“When...”she wanted to say,but the bus was ready to pull off.The lights on the avenue blurred,twinkled,blurred.And she was afraid to open her mouth as she entered the bus.Afraid it would be impossible to utter a word.Suddenly she shrieked very loudly,“ Good-bye !”But the bus door had closed.The bus started.People came between them outside,people crossing the street,people they didn t know.Space and people.
She lost sight of Bill.Then she remembered she had forgotten to give him her address-or to ask him for his-or tell him that her youngest son was named Bill,too.
Ⅰ.About the Author Born in Joplin,Missouri,U.S.A.,James Langston Hughes attended Central High School in Cleveland,Ohio,but began writing poetry in the eighth grade,and was selected as Class Poet.In 1923,Hughes traveled abroad on a freighter to Senegal,Nigeria,the Cameroons,Belgium Congo,Angola,and Guinea in Africa,and later to Italy and France,Russia and Spain.One of his favorite pastimes was sitting in the clubs listening to blues,jazz and writing poetry.Through these experiences a new rhythm emerged in his writing,and a series of poems such as“The Weary Blues”were penned.He returned to Harlem in 1924,the period known as the Harlem Renaissance.During this period,his work was frequently published and his writing flourished.Langston Hughes received a scholarship to Lincoln University,in Pennsylvania,where he received his B.A.degree in 1929.In 1943,he was awarded an honorary Lit.D by his alma mater ; a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1935 and a Rosenwald Fellowship in 1940.
Langston Hughes was a master of many literary forms-poetry,plays,essays,novels,and memoirs.But it is as a short-story writer that his talents combined in an especially vibrant way: his gift for humor and irony,his love of the vernacular,his brilliance in depicting character,and his profound perceptions about American life.These stories demonstrate Hughes s uncanny gift for elucidating the most vexing questions of American race relations and human nature in general.They are at once poignant,witty,angry,and deeply poetic.Langston Hughes died of cancer on May 22,1967.His residence at 20 East 127th Street in Harlem,New York has been given landmark status by the New York City Preservation Commission.His block of East 127th Street was renamed“Langston Hughes Place”.
Ⅱ.Words and Expressions
bursar n.(大学的)会计员,出纳员,事务员。
dusk n.黄昏; 傍晚。
blur v.to make indistinct and hazy in outline or appearance; obscure 朦胧,模糊使外观或面目模糊不清。
twinkle v.to shine with slight,intermittent gleams,as distant lights or stars; flicker;glimmer 闪耀,闪烁。
Ⅲ.Notes to the Text
1.This shows Mary s eager expectation for the reunion.2.Mary just couldn t let go what had happened between her and Bill so that at the sight of him,she blurted out his full name.3.Apparently,Bill had almost forgotten their past romance,which formed a sharp contrast to Mary s state of mind.4.This remark suggests that Bill had never expected to meet Mary again.5.Mary was constantly thinking of the past,and unconsciously tried to greet Bill in the habitual way,while Bill had already cast all behind his back and so greeted Mary in a business-like manner.
6.Knowing that Mary was living in New York,Jim assumed a subtle change in his mood.For one thing,he was concerned about the possible embarrassment resulting from another meeting with Mary; for another,he was jealously wondering if Mary was enjoying a better life.7.This brief answer was meant to show off his social background and status.8.This confident answer implies that without Mary,he could get married and had children nevertheless.9.This scene of autumn dusk suggests that there could not be any further development in their relationship.10.By this question,Bill meant to find out whether Mary s husband was better than he.11.Mary didn t answer this question directly,and so it might point to an unhappy marriage.12.This desolate scene indicates that like the fallen leaves,their relationship couldn t be retrieved,and set off Mary s misery and loneliness as well.13.From the blurred,twinkled lights,it might be concluded that Mary was in tears.14.The space referred to an impassable gap between them.15.This finishing touch reemphasizes Mary s affection for and attachment to Bill.(In the West,newborn babies are often named after senior relatives or intimate friends of the parents for honor and respect.)
Ⅳ.Text-Related Practice
Decide whether the following statements are True or False.1.Mary got married when Bill was very young.2.Bill didn t like Mary because he hated women.3.It had been quite a long time before Bill and Mary met again in WashingtonSquare.4.Mary told Bill that she had two kids.5.Mary loved autumn dusk and she was very happy to meet each other thoughshe was sick then.6.It was not likely that Mary and Bill would further develop their relationshipafter this meeting.