Some plays are so successful that they run for years on end. In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same lines night after night. One would expect them to know their parts by heart and never have cause to falter. Yet this is not always the case.
A famous actor in a highly successful play was once cast in the role of an aristocrat who had been imprisoned in the Bastille for twenty years. In the last act, a gaoler would always come on to the stage with a letter which he would hand to the prisoner. Even though the noble was expected to read the letter at each performance, he always insisted that it should be written out in full.
One night, the gaoler decided to play a joke on his colleague to find out if, after so many performances, he had managed to learn the contents of the letter by heart. The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell. Just then, the gaoler appeared with the precious letter in his hands. He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat. But the copy he gave him had not been written out in full as usual. It was simply a blank sheet of paper. The gaoler looked on eagerly, anxious to see if his fellow-actor had at last learnt his lines. The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds. Then, squinting his eyes, he said: 'The light is dim. Read the letter to me.' And he promptly handed the sheet of paper to the gaoler. Finding that he could not remember a word of the letter either, the gaoler replied: 'The light is indeed dim, sire. I must get my glasses.' With this, he hurried off the stage. Much to the aristocrat's amusement, the gaoler returned a few moments later with a pair of glasses and the usual copy of the letter which he proceeded to read to the prisoner.
有些剧目十分成功，以致连续上演好几年。这样一来，可怜的演员们可倒霉了。因为他们需要一夜连着一夜地重复同样的台词。人们以为，这些演员一定会把台词背得烂熟，绝不会临场结巴的，但情况却并不总是这样。
有一位名演员曾在一出极为成功的剧目中扮演一个贵族角色，这个贵族已在巴士底狱被关押了20年。在最后一幕中，狱卒手持一封信上场，然后将信交给狱中那位贵族。尽管那个贵族每场戏都得念一遍那封信。但他还是坚持要求将信的全文写在信纸上。
一天晚上，狱卒决定与他的同事开一个玩笑，看看他反复演出这么多场之后，是否已将信的内容记熟了。大幕拉开，最后一幕戏开演，贵族独自一人坐在铁窗后阴暗的牢房里。这时狱卒上场，手里拿着那封珍贵的信。狱卒走进牢房，将信交给贵族。但这回狱卒给贵族的信没有像往常那样把全文写全，而是一张白纸。狱卒热切地观察着，急于想了解他的同事是否记熟了台词。贵族盯着纸看了几秒钟，然后，眼珠一转，说道：“光线太暗，请给我读狱卒。狱卒发现自己连一个字也记不住，于是便说：“陛下，这儿光线的确太暗了，我得去眼镜拿来。”他一边说着，一边匆匆下台。贵族感到非常好笑的是：一会儿工夫，狱卒重新登台，拿来一副眼镜以及平时使用的那封信，然后为那囚犯念了起来。
1. 单词
（1）falter
英[ˈfɔ:ltə(r)] 美[ˈfɔltɚ]
vi. 蹒跚; 颤抖（嗓音）; 支吾其词; 摇晃;
n. 颤抖; 支吾，结巴; 踌躇，不稳; 摇晃;
（2）aristocrat
英[ˈærɪstəkræt] 美[əˈrɪsttəkræt]
n. 贵族; 贵族政治论者; 有贵族派头的人;
（3）imprison
英[ɪmˈprɪzn] 美[ɪmˈprɪzən]
vt. 关押，监禁; 束缚，禁锢; 使…不自由;
（4）bastille
英[bæˈsti:l] 美[bæˈstil]
n. 城堡，牢狱; 巴士底监狱(B-); 堡塔;
（5）bar
英[bɑ:(r)] 美[bɑ:r]
n. 条，棒; 闩（门、窗等的）; 障碍; 酒吧间;
vt. 闩（门等）; 阻碍，封锁; 排除，去除;
prep. 除…之外;
（6）gaoler
英['dʒeɪlə] 美[ˈdʒelɚ]
n. 狱卒;
（7）reveal
英[rɪˈvi:l] 美[rɪˈvil]
vt. 揭露; 泄露; 显露; [神] 启示;
n. 揭示，展现; [建] 门侧，窗侧;
（8）squint
英[skwɪnt] 美[skwɪnt]
v. 斜视; 倾向; 斜着眼睛看;
n. 斜视; 一瞥;
adj. 斜视的; 细眯着眼看的;
（9）dim
英[dɪm] 美[dɪm]
adj. 暗淡的，昏暗的; 不光明的; 看不清的; 不显著的（性质和特征上）;
vt.& vi. 变暗淡（使）; 变模糊（使）; 减弱（使）; 变淡漠;
n. 笨蛋，傻子;
（10）sire
英[ˈsaɪə(r)] 美[saɪr]
n. 陛下，大人; 男性祖先; 雄性牲畜;
vt. 做…的父亲，生产;
（11）amusement
英[əˈmju:zmənt] 美[əˈmjuzmənt]
n. 娱乐; 游戏; 文娱活动;
（12）proceed
英[prəˈsi:d] 美[proʊˈsi:d]
vi. 进行; 前进; 行进（沿特定路线）; 继续说（尤指打断后）;
n. 收入，获利;
2. 短语
（1）by heart 凭记性
（2）run for years 多年运行
（3）on end 连续地; 直立着，竖立着
（4）go up 上升; 响起; 升起（幕布）; 破产;
（4）fellow-actor 演对手戏的搭档演员
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