【英文原文】

   The Devoted Friend

 One morning the old Water-rat put his head out of his hole. He had bright beady eyes and stiff grey whiskers and his tail was like a long bit of black india-rubber. The little ducks were swimming about in the pond, looking just like a lot of yellow canaries, and their mother, who was pure white with real red legs, was trying to teach them how to stand on their heads in the water.

  "You will never be in the best society unless you can stand on your heads," she kept saying to them; and every now and then she showed them how it was done. But the little ducks paid no attention to her. They were so young that they did not know what an advantage it is to be in society at all.

  "What disobedient children!" cried the old Water-rat; "they really deserve to be drowned."

  "Nothing of the kind," answered the Duck, "every one must make a beginning, and parents cannot be   too patient."

  "Ah! I know nothing about the feelings of parents," said the Water- rat; "I am not a family man. In fact, I have never been married, and I never intend to be. Love is all very well in its way, but friendship is much higher. Indeed, I know of nothing in the world that is either nobler or rarer than a devoted friendship." 

 

【词汇简析】

beady adj. 小而圆的

stiff adj. 坚硬的

whisker n. 髭须，胡须

rubber n. 橡胶，橡皮

canary n. 金丝雀

disobedient adj. 反抗的，不顺从的

devoted adj. 忠诚的，献身的