『新东方在线托福听力』为托福考生准备了ETS托福TPO/Official 4 Con 1听力练习：What does the woman say about her experience seeing a performance of Happy Strangers when she was younger?原文题目答案解析，TPO/Official 4 Con 1听力原文范文音频翻译。

托福TPO/Official 4 Con 1听力原文What does the woman say about her experience seeing a performance of Happy Strangers when she was younger?-新东方托福官方网校手机版

独白：请听一段学生和图书管理员之间的对话。

Narrator: Listen to a conversation between a student and a librarian.

图书管理员：有什么可以帮你的？

学生：呃，我需要找一本戏剧的评论。

我们必须找我们正在读的戏剧的评论，

We have to find reviews of the play we are reading.

但是评论必须是那些从戏剧一上映就有的评论，所以我需要知道具体时间，我想我应该从报纸评论开始……

But they have to be from when the play was first performed, so I need to know when that was and I suppose I should start with newspaper reviews...

图书管理员：你需要的是当代评论。

Librarian: You want contemporary reviews.

学生：叫做《快乐的陌生人》，

写于1962年。我们应该写的内容是关于其对美国戏剧界的影响以及表明为什么该部戏剧一直都这么重要。

It was written in 1962 and we are supposed to write about its influence on American theatre and show why it's been so important.

图书管理员：嗯，这就说明了为什么你的教授要你去读那些以前的评论了。

Librarian: Well, that certainly explains why your professor wants you to read some of those old reviews.

在该部戏剧开始时，当时的评论着实将其批得体无完肤。

The critiques really tore the play to pieces when it opened.

Nobody had ever seen anything like it on the stage.

学生：真的吗？这有什么大不了的？

评论的反应让某些人对该部戏剧充满好奇。

Of course the critics' reaction made some people kind of curious about it.

他们要知道是什么原因惹来这样的恶评。

They wanted to see what was causing all the fuss.

事实上，我们当时正在纽约度假。

In fact, we were on vacation in New York.

噢，我当时已经，呃，差不多16岁了，我父母亲给我看了评论。

Oh, I had to be, oh, around 16 or so, and my parents took me to see it.

Student: So that was the year it premiered?

太好了，但，呃，当时的报纸没有电子版的，那，我要怎么办……

Great! But uh, newspapers from back then aren't online, so, how do I...

图书管理员：嗯，我们仓库里有所有报纸的复印版，还有各大主要报纸发表的文章评论索引等等。

Librarian: Well, we have copies of old newspapers in the basement, and all the major papers publish reference guides to their articles, reviews, etc.

You will find them in the reference stacks in the back.

但我要从1964年开始，所以我想在我看到这部戏剧之前它应该已经上映一段时间了。

But I start with 1964, I think the play had been running for a little while when I saw it.

我是说舞台上只有两个角色，他们基本上没做什么事情。

I mean just two characters on the stage hanging around basically doing nothing.

图书管理员：嗯，我对其印象深刻。

演员都很出名，此外，那是我第一次在剧院看戏。

The actors were famous, and besides it was my first time in a real theatre.

这部戏跟我高中时看到的都截然不同。

It was definitely different from many plays that we read in high school.

当然，在小镇里的舞台表演都很传统。

Of course, in a small town the assignments are pretty traditional.

学生：是的，我也只是看过，而似乎没有什么兴趣去观看舞台表演。

Student: Yeah, I've only read it but it doesn't seem like it would be much fun to watch.

故事不是被常规逻辑方式演绎出来，也没有一个真正的结尾，就是突然结束了。

The story doesn't progress in any sort of logical matter, doesn't have real ending either, just stops.

说实在的，我觉得发展得有点慢，挺无聊的。

Honestly, you know, I thought it was kind of slow and boring.

图书管理员：哦，我想你也可能这么想的。

Librarian: Oh, well I guess you might think that.

但当我回头再看一遍的时候，却觉得一点也不无聊，

But when I saw it back then it was anything but boring.

