小学生英语故事

野兔和刺蝟 The Hare and the Hedgehog 孩子们，我这故事听起来像是捏造This story was actually made up, young ones, but it 的，但它却是千真万确的。故事是从我really is true, for my grandfather, who told it to me, 爷爷那听来的，他每次给我讲时，总说:always said whenever he told it, "it must be true, my son, “这当然是真的，孩子，要不然就不给otherwise it couldn't be told." Anyway, this is how the 你讲了。” 这故事是这样的。 story goes: 在收获季节的一个星期天早上，荞It was on a Sunday morning at harvest time, just 麦花开得正盛，阳光明媚，微风和煦地when the buckwheat was in bloom. The sun was shining 吹拂着田间的草梗，云雀在空中欢唱，bright in the heaven, the morning wind was blowing 蜜蜂在荞麦间嗡嗡地飞来飞去，人们正warmly across the stubble, the larks were singing in the 穿着盛装去教堂做礼拜。万物欢喜，刺air, the bees were buzzing in the buckwheat, and the 蝟也不例外。 people in their Sunday best were on their way to church, and all the creatures were happy, including the hedgehog. 刺蝟正双手叉腰，靠门站着，享受The hedgehog was standing before his door with his 这清晨的和风，悠闲地哼着小曲，这首arms crossed, humming a little song to himself, neither 歌和他平时星期天早上唱的歌没有甚better nor worse than hedgehogs usually sing on a nice 么两样。他悠闲地半哼半唱着，突然想Sunday morning. Singing there to himself, half silently, it 起了要趁自己的女人正给孩子们洗澡suddenly occurred to him that while his wife was 的当儿，去看看他的萝卜长势如何。这washing and drying the children, he could take a little 些萝卜其实并不是他的，只是离他家很walk into the field and see how his turnips were doing. 近，他和他的家人就习以为常地靠吃这The turnips were close by his house, and he and his 些萝卜度日，他也理所当然地把它当成family were accustomed to eating them, so he considered 是他自己的了。 them his own. 说干就干，只见他关上身后的门，No sooner said than done. The hedgehog closed the 随即就踏上了去萝卜地的路。他在离家house door behind him and started down the path to the 不远的地方绕过了地边仅有的一丛灌field. He hadn't gone very far away from his house at all, 木，正准备到地里去时，他看到了为同only as far as the blackthorn bush which stands at the 样目的出门的野兔，他也想去看看自己front of the field, near the turnip patch, when he met up 的白菜长得怎样了。 with the hare, who had gone out for a similar purpose, namely to examine his cabbage. 刺蝟看到野兔时友好地和他道了When the hedgehog saw the hare, he wished him a 1 声早安，但野兔自以为是位不同寻常的friendly good morning. The hare, however, who was in 绅士， 表 关于同志近三年现实表现材料材料类招标技术评分表图表与交易pdf视力表打印pdf用图表说话 pdf 现得非常傲慢无礼，连刺蝟的his own way a distinguished gentleman, and terribly 问候也不搭理，只是以一种很轻蔑的态arrogant about it, did not answer the hedgehog's 度对刺蝟说:“你怎么这么一大清早就greeting, but instead said to the hedgehog, in a terribly 在地边跑,” sarcastic manner, "How is it that you are running around in the field so early in the morning?" “我在散步。”刺蝟说。 "I'm taking a walk," said the hedgehog. “散步,”野兔微微一笑，“我想"Taking a walk?" laughed the hare. "I should think 你可以用你的腿干点更好的事吧。” that you could better use your legs for other purposes." 刺蝟听到这回答非常气愤，他一切This answer made the hedgehog terribly angry, for 都可忍受，只有自己的腿不能提，因为he could stand anything except remarks about his legs, 大自然给了他一双短短的弯腿。 for by nature they were crooked. 于是他对野兔说:“你以为你的腿"Do you imagine," said the hedgehog to the hare, 能比我的腿派上更大的用场,” "that you can accomplish more with your legs?" “我正是这样认为的。”野兔说。 "I should think so," said the hare. “这个我们可以验证一下，” 刺"That would depend on the situation," said the 蝟说道，“我打赌如果我们赛跑，我一hedgehog. "I bet, if we were to run a race, I'd pass you 定会胜过你。” up." “真是滑稽，瞧你那对短腿。” 野"That is a laugh! You with your crooked legs!" said 兔说，“不过我倒很乐意，既然你有这the hare. "But for all I care, let it be, if you are so eager. 种荒诞的想法，我们来赌点什么呢,” What will we wager?" “一个金路易和一瓶白兰地。”刺"A gold louis d'or and a bottle of brandy," said the 蝟说道。 