子把信递给了狱卒。狱卒发现自己连一个字也记不住，于是便说：“陛下，这儿光线的确太暗了，我得去把眼镜拿来。”他一边说着，一边匆匆下台。贵族感到非常好笑的是：一会儿工夫，狱卒重新登台，拿来一副眼镜以及平时使用的那封信，然后为那囚犯念了起来。
Comprehension理解
Give short answers to these questions in your own words as far as possible. Use one complete sentence for each answer.
1 Why are actors in successful plays in many ways unfortunate?
2 In which act of the play was the aristocrat given a letter to read?
3 Why did the gaoler decide to play a joke on the aristocrat?
Vocabulary
词汇
Explain the meanings of the following words and phrases as they are used in the passage: run (1. 1); on end (1. 1); are required (1. 2); repeating (1. 3); falter (1. 4); role (1. 7); hand (1. 8); in full (1. 9).
Summary writing
摘要写作
In not more than 80 words describe what happened after the curtain went up on the final act of the play. Use your own words as far as possible. Do not include anything that is not in the last paragraph.
Composition
作文
Write a Composition of about 250 words using the ideas given below. Do not write more than four paragraphs.
Title: Six short weeks.
Introduction: A new play called ‘The world tomorrow’ to be shown. Highly advertised ---- public interest ---- cast of famous actors.
Development: First night ---- play not well ---- received ---- supposed to be funny ---- nobody laughed ---- people walked out ---- bad reviews.
Conclusion: The play ran for six weeks ---- last performance ---- small audience ---- actors struggled through ---- the audience found the last line of the play very funny: ‘Our six short weeks have hastened to their end. ’ Even the actors laughed.
Letter writing
书信写作
Write five sentences which could be used to begin a letter and five sentences which could be used to end one.