美国小学英语教材5:第122课 点金术(16)

 “You are wiser than you were. “你比以前聪明多了。

King Midas!” said the stranger, looking closely at him. 迈达斯国王！” 陌生人说，仔细地看着他。

“Your own heart, I see, has not been entirely¹ changed from flesh to gold. “我看，你的心并没有完全从肉体变成金子。

Were it so, your case would indeed be hopeless. 如果是这样，你的情况确实没有希望了。

But you have come to understand that the commonest things, such as lie within everybody's grasp, are more valuable than the riches which so many men sigh and struggle after. 但你已经明白，最普通的东西，如人人都能得到的东西，比许多人为之叹息和奋斗的财富更有价值。

Tell me now, do you really desire to rid yourself of this Golden Touch?” 现在告诉我，你真的想摆脱这种点金术吗？”

“It is hateful to me!” replied Midas. “我恨它！”迈达斯回复道。

A fly settled on his nose, but immediately fell to the floor, for it, too, had become gold. 一只苍蝇停在他的鼻子上，但马上就掉到地上，因为它也变成了金子。

Midas shuddered². 迈达斯在发抖。

“Go, then,” said the stranger, “and plunge³ into the river that glides⁴ past the bottom of your garden. “去吧，”陌生人说，“跳进流过花园底部的河里。

Take likewise a vase of the same water, and sprinkle it over any object that you may desire to change back again I from gold into its former substance. 你也要拿一瓶水来，倒在你所要换的器皿上，或要变回原状的器皿上。

If you do this in earnestness and sincerity⁵, it may possibly undo⁶ the mischief⁷ which your greed for gold has caused.” 如果你是真心诚意地做这件事，它可能会消除你对黄金的贪婪所造成的危害。”

King Midas bowed low; and when he lifted his head, the stranger had vanished. 迈达斯国王深深地鞠了一躬;当他抬起头来时，那个陌生人已经不见了。

You will easily believe that Midas lost no time in snatching up a great earthen pitcher⁸ (but, alas⁹! it was no longer earthen after he touched it) and in hastening to the riverside. 你会很容易相信迈达斯很快就抓到了一个大陶罐(但是，唉!他摸了摸它，发现它已经不再是泥土了)，便急忙跑到河边。

As he hurried along forcing his way through the shrubbery, it was marvelous to see how the leaves turned yellow behind him, as if the autumn had been there, and nowhere else. 当他匆匆穿过灌木丛时，看到身后的树叶变黄了，真是不可思议，仿佛这里的秋天早就来了。

On reaching the river's brink¹⁰, he plunged¹¹ headlong in, without waiting so much as to pull off his shoes. 一到河边，他就一头扎进水里，连鞋都没脱。

“Poof! poof! poof!” snorted King Midas, as his head came up out of the water. “噗!噗!噗!”迈达斯国王哼了一声，他的头露出了水面。

“Well, this is really a refreshing¹² bath, and I think it must have quite washed away the Golden Touch. “嗯，这的确是一个清爽的沐浴，我想它一定洗掉了点金术。

And now for filling my pitcher!” 现在轮到你给我的水壶灌满水了!”

 

1 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

2 shuddered   

v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动

参考例句：

• He slammed on the brakes and the car shuddered to a halt. 他猛踩刹车，车颤抖着停住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I shuddered at the sight of the dead body. 我一看见那尸体就战栗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

4 glides   

n.滑行( glide的名词复数 )；滑音；音渡；过渡音v.滑动( glide的第三人称单数 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔

参考例句：

• The new dance consists of a series of glides. 这种新舞蹈中有一连串的滑步。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The stately swan glides gracefully on the pond. 天鹅在池面上优美地游动。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 sincerity   

n.真诚，诚意；真实

参考例句：

• His sincerity added much more authority to the story.他的真诚更增加了故事的说服力。
• He tried hard to satisfy me of his sincerity.他竭力让我了解他的诚意。

6 undo   

vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销

参考例句：

• His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。
• I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。

7 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

8 pitcher   

n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手

参考例句：

• He poured the milk out of the pitcher.他从大罐中倒出牛奶。
• Any pitcher is liable to crack during a tight game.任何投手在紧张的比赛中都可能会失常。

9 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

10 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

11 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

12 refreshing   

adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的

参考例句：

• I find it'so refreshing to work with young people in this department.我发现和这一部门的青年一起工作令人精神振奋。
• The water was cold and wonderfully refreshing.水很涼，特别解乏提神。