书名：The Phantom of the Opera 《歌剧院的幽灵》
作者：Jennifer Bassett 詹妮弗·巴塞特
简介：
你相信有鬼吗？当然不会相信。我们喜欢谈论鬼，喜欢讲述关于鬼的故事，但我们并非真的相信有鬼……是不是？
1880年，在巴黎歌剧院发生了一件不可思议的事情：一个舞蹈演员在黑暗的走廊里遇见了鬼。它穿越墙壁来到她的面前，它的脸上没有眼睛；一个舞台工人看见一个穿黑色晚礼服的男人，但他却有一个死人般的头颅，黄色的面孔，并且没有鼻子；人们听到另一个房间里有声音，而那个房间却是空的。
这就是歌剧院的幽灵……
一个名叫盖斯顿·勒罗克斯的法国人最早创作了这个关于歌剧院的幽灵的故事。他的书很受欢迎，1925年它被拍成一部美国无声电影，由著名演员朗·钱尼扮演幽灵。从那以后，已经出现了许多其他的电影和戏剧，以及最近由安德鲁·劳埃德·韦伯创作的著名的英国音乐片。
本书作者詹妮弗·巴塞特是一位经验丰富的教师和作家。她生活和工作在英国西南部的德文郡。
Chapter 6 La Carlotta sings Margarita
On Friday morning La Carlotta had her breakfast in bed. She drank her coffee and opened her morning letters. One letter had no name on it. It was very short.
星期五早晨拉•卡洛塔在床上用早餐。她一边喝咖啡一边拆阅她的晨信。有一封信没有署名。它非常短。
You are ill. You cannot sing Margarita tonight. Stay at home and don't go to the Opera House. Accidents can happen. Do you want to lose your voice-forever?
你病了。今晚你不能演唱玛格丽塔。呆在家里不要去歌剧院。否则会有意外。你想失声吗？——永远？
La Carlotta was very, very angry. She got out of bed at once and did not finish her breakfast.
拉•卡洛塔非常非常气愤。她立即下床，连早餐都没有吃完。
'This is from Christine Daaé' s friends, ' she thought.’ They want her to sing again tonight. That Daaé girl is going to be sorry for this! I, La Carlotta, I am the best opera singer in Paris. And nothing is going to stop me singing Margarita tonight!'
“这是克丽斯廷•达埃的朋友写来的，”她想，“他们希望她今晚再次演唱。那个达埃姑娘将为此而感到懊悔！我，拉•卡洛塔，是巴黎最好的歌剧演唱家。没有什么能够阻止我今晚演唱玛格丽塔！”
At six o'clock that evening the dancers were in their dressing-room. They talked and laughed and put on their red and black dresses for Faust. But Meg Giry was very quiet.
当天晚上6点钟舞蹈演员们都来到了她们的化妆室。她们一边笑谈着一边穿上她们的红黑的《浮士德》歌剧服。但是梅格•吉丽却一言不发。
'What's the matter, Meg?' Annie Sorelli asked.
“怎么了，梅格？”安妮•索雷丽问。
'It's the Opera ghost, Meg said.’ My mother says he's angry. She's afraid that something's going to happen tonight.’
“是歌剧院的幽灵，”梅洛说，“我妈妈说他发怒了。她担心今晚会发生什么事。”
'Oh, pooh!' the girl with black hair said.’ Who's afraid of an old ghost?'
“哦，呸！”那个黑发姑娘说，“谁会害怕什么幽灵？”
An hour later Monsieur Armand and Monsieur Firmin went into Box 5 and sat down. They were not afraid of ghosts. Of course not. There were no ghosts in the Opera House.
一个小时以后阿尔芒先生和菲尔曼先生步入5号包厢坐下。他们从不害怕幽灵。歌剧院里根本就没有幽灵。
Then Monsieur Armand saw some flowers on the floor by the door of the box.’ Firmin, 'he whispered, 'did you put those flowers there?'
随后阿尔芒先生发现包厢门边的地上放着一些鲜花。“菲尔曼，”他轻声问，“是你把那些鲜花放在那里的？”
Monsieur Firmin looked.’ No, I didn't, 'he whispered back 'Did you?'
菲尔曼先生看了看。“不，我没有，”他反过来轻声问：“是你吗？”
'Of course not, you fool! Shh, the music's beginning.’
“当然不是，你这个傻瓜！嘘，歌剧开始了。”
La Carlotta did not sing for the first hour. There were no strange voices in Box 5, and the two directors began to feel happier. Then La Carlotta came out onto the stage, and Mon sieur Firmin looked at Monsieur Armand.
拉•卡洛塔在开始的一个小时里不演唱。5号包厢里没有异样的声音，于是两位经理开始感觉心情愉快了。接着拉•卡洛塔出现在舞台上，这时菲尔曼先生看着阿尔芒先生。
'Did you hear a voice just then?' he asked quietly.
“刚才你听到说话声了吗？”他轻声问。
'No!' Monsieur Armand said, but he looked behind him twice, then three times, and suddenly felt cold.
“没有！”阿尔芒先生说，但是他往身后看了两次，随后又看了第三次，并且突然感到一丝凉意。
拉•卡洛塔唱啊唱，并没有发生什么事。接着她开始演唱一首优美的爱情歌曲。
'My love begins to-Co－ack!'
“我的爱始于——科-艾克！”
Everybody stared. What was the matter with Carlotta's voice. What was that strange noise-Co－ack?
众人面面相觑。卡洛塔的嗓音怎么了？那个陌生的杂音——科-艾克是什么？
Carlotta stopped and began the song again.
卡洛塔停下来重新开始演唱。
'My love begins to-Co－ack!’
“我的爱始于——科-艾克！”
‘I cannot forget my-Co-ack!'
“我无法忘记我的——科-艾克！”
It was the noise of a toad! People began to talk and laugh. Monsieur Firmin put his head in his bands. Then he felt Monsieur Armand's hand on his arm. There was a voice in the box with them! A man's voice, laughing!
这是癞蛤蟆的鼓噪！人们开始交头接耳并且哄笑。菲尔曼先生把头埋进双手之中。然后他觉得阿尔芒先生的手放在了自己的手臂上。包厢里有一个声音！一个男人的声音，大笑着！
Poor Carlotta tried again, and again.
可怜的卡洛塔试了一次又一次。
'I cannot forget my-Co－ack!'
“我无法忘记我的——科-艾克！”
Then the two directors heard the voice again, behind them, in front of them, everywhere.’ Her singing tonight is going to bring down the chandelier!'
接着这两位经理又听到了那个声音，它来自身后，身前，各个方向。“今晚她的演唱将会使枝形吊灯落下来！”
The two directors looked up at the top of the Opera House. Their faces were white. The famous chandelier, with its thousand lights, broke away from its ropes and crashed down on to the people below.
两位经理抬头朝歌剧院的屋顶看去。他们的脸色变得惨白。那著名的有着上千盏灯的枝形吊灯，竟然脱离束缚它的绳索坠落在下面的观众席上。
That was a terrible night for the Paris Opera House. One woman was killed by the chandelier, and many people were hurt. The Opera House closed for two weeks. And La Carlotta never sang again.
对于巴黎歌剧院来说那是一个可怕的夜晚。一名妇女被枝形吊灯砸死，另外许多人被砸伤。歌剧院为此关闭两周。而拉•卡洛塔从此再没有演唱过。
【词组学习】
1.put on
增加；装(船、火车、飞机)；穿上；上演
例：Please put on the slippers.
请把拖鞋穿上。
2.sit down
坐下
例：Would you sit down?
你能先坐下吗？
