书城教材教辅新课标英语学习资源库-幸福的家庭
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第8章 The MoneyBox(2)

The rockinghorse spoke of training and races,the wagon of railways and steam power,for these subjects belonged to each of their professions,and it was right they should talk of them.The clock talked politics—“tick,tick”;he professed to know what was the time of day,but there was a whisper that he did not go correctly.The bamboo cane(cane n.细长的茎,藤条vt.以杖击,以藤编制)stood by,looking stiff and proud:he was vain of his brass ferrule(ferrule n.(棍棒顶端等的)金属箍,金属环,套圈vt.装以金属铁)and silver top,and on the sofa lay two worked cushions,pretty but stupid.When the play at the little theatre began,the rest sat and looked on,they were requested to applaud and stamp,or crack,when they felt gratified with what they saw.But the ridingwhip said he never cracked for old people,only for the young who were not yet married.“I crack for everybody.”said the cracker.

摇木马谈到训练和纯血统问题,学步车谈到铁路和蒸汽的力量。因为这些事情都是他们的本行,所以他们都能谈。座钟谈起政治:“滴答——滴答”。它晓得它敲的是什么时间,不过,有一种谣传说他走的并不准确。竹手杖直挺挺地站着,骄傲而不可一世,因为它上面包了银头,下面箍了铜环,上上下下都包了东西。沙发上放着两个绣花垫子,非常好看,但是没什么价值。现在戏可以开始了。其他人坐着看戏。原来大家都说好了,观众应该依据自己喜欢的程度喝彩、鼓掌和跺脚。但是马鞭讲他从来不为老人鼓掌,他只为还没有结婚的年轻人鼓掌。“我对大家都鼓掌。”爆竹说。

“Yes,and a fine noise you make.”thought the audience,as the play went on.

“一个人应该有一个立场!”这是当戏正在上演的时候他们心中各自的想法。

It was not worth much,but it was very well played,and all the characters turned their painted sides to the audience,for they were made only to be seen on one side.The acting was wonderful,excepting that sometimes they came out beyond the lamps,because the wires were a little too long.The doll,whose neck had been darned,was so excited that the place in her neck burst,and the moneypig declared he must do something for one of the players,as they had all pleased him so much.So he made up his mind to remember one of them in his will,as the one to be buried with him in the family vault,whenever that event should happen.They all enjoyed the comedy(comedy n.喜剧,喜剧性的事情)so much,that they gave up all thoughts of the tea party,and only carried out their idea of intellectual amusement,which they called playing at men and women,and there was nothing wrong about it,for it was only play.All the while,each one thought most of himself,or of what the moneypig could be thinking.His thoughts were on,as he supposed,a very distant time—of making his will,and of his burial,and of when it might all come to pass.Certainly sooner than he expected—for all at once down he came from the top of the press,fell on the ground,and was broken to pieces.Then the pennies hopped and danced about in the most amusing manner.The little ones twirled(twirl vi.转动,旋转vt.(使)快速转动,捻弄n.转动,万能钥匙)round like tops,and the large ones rolled away as far as they could,especially the one great silver crown piece who had often to go out into the world,and now he had his wish as well as all the rest of the money.

这出戏没有太大的价值,但演得很好。所有人物都把它们涂了颜色的一面对向观众,因为他们只能把正面拿出来看,可不能把反面拿出来看。大家都演得非常好,都跑到舞台前面来,因为拉着它们的线很长,只是这样人们就可以把他们看得更加清楚。那个脖子补了一次的玩偶是那样兴奋,以至她的补丁都松开了。钱猪也看得兴奋起来,他决心要为演员中的某一位做一点事情,他要记住其中的一位:他要在遗嘱上写下,到了适当的时候,他要这位演员跟他一起葬在公墓里。这才是真正的快乐,所以大家就放弃吃茶的想法,继续做知识练习。那就是他们所谓的扮演人类了。他们并没有什么恶意,因为他们仅仅只是扮演罢了,每件东西只想着自己和猜想钱猪的心事;而这钱猪想得最远,因为他想到了写遗嘱和入葬的事情。这事会什么时候发生,他总是比别人预想得要早。啪!他从橱柜上掉下来了——掉到了地上,跌成了碎片。小钱毫跳着,舞着,那些顶小的打着转,那些大的打着转滚开了,尤其是那块大银元——他竟然想跑到广阔的世界里去。他真的跑到广阔的世界里去了,其他东西的也都是一样。

The pieces of the moneypig were thrown into the dustbin,and the next day there stood a new moneypig on the cupboard,but it had not a farthing in its inside yet,and therefore,like the old one,it could not rattle.This was the beginning with him,and we will make it the end of our story.

钱猪的碎片被扫进垃圾箱里去了。不过,在第二天,橱柜上又出现了一个新钱猪。它肚皮里还没有装进钱,因此它也摇不出什么响声来。从这一点上说来,它跟别的东西根本没有什么分别。但这故事对它来说只是一个开始而已——我们以此来作一个结尾。