大学英语精读第三版（第一册）学习笔记（原文及全文翻译）——10B - The Hitchhiker（搭车者）
Unit 10B - The Hitchhiker
The Hitchhiker
John Henderson was driving home late last night from an exhausting business trip. He had put off visiting the company's new headquarters in order to get home before midnight, and now he was having trouble staying awake. He turned up the radio and tried to concentrate on the news — something about a robbery but his eyes kept on closing. His wife was back home in Dayton, and he missed having her company on this long trip.
It was then that he noticed the hitchhiker at the side of the road. Without even thinking about what he was doing, he slowed down and stopped the car. He couldn’t help feeling sorry for the young man who looked so wet and miserable in the rain. "Get in," he said.
John remembered having to hitchhike home from the university before he had a car. He couldn’t stand sitting at the side of the road for hours, waiting for rides.
The hitchhiker got in and immediately John was sorry that he had picked him up. The young man had a strange face and very penetrating eyes. His clothes were old and dirty, and his long hair needed cutting. The hitchhiker lit a cigarette and said he was going to Woodsville but when John asked him other questions, the young man avoided giving him any personal information and changed the subject.
John began to sweat and his thoughts turned nervously to his wallet and all the money he was carrying. He desperately tried to remember what the newscaster had said earlier about a robbery. Don't be ridiculous! He thought to himself. Stop imagining things! This guy isn't a criminal. What's the use of panicking?
Even though he had quit smoking three months before, John felt like having a cigarette. He asked his passenger for one but before lighting it, he had to wait for his hands to stop shaking. At the next small town John stopped the car and said, "I just can't seem to stay awake. I think I'll try and find a hotel and spend the night here." He apologized nervously to the hitchhiker for not being able to drive him to Woodsville.
The young man slowly reached into his pocket. "This is it!" thought John. "I'm a dead man." At that very moment he considered shouting for help, but instead of a gun or a knife, the hitchhiker pulled out several wrinkled bills and offered them to John. "Oh, no. I don't want your money. Just get out, Okay?"
The young man looked puzzled, but insisted on giving John the money — $500. "My father is John Baresford, the oil millionaire, you see," he said. "Thanks for taking me this far."
John waited until his passenger had disappeared from sight, then he stepped on the gas and drove out of town. He was looking forward to getting home. Martha will never believe this! He thought to himself.
参考译文——搭车者
搭车者
昨天深夜，约翰·亨德森驱车回家，他刚出了一趟令人筋疲力尽的公差。为了在半夜之前赶到家，他把参观公司新总部的事儿也往后推迟了，而此刻他却难以保持清醒。他打开收音机，想把注意力集中在新闻上——是关于一则抢劫案什么的——可他的眼皮老是不由自主地要合上。他妻子待在代顿的家里，长途旅行时，他真希望有她在自己身旁做伴。
就在这时他注意到路旁有个人想搭车。他不假思索地减慢车速，让车停下来。那个年轻人在雨中已淋得浑身湿透，看上去怪可怜的，约翰不禁为他感到难过。“上车吧，”他说。
约翰想起了自己从前没车时不得不从学校搭便车回家的情景。一连几个小时坐在路旁等着别人让他搭车，他实在忍受不了。
搭车者一上了车，约翰顿生后悔之意。年轻人有张奇特的脸，两道目光锐利逼人。他的衣服又旧又脏，长长的头发也该剪剪了。搭车者点着一支烟，说他要去伍兹威尔，但当约翰问到别的问题时，年轻人却避而不谈任何有关他个人的情况，并改变了话题。
约翰身上开始冒冷汗，他情绪紧张，禁不住想到了自己的钱包，想到了带在身边的所有钱财。他竭力想回忆刚才播音员说的那起抢劫案。别犯傻了，他对自己说。别胡思乱想！这家伙不是罪犯。再说惊慌又管什么用？
约翰三个月前就戒了烟，可这会儿他忍不住想抽一支。他向他的乘客要了一支烟，但他却不得不等自己的双手停止颤抖后才点上了烟。到了下一个小镇，约翰把车停下，说：“我实在是睁不开眼了，看来我得想办法找家旅馆，在这儿过夜了。”他神情紧张地向搭车者道歉，说不能送他去伍兹威尔了。
年轻人慢慢把手伸向口袋。“这一下要亮招了，”约翰想，“我在劫难逃。”就在那一刻，他考虑大声呼救，但搭车人掏出来的既不是枪也不是刀子，而是几张皱巴巴的钞票，并要把这些钱给约翰。“哦，不，我不要钱。你只管下车得了，行吗？”
年轻人显得有点困惑，执意要塞钱给约翰——500美金，“你瞧，我父亲是石油大王约翰·贝尔斯福特，”他说。“谢谢你送了我这么远的一段路程。”
直到搭车者从视野中消失，约翰才猛踩油门，开车向镇外疾驰而去。他急着想赶回家。玛莎说什么也不会相信有这种事的！他暗自这么思忖。
Key Words:
concentrate ['kɔnsntreit]
v. 集中，专心，浓缩
n. 浓缩物
sweat [swet]
n. 汗，汗水
v. (使)出汗
ridiculous [ri'dikjuləs]
adj. 荒谬的，可笑的
penetrating ['penitreitiŋ]
adj. 敏锐的，尖锐的，穿透的，透彻的
miserable ['mizərəbl]
adj. 悲惨的，痛苦的，贫乏的
criminal ['kriminl]
adj. 犯罪的，刑事的，违法的
n. 罪犯
wallet ['wɔlit]
n. 皮夹，钱包
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