美国小学英语教材4:第50课 每一个国家都有它的小公民

 　　Every Land Has Its Little Citizens¹ 每一个国家都有它的小公民

　　Every land has its little citizens, boys and girls who are playing games, learning² their lessons and helping³ their parents. 每一个国家都有它的小公民，他们是那些正在玩游戏，学习功课以及帮助他们父母的男孩女孩们。

　　It would be fun if you could run over some afternoon or Saturday and play with these boys and girls of far-away lands. 如果你能在某个下午或周六，与远方的这些男孩女孩们玩耍的话，那会很有趣的。

　　They would have many interesting things to tell you and show you, 他们会有很多有趣的事情跟你讲，给你看，

　　and you could tell them just as many interesting things about your country. 并且你也可以给他们讲述一些关于你们国家的趣事。

　　Many of their ways of living would seem very strange to you, 他们的很多生活方式对你而言似乎很怪异，

　　but some of the things you do would seem just as strange to them. 但你做的一些事在他们看来，似乎也一样奇怪。

　　Perhaps you will some day be able to travel to faraway lands; 或许有一天你将前往那些遥远的国家，

　　it may be that you will never be able to do so. 或许你永远也不会去。

　　But in the pages of books you can always take a journey⁴. 但是你可以在书本中旅行。

　　You may visit places where very few people have ever gone.  你可以参观一些很少有人去过的地方。

　　You will learn things that it has taken people many years to learn. 你会了解一些人们花费很多年才能学到的事情。

　　One of the stories you are now going to read was written by a woman who lived many years in China. 你将读到的故事是由一位在中国居住许多年的女士写得，

　　Of course she learned⁵ more about China than you could learn in a short visit. 她对中国的了解当然比短暂参观的你要多，

　　Another story tells of a journey made by a little girl through a part of Africa where few white people have ever been. 另一个故事讲述的是一个小女孩的旅行，她穿过了非洲的一部分，很少有白种人到过非洲。

　　You will enjoy the four stories in this Part of your book. 你会喜欢书中这部分的四个故事。

　　As you go traveling in them, you will see that 当你阅读时，你会发现

　　these boys and girls of faraway lands are much like the boys and girls you know. 这些来自遥远国家的男孩女孩们很像你认识的伙伴。

1 citizens   

公民( citizen的名词复数 )； 国民； 市民； 平民

参考例句：

• Older people should not be treated as second-class citizens . 不应把老年人当二等公民对待。
• They are treated as third-class citizens. 他们被当成三等公民对待。

2 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 journey   

n.旅行，旅程；路程

参考例句：

• She will give up this journey.她将放弃这次旅行。
• The journey home was great fun.回家的旅程非常有趣。

5 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。