精灵鼠小弟 第77期:修缮独木舟

 It was a tippy boat even for a souvenir.

这艘小船就是摆在柜台上时也还是很不平稳呢。

Stuart carried stones from the beach down to the water's edge and ballasted the canoe with the stones until it floated evenly and steadily¹.

斯图亚特从水边把一些石头搬到独木舟里，才把它垫稳。

He made a back-rest so that Harriet would be able to lean back and trail her fingers in the water if she wished.

他又给哈丽雅特在船里准备了一个后座，如果她喜欢，可以坐在上面，伸出手去戏水。

He also made a pillow by tying one of his clean handkerchiefs around some moss².

他还把他的一条手绢包成了一个小枕头。

Then he went for a paddle to practise his stroke.

然后他又想找个能代替船桨的东西。

He was angry that he didn't have anything better than a paper spoon for a paddle, but he decided³ that there was nothing he could do about it.

他很生气，因为他找不到比冰淇淋勺更好的东西，只好就这么算了。

He wondered whether Harriet would notice that his paddle was really just an ice cream spoon.

他不知道哈丽雅特能否看出他的船桨只不过是个冰淇淋勺而已。

All that afternoon Stuart worked on the canoe, adjusting ballast, filling seams, and getting everything shipshape for the morrow.

整个下午斯图亚特都在独木舟上工作着。调整压舱的石头，粘合船缝，把该为明天做准备的一切都准备好了。

He could think of nothing else but his date with Harriet.

除了和哈丽雅特的会面外，他心里什么都没想。

At suppertime he took his ax, felled a dandelion, opened a can ofdeviled ham, and had a light supper of ham and dandelion milk.

到该吃晚饭时，他拿起他的斧子，砍下了一棵蒲公英，又打开一罐辣味火腿，吃了点火腿，喝了些蒲公英的奶汁。

1 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

2 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。