評論
打印
Uncle Philip, as the day is fine, will you take a walk with us this morning?
菲利普叔叔，今天天氣真好，上午您會和我們一起出去散步嗎？
Yes, boys. Let me get my hat and cane, and we will take a ramble.
好的，孩子們。我去拿帽子和手杖，然后四處走走，
I will tell you a story as we go.
我會在路上給你們講一個故事。
Do you know poor old Tom Smith?
你們認識可憐的老漢，湯姆.史密斯嗎？
Know him! Why, Uncle Philip, everybody knows him.
認識他！怎么了，菲利普叔叔，所有人都認識他呀。
He is such a shocking drunkard, and swears so horribly.
他是一個令人厭惡的酒鬼，而且罵起人來很嚇人。
Well, I have known him ever since we were boys together.
我可認識他很久了，因為我們自小就在一起玩耍。
There was not a more decent, well-behaved boy among us.
我們當中沒有一個孩子是乖巧得體的好孩子。
After he left school, his father died, and he was put into a store in the city.
離開學校后，他的父親去世了，于是他被送到市里的一家商店。
There, he fell into bad company.
在那里，他遇到了不好的伙伴。
Instead of spending his evenings in reading, he would go to the theater and to balls.
他并沒有將晚上的業余時間用來讀書，反而去戲院、去打球玩。
He soon learned to play cards, and of course to play for money.
很快，他就玩起了撲克牌，當然是玩錢的那種。
He lost more than he could pay.
他輸掉的錢比自己掙到的錢還多。
He wrote to his poor mother, and told her his losses.
他給媽媽寫信訴說了自己的損失。
She sent him money to pay his debts, and told him to come home.
媽媽寄來錢讓他還債，還告訴他盡快回家去。
He did come home.
他并沒有回家。
After all, he might still have been useful and happy, for his friends were willing to forgive the past.
畢竟，朋友們都愿意原諒他過去的行為，他或許依然快樂地生活著，而且還認為自己尚有用武之地。
For a time, things went on well.
有一段時間，事情進展得很順利。
He married a lovely woman, gave up his bad habits, and was doing well.
他娶了一個可愛的女人，也戒除了自己的惡習，日子過得很好。
But one thing, boys, ruined him forever.
孩子們，但是有一件事卻毀了他一生。
In the city, he had learned to take strong drink, and he said to me once, that when a man begins to drink, he never knows where it will end.
在城市里，他學會了喝烈酒，他曾經對我說過，當一個男人開始酗酒，就永無終結了。
Therefore, said Tom, "be ware of the first drink!"
因此，湯姆說，“千萬要謹慎對待自己的第一次喝酒！”
It was not long before he began to follow his old habit.
就在不久前，他的老毛病又犯了。
He knew the danger, but it seemed as if he could not resist his desire to drink.
他自己也知道這樣很危險，但是似乎無法抗拒想要喝酒的欲望。
His poor mother soon died of grief and shame.
他那可憐的媽媽很快就因過度悲痛和羞愧而過世了。
His lovely wife followed her to the grave.
他的愛妻也追隨母親離去。
He lost the respect of all, went on from bad to worse, and has long been a perfect sot.
他失去了尊嚴，情況越來越糟糕，完全成了一個不折不扣的醉鬼。
Last night, I had a letter from the city, stating that Tom Smith had been found guilty of stealing, and sent to the state prison for ten years.
昨天晚上，我收到了市里寄來的一封信，提到湯姆.史密斯因盜竊罪而被送進州監獄服刑十年。
There I suppose he will die, for he is now old.
我猜他可能會死在監獄里，因為他現在已經老了。
It is dreadful to think to what an end he has come.
我甚至都不敢去想他的末日會是什么樣子，非常可怕。
I could not but think, as I read the letter, of what he said to me years ago, 'Be ware of the first drink!'
當我讀到這封信時，禁不住想起幾年前他對我說的話，‘要當心第一次喝酒！’
Ah, my dear boys, when old Uncle Philip is gone, remember that he told you the story of Tom Smith, and said to you, 'Be ware of the first drink!'
啊，我親愛的孩子們，菲利普叔叔走后，你們要記得他曾經告訴過你們湯姆.史密斯的故事，并且還對你們說過，‘要當心第一次飲酒！’
The man who does this will never be a drunkard."
一個謹慎對待飲酒的人永遠不會成為一個醉鬼。
