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1、Reading tasks: 1. Prereading consideration:Have you ever been laughed at and you think it really hurt?Think about the possibility of your being old one day? What would you like to do?2. While reading tips:Pay attention to how Miss Brills mental activities are described. The story is told in third pe
2、rson point of view. Is it a limited or unlimited point of view?3. Postreading activity:Suppose you were in the same park with Miss Brill. Please meet her and make a conversation with her. Suppose you were in the same park with Miss Brill. You see her and the others. Describe orally what is going on
3、in your mind.Suppose you were Miss Brill, write a letter to your friend and talked about what happened to you. Suppose you were her friend, write a letter back to console Miss Brill.Katherine MansfieldMiss Brill Although it was so brilliantly fine - the blue sky powdered with gold and great spots of
4、 light like white wine splashed over the Jardins Publiques - Miss Brill was glad that she had decided on her fur. The air was motionless, but when you opened your mouth there was just a faint chill, like a chill from a glass of iced water before you sip, and now and again a leaf came drifting - from
5、 nowhere, from the sky. Miss Brill put up her hand and touched her fur. Dear little thing! It was nice to feel it again. She had taken it out of its box that afternoon, shaken out the moth-powder, given it a good brush, and rubbed the life back into the dim little eyes. What has been happening to me
6、? said the sad little eyes. Oh, how sweet it was to see them snap at her again from the red eiderdown! . But the nose, which was of some black composition, wasnt at all firm. It must have had a knock, somehow. Never mind - a little dab of black sealing-wax when the time came - when it was absolutely
7、 necessary . Little rogue! Yes, she really felt like that about it. Little rogue biting its tail just by her left ear. She could have taken it off and laid it on her lap and stroked it. She felt a tingling in her hands and arms, but that came from walking, she supposed. And when she breathed, someth
8、ing light and sad - no, not sad, exactly - something gentle seemed to move in her bosom. There were a number of people out this afternoon, far more than last Sunday. And the band sounded louder and gayer. That was because the Season had begun. For although the band played all the year round on Sunda
9、ys, out of season it was never the same. It was like some one playing with only the family to listen; it didnt care how it played if there werent any strangers present. Wasnt the conductor wearing a new coat, too? She was sure it was new. He scraped with his foot and flapped his arms like a rooster
10、about to crow, and the bandsmen sitting in the green rotunda blew out their cheeks and glared at the music. Now there came a little flutey bit - very pretty! - a little chain of bright drops. She was sure it would be repeated. It was; she lifted her head and smiled. Only two people shared her specia