hedgehog. “一言为定。”野兔说，“来，击"Accepted," said the hare. "Shake hands, and we can 掌为证，我们现在就可以开始。” take right off." “不，没必要这么急嘛，”刺蝟说，"No, I'm not in such a hurry," said the hedgehog. “我还没吃过早饭呢～我得先回家，吃"I'm very hungry. First I want to go home and eat a little 完饭。半小时后我就会回来。” breakfast. I'll be back here at this spot in a half hour." 于是刺蝟离开了，野兔对这一切也The hare was agreeable with this, and the hedgehog 很满意。 left. 在回家路上刺蝟想:“野兔仗着他On his way home the hedgehog thought to himself, 2 的腿长，很得意，但我会设法胜过他的。"The hare is relying on his long legs, but I'll still beat 他或许是个人物，但他却是个愚蠢透顶him. He may well be a distinguished gentleman, but he's 的家伙，他会为他所说的话招报应的。” still a fool, and he'll be the one to pay." 当他回到家时，他对老婆说:“老Arriving home, he said to his wife, "Wife, get 婆，快点穿好衣服，跟我到地里走一dressed quickly. You've got to go out to the field with 趟。” me." “出了什么事,”他老婆问道。 "What's the matter?" said his wife. “我和野兔打了个赌，赌一个金路"I bet a gold louis d'or and a bottle of brandy with 易和一瓶白兰地。我要和他赛跑，你也the hare that I could beat him in a race, and you should 得到场。” be there too." “天哪，老公，”他老婆叫道，“你"My God, man," the hedgehog's wife began to cry, 没有毛病吧，你是不是疯了，你怎么会"are you mad? Have you entirely lost your mind? How 想到要和野兔赛跑呢,” can you agree to run a race with the hare?" “住嘴，你这女人，”刺蝟叫道，"Hold your mouth, woman," said the hedgehog. “这是我的事，男人的事你最好少插"This is my affair. Don't get mixed up in men's business. 嘴。快去穿上衣服跟我走。” Hurry up now, get dressed, and come with me." 刺蝟的老婆拿他没办法，不管她愿What was the hedgehog's wife to do? She had to 意不愿意，她都得听他的。 obey, whether she wanted to or not. 于是他们一起上路了。刺蝟告诉她As they walked toward the field together, the 的老婆说:“现在听好我的话，你瞧，hedgehog said to his wife, "Now pay attention to what I 我会把这块地作为我们的赛跑路线，他tell you. You see, we are going to run the race down the 跑一畦，我跑一畦。我们会从那头上跑long field. The hare will run in one furrow and I in 下来，现在要做的就是呆在这畦的底another one. We'll begin running from up there. All you 下，当他到达你身旁那畦的终点线时，have to do is to stand here in the furrow, and when the 你就对他叫:我早就在这里了。” hare approaches from the other side, just call out to him, 'I'm already here.'" 他们到地里后，刺蝟告诉他老婆该With that they arrived at the field, the hedgehog 呆的地方，然后他就往头上走去。他到showed his wife her place, then he went to the top of the 头上的时候，野兔已经在那儿了。 field. When he arrived the hare was already there. “可以开始了吗,”野兔问道。 "Can we start?" said the hare. “当然，”刺蝟说，“咱们一起跑。”"Yes, indeed," said the hedgehog. "On your mark!" 3 他们就各自在自己的菜畦上准备好了。 And each one took his place in his furrow. 野兔数:“一、二、三，跑。”然The hare counted "One, two, three," and he tore 后就像一阵风似地冲下了这块地。但那down the field like a windstorm. But the hedgehog ran 只刺蝟只跑了两三步远就蹲在了菜畦only about three steps and then ducked down in the 沟里，并安安静静地呆在了那儿。 furrow and remained there sitting quietly. 当野兔全速冲到那头时，刺蝟的老When the hare, in full run, arrived at the bottom of 婆迎了上去，叫道:“我早就在这里了。” the field, the hedgehog's wife called out to him, "I'm already here!" 野兔大吃一惊，十分奇怪。由于刺The hare, startled and bewildered, thought it was the 蝟的老婆长得和刺蝟一样，他认为除了hedgehog himself, for as everyone knows, a hedgehog's 刺蝟外没人会叫他。 wife looks just like her husband. 野兔想:“这不公平。”于是叫道，The hare thought, "Something's not right here." He “咱们得重新来一次。”他又一次像风called out, "Let's run back again!" And he took off again 一样往前跑了，他看起来像是在飞。但like a windstorm, with his ears flying from his head. But 刺蝟的老婆仍安安静静地呆在那儿。 the hedgehog's wife remained quietly in place. 