美国语文第五册 第44期:布伦海姆战役(1)

 　　It was a summer evening, 一个夏天傍晚，

　　Old Kaspar's work was done, 老卡斯帕做完了农活，

　　And he, before his cottage door, 他坐在茅屋门口，

　　Was sitting in the sun; 残阳日落，身旁，

　　And by him sported on the green, 他的孙女威廉明妮

　　His little grandchild Wilhelmine. 在草地上，尽情玩耍。

　　She saw her brother Peterkin Roll something large and round, 她看见了哥哥彼得金，滚动一个又大又圆的东西，

　　Which he beside the rivulet¹, 河边玩耍时，

　　In playing there, had found; 他把这东西带回家，

　　He came to ask what he had found, 忙不迭，让爷爷看，

　　That was so large, and smooth, and round. 那圆圆光滑的东西。

　　Old Kaspar took it from the boy, 老人接过那东西，

　　Who stood expectant by; 孩子站在旁边，好奇地等待，

　　And then the old man shook his head, 老人摇了摇头，

　　And, with a natural sigh, 发出一声长叹，

　　"This some poor fellow's skull," said he, “一个可怜家伙的脑瓜，”他说，

　　Who fell in the great victory. 他在那次恶战中丧命。

　　I find them in the garden, 我在园子里看过，

　　For there's many hereabout; 这附近，地里很多；

　　And often when I go to plow², 我下田犁地，

　　The plowshare turns them out; 犁头常常翻出头颅，

　　For many thousand men, said he, 好几千人啊，他说，

　　Were slain³ in that great victory. 在那次战役中阵亡。

　　Now tell us what 't was all about, 爷爷快告诉我，究竟怎么回事？

　　Young Peterkin he cries; 小彼得金央求爷爷，

　　While little Wilhelmine looks up 威廉明妮也抬头望着爷爷，

　　With wonder-waiting eyes; 孩子们神情急切，

　　Now tell us all about the war, 爷爷，说说那次打仗，

　　And what they killed each other for. 为什么，他们互相砍杀？

　　"It was the English," Kaspar cried, “那次英国佬，”卡斯帕说，

　　Who put the French to rout⁴, 确实打败了法国佬，

　　But what they killed each other for, 为什么，他们互相残杀，

　　I could not well make out; 我还真的不知道，

　　But everybody said, quoth he, 不过，人人都说，

　　That 't was a famous victory. 那次胜利可真是不得了。

1 rivulet   

n.小溪，小河

参考例句：

• The school is located near the rivulet.学校坐落在小河附近。
• They passed the dry bed of a rivulet.他们跨过了一道干涸的河床。

2 plow   

n.犁，耕地，犁过的地；v.犁，费力地前进[英]plough

参考例句：

• At this time of the year farmers plow their fields.每年这个时候农民们都在耕地。
• We will plow the field soon after the last frost.最后一场霜过后，我们将马上耕田。

3 slain   

杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)

参考例句：

• The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
• His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

4 rout   

n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮

参考例句：

• The enemy was put to rout all along the line.敌人已全线崩溃。
• The people's army put all to rout wherever they went.人民军队所向披靡。