評(píng)論
打印
CIVIC VALOR.
少年受勛章
(_Monthly Story._)
（每月例話）
At one o'clock we went with our schoolmaster to the front of the town-hall, to see the medal for civic valor bestowed on the lad who saved one of his comrades from the Po.
午后一點(diǎn)鐘，先生領(lǐng)我們到市政所去，參觀把勛章授予前次在濮河救起小孩的少年。
On the front terrace waved a huge tricolored flag.
大門上飄著大大的國旗。
We entered the courtyard of the palace.It was already full of people. At the further end of it there was visible a table with a red cover, and papers on it, and behind it a row of gilded chairs for the mayor and the council; the ushers of the municipality were there, with their under-waistcoats of sky-blue and their white stockings. To the right of the courtyard a detachment of policemen, who had a great many medals, was drawn up in line; and beside them a detachment of custom-house officers; on the other side were the firemen in festive array; and numerous soldiers not in line, who had come to look on,--cavalrymen, sharpshooters, artillery-men. Then all around were gentlemen, country people, and some officers and women and boys who had assembled. We crowded into a corner where many scholars from other buildings were already collected with their teachers; and near us was a group of boys belonging to the common people, between ten and eighteen years of age, who were talking and laughing loudly; and we made out that they were all from Borgo Po, comrades or acquaintances of the boy who was to receive the medal. Above, all the windows were thronged with the employees of the city government; the balcony of the library was also filled with people, who pressed against the balustrade; and in the one on the opposite side, which is over the entrance gate, stood a crowd of girls from the public schools, and many _Daughters of military men_, with their pretty blue veils. It looked like a theatre. All were talking merrily, glancing every now and then at the red table, to see whether any one had made his appearance. A band of music was playing softly at the extremity of the portico. The sun beat down on the lofty walls. It was beautiful.
我們走進(jìn)中庭，那里已是人山人海。前面擺著用紅色桌布罩了的桌子，桌子上放著書件。后面是市長(zhǎng)和議員的席次，有許多華美的椅子。著青背心穿白襪子的贊禮的儐相就在那里。再右邊是一大隊(duì)掛勛章的警察，稅關(guān)的官員都在這旁邊。這對(duì)面排著許多盛裝的消防隊(duì)，還有許多騎兵、步兵、炮兵和在鄉(xiāng)軍人。其他紳士呀、一般人民呀、婦女呀、小孩呀，都圍集在這周圍。我們和別校的學(xué)生并集在一角，旁有一群從十歲到十八歲光景的少年，談著笑著。據(jù)說這是今天受勛章的少年的朋友，特從故鄉(xiāng)來到會(huì)的。市政所的人員多在窗口下望，圖書館的走廊上也有許多人靠著欄桿觀看。大門的樓上，滿滿地集著小學(xué)校的女學(xué)生和面上有青面罩的女會(huì)員。情形正像一個(gè)劇場(chǎng)，大家高興地談?wù)f，時(shí)時(shí)向有紅氈的桌子的地方望，看有誰出來沒有。樂隊(duì)在廊下一角靜奏樂曲，目光明亮地射在高墻上。
