英国语文第二册 第41期:两个清道夫

 　　LESSON 41 The two crossing-sweepers 第四十一课 两个清道夫

　　They could not claim a single friend,beneath the wide-spread sky; 广阔天地，没有人愿意做他们的朋友；

　　But to each other they were bound,by poverty's strong tie. 但他们彼此之间却因为贫穷而命运相连。

　　Though poor, they were too proud to beg, 虽然贫穷，他们依然一身傲骨，不愿乞讨；

　　Too upright¹ far to steal; 虽然贫穷，他们依然品行端正，耻于偷窃；

　　And gladly would they sweep and clean,to gain an honest meal. 他们乐意以清扫街道换取一顿晚餐，心安理得。

　　But, sad to say, the only food，they often had to eat,was scraps² of bread and broken fruit,they picked up from the street. 但不幸的是，他们能吃到的唯一食物经常是从街上捡来的面包屑和烂水果。

　　It was a bleak³ and bitter morn,just at the close of March, 三月底，每天早上单调痛苦的，

　　And they had slept the night before,within a market arch⁴. 他们前一晚只能睡在商店门前。

　　As very hungry, very cold, 因为饥饿和寒冷，

　　They wandered down the street, 他们在街上晃荡，

　　Joe picked an apple from the ground, 乔从地上捡到了一个苹果，

　　And thought, "Why, here's a treat! 他想，“为什么，我找到了一顿大餐！”

　　"It has been rather kicked about,but it's a good one still;" “虽然被它已经被踢烂了，但还可以吃；”

　　And, turning to his mate⁵, he said,"what have you picked up, Bill?" 然后，他转身问同伴：“比尔，你捡到什么了吗？”

　　"I haven't found a single scrap,"Bill mournfully did say— 比尔凄凉地答道：“我连一点面包屑都没看见。”

　　"Then, as you are the younger, Bill,Here—take and bite away." ——“比尔，我比你年长，你吃一口我的苹果吧”

　　The poor boy bit a small piece off: 这个可怜的男孩咬了一小口。

　　"Ha! that won't do!" cried Joe; 乔喊道：“哈！这样不行！

　　"Bite bigger, Billy—bigger yet! 咬多一点，比利——大口咬！

　　You're welcome—that you know!" 你知道我的，不用和我客气！”

　　A noble lesson this should teach, 从这个故事我们应该学到很宝贵的东西，

　　Dear children unto you: 亲爱的孩子们：

　　Do unto others as you would that they to you should do. 你希望人如何对待你，就如何去待人。

1 upright   

adj.直立的；正直的；adv.挺直着，竖立着

参考例句：

• He stood himself upright.他笔直地站着。
• An upright man is respectable.正直的人是值得尊敬的。

2 scraps   

油渣

参考例句：

• Don't litter up the floor with scraps of paper. 不要在地板上乱扔纸屑。
• A patchwork quilt is a good way of using up scraps of material. 做杂拼花布棉被是利用零碎布料的好办法。

3 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

4 arch   

n.拱门，桥洞；v.拱起，成为弓形

参考例句：

• Dip your head under the low arch.在低矮的门拱下要低头。
• The trees arch overhead.树木在头顶上弯成拱形。

5 mate   

n.伙伴，同事；配偶；大副；v.(使)交配

参考例句：

• Where is the mate to this glove?这副手套的另一只在哪儿？
• She has been a faithful mate to him.她一直是他忠实的配偶。