Act Two, Scene Ⅰ MAKING THE BET①

　　It is 11 am in Henry Higgins' house the next day. Henry Higgins and Colonel Pickering are sitting deep in② conversation③.

　　H：Do you want to hear any more sounds?

　　CP：No, thank you. I rather fancied myself④ because I can pronounce twenty­four distinct vowel⑤ sounds; but your one hundred and thirty beat me. I can't distinguish⑥ most of them.

　　H：(laughing) Well, that comes with practice.

　　There is a knock and Mrs Pearce⑦ (MP), the housekeeper⑧， comes in with cookies⑨， a teapot⑩， some cream⑪ and two cups.

　　MP：(hesitating) A young girl is asking to see you.

　　H：A young girl! What does she want?

　　MP：Well, she's quite a common kind of girl with dirty nails⑫. I thought perhaps you wanted her to talk into your machines.

　　H：Why⑬？ Has she got an interesting accent? We'll see. Show her in⑭， Mrs Pearce.

　　MP：(only half resigned⑮ to it) Very well, sir. (goes downstairs)

　　H：This is a bit⑯ of luck. I'll show you how I make records⑰ on wax⑱ disks⑲ ...

　　 MP：(returning) This is the young girl, sir. (Eliza comes into the room shyly following Mrs Pearce⑳. She is dirty and wearing a shabby\s\up1(21(21) dress. She curtsies\s\up1(22(22) to the two men.) 　　①bet n．& vt.打赌

　　②deep in 专心于；深陷；全神贯注

　　③deep in conversation是形容词短语，在句中作伴随状语。

　　④fancy oneself自负；自命不凡

　　⑤vowel/'vaʊəl/n.元音；元音字母

　　⑥distinguish vt.& vi.显示......的差别；使......有所不同；辨别

　　⑦Pearce/'pIəs/皮尔斯(姓)

　　⑧the housekeeper是Mrs Pearce的同位语。

　　⑨cookie/'kʊkI/n.饼干

　　⑩teapot/'tiːpɒt/n.茶壶

　　⑪cream/kriːm/n.奶油；面霜

　　⑫nail/neIl/n.指甲；钉子

　　⑬此处why用作感叹词，表示惊奇或出乎意料，可译为"怎么了""怎么""啊唷"等。

　　⑭show ... in带或领......进来

　　⑮resign vt.使顺从；安于现状

　　⑯a bit有点儿；稍微

　　⑰make records录音

　　⑱wax/wæks/n.蜡；蜜蜡 vt.上蜡

　　⑲disk/dIsk/n.磁盘

　　⑳现在分词短语following Mrs Pearce作状语，表示方式或伴随。

　　\s\up1(21(21)shabby/'ʃæbI/adj.破旧的；寒酸的

　　\s\up1(22(22)curtsy/'kɜːtsI/vi. (also curtsey)行屈膝礼 n．(女子行的)屈膝礼 　　

　　第二幕，第一场　打赌

　　第二天上午11点，在亨利·希金斯家。亨利·希金斯同皮克林上校正坐着深切地交谈。

　　希：你还想不想听听更多的发音呢？

　　皮：不听了，谢谢。我本来还很自负的，因为我能清晰地发出24个元音来。而你却发出了130个元音，其中多数我都分辨不清。你赢我了。

　　希：(笑起来)噢，这都是练习的结果。

　　敲门声起，女管家皮尔斯夫人(管)带着甜点、茶壶、奶油和

　　两个杯子进来。

　　管：(犹豫地)一个年轻姑娘求见你。

　　希：年轻姑娘！她想要什么？

　　管：哦，很普通的一个年轻姑娘，手指甲脏兮兮的。我本来还以为是你要她来对着机器讲话的呢。

　　希：怎么啦？她的口音很有趣吗？咱们来看看吧。皮尔斯夫人，带她进来。

管：(半听半不听地)好吧，先生。(随即向楼下走去)