高一英語課文
Unit 18 The necklace
1 . But there's another thing, Pierre. I have no jewellery to wear.不過，比爾，還有一件事。我還沒有首飾戴哩。
2 . Good afternoon, Jeanne.下午好，讓娜。
3 . Perhaps in those days I was. Pierre and I did have a very good time at the ball. But that was the last moment of happiness in our lives. That night everything changed.那時候，我也許是個漂亮姑娘。我和比爾在舞會上的確玩得很痛快。不過，那是我們一生中最後的幸福時刻。那天晚上一切都變了。
4 . Yes, Jeanne, I brought a necklace to you. It was exactly like your necklace, but it was a different one. It cost us thirty-six thousand francs.是的，讓娜。我還給你的那一條項鏈，完全像你原來的那條一樣，但那是另外的一條。它花了我們36000法郎。
5 . My necklace?我的項鏈呀？
6 . Mathilde! Oh yes. Sorry, I didn't recognize you. Where have you been all these years, Mathilde? I hope you weren't ill. You don't look very well.瑪蒂爾德！真的是你呀！對不起，我沒有認出你來。這些年你上哪兒去了，瑪蒂爾德？我想你沒有病吧，你的臉色看來不太好。
7 . So I called on you and asked if I could borrow some jewellery. Do you remember now?於是我去看望你，問你可不可以借給我一些首飾。現在想起來了吧。
8 . Do you remember one afternoon ten years ago when I came to your house and borrowed a necklace of yours? Pierre, my husband, was working in a government office. We'd been invited to a ball at the palace so I needed to borrow some jewellery.10年前的一個下午，我到你家借過一條項鏈，你還記得嗎？我的丈夫比爾當時在政府的一個部門工作。我們被邀請參加一個宮庭舞會，所以我需要借一點珠寶首飾。
9 . Why don't you borrow some? Do you have a friend who might lend you some?那為什麼不去借點首飾呢？你有沒有朋友可以借給你首飾呢？
10 . Yes, I remember.我想起來了。
11 . No, Jeanne, I wasn't ill. I know I look older than my age now. That's because of hard work-ten years of hard work.沒病，讓娜，我沒生過病。我知道我看上去比我的年紀要大些，那是因為勞累的緣故--10年的勞累呀！
12 . But I don't understand. You returned the necklace to me the next afternoon. I remember very well.不過，我還不懂。我記得很清楚，你們第二天下午就把項鏈還給我了。
13 . Pierre and I borrowed the money and bought the necklace. During the next ten years we both worked day and night to pay back the money we had borrowed. That's why I now look so old. Well, after all these years we've at last paid back all the money.我和比爾借了一筆錢，買下了那條項鏈。在後來的10年時間裡，我們兩人為了償還這筆借款不分晝夜地幹活。這就是為什麼我現在看起來這樣老的原因。好了，過了這些年之後，我們終於還清了全部借款。
14 . Mathilde! I didn't know. I'm sorry. But what happened?瑪蒂爾德！我還不知道這些情況哩。我真難過。但是，這是怎麼回事呢？
15 . (Looking at the other woman) I'm sorry, but I don't think I know you.（瞅著瑪蒂爾德）很抱歉，我想我不認識你呀。
16 . I remember. You tried it on and it looked wonderful on you. I'm sure you looked beautiful that evening. You were always a pretty girl.我想起來了。你還把項鏈戴上試了試，戴在你身上真是太好看了。我相信那天晚上你一定很美。你總是那麼漂亮。
17 . In fact you do. Many years ago we knew each other very well. I'm Mathilde Loisel.其實，你是認識我的。很多年以前，我們彼此很熟悉。我是瑪蒂爾德·盧瓦澤爾。
18 . You were very kind. You brought out all your jewellery and you told me I could take anything I wanted. There were so many beautiful things that it was hard to choose. And then I saw a lovely diamond necklace with a big blue stone in the centre.你太好了。當時你把所有的珠寶首飾全都拿了出來，而且說，我要什麼就可以拿什麼。漂亮的首飾太多了，實在難挑選。後來我終於看中了一條美麗的鑽石項鏈，中間還嵌著一顆大藍寶石。
19 . Yes, very hard. Years of hard work, very little food, only a small cold room to live in and never a moment's rest.是的，境況很不好。多年勞累，食不果腹，斗室寒舍，從無休息。
20 . No, I couldn't do that. Everybody else will be wearing jewellery. I can't be the only woman who isn't wearing jewellery.不，我不能戴花。別的人都戴首飾，唯有我一個人不戴首飾，這怎麼能行呢？
21 . Let me think. Maybe I could ask Jeanne. She married a man with a lot of money. I'll go and see her on Friday after I get the new dress.我想想看。或許我可以去問問讓娜。她嫁給了一位很有錢的男人。等我買好新衣服，星期五就去看她。
22 . But it's true. I was the only person in my office who was invited. I've written to accept the invitation.可這是真的。我們辦公室只有我受到邀請。我已經寫信表示接受邀請了。
23 . Mathilde! I've got some wonderful news. We've been invited to the ball at the palace.瑪蒂爾德！我有一個極好的消息。我們被邀請去參加宮庭舞會。
24 . Really? I can't believe it.真的嗎？我不相信。
25 . Four hundred! That's a lot of money. But, just this once. After all, this ball is very important.400法郎！這倒是很大一筆錢。不過，就只這麼一次。要知道，這次舞會很重要啊。
26 . On our way home that night I looked down and saw that the necklace was not around my neck any more. I told Pierre. We rushed back to the palace and looked for it.We asked everyone there if they had found a necklace, but without luck. We couldn't find it;那天晚上在回家的路上，我低頭一看，發現項鏈不再掛在我的脖子上了。我告訴了比爾。我們馬上趕回王宮去尋找。我們詢問了那兒的每一個人，問他們是不是拾到了一條項鏈。可是，真倒霉。我們找不到那條項鏈；它丟失了。
27 . Why? What happened?為什麼？發生什麼事了？
28 . I'm sorry, Mathilde. Have times been hard for you?瑪蒂爾德，我真替你難過。這些年來境況不太好吧？
29 . Oh, Pierre, how wonderful! But I don't think we can go. I haven't got an evening dress for the ball! And a new dress costs over four hundred francs.啊，比爾，太棒了！不過，我想我們去不成。我沒有參加舞會的晚禮服啊！而一件新的晚禮服得花400多法郎。
30 . Does that matter? Can't you just wear a flower instead?這有什麼要緊？難道不可以就戴朵花嗎？
31 . My dear friend, Mathilde. Let me tell you something. That necklace you borrowed from me wasn't a real diamond necklace. It wasn't valuable at all. The stones in the necklace were made of glass. It was worth five hundred francs at the most.瑪蒂爾德，我親愛的朋友。讓我告訴你吧。你向我借的那條項鏈並不是一條真的鑽石項鏈。那條項鏈根本不值錢。項鏈中的寶石是玻璃做的。它最多值500法郎。
32 . I don't know if I should tell you. But I will. It was all because of your necklace, your beautiful diamond necklace.我不知道該不該告訴你。不過，我想還是告訴你吧。那全都是因為你的那條項鏈，你那條漂亮的鑽石項鏈呀！