11、l seat: a fine old man in a velvet coat, his hands clasped over a huge carved walking-stick, and a big old woman, sitting upright, with a roll of knitting on her embroidered apron. They did not speak. This was disappointing, for Miss Brill always looked forward to the conversation. She had become re
12、ally quite expert, she thought, at listening as though she didnt listen, at sitting in other peoples lives just for a minute while they talked round her. She glanced, sideways, at the old couple. Perhaps they would go soon. Last Sunday, too, hadnt been as interesting as usual. An Englishman and his
13、wife, he wearing a dreadful Panama hat and she button boots. And shed gone on the whole time about how she ought to wear spectacles; she knew she needed them; but that it was no good getting any; theyd be sure to break and theyd never keep on. And hed been so patient. Hed suggested everything - gold
14、 rims, the kind that curved round your ears, little pads inside the bridge. No, nothing would please her. Theyll always be sliding down my nose! Miss Brill had wanted to shake her. The old people sat on the bench, still as statues. Never mind, there was always the crowd to watch. To and fro, in fron
15、t of the flower-beds and the band rotunda, the couples and groups paraded, stopped to talk, to greet, to buy a handful of flowers from the old beggar who had his tray fixed to the railings. Little children ran among them, swooping and laughing; little boys with big white silk bows under their chins,
16、 little girls, little French dolls, dressed up in velvet and lace. And sometimes a tiny staggerer came suddenly rocking into the open from under the trees, stopped, stared, as suddenly sat down flop, until its small high-stepping mother, like a young hen, rushed scolding to its rescue. Other people
17、sat on the benches and green chairs, but they were nearly always the same, Sunday after Sunday, and - Miss Brill had often noticed - there was something funny about nearly all of them. They were odd, silent, nearly all old, and from the way they stared they looked as though theyd just come from dark
18、 little rooms or even - even cupboards! Behind the rotunda the slender trees with yellow leaves down drooping, and through them just a line of sea, and beyond the blue sky with gold-veined clouds. Tum-tum-tum tiddle-um! tiddle-um! tum tiddley-um tum ta! blew the band. Two young girls in red came by
19、and two young soldiers in blue met them, and they laughed and paired and went off arm-in-arm. Two peasant women with funny straw hats passed, gravely, leading beautiful smoke-coloured donkeys. A cold, pale nun hurried by. A beautiful woman came along and dropped her bunch of violets, and a little bo
