100个儿童英语小故事: The Old Man and His Grandson 老人和他的孙子

 

077 The Old Man and His Grandson

A long time ago there lived a very old man. He was so old that he could not see or hear very well. He also could not walk very well, or eat very well for his hand shook. The old man's son and daughter in law thought he was a nuisance¹. So, they had him to eat his meals squatted² in the corner, behind the stove.

They gave him very little to eat. The old man would have sad look on his face as he looked at his son and daughter in law's dinner table. One day the old man's hand shook so terribly that he dropped his dish on the floor. The daughter in law started lecturing and scolding. And from that day, his meals were served in a shabby dish.

Not long afterwards, the family was sitting having their dinner. When, their four year old grandson was sitting on the floor carefully laying out and checking each of branches. The father asked, "What are you doing?" "I am making a small barrel³."

"Why are you making it?" The son answered, "So that I can fill it with yours and mother's portion⁴ of food, when I grow up."

The old man's son and daughter in law looked at one another and without saying a word started weeping. The two quickly brought their old father to their dinner table. From that day on, the old man sat with the family when they had their meals. Even when the old man spilt his food here and there, the son and the daughter in law did not say a word.

1 nuisance   

n.讨厌的东西，讨厌的人

参考例句：

• The dog is a terrible nuisance.这只狗真令人讨厌。
• What a horrid nuisance!真讨厌！

2 squatted   

v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。

参考例句：

• He squatted down beside the footprints and examined them closely. 他蹲在脚印旁仔细地观察。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He squatted in the grass discussing with someone. 他蹲在草地上与一个人谈话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 barrel   

n.圆桶；一桶的量；枪管；vt.把...装桶

参考例句：

• I drew off three pints of beer from the barrel.我从酒桶里抽出三品脱啤酒。
• The man rolled the barrel into the yard.那个人把圆桶滚进院子。

4 portion   

n.部分，份，命运；v.将...分配，分配

参考例句：

• You are paid your portion not later than a week. 不会晚于一周你就可以得到你那一部分报酬。
• Three thousand dollars is no more than a portion.3000美元只不过是一部分。