美國語文第四冊 第78期：蕁麻（01）
O papa! I have stung my hand with that nettle.
哦！爸爸！那棵蕁麻蜇到了我的手。
father says: Well, my dear, I am sorry for it; but pull up that large dock leaf you see near it;
爸爸說：親愛的，我為你感到難過；拔下一片旁邊的大酸模葉，
now bruise the juice out of it on the part which is stung. Well, is the pain lessened?
擠出葉子上的汁，涂在蜇疼了的地方。恩，現(xiàn)在不那么疼了吧？
Oh, very much indeed, I hardly feel it now.
哦，確實是，我?guī)缀醺杏X不到疼了。
But I wish there was not a nettle in the world.
但我真希望世界上沒有蕁麻。
I am sure I do not know what use there can be in them.
我不知道它們能有什么用處。
If you knew anything of botany, Nanny, you would not say so.
娜娜，如果你了解植物學(xué)的話就不會這么說了。
What is botany, papa?
爸爸，什么是植物學(xué)?
Botany, my dear, is the knowledge of plants.
親愛的，植物學(xué)就是關(guān)于植物的學(xué)問。
Some plants are very beautiful. If the lily were growing in our fields, I should not complain.
一些植物很漂亮。如果我們的地里長出的是百合花，我就沒什么可抱怨的了。
But this ugly nettle! I do not know what beauty or use there can be in that.
但卻是這種難看的蕁麻！我真不知道它有什么漂亮之處或者能有什么用處。
And yet, Nanny, there is more beauty, use, and instruction in a nettle, than even in a lily.
不是啊，娜娜，蕁麻里的妙處、功用和門道可比百合花多多了。
O papa, how can you make that out?
哦，爸爸，你是怎么知道的？
Put on your gloves, pluck up that nettle, and let us examine it. First, look at the flower.
戴上手套，拔下那棵蕁麻，讓我們一起來對它進行個考察。首先，看看它的花。
The flower, papa? I see no flower, unless those little ragged knobs are flowers,
爸爸，它的花？我看不到花，除非說那些粗糙的小疙瘩是花。
which have neither color nor smell, and are not much larger than the heads of pins.
它們即沒顏色又沒味道，還沒有大頭針的頭大呢。
Here, take this magnifying glass and examine them.
這里，拿著這個放大鏡觀察它們。
Oh, I see now; every little knob is folded up in leaves, like a rosebud. Perhaps there is a flower inside.
噢，我現(xiàn)在看到了；每個小疙瘩都藏在葉子里，像個玫瑰花苞。也許里面有朵花。
Try; take this pin and touch the knob. Well, what do you see?
試試，用這個大頭針碰碰那個疙瘩。你看見什么了？
Oh, how curious!
哦，真奇怪！
What is curious?
什么奇怪??？
The moment I touched it, it flew open.
我碰到它的一瞬間，它就打開了，像施了魔法。
