美国小学英语教材5:第253课 埃斯特班——狂欢王后的花童(6)（在线收听）

February came, and now they were enjoying the merry whirl of the carnival. Gay crowds thronged the streets, hurling confetti and paper ribbons. There were mischievous boys spraying a powder into the air that made everyone sneeze. It was all part of the fun.

二月到了，现在他们正在享受狂欢节的欢乐。同性恋人群涌上街头，投掷彩纸和彩带。有些淘气的男孩向空中喷粉，弄得每个人都打喷嚏。这都是乐趣的一部分。

Esteban was very busy, for he needed to earn some money. He had hired himself as a messenger boy to a jeweler in San Juan. And there were so many balls at carnival time that Esteban was very busy delivering bright trinkets to the grand houses. But he performed his duty faithfully, and because he had proved himself trustworthy, he was given the queen’s crown to deliver. As he took the box, he noticed the name on the cover. It was her name—that of the beautiful girl he had hoped would be queen. And so proud was he of his errand that he stopped to wash his face and smooth his hair. He couldn’t carry the crown, looking like a ragamuffin.

埃斯特班很忙，因为他需要挣钱。他受雇于圣胡安的一家珠宝店当信差。狂欢节期间的舞会如此之多，以至于埃斯特班忙着把鲜艳的小饰品送到豪华的住宅。但是他忠实地履行了他的职责，因为他已经证明了自己是值得信赖的，所以他被授予了女王的王冠。当他拿起盒子时，他注意到封面上的名字。那是她的名字——那个他希望成为王后的漂亮姑娘的名字。他为自己的使命感到如此自豪，所以 停下来洗脸，梳理头发。他不能衣衫褴褛地拿着王冠。

As he hurried through the streets with his precious package, there were many sights to take his mind from it. A parade was passing. There were strange figures with big plaster heads and gay costumes. They danced through the streets. But Esteban held his treasure fast and did not stop to see all of them. He must take the queen her crown.

当他带着他那珍贵的包裹匆匆穿过街道时，许多情景使他忘记了这件事。游行队伍经过。有一些奇怪的人，戴着大大的石膏头，穿着鲜艳的服装。他们在街上跳舞。但是埃斯特班紧紧地抱着他的宝贝，没有停下来看任何人。他必须拿好女王的王冠。