美国小学英语教材3:第109课 布莱德诺克的小棕仙(4)

 　　No one knew what to say. A little man who would do everything for nothing! It could not be true! 所有人都不知道该说什么了。一个小人愿意无偿地做所有的事情！这真是难以置信啊！

　　There must be something wrong about it! 一定有什么不对劲的地方！

　　People began to whisper to each other." Perhaps it would be better to have nothing to do with him," they said." Perhaps he is wicked." 人们开始交人接耳。”或许最好不要跟他扯上关系，”他们说，“也许他很邪恶。”

　　Then Granny Duncan spoke¹ up again. 后来，邓肯奶奶又说话了。

　　"He is just a kind brownie, I tell you," she said. "Have you not all said that you had too much work to do? 我跟你们说，他是一个善良的小棕仙。她说，你们不是都说有许多工作要做吗？

　　Here is a good workman all ready to help you. 现在有个能干的工人准备来帮助你们。

　　Will you turn him away just because he looks so strange?" “你们仅仅因为他的长相古怪就拒绝他吗？

　　"But he will frighten our friends," said the young people, "They will not come to our town if we let him stay. Then it will be lonely here." “但是他会吓到我们的朋友”年轻人说，如果我们让他留下来。我们的那就不会来我们的小镇。那样的话，这里会很孤寂的。”

　　"People need not be afraid of anyone who wants only to work hard," said Granny Duncan. “人们没有必要对那些只想努力工作的人感到害怕，”邓肯奶奶说。

　　"I have heard that a brownie can cut a whole field of wheat in one night" “我听说小棕仙一个晚上就能收完整个田里的麦子。”

　　"Cut a whole field of wheat in one night! Just think of that!" said all the men. 一个晚上就能收完整个田里的麦子！所有的人都感叹道。

　　So the miller² said that the brownie might sleep in his barn, and Granny Duncan promised the little man a bowl of porridge at bedtime. 于是，磨坊主说，小棕仙可以睡在他的谷仓里，邓肯奶奶答应每天睡觉的时候给这个小人儿一碗粥。

　　They all said good-night and went home, looking over their shoulders to see if the strange little creature was following them. 他们相互说了再见，回到自己家中，他们不断地回头看，看这个奇怪的小家伙有没有跟着他们。

　　You may be very sure that no one stayed behind that night. 可以非常肯定，自从那晚以后没有一个人还会在晚上待在那里。

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。