Charlotte's Web

Charlotte's Web

This is a story of the barn. I wrote it for children and to amuse myself. It is called Charlotte’s Web and I will read it to you.
-- E.B. White
Chapter Ⅺ The Miracle

On foggy mornings, Charlotte’s web was truly a thing of beauty. The web 1)glistened in the light and made a pattern of loveliness and mystery, like a delicate 2)veil. Even 3)Lurvy, who wasn’t particularly interested in beauty, noticed the web when he came with the pig’s breakfast. He noted² how clearly it showed up and he noted how big and carefully built it was. And then he took another look and he saw something that made him set his pail down. There, in the center of the web, neatly³ woven in block letters, was a message. It said: SOME PIG!

“I’m seeing things,” he whispered. He dropped to his knees and 4)uttered a short prayer. Then, forgetting all about Wilbur’s breakfast, he walked back to the house and called Mr. Zucker-man.

“I think you’d better come down to the pigpen,” he said.

“What’s the trouble?”asked Mr. Zuckerman. “Anything wrong with the pig?”

“N-not exactly,” said Lurvy. “Come and see for yourself.” The two men walked silently down to Wilbur’s yard. Lurvy pointed⁴ to the spider’s web. “Do you see what I see?” he asked.

Zuckerman 5)stared at the writing on the web. Then he 6)murmured the words “Some Pig.” Then he looked at Lurvy. Then they both began to 7)tremble. 

“Some pig!” 8)muttered Lurvy in a low voice.

“Some pig!” whispered Mr. Zuckerman. They stared and stared for a long time at Wilbur. Then they stared at Charlotte.

“You don’t suppose that that spider...”began Mr. Zuckerman -- but he shook his head and didn’t finish the sentence. Instead, he walked 9)solemnly back up the house and spoke⁶ to his wife. “Edith, something has happened,” he said, in a weak voice.

“I’ve got something to tell you, Edith. You’d better sit down.” Mrs. Zuckerman sank into a chair. She looked pale and frightened.

“Edith,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady, “I think you had best to be told that we have a very unusual pig.”

“What’s unusual about the pig?” asked Mrs. Zuckerman, who was beginning to recover from her scare.

“Well, I don’t really know yet,” said Mr. Zuckerman. “But we have received a sign, Edith -- a mysterious sign. A miracle has happened on this farm. There is a large spider’s web in the doorway⁷ of the barn cellar, right over the pigpen. And right spang in the middle of the web there were the words “Some Pig.” The words were woven right into the web. They were actually part of the web, Edith. I know, because I have been down there and seen them. It says, “Some Pig,” just as clear as clear can be. There can be no mistake about it. A miracle has happened and a sign has occurred here on earth, right on our farm, and we have no ordinary pig.”

注释：
1) glisten¹ [5^lisEn] v. 发光
2) veil [veil] n. 面纱
3) Lurvy 老卢，臧克曼农场的雇工
4) utter [5QtE] v. 发出（声音等）
5) stare [stZE] v. 凝视，盯着看
6) murmur⁵ [5mE:mE] v. 低语声
7) tremble [5trembl] v. 战栗，发抖
8) mutter [5mQtE] v. 咕哝，嘀咕
9) solemnly [5sClEmli] ad. 庄严地，严肃地

夏绿蒂的网

这本书讲述了一个发生在谷仓的故事。我是为孩子写的，同时也用来自娱。书名叫《夏绿蒂的网》，我现在就给你念这个故事。
——E.B.怀特

第十一章   奇迹

在有雾的清晨，夏绿蒂的网显得格外美丽。网在阳光下闪闪发光，形成神秘的图案和可爱的线条，就像一块精致的面纱。即使是对美并不特别感兴趣的老卢，拿小猪的早餐来时，竟然也注意到这个蜘蛛网，他看出这网织得又大又精细，非常醒目！他又瞧了一眼，好像看见什么东西，看得他把装着猪食的桶子都放了下来，愣住了。网的中央织了几个大字，工整地写着：
好猪！
他喃喃地说：“我看见奇迹了！”他跪下来祷告了几句,竟把伟白的早餐都给忘了，拔腿就跑回屋里叫臧先生。
“我想你最好来猪圈一趟。”他说。
“发生了什么事？”臧先生问，“小猪不对劲吗？”
“不……不全然，你自己来看看。”他说。
两个人默默不语地走到伟白的院子，老卢指着蜘蛛网，他问：“你有没有看见我看到的东西？”
臧克曼盯着网上的字，他喃喃地说：“好——猪。”然后看一看老卢，两人发起抖来。
老卢低声念道：“好猪！”
臧先生轻轻地念着：“好猪！”他们直盯着伟白瞧了好久，然后他们又瞪着夏绿蒂看。
“你不会认为那只蜘蛛……”臧先生刚一开口，就摇了摇头，没把话说完，就面色凝重地回屋里叫他太太。“伊迪丝，出事了！”他说话的声音很微弱。
“我有事告诉你，伊迪丝。你最好坐下来。”
臧太太瘫坐在椅子上，脸色显得苍白而惊慌。
“伊迪丝，”他说，尽量使声音保持镇定，“我想我一定得告诉你这事——我们有一只不同寻常的猪。”
“小猪有什么不同寻常？”臧太太问道。她开始从惊慌中恢复了过来。
“嗯，我还没完全弄清楚，”臧先生说，“我们收到一个信号，伊迪丝，是一个神秘的信号。农场里出现了奇迹。在谷仓门口有一面大蜘蛛网，正好在猪圈上面。网的正中央出现了‘好猪’两个字。字是织在网里面，的的确确是网的一部分。伊迪丝，我之所以这么说是因为我亲自去看过了。清清楚楚地写着‘好猪’两个字。错不了！奇迹出现了，而且信息就出现在我们这个农场。我们有一只不同寻常的猪。”

 

1 glisten   

vi.（光洁或湿润表面等）闪闪发光，闪闪发亮

参考例句：

• Dewdrops glisten in the morning sun.露珠在晨光下闪闪发光。
• His sunken eyes glistened with delight.他凹陷的眼睛闪现出喜悦的光芒。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

4 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

5 murmur   

n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言

参考例句：

• They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。
• There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。