Book 2 Unit 1
A heated discussion about whether men are braver than women is settled in a rather unexpected way.
The Dinner Party
I first heard this tale in India, where is told as if true -- though any naturalist would know it couldn't be. Later someone told me that the story appeared in a magazine shortly before the First World War. That magazine story, and the person who wrote it, I have never been able to track down.
The country is India. A colonial official and his wife are giving a large dinner party. They are seated with their guests -- officers and their wives, and a visiting American naturalist -- in their spacious dining room, which has a bare marble floor, open rafters and wide glass doors opening onto a veranda.
A spirited discussion springs up between a young girl who says that women have outgrown the jumping-on-a-chair-at-the-sight-of-a-mouse era and a major who says that they haven't.
"A woman's reaction in any crisis," the major says, "is to scream. And while a man may feel like it, he has that ounce more of control than a woman has. And that last ounce is what really counts."
The American does not join in the argument but watches the other guests. As he looks, he sees a strange expression come over the face of the hostess. She is staring straight ahead, her muscles contracting slightly. She motions to the native boy standing behind her chair and whispers something to him. The boy's eyes widen: he quickly leaves the room.
Of the guests, none except the American notices this or sees the boy place a bowl of milk on the veranda just outside the open doors.
The American comes to with a start. In India, milk in a bowl means only one thing -- bait for a snake. He realizes there must be a cobra in the room. He looks up at the rafters -- the likeliest place -- but they are bare. Three corners of the room are empty, and in the fourth the servants are waiting to serve the next course. There is only one place left -- under the table.
His first impulse is to jump back and warn the others, but he knows the commotion would frighten the cobra into striking. He speaks quickly, the tone of his voice so commanding that it silences everyone.
"I want to know just what control everyone at this table has. I will count three hundred -- that's five minutes -- and not one of you is to move a muscle. Those who move will forfeit 50 rupees. Ready?"
The 20 people sit like stone images while he counts. He is saying "...two hundred and eighty..." when, out of the corner of his eye, he sees the cobra emerge and make for the bowl of milk. Screams ring out as he jumps to slam the veranda doors safely shut.
"You were right, Major!" the host exclaims. "A man has just shown us an example of perfect self-control."
"Just a minute," the American says, turning to his hostess. "Mrs. Wynnes, how did you know that cobra was in the room?"
A faint smile lights up the woman's face as she replies: "Because it was crawling across my foot."
課文翻譯
關於男人是否比女人更勇敢的一場激烈爭論，以一種頗為出人意料的方式解決了。
晚宴
莫娜·加德納
我最初聽到這個故事是在印度，那兒的人們今天講起它來仍好像確有其事似的——儘管任何一位博物學家都知道這不可能是真的。後來有人告訴我，在第一次世界大戰之前不久，一家雜誌曾刊登過這個故事。但登在雜誌上的那篇故事以及寫那篇故事的人，我卻一直未能找到。
故事發生在印度。某殖民地官員和他的夫人正舉行盛大的晚宴。筵席設在他們家寬敞的餐室裡，室內大理石地板上沒有鋪地毯；屋頂明椽裸露；寬大的玻璃門外便是走廊。跟他們一起就坐的客人有軍官和他們的夫人，另外還有一位來訪的美國博物學家。
席間，一位年輕的女士同一位少校展開了熱烈的討論。年輕的女士認為，婦女已經有所進步，不再像過去那樣一見到老鼠就嚇得跳到椅子上；少校則不以為然。
他說：“一遇到危急情況，女人的反應便是尖叫。而男人雖然也可能想叫，但比起女人來，自制力卻略勝一籌。這多出來的一點自制力正是真正起作用的東西。”
那個美國人沒有參加這場爭論，他只是注視著在座的其他客人。在他這樣觀察時，他發現女主人的臉上顯出一種奇異的表情。她兩眼盯著正前方，臉部肌肉在微微抽搐。她向站在座椅後面的印度男僕做了個手勢，對他耳語了幾句。男僕兩眼睜得大大的，迅速地離開了餐室。
在座的客人中除了那位美國人以外誰也沒注意到這一幕，也沒有看到那個男僕把一碗牛奶放在緊靠門邊的走廊上。
那個美國人突然醒悟過來。在印度，碗中的牛奶只有一個意思——引蛇的誘餌。他意識到餐室裡一定有條眼鏡蛇。他抬頭看了看屋頂上的椽子——那是最可能有蛇藏身的地方——但那上面空蕩蕩的。室內的三個角落裡也是空的，而在第四個角落裡，僕人們正在等著上下一道菜。這樣，剩下的就只有一個地方了——餐桌下面。
他首先想到的是往後一跳，並向其他人發出警告。但他知道這樣會引起騷亂，致使眼鏡蛇受驚咬人。於是他很快講了一通話，其語氣非常威嚴，竟使得所有的人都安靜了下來。
“我想了解一下在座的諸位到底有多大的剋制能力，我數三百下——也就是五分鐘——你們誰都不許動一動。動者將罰款五十盧比。準備好！”
在他數數的過程中，那二十個人都像一尊尊石雕一樣端坐在那兒。當他數到 “……二百八十……”時，突然從眼角處看到那條眼鏡蛇鑽了出來，向那碗牛奶爬去。在他跳起來把通往走廊的門全都砰砰地牢牢關上時，室內響起了一片尖叫聲。
“你剛才說得很對，少校！” 男主人大聲說。“一個男子剛剛為我們顯示了從容不迫、鎮定自若的範例。”
“且慢，” 那位美國人一邊說著一邊轉向女主人。“溫茲太太，你怎麼知道那條眼鏡蛇是在屋子裡呢？”
女主人臉上閃出一絲淡淡的微笑，回答說：“因為它當時正從我的腳背上爬過去。”
閱讀更多 大學英語王老師 的文章
