美国语文第三册 第9期:小老师

 　　LESSON 10 第10课

　　sign  标志

　　marks  标志着

　　parcels  包裹

　　venture¹  合资企业

　　inquire² 查询

　　chalk  粉笔

　　ruling  裁决

　　drawing  画画

　　pictures  图片

　　confused 困惑

　　THE YOUNG TEACHER 小老师

　　Charles Rose lived in the country with his father, who taught him to read and to write. 查尔斯.罗斯和父亲住在乡下。在那里，父亲教他读书和写字。

　　Mr. Rose told his son that, when his morning lessons were over, he might amuse himself for one hour as he pleased. 罗斯先生告诉儿子，每天上午的课程结束后，他可以随意玩耍一个小时。

　　There was a river near by.  他们的住处附近有一条河。

　　On its bank stood the hut of apoor fisherman, who lived by selling fish. 河岸上有一个小屋，住着一个可怜的穷渔夫，靠打鱼为生。

　　His careful wife kept her wheel going early and late.  渔夫那勤劳的妻子总是从早忙到晚，一刻也不闲着。

　　They both worked very hard to keep themselves above want. 他们都很努力地想让自己的生活更好些。

　　But they were greatly troubled lest³ their only son should never learn to read and to write.  但是，他们又在为自己唯一的儿子无法学习而犯愁。

　　They could not teach him themselves, and they were too poor to send him to school. 他们既无法自己教孩子学习，又因为贫穷而没有能力送孩子去学校里学习。

　　Charles called at the hut of this fisherman one day, to inquire about his dog, which was missing⁴. 有一天，查尔斯来到这个渔夫家中，问他有没有看到一条走失的狗。

　　He found the little boy, whose name was Joe, sitting by the table, on which he was making marks with a piece of chalk. 他看到渔夫的儿子——一个名叫乔的小男孩正坐在桌子上，用一支粉笔在上面做记号。

　　Charles asked him whether he was drawing pictures. 查尔斯问他是否在画画。

　　"No, I am trying to write," said little Joe, "but I know only two words. Those I saw upon a sign, and I am trying to write them." “没有，我在试着写字呢，”乔说，“但是，我只认识两个字，是从一个标牌上看到的，我正要试着写下来呢。”

　　"If I could only learn to read and write," said he, "I should be the happiest boy in the world." “要是我能学习阅读和写字就好了，”他继续说，“那我就成了世界上最幸福的人。”

　　"Then I will make you happy," said Charles.  查尔斯说：“那么，我来让你幸福吧，”

　　I am only a little boy, but I can teach you that. 我虽然只是一个小孩子，但是我能教你阅读和写字。

　　My father gives me an hour every day for myself.  父亲每天都会给我一个小时的时间。

　　Now, if you will try to learn, you shall soon know how to read and to write. 如果你想学习，很快就能学会如何阅读、如何写字了。

　　Both Joe and his mother were ready to fall on their knees to thank Charles.  乔和他的妈妈都快要跪下来感谢查尔斯了。

　　They told him it was what they wished above all things. 他们告诉他，这正是自己最大的心愿。

　　So, on the next day when the hour came, Charles put his book in his pocket, and went to teach Joe.  于是，在第二天可以自由活动的时候，查尔斯将书本放到口袋里，准备去给乔上课。

　　Joe learned⁵ very fast, and Charles soon began to teach him how to write. 乔非常聪明，学得很快，查尔斯已经开始教他如何写字了。

　　Some time after, a gentleman called on Mr. Rose, and asked him if he knew where Charles was.  过了一段时间，有一位绅士前来拜访罗斯先生，问他是否知道查尔斯在哪里。

　　Mr. Rose said that he was taking a walk, he supposed. 罗斯先生说，他以为查尔斯出去散步了。

　　"I am afraid," said the gentleman, "that he does not always amuse himself thus. " 这位先生说：“我很担心，他不会一直自己玩的。”

　　I often see him go to the house of the fisherman. I fear he goes out in their boat. 我经常看到他去渔夫住的小屋。我担心他会坐船出去。

　　Mr. Rose was much troubled.  罗斯先生有点慌乱了。

　　He had told Charles that he must never venture on the river, and he thought he could trust him. 他曾经嘱咐过查尔斯不要到河里去玩，那样很危险，而且他还以为应该相信孩子。

　　The moment the gentleman left, Mr. Rose went in search of his son.  就在那位先生离开后，罗斯也出去寻找儿子。

　　He went to the river, and walked up and down, in hope of seeing the boat. 他走到河边，来来回回地找，希望能看到小船。

　　Not seeing it, he grew uneasy⁶.  什么也没有看到，这让他更加心神不安了。

　　He thought Charles must have gone a long way off.  他以为查尔斯已经离岸边很远了。

　　Unwilling⁷ to leave without learning⁸ something of him, he went to the hut. 他并不想如此一无所获地回家，于是便走向渔夫住的小屋。

　　He put his head in at the window, which was open. 小屋有一扇打开的窗户，他探头进去观望，

　　There a pleasant sight met his eyes. 一幅令人愉快的画面映入他的眼帘。

　　Charles was at the table, ruling a copybook Joe was reading to him, while his mother was spinning in the corner. 查尔斯正用笔在桌上的一本字帖上划着，乔在跟着他一起读，而乔的妈妈正在角落里纺纱。

　　Charles was a little confused.  查尔斯有点困惑了。

　　He feared his father might not be pleased; but he had no need to be uneasy, for his father was delighted. 他害怕父亲不高兴，但他也不必为此感到不安，因为父亲看上去很快乐。

　　The next day, his father took him to town, and gave him books for himself and Joe, with writing paper, pens, and ink. 第二天，父亲带他去城里，为他和乔分别买了课本，还有写字用的纸、笔和墨水。

　　Charles was the happiest boy in the world when he came home.  在回家的路上，查尔斯感到自己是最幸福的孩子。

　　He ran to Joe, his hands filled with parcels, and his heart beating with joy. 他两手拿着包裹，快速跑到乔的家中，高兴得心都快跳出来了。

1 venture   

v.敢于，大胆表示；冒险，拼，闯；n.冒险

参考例句：

• He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小，不敢从事任何事业。
• Don't venture into the jungle without a guide.没有向导，不要冒险到丛林里去。

2 inquire   

v.(of, about)询问，打听；调查，查问

参考例句：

• You can inquire of your new neighbors where the post office is.你可以问问你的新邻居邮局在哪儿。
• He went to the hospital to inquire about her.他到医院去打听她的情况。

3 lest   

conj.唯恐，以免

参考例句：

• Let me put down your telephone number lest I forget it.让我先记下你的电话号码，以免忘了。
• Be careful lest you fall from that tree.要当心，以免从树上摔下来。

4 missing   

adj.遗失的，缺少的，失踪的

参考例句：

• Check the tools and see if anything is missing.检点一下工具，看有无丢失。
• All the others are here;he's the only one missing.别人都来了，就短他一个。

5 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

6 uneasy   

adj.心神不安的，担心的，令人不安的

参考例句：

• He feels uneasy today.他今天心里感到不安。
• She had an uneasy feeling that they were still following her.她有一种他们仍在跟踪她的不安感觉。

7 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

8 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。