美国语文第五册 第78期:不满意的钟摆(1)

 　　An old clock that had stood for fifty years in a farmer's kitchen, 农夫厨房里，立着一座半世纪之久的老钟，

　　without giving its owner any cause of complaint, early one summer's morning, before the family was stirring, suddenly stopped. 老钟从未向主人抱怨过什么。一年夏天，黎明时分，农夫全家起床的喧哗之前，钟突然停了。

　　Upon this, the dial plate (if we may credit the fable) changed countenance¹ with alarm; 钟刚停，惊诧不已的钟的表盘（我们不妨认为这不过是个寓言）马上拉长了脸，

　　the hands made a vain effort to continue their course; the wheels remained motionless with surprise; 钟的指针打算循原有路程迈步，却发现不过徒劳枉然；齿轮此刻也惊讶地静止不动；

　　the weights hung speechless; and each member felt disposed to lay the blame on the others. 这边刻度量衡高高挂着，一声不吭。每位成员都想将过错归咎于他人，

　　At length the dial instituted a formal inquiry² as to the cause of the stagnation³, when hands, wheels, weights, with one voice, protested their innocence⁴. 最终，表盘实施正规盘查，以求查明老钟停止的缘由，与此同时，时针、齿轮以及刻度量衡异口同声地表明自己的无辜清白。

　　But now a faint tick was heard below from the pendulum⁵, who spoke⁶ thus,I confess myself to be the sole cause of the present stoppage; 就在那时，钟摆下方传来极为微弱的一声滴答，那声音说道，我主动坦白，我是钟表停止的唯一原因，

　　and I am willing, for the general satisfaction, to assign my reasons. The truth is, that I am tired of ticking. 考虑到在座各位，我愿意陈述自己的理由。原因很简单，我实在厌倦了滴答。

　　Upon hearing this, the old clock became so enraged⁷ that it was upon the very point of striking. 听到这话，又恰逢敲钟的节骨眼上，老钟顿时怒火中烧。

　　"Lazy wire!" exclaimed the dial plate, holding up its bands. “好一个懒惰钟摆！”表盘也大声叫着，同时扬起表盘嵌条。

1 countenance   

n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同

参考例句：

• At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
• I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

2 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

3 stagnation   

n. 停滞

参考例句：

• Poor economic policies led to a long period of stagnation and decline. 糟糕的经济政策道致了长时间的经济萧条和下滑。
• Motion is absolute while stagnation is relative. 运动是绝对的，而静止是相对的。

4 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

5 pendulum   

n.摆，钟摆

参考例句：

• The pendulum swung slowly to and fro.钟摆在慢慢地来回摆动。
• He accidentally found that the desk clock did not swing its pendulum.他无意中发现座钟不摇摆了。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 enraged   

使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤

参考例句：

• I was enraged to find they had disobeyed my orders. 发现他们违抗了我的命令，我极为恼火。
• The judge was enraged and stroke the table for several times. 大法官被气得连连拍案。