美國語文第三冊 第26期：三只小老鼠
LESSON 26
第26課
exactly
完全
folding
折疊
cheese
奶酪
chamber
室
rattling
卡嗒卡嗒的
protruded
伸出
forepaws
前腳掌
gazed
凝視著
doubt
懷疑
released
發(fā)布
perplexed
困惑
lattice
晶格
queer
酷兒
cozy
舒適的
staircase
樓梯
THREE LITTLE MICE
三只小老鼠
I will tell you the story of three little mice,
我會給你講三只小老鼠的故事。
If you will keep still and listen to me,
如果你能安靜好好聆聽，
Who live in a cage that is cozy and nice,
它們住在一個舒適愜意的籠子里，
And are just as cunning as cunning can be.
像普通老鼠那樣狡猾精明。
They look very wise, with their pretty red eyes,
它們看上去非常聰明，眨著可愛的紅色小眼睛，
That seem just exactly like little round beads;
看上去真像小圓珠子；
They are white as the snow, and stand up in a row
它們身白如雪，它們就會站成一排；
Whenever we do not attend to their needs;
每當我們忽略其需求時，
Stand up in a row in a comical way,
他們以令人好笑的方式站成一排，
Now folding their forepaws as if saying, "please;”
合上前爪，仿佛在說：“求求你”；
Now rattling the lattice, as much as to say,
它們又咔噠咔噠地弄著格子，似乎在說：
We shall not stay here without more bread and cheese,
沒有面包和奶酪，我們就不待在這里了
They are not at all shy, as you'll find, if you try
你會發(fā)現(xiàn)它們一點兒也不害羞，
To make them run up in their chamber to bed;
假如你想讓它們沿著梯子跑回臥室；
If they don't want to go, why, they won't go—ah! no,
如果它們不想回去，它們絕不回去呀！
Though you tap with your finger each queer little head.
盡管你用手指敲著它們那奇怪的小腦袋。
One day as I stood by the side of the cage,
一天我站在籠子邊，
Through the bars there protruded a funny, round tail;
柵欄里伸出一條有趣的圓尾巴；
Just for mischief I caught it, and soon, in a rage,
為了好玩我很快就抓住了它；
Its owner set up a most pitiful wail.
尾巴的主人在籠子里發(fā)出了可憐的哀號。
He looked in dismay, there was something to pay,
它看上去很沮喪，似乎要付出代價了
But what was the matter he could not make out;
但是，它不明白問題出在了哪里，
What was holding him so, when he wanted to go
當它想去看看樓上的兄弟們在做什么時，
To see what his brothers upstairs were about?
究竟是什么抓住了它？
But soon from the chamber the others rushed down,
然而，很快地，另外兩只小老鼠從樓上的臥室里沖下來，
Impatient to learn what the trouble might be;
迫不及待地想了解發(fā)生了什么事情；
I have not a doubt that each brow wore a frown,
它們個個都皺著眉頭，對此我一點兒都不懷疑，
Only frowns on their brows are not easy to see.
只不過它們那緊皺著的眉頭不太容易被發(fā)現(xiàn)罷了。
For a moment they gazed, perplexed and amazed;
它們癡癡地凝視了片刻，既驚訝又困惑；
Then began both together to gnaw off the tail!
然后，一起過來準備咬斷那條尾巴！
So, quick I released him, do you think that it pleased him?
于是，我馬上就放開了它，你認為它會因此而高興嗎？
And up the small staircase they fled like a gale.
它像風一樣夾著尾巴快速跑上了小扶梯。
