美國語文第五冊 第03期：朗讀者（03）
The King gave her the petition, and she rapidly glanced through the opening lines to get some idea of what it was about.
國王將請愿書遞給她，她快速地瀏覽了開篇數(shù)行，從而獲悉文章的大體印象。
As she read, her eyes began to glisten, and her breast to heave.
她讀了不一會兒，眼神炯炯有光，呼吸急速。
"What is the matter?" asked the King; "don't you know how to read?" "Oh, yes! sire," she replied,
“怎么回事？”國王問道，“難道你不會讀？”“不！陛下，”
addressing him with the title usually applied to him: "I will now read it, if you please."
她以國王的尊稱回答，“如果你樂意的話，我會繼續(xù)。”
The two pages wore about to leave the room. “Remain,” said the King.
兩位侍童正準備離開，“站著，別動！”國王下令，
The little girl began to read the petition.
姑娘又接著往下讀。
It was from a poor widow, whose only son had been drafted to serve in the army,
這份請愿書說的是一位貧苦寡婦的遭遇，她唯一的兒子被抓到軍隊服兵役，
although his health was delicate and his pursuits had been such as to unfit him for military life.
雖然他身虛體弱，志向亦不在行伍。
His father had been killed in battle, and the son had a strong desire to become a portrait painter.
男孩父親已在一次戰(zhàn)役中身亡，那少年還有個夢寐以求的愿望，想成為一名肖像畫家。
The writer told her story in a simple, concise manner, that carried to the heart a belief of its truth;
請愿書作者以質(zhì)樸簡潔的語言，敘述那位寡婦的悲慘遭遇，文章的真情實感讓人動容。
and Ernestine read it with so much feeling, and with an articulation so just, in tones so pure and distinct,
歐內(nèi)斯廷滿懷深情地讀著，她的語言清晰，音調(diào)純正，抑揚頓挫。
that when she had finished, the King, into whose eyes the tears had started,
讀完后，國王眼里充滿了淚水，
exclaimed, Oh! now I understand what it is all about;
他高聲叫道：天呀！我現(xiàn)在才知道怎么回事，
but I might never have known, certainly I never should have felt, its meaning had I trusted to these young gentlemen,
假如聽信那些年輕貴族的話，我將壓根無從了解，準確地說，從來不會感受到這種請愿書的深刻涵義。
whom I now dismiss from my service for one year, advising them to occupy their time in learning to read.
現(xiàn)在，我要將那些家伙解職一年，讓他們好好學(xué)習(xí)一下如何閱讀。