20、y ran after to hand them to her, and she took them and threw them away as if theyd been poisoned. Dear me! Miss Brill didnt know whether to admire that or not! And now an ermine toque and a gentleman in grey met just in front of her. He was tall, stiff, dignified, and she was wearing the ermine toqu
21、e shed bought when her hair was yellow. Now everything, her hair, her face, even her eyes, was the same colour as the shabby ermine, and her hand, in its cleaned glove, lifted to dab her lips, was a tiny yellowish paw. Oh, she was so pleased to see him - delighted! She rather thought they were going
22、 to meet that afternoon. She described where shed been - everywhere, here, there, along by the sea. The day was so charming - didnt he agree? And wouldnt he, perhaps? . But he shook his head, lighted a cigarette, slowly breathed a great deep puff into her face, and even while she was still talking a
23、nd laughing, flicked the match away and walked on. The ermine toque was alone; she smiled more brightly than ever. But even the band seemed to know what she was feeling and played more softly, played tenderly, and the drum beat, The Brute! The Brute! over and over. What would she do? What was going
24、to happen now? But as Miss Brill wondered, the ermine toque turned, raised her hand as though shed seen some one else, much nicer, just over there, and pattered away. And the band changed again and played more quickly, more gayly than ever, and the old couple on Miss Brills seat got up and marched a
25、way, and such a funny old man with long whiskers hobbled along in time to the music and was nearly knocked over by four girls walking abreast. Oh, how fascinating it was! How she enjoyed it! How she loved sitting here, watching it all! It was like a play. It was exactly like a play. Who could believ
26、e the sky at the back wasnt painted? But it wasnt till a little brown dog trotted on solemn and then slowly trotted off, like a little theatre dog, a little dog that had been drugged, that Miss Brill discovered what it was that made it so exciting. They were all on the stage. They werent only the au
27、dience, not only looking on; they were acting. Even she had a part and came every Sunday. No doubt somebody would have noticed if she hadnt been there; she was part of the performance after all. How strange shed never thought of it like that before! And yet it explained why she made such a point of
28、starting from home at just the same time each week - so as not to be late for the performance - and it also explained why she had quite a queer, shy feeling at telling her English pupils how she spent her Sunday afternoons. No wonder! Miss Brill nearly laughed out loud. She was on the stage. She tho
29、ught of the old invalid gentleman to whom she read the newspaper four afternoons a week while he slept in the garden. She had got quite used to the frail head on the cotton pillow, the hollowed eyes, the open mouth and the high pinched nose. If hed been dead she mightnt have noticed for weeks; she w
