书城教材教辅新课标英语学习资源库-一本不说话的书
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第6章 The Fir Tree(5)

The little mice also kept away after this,and the tree sighed,and said,“It was very pleasant when the merry little mice sat round me and listened while I talked.Now that is all passed too.However,I shall consider myself happy when some one comes to take me out of this place.”But would this ever happen?Yes.One morning people came to clear out the garret,the boxes were packed away,and the tree was pulled out of the corner,and thrown roughly on the garret floor.Then the servant dragged it out upon the staircase where the daylight shone.

最后小耗子们也都走开了。枞树叹了一口气,说:“当这些快乐的小耗子坐在我身旁听我讲故事时,一切倒是蛮好的。现在什么都完了!不过我将要记住什么叫做快乐,当人们再将我搬出去的时候!”不过结果是怎样呢?嗨,有一天早晨人们来收拾这个顶楼:箱子都给挪开了,枞树被拖出来了……人们粗暴地把它扔到地板上,不过一个佣人马上把它拖到楼梯边去。阳光在这里照着。

“Now life is beginning again.”said the tree,rejoicing in the sunshine and fresh air.Then it was carried down stairs and taken into the courtyard so quickly,that it forgot to think of itself,and could only look about,there was so much to be seen.The court was close to a garden,where everything looked blooming.Fresh and fragrant roses hung over the little palings.The lindentrees were in blossom;while the swallows flew here and there,crying,“Twit,twit,twit,my mate is coming.”—but it was not the firtree they meant.

“生活现在又重新开始了!”枞树这样想。它觉得那早晨的太阳光和新鲜空气绕着它。它现在是躺在院子里。一切是过得这样快,枞树也忘了把自己看一下……周围值得看的东西真是太多了。院子是在一个花园的附近;这里所有的花都开了。玫瑰悬在小小的栅栏上,又香又嫩。菩提树也正开着花。燕子们在飞来飞去,说“吱尔……微尔……微特!我们的爱人要回来了!”不过它们所指的并不是这棵枞树。

“Now I shall live!”cried the tree,joyfully spreading out its branches.But alas!they were all withered and yellow,and it lay in a corner amongst weeds and nettles.The star of gold paper still stuck in the top of the tree and glittered(glitter vi.闪闪发光,闪烁,闪光n.闪光)in the sunshine.In the same courtyard two of the merry children were playing who had danced round the tree at Christmas,and had been so happy.The youngest saw the gilded star,and ran and pulled it off the tree.

“现在我要生活了!”枞树把它的枝子展开,兴高采烈地说道。但是,唉!这些枝子都枯了,黄了。它现在是躺在一个长满了荒草和荆棘的墙角边。银纸做的星星还挂在它的头顶上,而且还在明朗的太阳光中发亮呢。院子里有几个快乐的小孩子在玩耍。他们在圣诞节时,曾绕着这树跳过舞,与它在一起高兴过。最年轻的一个小孩子跑过来,摘下一颗金星。

“Look what is sticking to the ugly old firtree.”said the child,treading on the branches till they crackled under his boots.And the tree saw all the fresh bright flowers in the garden,and then looked at itself,and wished it had remained in the dark corner of the garret.It thought of its fresh youth in the forest,of the merry Christmas evening,and of the little mice who had listened to the story of“Humpty Dumpty”。“Past!past!”said the old tree.“Oh,had I but enjoyed myself while I could have done so!but now it is too late.”

“你们看,这棵奇丑的老枞树身上挂着什么东西!”这孩子说。他用靴子踩着枝子,直至枝子发出断裂声。枞树将花园里华丽的景色和盛开的花望了一眼,又把自己看了一下,它希望自己现在仍然待在顶楼的一个黑暗的角落里。它想起自己在树林里新鲜的青春时代,想起了那快乐的圣诞节前夕,想起了那些高兴地听着它讲述关于泥巴球的故事的小耗子们。“完了!完了!”可怜的枞树说道。“我应该在我能快乐时快乐一下才对!可惜现在太晚了。”

Then a lad came and chopped the tree into small pieces,till a large bundle(bundle n.捆,束,包v.捆扎)lay in a heap on the ground.The pieces were placed in a fire under the copper,and they quickly blazed up brightly,while the tree sighed so deeply that each sigh was like a pistolshot.Then the children,who were at play,came and seated themselves in front of the fire,and looked at it and cried,“Pop,pop.”But at each“pop”which was a deep sigh,the tree was thinking of a summer day in the forest.And of Christmas evening,and of“Humpty Dumpty”,the only story it had ever heard or knew how to relate,till at last it was consumed(consume vt.消耗,消费,消灭,大吃大喝,吸引vi.消灭,毁灭)。

一个佣人走过来,把这株树砍成碎片。它变成了一大捆柴,它在一个大酒锅底下熊熊地燃着。它只能深深地叹气;每一个叹息声好像一个小小的枪声。在那儿玩耍着的小孩子们跑过来,都坐到火边,朝它里面望,同时叫道:“烧呀!烧呀!”每一个爆裂声是一个深深的叹息。在它发出每一声叹息时,它就忆起在树林里的夏天,和星星照耀着的冬夜;它回想起了圣诞节的前夕和它所听到过的和会讲的惟一的故事……泥巴球的故事。这时枞树已经全被烧成灰了。

The boys still played in the garden,and the youngest wore the golden star on his breast,with which the tree had been adorned during the happiest evening of its existence.Now all was past.The trees life was past,and the story also,—for all stories must come to an end at last.

孩子们都在院子中玩耍。最小的那个孩子把这树曾经在它最幸福的一个晚上所戴过的那颗金星挂在自己的胸前。现在枞树的生命完了,所有的都完了,这故事也完了;完了!完了!……所有故事都是这样。