书城教材教辅新课标英语学习资源库-小爱达的花
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第18章 The Bell(2)

The sun shone most brightly,and the sound of the great unknown bell was heard more distinctly than ever.They had a mind to go thither,all except three.One of them wished to go home and try on her ball dress,for this very dress and the ball were the cause of her being confirmed this time,otherwise she would not have been allowed to go.The second,a poor boy,had borrowed a coat and a pair of boots from the son of his landlord to be confirmed in,and he had to return them at a certain time.The third said that he never went into strange places if his parents were not with him,he had always been a good child,and wished to remain so,even after being confirmed,and they ought not to tease him for this,they,however,did it all the same.These three,therefore did not go,the others went on.The sun was shining,the birds were singing,and the confirmed children sang too,holding each other by the hand,for they had no position yet,and they were all equal in the eyes of God.Two of the smallest soon became tired and returned to the town,two little girls sat down and made garlands(garland n.花环vt.戴花环)of flowers,they,therefore,did not go on.When the others arrived at the willow trees,where the confectioner had put up his stall,they said,“Now we are out here,the bell does not in reality exist—it is only something that people imagine!”

当这些人走出城外时,处处照着灿烂的太阳光,树林里那个神秘的大钟发出非常洪亮的声音。他们想马上就去搜寻这个钟声,因此他们全都去了,只有三个人是例外。一个要回家去试试她的参加舞会的礼服,由于她这次来受坚信礼完全是为了这件礼服和舞会,要不她就绝不会来的。第二个是一个出身贫寒的孩子,他受坚信礼穿的衣服和靴子是从主人的少爷那儿借来的,他必须在指定的时间内归还。第三个说,在他没有得到父母的同意之前,决不到一个陌生的地方去。他一直是一个乖巧的孩子,即使受了坚信礼,仍旧是如此。人们不应该笑他!——但是人们却仍然笑他。所以这三个人就不去了。别的人都蹦蹦跳跳地走了。太阳在照耀着,鸟儿在唱着,这些刚刚受了坚信礼的人也在唱着。他们彼此手挽着手,由于他们还没得到什么不同的职位,并且在上帝的眼中他们是平等的。不过他们之中有两个最小的孩子马上就感到腻烦了,因此他们两个人就回到城里去了。另外还有两个小女孩子坐下来编织花环,也不愿意去。当其他的孩子走到那个卖糕饼的人所在的柳树林里时,他们说:“好,我们算是到了。钟连影子都没有,这全是一个根本不存在的幻想!”

Then suddenly the sound of the bell was heard so beautifully and solemnly from the wood that four or five made up their minds to go still further on.The wood was very thickly grown.It was difficult to advance,wood lilies(lily n.百合,百合花,洁白的东西,纯洁的人adj.洁白的,纯洁的)and anemones grew almost too high,flowering convolvuli and brambles were hanging like garlands from tree to tree,while the nightingales were singing and the sunbeams played.That was very beautiful!But the way was unfit for the girls,they would have torn their dresses.Large rocks,covered with moss of various hues,were lying about,the fresh spring water rippled forth with a peculiar sound.“I dont think that can be the bell.”said one of the confirmed children,and then he lay down and listened.“We must try to find out if it is!”And there he remained,and let the others walk on.

正当这时候,一个柔和而庄严的钟声在树林的深处响起来,有四五个孩子决计再向树林里走去。树又密,叶子又多,要向前走真是十分困难。车叶草和秋牡丹长得非常高,盛开的旋花和黑莓像长花环般的从这棵树牵到那棵树。夜莺在这些树上跳舞唱歌,太阳光在这些树上嬉戏。啊,这地方真是太美了!不过这条路却不是女孩子可以走的,因为她们在这儿非常容易撕破衣服,这儿有长满各色青苔的石块,有潺潺流着的清新泉水,发出“骨碌,骨碌”的奇怪声音。“这不会是那个钟吧?”孩子中有一个问道。于是他就躺下来静静地听。“我倒要研究一下!”他一个人停了下来,让别的孩子往前走。

They came to a hut built of the bark of trees and branches,a large crabapple tree spread its branches over it,as if it intended to pour all its fruit on the roof,upon which roses were blooming,the long boughs covered the gable,where a little bell was hanging.Was this the one they had heard?All agreed that it must be so,except one who said that the bell was too small and too thin to be heard at such a distance,and that it had quite a different sound to that which had so touched mens hearts.

他们寻找到一座用树皮和树枝盖的房子。房子旁有一棵结满了苹果的大树它的枝丫伸向房子。看样子它好像是把一切幸福都摇到这个盛开着玫瑰花的屋顶上似的。它的长枝子盘在房子的三角墙上,而这墙上正悬挂着一口小小的钟。难道大家听到的钟声就是从这里发出来的吗?是的,他们都有这种看法,惟独一个人是例外的。这人说,这口钟太小,太精巧细致,决不会叫在很远的地方人听得见!此外,他们听到过的钟声和这钟声完全不同,因为它能感动人的心灵。

He who spoke was a kings son,and therefore the others said that such a one always wishes to be cleverer than other people.

说这话的人是国王的儿子。因此别的人都说:“这种人老是想装得比其他人聪明一点。”

Therefore they let him go alone,and as he walked on,the solitude of the wood produced a feeling of reverence(reverence n.尊敬,敬重,敬礼,尊严,威望vt.崇敬,敬畏,尊敬)in his breast,but still he heard the little bell about which the others rejoiced,and sometimes,when the wind blew in that direction,he could hear the sounds from the confectioners stall,where the others were singing at tea.But the deep sounds of the bell were much stronger,soon it seemed to him as if an organ played an accompaniment—the sound came from the left,from the side where the heart is.Now something rustled among the bushes,and a little boy stood before the kings son,in wooden shoes and such a short jacket that the sleeves did not reach to his wrists(wrist n.手腕,腕关节).They knew each other:the boy was the one who had not been able to go with them because he had to take the coat and boots back to his landlords son.That he had done,and had started again in his wooden shoes and old clothes,for the sound of the bell was too enticing—he felt he must go on.