某些部分真的挺有趣的，我记得我被感动到哭过。

Some parts were really funny, but I remember crying too.

但我不确定仅仅是读了戏本就哭了。

你知道，他们至少在校园里面有过一次舞台演出。

You know, they've done this play at least once on campus.

我敢说在我们学校的音像图书馆上会有该剧的记录，

I'm sure there is a tape of the play in our video library.

这样在我读这些评论之前我可以更清楚我是怎么看待这部剧的。

I'll have a better idea of what I really think of it before I read those reviews.

图书管理员：每个人都觉得这部剧很激进，我相信你会觉得惊讶。

Librarian: I'm sure you will be surprised that anyone ever found it radical.

但你会明白会为什么其经久不衰，夸张一点说。

But you will see why it is still powerful, dramatically speaking.

学生：对，肯定有什么出彩的地方，不然教授不会布置这样的作业的。

Student: Well, there must be something about it, or the professor wouldn't have assigned it.

Why does the man need the woman's assistance?

What does the woman imply about critical reaction to the play Happy Strangers?

What does the woman say about her experience seeing a performance of Happy Strangers when she was younger?

What is the man’s attitude toward his current assignment?

Narrator 
Listen to a conversation between a student and a librarian. 
Librarian 
Can I help you? 
Student 
Yeah, I need to find a review. It’s for my English class. We have to find reviews of the play we are reading. But they have to be from when the play was first performed, so I need to know when that was and I suppose I should start with newspaper reviews and… 
Librarian 
Contemporary reviews. 
Student 
Sorry? 
Librarian 
You want contemporary reviews. What’s the name of the play? 
Student 
It’s Happy Strangers. It was written in 1962 and we are supposed to write about its influence on American theatre and show why it’s been so important. 
Librarian 
Well, that certainly explains why your professor wants you to read some of those old reviews. The critiques really tore the play to pieces when it opened. It’s so controversial. Nobody had ever seen anything like it on the stage. 
Student 
Really? Is that a big deal? 
Librarian 
Oh, sure. Of course the critics’ reaction made some people kind of curious about it. They wanted to see what was causing all the fuss. In fact, we were on vacation in New York. Oh, I had to be, oh, around 16 or so, and my parents took me to see it. That would’ve been about 1965. 
Student 
So that was the year it premiered? Great! But uh, newspapers from back then aren’t online, so, how do I… 
Librarian 
Well, we have copies of old newspapers in the basement, and all the major papers publish reference guides to their articles, reviews, etc. You will find them in the reference stacks in the back. But I start with 1964, I think the play had been running for a little while when I saw it. 
Student 
How do you like it? I mean just two characters on the stage hanging around basically doing nothing. 
Librarian 
Well, I was impressed. The actors were famous, and besides it was my first time in a real theatre. But you are right. It was definitely different from many plays that we read in high school. Of course, in a small town the assignments are pretty traditional. 
Student 
Yeah, I’ve only read it but it doesn’t seem like it would be much fun to watch. The story doesn’t progress in any sort of logical matter, doesn’t have real ending either, just stops. Honestly, you know, I thought it was kind of slow and boring. 
Librarian 
Oh, well I guess you might think that. But when I saw it back then it was anything but boring. Some parts were really funny, but I remember crying too. But I’m not sure just reading it. You know, they’ve done this play at least once on campus. 
I’m sure there is a tape of the play in our video library. You might want to borrow it. 
Student 
That’s a good idea. I’ll have a better idea of what I really think of it before I read those reviews. 
Librarian 
I’m sure you will be surprised that anyone ever found it radical. But you will see why it is still powerful, dramatically speaking. 
Student 
Well, there must be something about it, or the professor wouldn’t have assigned it. I’m sure I’ll figure it out. 
I suppose I should start with newspaper reviews and… 
Librarian 
Contemporary reviews. 
Student 
Sorry? 
Librarian 
You want contemporary reviews. What’s the name of the play?