評論
打印
LESSON 25 The pet lamb
第二十五課 小羊
One little thing after another had been sold, to buy food and clothing for the family. At last nothing was left that could be sold but the pet lamb.
為了給家人置辦衣物和食物，家里的小東西接二連三地變賣了，到了最后只剩下那只寵物羊。
But the mother's heart felt sad at the thought of parting with Daisy; for the children loved it very much.
但是一想到要與孩子們喜歡的黛西離別，母親就難過不已。
At last she had to make up her mind to sell the lamb.
最后她不得不做出決定把小羔羊賣掉。
She could not ask one of the children to go for the butcher.
她是萬萬不能讓孩子們陪她去屠夫那兒的。
So she went herself, with a heavy heart, and bargained for the sale of Daisy.
她只能帶著一顆沉重的心只身前往,并且跟屠夫討價還價。
While the children were all playing with the lamb, the butcher and his boy came to the door. "Good morning, Mrs. Grant!" he said, in a loud voice.
當孩子們跟羊玩的不亦樂乎時，屠夫和他的兒子來到門口，“早上好,格蘭特太太!”他大聲說。
"You see I am here for the lamb."
“我來取小羊了。”
"For what, mother?" asked one of the children, running to her side, and looking up into her face in alarm.
“他說什么,媽媽?”一個孩子跑到她的身邊仰著小臉焦急的看著她。
"Go away, dear," said Mrs. Grant, gently pushing the child aside.
“別插嘴,親愛的,”格蘭特太太說,輕輕推開了孩子。
"That's my lamb now, Charlie!" said the butcher's boy, in a playful tone, going up to Daisy with a rope in his hand.
“現在這羊已經是我的,查理!”屠夫的兒子挑釁的說,手里拿著一根繩子朝黛西走去。
"No, it is not your lamb. It is our lamb!" said the little boy, placing himself in front of it.
“不,這不是你的羊，這是我們的羊!”小男孩邊說邊擋在小羊跟前。
But the lad, pushing him aside, threw a rope round Daisy's neck, and began to drag the little creature away.
但屠夫的兒子把他推到一邊并往黛西的脖子套了一根繩子試圖把這可憐的小東西拖走。
The poor lamb bleated very sadly. The cry of grief which fell upon the mother's ears was too much for her, and her heart sank within her.
可憐的羔羊低聲地地嗚咽，悲傷的叫聲源源不斷地傳進母親耳朵里,她的心隨著叫聲不斷沉了下去。
In a moment after, the children were all around her, pleading with tearful eyes, and voices choked with sobs, for their little pet.
過了一會兒,孩子們圍在她身邊,含著淚哽咽地懇求著媽媽不要賣掉小羊。
"Pray tell your boy to stop a moment," she said in husky tones to the butcher.
“求您讓他待會再牽走，行嗎？”她沙啞著聲音說。
The boy, at a word from his master, stopped dragging the lamb, and the little creature ceased its bleating.
聽到制止后，男孩很順從地放開了手,小家伙也停止它的叫聲。
"My dear children," began the mother, in a voice that shook, "I am very poor now, and cannot earn money as your father did when he was alive.
“我親愛的孩子,”母親顫抖地說道,“我現在很窮,不能像你死去的父親一樣掙很多錢。
The kind butcher has given me money for Daisy; and with this money I will buy you bread to eat."
這位屠夫已經給了我賣黛西的錢;用這錢我可以給你們買面包吃。”
"No!no!no!" the children cried; "we don't want you to sell Daisy! We won't have our dear little lamb sold! It is our lamb, and you must not sell it, mother. We will rather go without bread than have the lamb sold!"
“不! 不! 不要!”孩子們喊道,“你別賣黛西!我們不想小羊被賣掉!這是我們的羊,你不能賣掉它,媽媽！我們寧愿沒有面包也不想失去黛西!”
It was in vain that Mrs. Grant tried to make her children see that she could not help selling the lamb. The more she talked, the stronger did they plead for Daisy.
格蘭特太太本來想讓她的孩子們明白賣羊已成定局,但是她說的越多,孩子們懇求就越厲害。
At last she handed back the silver, saying, "I cannot sell it just now, sir.
最后她把錢還給屠夫,“目前我還是不能賣掉它,先生。
Wait until another time. I must try to keep up a little longer."
等下次吧，我必須還要留著黛西一段時間。”
The butcher, who had been watching all that went on, was touched in his heart; and when Mrs. Grant offered to return the money, he said, "I'll take neither the lamb nor the money, Mrs. Grant."
屠夫為眼前的所見所聞而感動,當格蘭特太太還錢時他說,“錢和羊我都不要了,格蘭特太太。
Though I am a butcher, I have no harder heart than other men.
雖然我只是一個屠夫,但我不跟其他人一樣沒有同情心。
I'll not rob the children of their pet.
我不會搶他們的寵物的。
I'll buy Daisy from you, and give it back to the children.
我從你這兒買了羊,再送還給孩子們。
"Come, Joe, you must not take that lamb. It shall never be killed by me."
來吧,喬,你帶不走小羊了，我也不會再殺它了。”
And as he spoke, his voice shook, and he dashed his hand quickly across his eyes.
在他說話的時候,他的聲音哽咽著,但他很快就用手抹了一下眼睛。
Daisy was at once set free; and as the children gathered round and stroked the pet, their little hearts were filled with joy.
黛西自由了,孩子們都圍著、撫摸著小羊,他們的內心充滿了喜悅。
By the kind help of some friends, the poor mother never again found herself so hard pressed as when she tried to sell the children's pet lamb.
通過一些好心朋友的幫助,可憐的媽媽發現自己再也不像賣羊時那么窘迫了。
譯文屬可可原創，未經許可，請勿轉載！