30、ouldnt have minded. But suddenly he knew he was having the paper read to him by an actress! An actress! The old head lifted; two points of light quivered in the old eyes. An actress - are ye? And Miss Brill smoothed the newspaper as though it were the manuscript of her part and said gently; Yes, I h
31、ave been an actress for a long time. The band had been having a rest. Now they started again. And what they played was warm, sunny, yet there was just a faint chill - a something, what was it? - not sadness - no, not sadness - a something that made you want to sing. The tune lifted, lifted, the ligh
32、t shone; and it seemed to Miss Brill that in another moment all of them, all the whole company, would begin singing. The young ones, the laughing ones who were moving together, they would begin, and the mens voices, very resolute and brave, would join them. And then she too, she too, and the others
33、on the benches - they would come in with a kind of accompaniment - something low, that scarcely rose or fell, something so beautiful - moving . And Miss Brills eyes filled with tears and she looked smiling at all the other members of the company. Yes, we understand, we understand, she thought - thou
34、gh what they understood she didnt know. Just at that moment a boy and girl came and sat down where the old couple had been. They were beautifully dressed; they were in love. The hero and heroine, of course, just arrived from his fathers yacht. And still soundlessly singing, still with that trembling
35、 smile, Miss Brill prepared to listen. No, not now, said the girl. Not here, I cant. But why? Because of that stupid old thing at the end there? asked the boy. Why does she come here at all - who wants her? Why doesnt she keep her silly old mug at home? Its her fu-ur which is so funny, giggled the g
36、irl. Its exactly like a fried whiting. Ah, be off with you! said the boy in an angry whisper. Then: Tell me, ma petite chere- No, not here, said the girl. Not yet. On her way home she usually bought a slice of honey-cake at the bakers. It was her Sunday treat. Sometimes there was an almond in her sl
37、ice, sometimes not. It made a great difference. If there was an almond it was like carrying home a tiny present - a surprise - something that might very well not have been there. She hurried on the almond Sundays and struck the match for the kettle in quite a dashing way. But to-day she passed the b
38、akers by, climbed the stairs, went into the little dark room - her room like a cupboard - and sat down on the red eiderdown. She sat there for a long time. The box that the fur came out of was on the bed. She unclasped the necklet quickly; quickly, without looking, laid it inside. But when she put t
39、he lid on she thought she heard something crying.布里尔小姐 凯瑟琳曼斯菲尔德尽管阳光明媚蓝天涂上了金色，巨大的光点犹如泼洒在公共花园里的白葡萄酒布里尔小姐很高兴自己还是决定戴上了狐皮围巾。空气中一丝风也没有，但当你张开嘴时，却有那么一丝丝凉意。那感觉犹如你要吸一小口冰水时从杯子里冒出的凉气那样。不时有一片落叶从无人知晓的地方飘来，从天空飘来。布里尔小姐抬起手来摸着狐皮围巾。可爱的小东西！再次触摸到它感觉真好。下午她把它从盒子里拿了出来，抖掉防蛀粉，好好地刷了一遍，把没有光泽的小眼睛擦得又恢复了生气。“我怎么了？”忧伤的小眼睛问道。哈，看到它们从
