White Death

Chapter 1

The women stood in front of the prison. The prison was a big, dirty building in the biggest town of a country. The women was very hot, and she did not like the noise from all the cars in the road. She was an Englishwomen an she didn’t like hot countries or a lot of noise. She was tall and about fifty years old, with blue eyes and a long face. Her face was red, and she looked tired and angry. She knocked at the door of the prison. For a long time, nothing happened. The a little window opened in the door, and a man looked out at her.

“Yes? What do you want?”

“I want to see my daughter, it’s very important.”

“Name?”

“Anna Harland”

“Is that your name or your daughter’s name?”

“It’s my name. My daughter’s name is Sarah Harland”

“You can’t visit her today. Come back on Wednesday”

“No! I came from England to see her today. It is very important. she is going to court tomorrow. Please take me to her-Now!”

“Wait a minute”

The little window closed, but the door did not open. The women waited in front of the door for a long time. A lot of people in the road looked at her. One or two young men laughed, but she didn’t move. She stood there in the hot road in front of the prison door, and waited.

After twenty minutes, the door opened.

“Come with me” the man said.

The woman went in with him. It was dark in the prison, and at first she could not see very well. She walked for a long time, past hundreds of doors. Then the man opened one of them. “In here” he said. “you can have ten minutes.”

Anna Harland walked into the room and the man went in after her. He closed the door behind him. There was a table in the room, and two chairs. On one of the chairs was her daughter, Sarah. She was a tall girl, about nineteen years old, with big blue eyes.

“Mother!” she said. “I am very happy to see you” and she got up and began to run across the room to her mother.

“Sarah!” Anna said, and put out her arms. But the man moved quickly and stood between them. “No,” he said to Anna. “I’ m sorry. I know you’re her mother. You can talk, but that’s all. Please sit down at the table. I am here to watch you.”

The mother and daughter sat down at the table. Anna’s hands were near Sarah’s on the table. She looked carefully at her daughter. Sarah’s dress and face were dirty.

“She’s tired, and unhappy,” Anna thought.

“Sarah, what happened?” she said. “we have ten minutes to talk. No more. Tell me, please, quickly. I want to help you.”

Sarah looked at her mother.

“Oh, I am happy you’re here. I wanted you to come. Mother, I …I didn’t do it. It is not true. Please believe me.”

“Of course I believe you, Sarah. But tell me about it. What happened? Quickly. Begin at the beginning.”

“Yes, but…I don’t know…when did it begin? I don’t know…I don’t understand it”

“Why did the police arrest you? When did they bring you to this prison?”

“Last week, I think. Yes, last week. At the airport, when we arrived…the police stopped us, and looked in our bags, then…”

Sarah looked down at the table.

“She is crying,” Anna thought, “she’s very unhappy”

“What happened then, Sarah?”her mother asked.

“they …they said there were drugs in my bag. Then they took me into a room and told me to take my dress off. They looked for more drugs, but they found nothing. Then..then they brought me here”

“I see. Where were the drugs, then? Where did they find them?”

“Oh. They didn’t tell you?” Sarah stopped crying. She looked up and there was smile on her face. But it was not a happy smile.

“The drugs were in a tube of toothpaste. A toothpaste tube with drugs in it…heroin…not toothpaste.”

“And you didn’t know about it?”

“No, mother, of course not. Do you think I clean my teeth with heroin?”

Anna Harland smiled. It was difficult to smile, because she was afraid. But she smiled because she wanted to help her daughter.

“I know you don’t clean your teeth with heroin. You have very good teeth, Sarah. But…what about Stephen? Did she know about the heroin? Did he put it in the toothpaste tube?”

“Stephen? No…why do you ask about Stephen, mother?”

“Well, is he in prison too? You said us and our bags. Did the police arrest him too?”

“Oh…no,” Sarah’s face was unhappy. “no, I wasn’t with Stephen. Mother. You see, Stephen and I …well, we aren’t friends now. I left him about two months ago…and then I met Hassan.” “Hassan?”

“Yes, I was with Hassan at the airport. Stephen was on the plane too—I don’t know why—but she wasn’t with me. It’s Hassan—he was with me. Hassan is important to me now, not Stephen.” Anna looked at her daughter.

“I see. And did the police arrest this Hassan too? Is he in prison?”

“Yes. He is. They arrested him but I can’t see him. I asked them. I wanted to see him. But they said “no”. Mother, I am sure Hassan didn’t know about the heroin. He is a good man…he didn’t know . I am sure.”

“Then why was the heroin in your bag, Sarah?”

“I don’t know, mother…I don’t know.”

The man looked at the clock in the room.]

“I am sorry, Mrs. Harland.” He said. “but that is ten minutes. It’s time to go.”

