精灵鼠小弟 第21期:鼠小弟乘公交

 　　Stuart never paid any fare on buses, because he wasn't big enough to carry an ordinary dime¹.

　　斯图亚特从不需付车费，因为他还太小，坐车不必付一角硬币。

　　The only time he had ever attempted to carry a dime, he had rolled the coin along like a hoop² while he raced along beside it;

　　只有一次，他才试过付一角钱。他把那角硬币像轮子一样在边上滚着的时候，

　　but it had got away from him on a hill and had been snatched up by an old woman with no teeth.

　　突然那硬币滚到一个小坡上，被一个没牙的老太太捡去了。

　　After that experience Stuart contented³ himself with the tiny coins which his father made for him out of tin foil.

　　有了那一次的经验后，他让他父亲给了他做了一些特制的小硬币，并把它们用锡纸包了起来。

　　They were handsome little things, although rather hard to see without putting on your spectacles.

　　它们因此变成了漂亮的小东西，虽然如果不戴眼睛你就很难看到。

　　When the conductor came around to collect the fares, Stuart fished in his purse and pulled out a coin no bigger than the eye of a grasshopper⁴.

　　当售票员来收车费时，斯图亚特就从他的锡纸钱袋里拿出一枚他那没有蚂蚱眼睛大的硬币来。

　　"What's that you're offering me?" asked the conductor.

　　“你给我的是什么？”售票员问。

　　"It's one of my dimes," said Stuart.

　　“这是我的一角硬币，”斯图亚特说。

　　"Is it, now?" said the conductor.

　　“这是什么？”售票员说。

　　Well, I'd have a fine time explaining that to the bus company.

　　好吧，我会向汽车公司很好的解释的。

　　Why, you're no bigger than a dime yourself.

　　可你为什么要付钱呢，你并不比一角硬币高多少。

　　"Yes I am," replied Stuart angrily.

　　“不对，”斯图亚特生气地回答。

　　I'm more than twice as big as a dime.

　　我比一角硬币高两倍呢。

　　A dime only comes up to here on me.

　　一角硬币只到我这里。

　　And Stuart pointed⁵ to his hip⁶.

　　斯图亚特指指他的屁股。

　　"Furthermore," he added, "I didn't come on this bus to be insulted."

　　“此外，”他继续说，“我也不想在这汽车上受侮辱。”

　　"I beg pardon," said the conductor.

　　“请原谅，”售票员说。

　　You'll have to forgive me, for I had no idea that in all the world there was such a small sailor.

　　请你原谅我，因为我从不知道这世界上还有你这么小的水手哩。

　　"Live and learn," muttered Stuart, tartly⁷, putting his change purse back in his pocket.

　　“活到老学到老，”斯图亚特尖刻地嘀咕着，把他的零钱放进了口袋。

1 dime   

n.（指美国、加拿大的钱币）一角

参考例句：

• A dime is a tenth of a dollar.一角银币是十分之一美元。
• The liberty torch is on the back of the dime.自由火炬在一角硬币的反面。

2 hoop   

n.（篮球）篮圈，篮

参考例句：

• The child was rolling a hoop.那个孩子在滚铁环。
• The wooden tub is fitted with the iron hoop.木盆都用铁箍箍紧。

3 contented   

adj.满意的，安心的，知足的

参考例句：

• He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。
• The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。

4 grasshopper   

n.蚱蜢，蝗虫，蚂蚱

参考例句：

• He thought he had made an end of the little grasshopper.他以为把那个小蚱蜢干掉了。
• The grasshopper could not find anything to eat.蚱蜢找不到任何吃的东西。

5 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

6 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

7 tartly   

adv.辛辣地，刻薄地

参考例句：

• She finished by tartly pointing out that he owed her some money. 她最后刻薄地指出他欠她一些钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Kay said tartly, "And you're more Yankee than Italian. 恺酸溜溜他说：“可你哪，与其说是意大利人，还不如说是新英格兰人。 来自教父部分