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LESSON 56
第五十六課
hoe
鋤頭
grave
墓地
knock
敲擊
except
除了
droll
離奇可笑的
hymn
圣歌
prayed
祈求
cottage
村舍
A GOOD OLD MAN
善良的老人
There once lived an old man in a snug, little cottage.
從前，有一位老人，他住在一個溫暖的小農舍里。
It had two rooms and only two windows.
這間農舍只有兩間屋子和兩扇窗戶。
A small garden lay just behind it.
一個小花園就坐落在它后面。
Old as the poor man was,
這個貧窮的老人
he used to work in the fields.
常在田間干活。
Often he would come home very tired and weak,
回到家時，肩頭扛著鋤頭和鏟子的他，
with his hoe or spade on his shoulder.
經常累得毫無力氣了。
And who do you think met him at the door!
你覺得是誰在門口遇見了他？
Mary and Jane, his two little grandchildren.
是瑪麗和簡，她倆是老人的孫女。
They were too young to work,
他們還太小，
except to weed in the garden,
除了去花園里除下野草，
or bring water from the spring.
或去泉里打點水，她們還不能干更多的活。
In winter, as they were too poor to buy much wood or coal,
冬天里，他們因為太窮而無法買下足夠的木頭和煤炭，
they had little fire;
只能生一個小小的火爐。
so they used to sit close together to keep warm.
她們常常緊緊地坐在一起取暖。
Mary would sit on one of the old man's knees,
瑪麗坐在老人的一個膝蓋上，
and Jane on the other.
簡坐在另一個膝蓋上。
Sometimes their grandfather would tell them a droll story.
有時，爺爺會給她們講一個好笑的故事；
Sometimes he would teach them a hymn.
有時，他會教她們唱一首圣歌。
He would often talk to them of their father, who had gone to sea,
他時常會和她們聊起她們的爸爸，他是一位出海的水手；
or of their good, kind mother, who was in her grave.
也談及她們善良而親切的媽媽，她已經去世了。
Every night he prayed God to bless them,
每個夜晚，他都會向上帝祈禱，祈禱他能保佑她們，
and to bring back their father in safety.
并把她們的爸爸平安帶回來。
The old man grew weaker every year;
這位老人年復一年，愈加年邁體弱。
but the little girls were glad to work for him,
但這兩個小女孩卻很高興替他干活，
who had been so good to them.
因為爺爺對她們非常仁愛。
One cold, windy night,
一個很冷的夜晚，風很大。
they heard a knock at the door.
她們聽到了一陣敲門聲，
The little girls ran and opened it.
跑過去開門。
Oh, joy to them!
噢，她們高興極了。
There stood their father.
站在外面的是她們的爸爸！
He had been at sea a long time.
他已經出海很長一段時間。
He had saved some money,
現在他已經攢了一些錢，
and had now come home to stay.
打算回家去住。
After this the old man did not have to work.
之后老人就不用下地干活了，
His son worked for him,
他有兒子替他干活，
and his grandchildren took care of him.
他的孫女們則來照顧他。
Many happy days they spent together.
他們一起度過了許多美好的時光。