Anna Harland stood up slowly. “All right,” she said. “But don’t be afraid, Sarah. I’m coming to the court tomorrow.”

“Yes. Mother.” Sarah said. “thank you. The police are bringing Hassan to court tomorrow too, I think. You can see him there. He is a good man, mother, and…I am sure he didn’t know about the drugs.”

“perhaps.” Anna said. She walked slowly to the door, and then stood by the door and looked at her daughter again.

“You are telling me the truth…aren’t you?”

Sarah began to cry again.

“Yes, mother, of course I am. I always tell you the truth, you know that.”

Anna smiled.

“Yes, Sarah,” she said quietly. “Yes, I believe you.”She went through the door and man went out after her.

Sarah sat quietly at the table in the room, and looked at her hands.

“Yes,” she thought. “I told you the truth, mother. I always tell you the truth. But I didn’t tell you the truth. But I didn’t tell you everything…”she put her head in her hands.

第二篇：White的自“白”

White

的自“白”

"山东省淄博市一中

我是white,今天说说我的用法。

在东西方文化中,我都代表着纯洁,有权贵之气。

美国总统生活和办公的地方叫WhiteHouse,美国政府的内外政策在此产生,故theWhiteHouse成为总统权力和美国政府的代名词。无独有偶,英国法庭、政府机关集中的一条宽阔街道叫Whitehall(白厅),南北走向,位于特拉法尔加广场与议会大厦之间,它是根据怀特霍尔宫(1529年-1698年)而命名的,以其是出台政策的政府办公机构而著名。

原先指英美政府就某一问题发表的官方报告叫whitebook(白皮书),后来各国政府,包括中国也发表有关政治、外交问题的文件白皮书。在英国还有awhitepaper,重要性和完整性略低于whitebook或bluebook。

我是纯洁的化身。西方传说中天使(angel)的翅膀,现实里新娘的婚纱礼服和美丽的百合花(lily),都有我的影子。

坐办公室的,掌握权力,不从事体力劳动的公务员叫Whitecollarclass(白领阶层)。

有人还以我作为了姓,如Mr.White(怀特先生)。

我可以修饰许多名词。例如:awhiteman诚实的人;白种人awhiteday黄道吉日awhitelie善意的谎言

awhitewinter(Christmas)多雪的冬天(有雪的圣诞节)

awhitenight不眠之夜

32

任大中

awhitewar不流血的战争;经济竞争

whitecoal(power)水力发电whitecoffee加牛奶的咖啡awhitelist优秀名单WhiteRussia白俄罗斯

有时我也有不积极的一面,例如战争中的awhitearea(白区),thewhitearmy(白军,指反动的部队),whiteflag(白旗,指投降)。美国有一篇小说Moby-Dick的中文译名就叫《白鲸》。

尽管我在中西方文化中意义接近,但由于文化背景的差异,却不能等同使用。

在西方的婚礼上,新娘子要穿白色的礼服,而按照中国传统,在葬礼上人们才可以穿白色衣服,婚礼上新娘要穿红色衣服。当然,随着中西合璧,越来越多的中国青年的婚礼日趋向西方化,我也出现在中国新娘身上。

上个世纪中国两个名牌产品“白象”电池和“白翎”金笔投放欧美市场,产品包装精美,质量顶尖,却都严重滞销。原因就在于它们的英文翻译

WhiteElephant和WhiteFeather上。

这两个英语短语各有一番来历。

先说whiteelephant。在泰国(古称暹罗),人们视白象为神圣之物,只有王室才能饲养,一般作为国礼馈赠。当国王不喜欢哪位大臣、贵族,就“赏赐”给他一头白象。大臣诚惶诚恐地接受钦赐,不敢使唤它干活,也不敢买卖、转让,更不敢杀死,只有精心侍侯,实际成为了一大负担或累赘。因此whiteelephant特指那些昂贵而无用的东西(costlyortroublesomepossessionuselesstoitsowner)。这样的电池出现在欧美市场,谁愿意买呢?

WhiteFeather则源于斗鸡比赛。斗败的公鸡落荒而逃,往往垂下翅膀而露出翎毛下的白色杂毛。于是西方人用toshowthewhitefeath-er表示甘拜下风、临阵脱逃。送人一根白羽毛是对人极大的侮辱和挑衅。因此,谁愿意拿钱买WhiteFeather这个不痛快呢?

由此可见,了解文化背景尤其是文化差异何等重要,大家应当从这些例子吸取教训。

另外,whiteensign专指英国皇家海军军旗(白色),blueensign专指英国皇家海军预备舰队旗(蓝色),redensign专指英国商船旗(红色)。如果稍不注意,可能会引起不必要的麻烦。!