美国小学英语教材3:第157课 统治者约瑟(1)

 Joseph, The Ruler 统治者约瑟

What kind of man do you think a good ruler should be? 你认为一个好的统治者应该是什么样的人？

As you read this story, you will find out why Joseph was chosen to be a ruler. 读这则故事的时候，你会发现约瑟是为什么会被选为统治者。

Joseph and His Brothers 约瑟和他的哥哥们

Little Joseph lived many years ago in the land of Canaan. 许多年以前，小约瑟住在迦南地。

His father was a rich man who had large flocks¹ of sheep, and every day his sons led these flocks to pasture². 他的父亲是个富翁，拥有大群的羊，每天，这位父亲的孩子们都会去草地放羊。

As Joseph grew older, his father sometimes let him go out into the pastures³ with his ten big brothers. 约瑟长大以后，他的父亲有时候会让他和他的十个哥哥进入牧场放牧。

At first the brothers were very happy together, 刚开始，兄弟们都很高兴地在一起，

but after a while some of the older boys began to think that their father loved Joseph more than he loved them. 但过了一段时间，一些年长的男孩开始觉得他们的父亲爱约瑟远胜于爱他们。

One day Joseph went out into the fields, dressed in a beautiful new coat of many colors. 一天，约瑟穿了一件五颜六色十分漂亮的新衣服去了地里。

His brothers looked at him in surprise, for they had only sheepskin coats, without sleeves⁴. 他的兄弟们惊奇地看着他，因为他们只有无袖的羊皮外套。

"See the new coat that father gave me!" said Joseph. "Is it not beautiful?" “看父亲给我的新外套！”约瑟说道，“漂亮吗？”

"Yes, indeed!" said his brother Reuben, pleased because the young boy was happy. “是的，很漂亮！”他的哥哥鲁本说。看到这个年幼的男孩高兴，他也高兴。

But the others were very angry. 但是其他的兄弟却很是恼火。

"Why should Father give you such a coat as that?" asked one of them. “为什么父亲给你这样一件外衣？”一个兄弟问道。

"Go home!" said another brother. “回家去吧！”另一个兄弟说。

"No, he will not go home!" said Reuben, putting his arm around Joseph. "He shall stay with me." “不，他不回家！”鲁本说着用胳膊搂着约瑟，“他要跟我待在一起。”

 

1 flocks   

n.畜群( flock的名词复数 )；鸟群；人群；同一教会团体的教徒v.群集，成群结队而行( flock的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Vistors came in flocks to see the new bridge. 参观者成群结队地来观看这座新桥。 来自《用法词典》
• They move with their flocks to upland pastures. 他们带着牲畜迁往高原上的牧场。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 pasture   

n.牧场，牲畜饲养

参考例句：

• This is the place where they used to pasture.这就是他们过去经常放牧的地方。
• The boy got up very early every morning to pasture cattle.这男孩每天起得很早去放牛。

3 pastures   

牧草地( pasture的名词复数 )； 生活状况； 工作条件

参考例句：

• They move with their flocks to upland pastures. 他们带着牲畜迁往高原上的牧场。
• Nothing can be compared, he maintains, with the first cock crow, the twittering of birds at dawn, the sight of the rising sun glinting on the trees and pastures. 金鸡初啼，黎明鸟语，那闪烁着朝晖的树木和草原的景色，这一切他认为无可比拟。

4 sleeves   

n.衣服袖子( sleeve的名词复数 )；套管；套筒；唱片套

参考例句：

• The long sleeves of her dress embarrassed her movements. 她衣服的长袖子妨碍她的行动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Girls nowadays don't wear their heart on their sleeves. 如今女孩子不轻易流露自己的感情。 来自《简明英汉词典》