評論
打印
LESSON 10 The stinging nettle
第十課 蕁麻
Alfred saw a beautiful flower growing on the farther side of a deep ditch, and he ran forward to get it for his sister Mary.
艾爾弗雷德看到一朵美麗的花在深溝對岸生長，他跑上前去把它摘下來送給妹妹瑪麗。
Mary begged him not to do so, lest he should tumble into the ditch. But Alfred would have his own way.
瑪麗懇求他不要這樣做，以免他掉進溝里。但艾爾弗雷德有自己的辦法。
As he was going down the bank, his foot slipped; and he would have fallen into the ditch, had he not caught hold of some nettles that were growing near.
他下岸堤時，腳底滑了一下，就掉到溝里。他沒抓住附近生長的一些蕁麻。
He was not long in scrambling up the bank again, for the sharp sting of the nettles made him forget the beautiful flower.
不久，他爬上河岸，因為蕁麻的尖刺使他忘記了美麗的花朵。
"There now!" said he; "talk of everything being useful!
“現在！”他說：“還說什么都有用！
I am quite sure a stinging nettle is of no use in the world.
我確信蕁麻是世上的一種無用之物。
See how it has stung my fingers! They are covered with white blisters, and tingle terribly.
看看它刺傷了我的手指！它們表面覆蓋著白色的水泡，刺痛得厲害。
I am quite sure grandpapa was wrong when he said that everything was useful."
我敢肯定爺爺說什么都有用的時候是錯的。”
"Perhaps not," said the old gentleman, who at that moment peeped over the hedge.
“也許不是，”老先生說，他偷看了一下籬笆。
"But I shall go round by the gate, and come to you."
“但我應該走大門去找你。”
In a few minutes the old gentleman was with them, examining the smarting fingers of his grandson.
幾分鐘后，老先生來到他們身邊，看著孫子刺痛的手指。
"Well now, grandpapa, please to tell me of what use nettles are, for I cannot think that they are of the least use whatever."
“嗯，爺爺，您能告訴我，蕁麻有什么用嗎，我覺得它們是最沒用的東西。”
"The nettle," replied the old gentleman, "has no doubt many uses of which I am ignorant;
“蕁麻，”老先生回答說，“毫無疑問，蕁麻有許多我都不知道，
but I shall point out a few, which may show you that God has not formed it in vain.
但我要指明一些，這或許可以告訴你，上帝并沒有徒勞地創造出蕁麻。
And I shall begin with the use of which the nettle has been to you, Alfred."
我要從蕁麻對你所做的事開始說，阿爾弗雷德。”
