美国小学英语教材5:第131课 纽伦堡火炉(7)

 AUGUST GOES WITH THE STOVE 奥古斯特和炉子相伴

August remained leaning against the wall; his head was buzzing and his heart fluttering with a new idea. 奥古斯特依旧倚着墙；他的脑袋嗡嗡作响，他的心因一个新想法而怦怦直跳。

“Why not go with Hirschvogel?” he thought. “为什么不和赫施沃格尔一起去呢？”他想。

How he managed it he never knew clearly himself, but when the freight-train carrying Hirschvogel moved out of Hall, August was hidden behind the stove. 他自己也不清楚是怎么做到的，但当载着赫希沃格尔的货运火车驶出大厅时，奥古斯特就藏在火炉后面。

He was close to Hirschvogel, and presently he meant to be closer still. 他离赫希沃格很近，现在他想更近一些。

For he meant to get inside Hirschvogel itself. 因为他想钻进赫施沃格尔的身体里去。

Being a shrewd little boy, and having a few pieces of money in his pocket, earned the day before by chopping wood, 他是个精明的小男孩，口袋里有几块钱，是前一天砍柴挣来的。

he had bought some bread and sausage at the station, and this he ate in the darkness. 他在车站买了些面包和香肠，在黑暗中吃着。

When he had eaten, not as much as he wanted, but as much as he thought wise (for who could say when he would be able to buy anything more?), 他吃完饭，虽然没有他想要的那么多，但也吃得很饱(谁能说他什么时候还能再买到东西呢?)

he set to work like a mouse to make a hole in the bands of straw which wrapped the stove. 他开始像老鼠一样在围炉子的稻草上钻个洞。

He gnawed¹ and nibbled² and pulled, making his hole where he guessed the opening of the stove was—the opening through which he had so often thrust the big oak logs. 他咬呀，咬呀，拉呀，在他猜到炉子口的地方挖了个洞——他常常把那些大橡木塞进那个洞里。

 

1 gnawed   

咬( gnaw的过去式和过去分词 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物

参考例句：

• His attitude towards her gnawed away at her confidence. 他对她的态度一直在削弱她的自尊心。
• The root of this dead tree has been gnawed away by ants. 这棵死树根被蚂蚁唼了。

2 nibbled   

v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的过去式和过去分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬

参考例句：

• She nibbled daintily at her cake. 她优雅地一点一点地吃着自己的蛋糕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Several companies have nibbled at our offer. 若干公司表示对我们的出价有兴趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》