现代大学英语精读4第四课正文lions and tigers and bears课文原文带段落

---来源搜集，文内均可编辑---来源搜集，文内均可编辑PAGE4---来源搜集，文内均可编辑LionsandTigersandBearsBillBufordSoIthoughtI'dspendthenightinCentralPark,and,havingstuffedmysmallrucksackwithasleepingbag,abigbottleofmineralwater,amap,andatoothbrush,Iarrivedoneheavy,muggyFridayeveninginJulytodojustthat:towalkarounduntilIgotsotiredthatI'dcurlupunderatreeanddropofftoapeaceful,outdoorsysleep.Ofcourse,anybodywhoknowsanythingaboutNewYorkknowsthecity'sessentialplatitude—thatyoudon'twanderaroundCentralParkatnight—andinthat,needlesstosay,wastheappeal:itwasthethingyoudon'tdo.And,fromwhatIcantell,ithasalwaysbeenthethingyoudon'tdo,eversincethePark'sfoundingcommissioners,nearlyahundredandfiftyyearsago,decidedthattheplaceshouldbeclosedatnight.OgdenNashobservedin1961:IfyoushouldhappenafterdarkTofindyourselfinCentralPark,IgnorethepathsthatbeckonyouAndhurry,hurrytothezoo,Andcreepintothetiger'slair.Frankly,you'llbesaferthere.Evennow,wheneveryParkofficial,cityadministrator,andpoliceofficertellsusthattheParkissafeduringtheday,theyallagreeinthis:onlyafoolgoesthereatnight.Orapursesnatcher,loon,prostitute,drugdealer,murderer—nottomentionbully,garrotter,highwayrobber.Iarrivedatnine-fifteenandmadefortheonlynocturnalspotIknew:theDelacorteTheatre.Tonight'sshowwasTheTamingoftheShrew.Lightsout,applause,andtheaudiencebeganexiting.Sofar,sonormal,andthiscouldhavebeenanoutdoorsummer-stockShakespeareproductionanywhereinAmerica,exceptinonerespect:apolicecarwasnowparkedconspicuouslyinview,itsrooflightslowlyrotating.Thepoliceweretheretoreassuretheaudiencethatitwasbeingprotected;therotatingredlightwaslikeacampfireinthewild,warningwhat'souttheretostayaway.Duringmyfirsthourorso,IwanderedaroundtheDelacorte,reassuredbythelights,thelaughter,thelinesofShakespearethatdriftedoutintothesummernight.Iwasfeelingacertainexhilaration,climbingthestepsofBelvedereCastleallalone,peekingthroughthewindowsoftheHenryLuceNatureObservatory,identifyingtheherbsintheShakespeareGarden,when,afterturningthiswayandthat,Iwasonawindingtrailinimpenetrablefoliage,and,withinminutes,Iwaslost.Therewasalightahead,andasIroundedthecornerIcameuponfivemen,allwearingwhiteT-shirts,huddledaroundabench.Iwalkedpast,avoidingeyecontact,andturneddownapath,anarrowone,blackdark,goingdownahill,gettingdarker,verydark.ThenIheardagreatshakingofthebushesbesidemeandfroze.AnimalMuggerWhateverIwashearingwouldsurelystopmakingthatnoise,Ithought.Butitdidn't.HowcanthisbeI'mintheParklessthananhourandalreadyI'mlost,onanunlightedpath,facinganunknownthingshakingthreateninglyinthebushes,andIthought,Shit!WhatamIdoinghereAndIbolted,notrunning,exactly,butnolongerstrolling—andcertainlynotlookingback—turningleft,turningright,allsenseofdirectionobliterated,thecrashingcontinuingbehindme,loudereven,left,anothermaninaT-shirt,right,anotherman,whenfinallyIrealizedwhereIwas—intheRamble.AsIturnedleftagain,Isawthelake,andtheskylineofCentralParkSouth.Istopped.Ibreathed.Relax,Itoldmyself.It'sonlydarkness.Aboutfifteenfeetintothelake,therewasalargeboulder,withaheapofbranchesleadingtoit.Itiptoedacrossandsat,enjoyingthepictureofthecityagain,theveryreassuringcity.Ilookedaround.Therewasawarmbreeze,andheavycloudsoverhead,butitwasstillhot,andIwassweating.Faroutinthelake,therewasalight—someonerowingaboat,alanternsuspendedabovethestem.Igotmybearings.IwasontheWestSide,aroundSeventy-seventh.ThefarsideofthelakemustbenearStrawberryFields,aroundSeventy-second.Itwaswhere,Irealized,twoyearsago,thepolicehadfoundthebodyofMichaelMcMorrow,aforty-four-year-oldman(myage),whowasstabbedthirty-fourtimesbyafifteen-year-old.Afterhewaskilled,hewasdisemboweled,andhisintestinesrippedoutsothathisbodywouldsinkwhenrolledintothelake—adetailthatI'vecompulsivelyreviewedinmymindsinceIfirstheardit.Andthenhiskillers,withtimeontheirhandsandnowitnesses,justwenthome.Oneofthefirsteventsintheparktookplace140yearsagoalmosttotheday:abandconcert.Theconcert,pointedly,washeldonaSaturday,stillaworkingday,becausetheconcert,likemuchoftheParkthen,wasdesignedtokeepthecity'srougherelementsout.TheParkatnightmusthaveseemedluxuriousandsecluded—agianteveninggardenparty.TheParkwastobestrolledthrough,enjoyedasanaestheticexperience,likeawalkinsideapainting.GeorgeTempletonStrong,theindefatigablediarist,recognized,onhisfirstvisitonJune11,1859,thatthearchitectswerebuildingtwodifferentparksatonce.OnewastheRomanticpark,whichincludedtheRamble,thecarefully"designed"wilderness,wildnaturere-createdinthemiddleofthecity.Theother,thesouthernendofthePark,wasmoreFrench:ordered,andcharacterizedbystraightlines.Iclimbedbackdownfromtherock.Inthedistance,Ispottedacoupleapproaching.Yourfirstthoughtis:nutcaseButthenInoticed,evenfromahundredfeet,thatthecouplewaspanicking:themanwaspullingthewomantotheothersideofhim,sothathewouldbebetweenherandmewhenwepassed.Thewomanstopped,andthemanjerkedherforwardauthoritatively.Astheygotcloser,Icouldseethathewastallandskinny,wearingaplaidshirtandblackhorn-rimmedglasses;shewasablonde,andlookeddeterminedlyattheground,herfacerigid.Whentheywerewithinafewfeetofme,hereachedoutandgrabbedherarm.Icouldn'tresist:justaswewereabouttopasseachother,Iaddressedthem,forthrightly:"Hello,goodpeople!"Isaid."Andhowareyouonthisfinesummerevening"Atfirst,silence,andthenthewomanstartedshriekinguncontrollably—"Oh,myGod!Oh,myGod!"—andtheyhurriedaway.Thiswasaninterestingdiscovery.OneofthemostfrighteningthingsintheParkatnightwasamanonhisown.Oneofthemostfrighteningthingstonightwasme.Iwasemboldenedbytherealization:Iwasnolongerafraid;Iwasfrightening.NoteveryonelikesthePark,butjustabouteveryonefeelsheshould.ThiswasattheheartofHenryJames'sobservationswhenhevisitedthePark,in1904.ThePark,inJames'seyes,wasafailure,buteveryone,asheputit,felttheneedto"keeppattingtheParkontheback."Bythen,thePark'sfoundershaddied,andthePark,nolongerthedomainoftheprivileged,hadbeentakenoverbyimmigrants.Infact,betweenJames'svisitandthenineteen-thirties,theParkmighthavebeenatitsmostpopular,visitedbytentotwentymillionayear.TheParkinfactwasbeingdestroyedbyoveruse,until1934,whenthelegendaryRobertMoseswasappointedthePark'scommissioner.MoseswasresponsibleforthethirddesignelementinthePark—neitherEnglishnorFrench,neitherRomanticnorclassical,butefficient,purposeful,andunapologeticallyAmerican.Heputinbaseballdiamonds,volleyballcourts,andswimmingpools.HeeventriedtoturntheRambleintoaseniorcitizen'srecreationcenter,butwasstoppedbytheprotestingbird-watchers.TheironywasthatbytheendoftheMoseseratheParkwasdangerous.InmynewconfidenceIsetoutforthenorthernendofthePark.Nearthereservoir,agangofkidsonbicycleszoomedacrosstheEighty-fifthStreetTransverse,hootingwithasenseofominouspower.Alittlelater,therewasanothergang,thisoneonfoot—aboutadozenblackkids,movingeastward,justbytherunningtrack.Ikeptmyheaddownandpickedupmypace,butmymindinvoluntarilycalledupthememoryofthe1989incident,inwhichayounginvestmentbankerwasbeatenandsexuallyassaultedbyagroupofkidsonarampage.AroundNinety-fifthStreet,Ifoundabenchandstopped.IhadtakenoneofthetrailsthatrunalongsidethePark'sWestDrive,andthemorenorthernapartmentsofCentralParkWestwereinview.Isatasresidentspreparedforbed:someonewatchingtelevision,awomandoingyoga,amansteppingintotheshower.Belowmewasthecity,thetopoftheEmpireStateBuildingpeekingovertheskyline.GeorgeTempletonStrongdiscoveredthebeautyofCentralParkatnightonJuly30,1869,ona"starlitdrive"withhiswife.Buttonight,evenifitweren'tcloudingover,there'dbenostars.Toomuchglare.TheParkisnowframed,envelopedeven,bythecity,buttherewasnoescapingtherecognitionthatthiscity—contrived,man-made,glaringlyobtrusive,consumingwastefulandstaggeringquantitiesofelectricityandwaterandenergy—wasverybeautiful.I'mnotsurewhyitshouldbesobeautiful;Idon'thavethevocabularytodescribeitsappeal.Butthereitwas:thecityatnight,viewedfromwhatwasmeanttobeanescapefromit,shimmering.Iwalkedandwalked.Aroundone-thirty,IenteredtheNorthWoods,andmademywaydowntowhatmymapwouldlatertellmewasastreamcalledtheLoch.Thestreamwasloud,soundingmorelikeariverthanastream.Andforthefirsttimethatnightthecitydisappeared:nobuildings,nolights,nosirens.Iwastired.Ihadbeenwalkingforalongtime.Iwantedtounrollmysleepingbag,outofviewofthepolice,andfallasleep.Iwaslookingforwardtodawnandbeingawakenedbybirds.Imademywaydownaravine.Adirttrailappearedonmyleft.Thislookedpromising.Ifollowedit,anditwounditswaydowntothestream.Ilookedback:Icouldn'tseethetrail;itwasblockedbytrees.Thiswasgood.Secluded.Iwalkedon.ItflattenedoutandIcouldputasleepingbaghere.Thiswasgood,too.Yes:good.Therewerefireflies,evenatthishour,andtheplacewassodarkandsodenselyshroudedbythetreesoverheadthatthelightofthefireflieswashugelymagnified;theirabdomenspulsedlikegreatyellowflashlights.IeventuallyrolledoutmysleepingbagatopalittlerisebesidethebridlepathbytheNorthMeadow,andthenIcrawledinsidemybagandclosedmyeyes.Andthen:snap!Atremendouscrackingsound.Ifroze,thenquicklywhippedroundtohavealook:nothing.Aforestisalwaysfullofnoises.HowdidImanagetocampoutasakidFinally,Ifellasleep.IknowIfellasleepbecauseIwasawakeagain.Anotherbranchsnapping,butthissoundwasdifferent—asifIcouldhearthetissueofthewoodtearing.Myeyesstillclosed,Iwasmotionless.Anotherbranch,andthenarustlingofleaves.Nodoubt:someonewasthere.IcouldtellIwasbeingstaredat;Icouldfeelthestaring.Iheardbreathing.IopenedmyeyesandwasastonishedbywhatIsaw.Therewerethreeofthem,allwithinarm'sreach.Theylookedverybig.AtfirstIdidn'tknowwhattheywere,exceptthattheywereanimals.Maybetheywerebears,smallones.ThenIrealized;theywere—whatdoyoucallthem?ThoseanimalsthatDanielBoonemadehishatoutof.Theyweren'tmoving;Iwasn'tmoving.Theyjuststared,browneyeslookingblanklyintomyown.Theywereobviouslyveryperplexedtofindmehere.Suddenly,Iwasveryperplexedtofindmehere,too."Imaginethis,"oneofthemseemedtobesaying."AgrownmansleepingoutinCentralPark!""Obviously,notfromNewYork.""Hi,guys,"Imuttered.Isaidthisverysoftly.Myvoicestartledthemandtheyscurriedupthetreeinfrontofme.Thentheystoppedandresumedstaring.Andthen,veryslowly,theyinchedfartherup.Theywerenowaboutfortyfeetdirectlyaboveme,andthetreewasswayingslightlywiththeirweight.Itwasstartingtodrizzle.Iheardahelicopter,itssearchlightcrisscrossingthepathonlytenfeetaway.Somaybetherewerebadguys.Ilookedbackattheraccoons."Aretherebadguyshere"Iaskedthem.Itwasstupidtospeak.Myvoicestartledthemand,directlyoverhead,oneofthemstartedpeeing.Andthen,naturefindingherselfunabletoresist,itstartedtopour.Butnotforlong.Therainstopped.AndIfellasleep.IknowIfellasleepbecausethenextthingIheardwasbirds.Anatural,naturallybeautifulsound.