40、红鸭绒垫上再次亮闪闪地盯着她，实在是令人高兴，但是用某种黑色合成物做的鼻子很不结实了，一定是不知怎么被撞了一下。没关系，到时候，到绝对必要的时候用黑色的火漆擦一擦小淘气！是的，她的确觉得它是个小淘气。这个小淘气就在她左耳边咬住自己的尾巴。她本可以取下它来放在膝上抚弄一下，她感到手和胳膊略微有些刺痛，她想可能是由于走了路的缘故。当她呼吸时，似乎有一种轻柔忧郁的东西不，不是忧郁是某种温柔的东西在她的胸中移动。今天下午出来的人很多，比上星期日多多了，而且乐队演奏得也好像更加响亮、欢快。那是因为演出季节开始了。尽管乐队每逢星期日都演奏，但不是演出季节时总是不太一样。就好像一个人只演奏给家里人听那样，没
41、有陌生人在场，演得怎样都没关系。指挥不也穿了一件新上衣吗？她肯定那是新的。他像一只正要鸣叫的公鸡那样一只脚蹭着地，摆动着双臂。坐在绿色圆亭里的乐队成员们鼓起两腮，眼睛盯着乐谱。这时传来“长笛般”柔和清亮的一小段音乐十分悦耳一长串活泼的急降。她知道这一段一定会重复出现的。是的，重复了，她抬起头来笑了。只有两个人和她一起坐在她的“专座”上，一位是穿着丝绒上衣相貌出众的老头，双手握着一根巨大的雕花手杖；还有一个身材高大的老太太，笔直地坐着，绣花围裙上放着一卷织着的毛活。他们都不说话，令人非常失望，因为布里尔小姐总是期待着别人的谈话，她觉得自己能够十分老练、不动声色地听别人的谈话，十分在行地利用别人在
42、她周围谈话的时机短暂地介入别人的生活。她斜眼看了看这对老人，他们也许很快就会走的。上星期日也不如平时那么有趣。那天有一个英国人和他的妻子，男人戴了顶非常难看的巴拿马草帽，女人穿了双带扣长筒靴。所有的时间里她都在说她如何应该戴眼镜，她知道自己需要眼镜，可买眼镜也不行，也许会打碎，总是戴不住。而男人是那么耐心，他什么建议都提了，金丝镜框，那种镜腿弯曲紧扣耳朵的镜框，眼镜鼻架侧面安上小垫。不行，什么也无法使她满意。“它总是会从鼻子上滑下来的！”布里尔小姐真想抓住她好好地摇她几下。那两个老人坐在座位上，仍像雕像一样一声不响。没关系，总有许多人可看。在花圃前和乐队所在的圆亭前，成双成对或三五成群的人们来
43、回漫步，时而停下来交谈、打招呼，或从一个把花盘捆在栏杆上的老乞丐手里买上一把花。孩子们在他们中间奔跑着，打闹着，大声笑着，男孩子们下巴底下戴着大个的白色丝绸蝴蝶领结，女孩子们打扮得就像法国玩具娃娃，穿着丝绸带花边的衣服。有时一个刚刚学步的小家伙突然从树下摇摇晃晃地走出来，在空地上停下，睁大眼睛张望着，突然“扑通”一下坐在地上，直到他娇小的母亲高抬着脚步像只小母鸡一样一边责备着一边冲过去把他救起。另外一些人坐在长凳上或是绿色的椅子上，但一个又一个星期日，几乎总是同样的一些人，而且布里尔小姐常常注意到他们几乎所有的人身上都有一些奇怪之处。他们古怪、沉默，几乎都很老。看他们睁大眼睛的样子，好像是刚从
44、黑暗的小屋子里出来，甚至甚至是刚从小橱柜里出来。在圆形大厅后面是垂着黄叶的细长的树木，穿过树叶可见一线大海，在那之外便是漂浮着金色纹脉白云的蓝天。 两个穿红色衣服的年轻姑娘从附近走过，两个穿蓝色军装的年轻土兵同她们相遇。他们高声笑着分成两对挽臂而去。两个戴着可笑草帽的农妇神情庄重地牵着漂亮的暗灰色的毛驴走了过去。一个冷冰冰的，面色苍白的修女匆匆走过。一个美貌的女人向这边走来，将一束紫罗兰掉在地上，一个小男孩追上去把花递还给她，她接过去后又扔掉了，仿佛花被放了毒似的。天哪，布里尔小姐真不知道该不该称赞这种行为。现在一个戴貂皮无沿帽的女人和一个穿灰衣服的先生正好在她面前相遇了。他身材高大、神态拘谨
45、、举止庄重，而她戴的貂皮无沿帽是在她的头发是黄色时买的。而现在她的一切，头发，脸，甚至眼睛都和这顶破旧的貂皮帽一样颜色苍白了。她抬起来轻抹嘴唇的那只戴着洗过手套的手是只发黄的爪子。哈！她见到他真是太高兴了太愉快了！她觉得他们是定好下午会面的。她描述她到了什么地方这儿、那儿、海边，到处都去了。天气是这样可爱难道他不同意吗？也许他不愿意吧？但他摇了摇头，点上一支香烟，徐徐地把一大口烟喷在了她的脸上，在她仍在谈笑风生时，把火柴轻轻向外一弹，继续走开去。只有貂皮无沿帽独自呆在那里，她笑得更加明快了。就连乐队也似乎知道她的感觉而演奏得更轻柔了，乐队轻柔地演奏着，鼓点声一遍又一遍地敲出：“畜生！畜生！”她
46、要做些什么呢？现在会发生什么事？然而就在布里尔小姐想着这些的时候，貂皮无沿帽转过身去，好像看见了就在那边有另一个更好的人似地扬起手，嗒嗒地走了。乐队又一次改变节奏，演奏得比任何时候都更快，更欢，坐在布里尔小姐凳子上的老人站起身来走了。这个连鬓胡子很长的老头真滑稽，和着音乐的节拍蹒跚地走着，差点被四个并排走着的姑娘给撞倒。啊，这一切是多么的迷人！多么令她欣喜！她是多么喜欢坐在这里，看着这一切！就像是一出戏，完全就像是一出戏。谁能相信背后的天空不是画出来的？但是直到一只棕色的小狗神色庄重地迈着小步走过来，然后又慢慢迈着小步走过去，就像一只“演戏”的小狗，一只被轻度麻醉的小狗那样，直到这时布里尔小姐
47、才发现这一切如此令人激动。他们全都在舞台上。他们不仅仅是观众，不仅仅在一边观看，他们也在演戏。就连她自己也是其中的一个角色，每个星期天都来。毫无疑问，如果她没有来，就会引起别人的注意，她毕竟是整个演出的一部分。奇怪，她过去从未这样想过。但是这也解释了她为什么每一个星期都要这样特意在同一时间离家是为了不误演出而且这也解释了为什么她在给来向她学习英语的学生讲她如何度过每个星期日下午时会有这样古怪的羞怯的感觉。真是难怪！布里尔小姐几乎笑出声来。她是在舞台上。她想起了那个生病的老人，她每周有四个下午趁他在花园里躺着时给他读报纸。她已经完全习惯了在棉布枕头上的那个虚弱的脑袋，那深深凹陷的眼睛，张着的嘴巴
48、和高高的皱缩的鼻子。如果他死去，很可能她许多个星期都不会注意到，也不会在乎。但是他突然知道了给他读报纸的是个女演员！“一个女演员！”衰老的头抬了起来，昏花的眼中闪动着两个光点。“女演员是你吗？”布里尔小姐于是抚平报纸，仿佛这是她的台词，并且温柔地说道：“是的，我当演员已经很久了。”乐队刚才一直在休息，现在又重新开始演奏了。他们演奏的乐曲热烈、明快，然而透着一丝凉意一种难以言状的东西。是什么呢？不是悲哀不，不是悲哀是一种使你想唱歌的气氛。曲调升华，升华，阳光灿烂，布里尔小姐感到再过一会儿他们所有的人，剧团全体人员都会唱起来。那些年轻的人，那些在一起活动的笑着的人会先开始歌唱，然后坚定勇敢的男声会加入进来，然后她也加入，还有长凳上坐着的其他人他们会以伴唱的形式加入进来声音很低，几乎没有起伏，非常动听感人布里尔小姐眼中充满泪水，微笑着看着剧团的全体人员。是的，我们明白，我们明白，她想到虽然她并不知道他们明白什么。这个时候一对青年男女走过来坐在刚才那对老夫妻坐的地方。他们衣着鲜亮，正在恋爱。当然男女主人公刚刚从他父亲的游艇上下来。布里尔小姐仍然在无声地唱着歌，仍带着颤抖的微笑，她准备好听他们的谈话。“不行，现在不行，”姑娘说道，“别在这里，我不能。”“可是为什么？是因为坐在那一头的那个愚蠢的老家伙吗？”小伙子问。“她为什么要到这里来谁需要她？她为什么不把她那
