美国小学英语教材2:第16课 渴望翅膀的兔子

 　　The Rabbit Who Wanted Wings 渴望翅膀的兔子

　　Once a little white rabbit lived in a warm hole under an old tree.  乔说：“我知道。我读过一本关于蚂蚁的书。

　　He had everything a little rabbit could need, but he was always wishing for something more. 它拥有小兔子所需的一切，但总是渴望更多东西。

　　One day when Bobby Squirrel¹ went by,  乔说：“我知道。我读过一本关于蚂蚁的书。

　　Little Rabbit said,"Oh, I wish I had a fine big tail like Bobby's!" 小兔子说：“噢，我希望有和鲍比一样漂亮的大尾巴！”

　　When he saw Mr.Woodpecker flying past,  乔说：“我知道。我读过一本关于蚂蚁的书。

　　he said, "Oh, I wish I had pretty feathers² like Mr.Woodpecker's!" 说道：“天哪，我希望拥有啄木鸟先生那样的美丽翅膀！”

　　When Mrs.Duck went past, he said, "Oh, I wish I had feet like Mrs. Duck's!" 当鸭太太经过时，它又说：“喔，我渴望拥有鸭太太那样的脚掌！”

　　Little Rabbit's mother grew very tired of hearing³ him wish for things. 小兔子的妈妈听了它的愿望，感到非常厌烦。

　　One afternoon Mr.Ground Hog⁴ came past and heard Little Rabbit saying, "I wish, I wish, I wish." 一天下午，土拨鼠先生经过它时听到它说：“我希望...我希望...我希望...”

　　"Why don't you go down to the Wishing Pond⁵?" asked old Mr.Ground Hog.  “你为什么不去许愿池呢？”老土拨鼠先生问道，

　　"If you look at yourself in the water and then turn around three times, you will get what you wish for." “如果你用水照自己，然后转三圈，就能达成愿望了。”

　　Little Rabbit did not even stop to ask his mother.  小兔子甚至没停下来问妈妈的意见，

　　Away he hopped⁷ to the Wishing Pond as fast as he could go. 就飞快地跳去许愿池了。

　　There he saw a small bird taking a drink of water. The bird had beautiful red wings. 它在这里看见一只小鸟在喝水，小鸟有美丽的红翅膀。

　　As soon as Little Rabbit saw the bird, he began to wish again. 小兔子一看见那只鸟，就又开始许愿了。

　　"Oh, I wish I had red wings!" he said to himself. 它自言自语道：“噢，我希望拥有红色的翅膀。”

　　Just then he looked in the Wishing Pond and saw himself in the water. 就在这时，它看着许愿池照着自己，

　　He turned around three times, and then a strange thing happened. 转了三圈，然后奇怪的事发生了。

　　Two red wings grew out on his back. 两个红翅膀从它的背上长了出来。

　　How proud he was! At once he started for home to show his red wings to his mother. 小兔子多么自豪啊！它立刻回家，想要向它妈妈展示自己的红翅膀。

　　But when he got home, it was almost dark, and the door was shut. 但当它到家时天快黑了，门被关上了。

　　He knocked and knocked at the door.  它敲啊敲。

　　His mother peeped⁸ out, but she would not let him come in. 它妈妈出来了，但不让它进去。

　　She had never before seen a rabbit with red wings,  她从未见过有红翅膀的兔子，

　　and she didn't know that this strange animal was her own little rabbit 她不知道这只奇怪的动物是她的小兔子。

　　So he had to look for some other place to sleep. 所以它不得不找其他地方睡觉。

　　He went to many animal holes, but he could not get in anywhere.  它去了很多动物的洞穴，但都进不去。

　　Everyone was afraid of such a strange-looking animal. 所有动物都害怕这样长相怪异的动物。

　　At last he went to see Mr.Ground Hog. 最后，它去了土拨鼠先生家。

　　The wise old ground hog knew him, and let him come in.  睿智的老土拨鼠认出它，让它进去了。

　　But little Rabbit had to sleep on a hard bed of sticks. It was not at all like his own soft bed. 但小兔子不得不睡在坚硬的树枝床上。这一点儿都不像它自己的软床。

　　In the morning old Mr.Ground Hog asked, "Don't you like your red wings, Little Rabbit?" 早上，老土拨鼠问它：“小兔子，你不喜欢自己的红翅膀吗？”

　　"No, no, no!" cried the rabbit. “不喜欢，不喜欢！”小兔子叫道。

　　"Well," said wise old Mr.Ground Hog, "why don't you go to the Wishing Pond and wish them off again?" 睿智的老土拨鼠说：“那么，你为什么不去许愿池那里，祈祷它们消失呢？”

　　Away went the rabbit to the Wishing Pond as fast as he could hop⁶.  小兔子尽可能快得跳到了许愿池那里。

　　He made his wish, and looked at himself in the water.  它许了愿，然后照水，

　　Then he turned around three times, and off went his red wings. 转了三圈，它的红翅膀就消失了。

　　How happy he was, as he hurried to his home under the tree! 当它急急忙忙地赶回树下的家时，是多么高兴啊。

　　His mother knew him at once, and quickly let him in. 它的妈妈立刻认出了它，赶快让它进去。

　　Little Rabbit was very glad to be like other rabbits once more.  小兔子再次变得和其他兔子一样了，感觉很高兴。

　　Never again did he wish for things he did not need. 它再也不许愿得到自己不需要的东西了。

1 squirrel   

n.松鼠，松鼠的毛皮；vt.贮藏以备用

参考例句：

• The squirrel makes a store of nuts for the winter.松鼠贮藏坚果以备过冬。
• A squirrel hoards nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬贮藏坚果。

2 feathers   

n.羽毛( feather的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a bird with iridescent blue feathers 蓝色羽毛闪烁的鸟
• All this talk of a strike has clearly ruffled the management's feathers. 所有这些关于罢工的闲言碎语显然让管理层很不高兴。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 hearing   

n.听，听见，听到，听说，听取；听力，听证会，诉讼，审讯

参考例句：

• I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.我盼望着不久收到你的信。
• The old man's hearing is poor.那位老人听力差。

4 hog   

n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占

参考例句：

• He is greedy like a hog.他像猪一样贪婪。
• Drivers who hog the road leave no room for other cars.那些占着路面的驾驶员一点余地都不留给其他车辆。

5 pond   

n.池塘；vt.堵河成湖；vi.形成池塘

参考例句：

• Tom walked around the pond.汤姆绕着池子走。
• The pond was iced over.池子给冰封起来了。

6 hop   

n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过

参考例句：

• The children had a competition to see who could hop the fastest.孩子们举行比赛，看谁单足跳跃最快。
• How long can you hop on your right foot?你用右脚能跳多远？

7 hopped   

跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
• He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。

8 peeped   

窥视( peep的过去式和过去分词 )； 偷看； 隐现； 慢慢露出

参考例句：

• The moon finally peeped out from behind the clouds. 月亮终于从云层后面露了出来。
• At the examination he peeped at his neighbour's paper. 他考试时偷看了他邻座的卷子。