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

LionsandTigersandBearsBillBuford1．SoIthoughtI'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.2．Evennow,wheneveryParkofficial,cityadministrator,andpoliceofficertellsusthattheParkissafeduringtheday,theyallagreeinthis:onlyafoolgoesthereatnight.Orapursesnatcher,loon,prostitute,drugdealer,murderer—nottomentionbully,garrotter,highwayrobber.3．Iarrivedatnine-fifteenandmadefortheonlynocturnalspotIknew:theDelacorteTheatre.Tonight'sshowwasTheTamingoftheShrew.Lightsout,applause,andtheaudiencebeganexiting.Sofar,sonormal,andthiscouldhavebeenanoutdoorsummer-stockShakespeareproductionanywhereinAmerica,exceptinonerespect:apolicecarwasnowparkedconspicuouslyinview,itsrooflightslowlyrotating.Thepoliceweretheretoreassuretheaudiencethatitwasbeingprotected;therotatingredlightwaslikeacampfireinthewild,warningwhat'souttheretostayaway.4．Duringmyfirsthourorso,IwanderedaroundtheDelacorte,reassuredbythelights,thelaughter,thelinesofShakespearethatdriftedoutintothesummernight.Iwasfeelingacertainexhilaration,climbingthestepsofBelvedereCastleallalone,peekingthroughthewindowsoftheHenryLuceNatureObservatory,identifyingtheherbsintheShakespeareGarden,when,afterturningthiswayandthat,Iwasonawindingtrailinimpenetrablefoliage,and,withinminutes,Iwaslost.5．Therewasalightahead,andasIroundedthecornerIcameuponfivemen,allwearingwhiteT-shirts,huddledaroundabench.Iwalkedpast,avoidingeyecontact,andturneddownapath,anarrowone,blackdark,goingdownahill,gettingdarker,verydark.ThenIheardagreatshakingofthebushesbesidemeandfroze.Animal?Mugger?WhateverIwashearingwouldsurelystopmakingthatnoise,Ithought.Butitdidn't.Howcanthisbe?I'mintheParklessthananhourandalreadyI'mlost,onanunlightedpath,facinganunknownthingshakingthreateninglyinthebushes,andIthought,Shit!WhatamIdoinghere?AndIbolted,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.6．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.7．Oneofthefirsteventsintheparktookplace140yearsagoalmosttotheday:abandconcert.Theconcert,pointedly,washeldonaSaturday,stillaworkingday,becausetheconcert,likemuchoftheParkthen,wasdesignedtokeepthecity'srougherelementsout.TheParkatnightmusthaveseemedluxuriousandsecluded—agianteveninggardenparty.TheParkwastobestrolledthrough,enjoyedasanaestheticexperience,likeawalkinsideapainting.GeorgeTempletonStrong,theindefatigablediarist,recognized,onhisfirstvisitonJune11,1859,thatthearchitectswerebuildingtwodifferentparksatonce.OnewastheRomanticpark,whichincludedtheRamble,thecarefullydesignedwilderness,wildnaturere-createdinthemiddleofthecity.Theother,thesouthernendofthePark,wasmoreFrench:ordered,andcharacterizedbystraightlines.8．Iclimbedbackdownfromtherock.Inthedistance,Ispottedacoupleapproaching.Yourfirstthoughtis:nutcase?ButthenInoticed,evenfromahundredfeet,thatthecouplewaspanicking:themanwaspullingthewomantotheothersideofhim,sothathewouldbebetweenherandmewhenwepassed.Thewomanstopped,andthemanjerkedherforwardauthoritatively.Astheygotcloser,Icouldseethathewastallandskinny,wearingaplaidshirtandblackhorn-rimmedglasses;shewasablonde,andlookeddeterminedlyattheground,herfacerigid.Whentheywerewithinafewfeetofme,hereachedoutandgrabbedherarm.Icouldn'tresist:justaswewereabouttopasseachother,Iaddr