美国语文第三册 第51期:善举

 　　One day, as two little boys were walking along the road, they overtook a woman carrying a large basket of apples. 有一天，两个小男孩走在路上的时候，遇上了一个提着一大篮子苹果的妇人。

　　The boys thought the woman looked very pale and tired; so they said, "Are you going to town?" 两个男孩觉得妇人看起来苍白而疲倦，于是问道：“您是要进城吗？”

　　If you are, we will carry your basket. 如果是的话，我们来帮你提着篮子。

　　"Thank you," replied the woman, "you are very kind: you see I am weak and ill." “谢谢你们，”妇人回答，“你们真好，看我虚弱生病而帮助我。”

　　Then she told them that she was a widow, and had a lame¹ son to support. 接着她告诉他们，她是个寡妇，抚养着一个瘸腿的儿子。

　　She lived in a cottage three miles away, and was now going to market to sell the apples which grew on the only tree in her little garden. 她住在三英里外的一座小农舍里，现在是要到集市上，把从自家院子里唯一的树上摘下来的苹果卖掉。

　　She wanted the money to pay her rent. 她需要钱交房租。

　　"We are going the same way you are," said the boys. "Let us have the basket;" “我们与您同路，”男孩说，“让我们提着篮子吧。”

　　and they took hold of it, one on each side, and trudged² along with merry hearts. 然后他们把篮子接了过来，一人一边抬着走，步履艰难，心情却很愉快。

　　The poor widow looked glad, and said that she hoped their mother would not be angry with them. 可怜的寡妇看上去很高兴，说她希望他们的母亲不会为此生他们的气。

　　"Oh, no," they replied; "our mother has taught us to be kind to everybody, and to be useful in any way that we can." “噢，不会的，”他们回答，“妈妈教我们要友好对待所有人，并且尽力做有用之人。”

　　She then offered to give them a few of the ripest apples for their trouble. 接着妇人提出要给他们几个最红的苹果，作为麻烦他们的酬劳。

　　"No, thank you," said they; "we do not want any pay for what we have done." “不，谢谢您，”他们说，“我们做这些事情不需要任何报酬。”

　　When the widow got home, she told her lame son what had happened on the road, and they were both made happier that day by the kindness of the two boys. 寡妇回到家里以后，把路上发生的事情告诉了跛脚的儿子。那一天他们俩都因为两个男孩的善举而更加快乐。

　　The other day, I saw a little girl stop and pick up a piece of orange peel, which she threw into the gutter³. 第二天，我见到一个小姑娘停下来，捡起一块橙皮，把它丢到了沟里。

　　"I wish the boys would not throw orange peel on the sidewalk," said she. "Some one may tread upon it, and fall." “我希望那些男孩不要把果皮扔在人行道上，”她说，“会有人踩到果皮，然后摔倒。”

　　"That is right, my dear," I said. “说得对，亲爱的，”我说，

　　It is a little thing for you to do what you have done, but it shows that you have a thoughtful mind and a feeling heart. 你刚刚做的事情对你来说只是举手之劳，却体现出你是个体贴人而富有同情心的小姑娘。

　　Perhaps some may say that these are little things. 也许有的人会说这些都是小事情。

　　So they are; but we must not wait for occasions to do great things. 确实是的，然而我们不能干等着做大事的机会。

　　We must begin with little labors⁴ of love. 我们得心甘情愿从小事情做起。

1 lame   

adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的

参考例句：

• The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
• I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。

2 trudged   

vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He trudged the last two miles to the town. 他步履艰难地走完最后两英里到了城里。
• He trudged wearily along the path. 他沿着小路疲惫地走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 gutter   

n.沟，街沟，水槽，檐槽，贫民窟

参考例句：

• There's a cigarette packet thrown into the gutter.阴沟里有个香烟盒。
• He picked her out of the gutter and made her a great lady.他使她脱离贫苦生活，并成为贵妇。

4 labors   

v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转

参考例句：

• He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors. 他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜，令人生厌。 来自辞典例句
• Farm labors used to hire themselves out for the summer. 农业劳动者夏季常去当雇工。 来自辞典例句