美国小学英语教材2:第37课 少年与北风(3)

 The Magic Stick 魔法棒

So the boy went to visit the North Wind a third time. 于是男孩第三次拜访了北风。

"I want my meal," he said. "My sheep will not give me any money." “我想要我的米，”他说，“我的绵羊没给我钱。”

"I have no meal," said the Wind, "but I will give you this magic stick instead. “我没米，”北风说，“但我可以给你这根魔法棒。

When you say, 'Stick, stick, beat him!' it will beat anyone who tries to take it." 当你说‘魔法棒，魔法棒，打他’时，它就会打任何想要拿走它的人。”

"When you want it to stop, you must say, 'Stick, stick, stop!'" “你想停下来时，必须说‘魔法棒，魔法棒。停下！’”

The lad took the stick, and went again to the inn. 少年拿着魔法棒，再次去了旅馆。

He said to himself, "I think I know who took my magic cloth and my sheep. 他自言自语道：“我想我知道是谁拿了我的魔法布和绵羊。

I will see if I can get them back." 我看看能否把它们拿回来。”

So he sat down on a chair, "I'll play that I am asleep," 于是他坐在椅子上。“我瞌睡时就玩，”

he thought, "and see if anyone tries to get my stick." 他想，“看看是否有人想拿我的魔法棒。”

Soon the sly¹ inn-keeper came along and saw the stick standing² against the wall beside the lad. 很快，那个狡猾的旅馆老板走了过来，看到少年旁边立在墙边的那根魔法棒了。

He said to himself, "I have a wonderful cloth that gives me good things to eat and a wonderful sheep that gives me gold. 他自言自语地说：“我有能给我好吃食物的魔法布，一只给我金子的神奇绵羊。

Perhaps this is a wonderful stick." 或许这是一根魔法棒。”

He went to the woods with his ax and cut a stick just like the one beside the boy's chair. 他拿着斧头到树林里砍了一根棍子，就像男孩椅子旁边的那根棍子。

Then he came back and started to take the boy's stick. 然后他回来开始拿男孩的棍子。

Just as he touched the stick, the lad shouted, "Stick, stick, beat him!" 他一碰魔法棒，少年就喊：“魔法棒，魔法棒，打他！”

The stick began to beat the inn keeper at once. 魔法棒立即开始打旅店老板。

The man bumped³ against tables and chairs, trying to get away. 那人撞在桌子和椅子上，试图逃跑。

"Stop the stick!" he cried. "Don't let it beat me any more. “棍子停下！”他叫道，“不要让它打我了，

I will give you back your cloth and your sheep." 我会把魔法布和绵羊还给你。”

So the boy said, "Stick, stick, stop!" 于是少年说：“魔法棒，魔法棒。停下！”

Then he took the cloth and the sheep and the stick, and went home. 然后，他拿着魔法布、羊和魔法棒，回家去了。

"Well, mother," he said, "the North Wind has been good to us after all." “妈妈，”他说，“北风终究对我们很好的。”

1 sly   

adj.狡猾的，偷偷摸摸的

参考例句：

• You can't trust him,he's a sly old fox.你不能相信他，他是一只狡猾的老狐狸。
• I was ready to sly out the alley door.我准备从那边小门溜出去。

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 bumped   

凸起的，凸状的

参考例句：

• In the dark I bumped into a chair. 我在黑暗中撞上了一把椅子。
• I bumped against an old friend in town today. 我今天在城里偶然碰见了一个老朋友。