美国小学英语教材3:第182课 男孩 蜜蜂和英国人(2)

 Some day he will make our country free. 总有一天，他会解放我们的国家。

How can anyone help his country by staying at home on a sleepy old farm like this?" 一个人总待在这样的一个昏昏沉沉、老旧不堪的农场里，怎么才能帮上自己的国家呢？

Just then the clatter¹ of horses'hoofs² came to their ears from far down the road. 这时，马蹄的咔嗒声从远处的路上传到了他们的耳朵里。

Jack³ and his mother knew well enough what the sound meant.  杰克和他的母亲很清楚这个声音意味着什么。

The British are coming! cried the boy, jumping to his feet. 英国人来了！男孩说着跳了起来，

"I'll get Old Bay out of the barn, Mother! 妈妈，我去把枣红马牵出谷仓！

The British won't get our last horse if I can help it. I'll hide him back in the woods." 要是我能帮上忙，英国人就得不到我们的最后一匹马。我要把他藏到森林里面。

It did not take the young boy many minutes to hide Old Bay in a safe place. 把那匹枣红老马藏在一个安全的地方没有花去这个少年太多的时间。

Then he ran back to the house as fast as his legs could carry him. 接着，他竭尽全力跑回了家。

"Now the old horse is safe, Mother," he said proudly.  妈妈，现在那匹老马安全了。他自豪地说。

I am afraid, Jack, answered his mother, "that the British are after more than horses this time. 杰克，我怕英国人这次找的不仅仅是马。妈妈答道，

Neighbor Green says their food is giving out. 我们的邻居格林说他们的食物被拿走了。

So we may not have much left to eat after this visit." 所以这次之后，我们也剩不了多少能吃的东西了。

Never mind, Mother! said Jack. 妈妈，没关系！杰克说，

"If the British take everything, I will see that you do not starve. I'm glad that I'm here, after all." 就算英国人把所有东西都拿走了，我也会保证你不会挨饿的。不管怎么说，我还是高兴自己能留在家里。

At that very moment, up the road with shouting and clatter of hoofs, came the British soldiers — four hundred of them. 就在这时，路上传来了叫喊声和马蹄的咔嗒声，英国士兵来了，足足有400人。

When they reached the yard, they drove in and began to load their wagons⁴ with corn from the barn and with food from the cellar.  到了院子，他们直接就骑了进来，并立刻将谷仓里的玉米和地下室里的食品都装上他们的马车。

From the end of the porch Jack and his mother watched what was happening. 杰克和妈妈在门廊的一边看着眼前发生的一切。

They saw the cows driven up, and the pigs taken from their pens. 他们看到母牛被赶走，猪从围栏里被赶了出来。

How the soldiers laughed and joked, as they chased the frightened chickens about the yard!  这些士兵在院子里追赶受惊的小鸡时，他们逗着趣、开怀大笑。

 

1 clatter   

v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声

参考例句：

• The dishes and bowls slid together with a clatter.碟子碗碰得丁丁当当的。
• Don't clatter your knives and forks.别把刀叉碰得咔哒响。

2 hoofs   

n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The stamp of the horse's hoofs on the wooden floor was loud. 马蹄踏在木头地板上的声音很响。 来自辞典例句
• The noise of hoofs called him back to the other window. 马蹄声把他又唤回那扇窗子口。 来自辞典例句

3 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

4 wagons   

n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车

参考例句：

• The wagons were hauled by horses. 那些货车是马拉的。
• They drew their wagons into a laager and set up camp. 他们把马车围成一圈扎起营地。