美國語文第三冊 第54期：真正的勇氣（01）
One cold winter's day, three boys were passing by a school house.
一個寒冷的冬日，三個男孩經(jīng)過一座校舍。
The oldest was a bad boy, always in trouble himself, and trying to get others into trouble.
年紀(jì)最大的那個是個壞男孩，不但自己惹麻煩，還試圖把別人也扯進去。
The youngest,whose name was George, was a very good boy.
年紀(jì)最小的那個，名叫喬治，是個很乖的男孩子。
George wished to do right, but was very much wanting in courage.
喬治愿意做正確的事情，但是非常缺乏勇氣。
The other boys were named Henry and James.
另外兩個男孩，一個叫亨利，一個叫詹姆斯。
Asthey walked along, they talked as follows:
他們在路上走的時候，談話內(nèi)容是這樣的：
Henry says: "What fun it would be to throw a snowball against the school room door, and make the teacher and scholars all jump!"
亨利說：“要是扔一個雪球去砸教室的門，讓老師和學(xué)生都嚇得跳起來，那該多好玩??！”
James says: "You would jump, if you should".
詹姆斯說：“你這么做的話，跳起來的那個人就是你！”
If the teacher did not catch you and whip you, he would tell your father, and you would get a whipping then;
就算老師沒有抓住你，用鞭子抽你，他也會告訴你爸爸，那樣你也得挨一頓打。
and that would make you jump higher than the scholars, I think.
我想，那會讓你比那些學(xué)生跳得更高。
Why, we would get so far off, before the teacher could come to the door, that he could not tell who we are.
什么呀，老師還沒開門出來，我們已經(jīng)跑得老遠了。
Here is a snowball just as hard as ice, and George would as soon throw it against the door as not.
他根本就分辨不清我們是誰。這兒有個像冰塊一樣硬的雪球。而且，喬治會很樂意把它砸到門上的。
Give it to him, and see.
把雪球給他，看看怎么樣。
He would not dare to throw it.
他才不敢扔呢。
Do you think George is a coward?
你以為喬治是個膽小鬼嗎？
You do not know him as well as I do.
你沒有我那么了解他。
Here, George, take this snowball, and show James that you are not such a coward as he thinks you are.
來，喬治，拿著這個雪球，讓詹姆斯看看你并不像他所想的那樣是個膽小鬼。
