美國語文第三冊 第77期：蘇茜與羅孚（02）
She did not enjoy the afternoon as she did the morning.
下午她并沒有像早上那么開心。
The sunshine was as bright, the berries were as sweet and plentiful, and she was neither tired nor hungry.
陽光一樣明亮，漿果也一樣多而甜美，她并不累，也不餓。
But good, faithful Rover was hungry, and she had not given him even one piece of meat.
然而又乖又忠誠的羅孚卻餓著肚子，她連一小片肉也沒有給它。
She tried to forget how selfish she had been; but she could not do so, and quite early she started for home.
她試圖忘掉自己是多么自私，可是卻做不到。時間還早，可是她決定提前回家。
When she was nearly out of the woods, a rustling in the underbrush attracted her attention.
當她快要走出樹林的時候，灌木叢里傳來沙沙作響的聲音，引起了她的注意。
"I wonder if that is a bird or a squirrel," said she to herself. "If I can catch it, how glad I shall be!"
“我想知道那是只小鳥還是松鼠，”她心里想，“如果我能抓住它，我該多高興??！”
She tried to make her way quietly through the underbrush; but what was her terror when she saw a large snake coiled up before her, prepared for a spring!
她努力讓自己不發(fā)出任何聲音，悄悄爬過灌木叢。當她看見一條大蛇盤踞在她面前的時候，簡直嚇呆了。那條蛇卷成一圈，隨時準備一躍而起！
She was so much frightened that she could not move; but brave Rover saw the snake, and, springing forward, seized it by the neck and killed it.
她害怕得無法動彈。然而勇敢的羅孚一看見這條蛇，就跳上前去，咬住蛇的脖子，把它咬死了。
When the faithful dog came and rubbed his head against her hand, Susie put her arms around his neck, and burst into tears.
忠心的小狗跑回來，頭在蘇茜的手上蹭來蹭去。蘇茜雙手抱住它的脖子，禁不住大哭起來。
"O Rover,"she CRIed, "you dear, good dog! How sorry I am that I was so selfish!"
“噢，羅孚，”她呼喊著，“親愛的乖小狗！我好后悔，我那么自私！”
Rover understood the tone of her voice, if he did not understand her words, and capered about in great glee, barking all the time.
羅孚即便聽不懂蘇茜說的話，也能理解她的聲調和語氣。
You may be sure that he had a plentiful supper that evening.
它快樂地跳來跳去，不停地吠叫。你也許猜到了，它那天的晚餐非常豐盛。
Susie never forgot the lesson of that day.
蘇茜從不忘懷那天的教訓。
She soon learned to be on her guard against a selfish spirit, and became a happier and more lovable little girl.
她很快學會了隨時警惕自私心理的出現(xiàn)，變成了一個更快樂、更可愛的小女孩。