当野兔跑到菜地的顶端时，刺蝟就When the hare arrived at the top, the hedgehog 在那儿对他叫道:“我早就在这里了。” called out to him, "I'm already here!" 这下野兔可气坏了，叫道:“重跑The hare, beside himself with excitement, shouted, 一次，我们再来一次。” "Let's run back again!" “没问题，”刺蝟答道，“对我来"It's all right with me," answered the hedgehog. "For 说，你愿意跑多少次都行。” all I care, as often as you want." 于是野兔又跑了七十三次，刺蝟总So the hare ran seventy-three more times, and the 是奉陪着。每次野兔跑到底端或顶端hedgehog always kept up with him. Each time the hare 时，刺蝟和他的老婆总叫:“我早就在arrived at the top or the bottom of the field, the hedgehog 这里了。” or his wife said, "I am already here!" 到了第七十四次时，野兔再也跑不But the hare did not complete the seventy-fourth 动了，跑到一半就倒在地上，嘴角流着time. In the middle of the field, with blood flowing from 血，躺在地上死了。 his neck, he fell dead to the ground. 刺蝟拿走了他赢的白兰地和金路The hedgehog took the gold louis d'or and the bottle 易，把他的老婆从菜畦里叫出来，欢天of brandy he had won, called his wife from her furrow, 喜地回家了。 and happily they went back home. 4 要是还活着，他们准还住在那呢～ And if they have not died, then they are still alive. 这就是刺蝟如何在布克斯胡德荒Thus it happened that the hedgehog ran the hare to 地上与野兔赛跑，直到把野兔跑死。打death on the Buxtehude Heath, and since that time no 那以后，野兔再也不敢与刺蝟赛跑了。 hare has agreed to enter a race with a hedgehog. 这则故事的寓意是:第一，无论甚The moral of this story is, first, that no one, however 么人，不管他如何伟大，都不该嘲笑比distinguished he thinks himself, should make fun of a 自己差的人，就算是刺蝟这样的小动物lesser man, even if this man is a hedgehog. And second, 也不可小瞧;第二，它告诉我们，一个when a man marries, it is recommended that he take a 男人必须依据自己的情况，挑一个和自wife from his own class, one who looks just like him. In 己相貌相配的人为妻。那么谁遇到了刺other words, a hedgehog should always take care that his 蝟，就得留心刺蝟的老婆也是刺蝟。 wife is also a hedgehog, and so forth. 5 一捧泥土 A Handful of Clay 在一条河边有一捧泥土。说来不过There was a handful of clay in the bank of a river. It 是普通的泥土，质地粗拙;但他对自己was only common clay, coarse and heavy; but it had 的价值却抱有很高看法，对它在世上可high thoughts of its own value, and wonderful dreams of 能占有的地位具有奇妙梦想，认为一旦the great place which it was to fill in the world when the 时运到来，自己的美德终将为人发现。 time came for its virtues to be discovered. 头顶上，在明媚的春光里，树木正Overhead, in the spring sunshine, the trees 在交头接耳地窃窃私语，讲述着当纤细whispered together of the glory which descended upon 的林花和树叶开始吐放，林中一片澄澈them when the delicate blossoms and leaves began to 艳丽时它们身上所沾沐的无尽光辉，那expand, and the forest glowed the fair, clear colors, as if 情景，宛如无数红绿宝石粉末所形成的the dust of thousands of rubies and emeralds were 朵朵彩云，轻柔地悬浮在大地之上。 hanging, in soft clouds, above the earth. 花儿看到这种美景惊喜极了，它们The flowers, surprised with the joy of beauty, bent 在春风的抚摸中探头欠身互相祝贺:their heads to one another, as the wind caressed them, “姐妹们，你们出落得多可爱啊，你们and said: "Sisters, how lovely you have become. You 真是给白日增辉。” make the day bright." 河水因为增添了新的力量而感到The river, glad of new strength and rejoicing in the 高兴，它沉浸在水流重聚的欢乐之中，unison of all its waters, murmured to the shores in music, 不断以美好的音调向河岸喃喃絮语，叙telling of its release from icy fetters, its swift flight from 述着自己是怎么挣脱冰雪束缚，怎么从the snow-clad mountains, and the mighty work to which 积雪覆盖的群山奔腾跑到这里，以及它it was hurrying --- the wheels of many mills to be turned, 匆忙前往担负的重大工作 --- 无数水and great ships to be floated to the sea. 车的轮子等待着它去推动，巨大的船只 等待着它去送往海上。 黏土懵懵懂懂地呆在河床，不断用Waiting blindly in its bed, the clay comforted itself 种种远大理想来安慰自己。“我的时运with lofty hopes. "My time will come," it said. "I was not 终将到来，”它说，“我是不会长久被埋made to be hidden forever. Glory and beauty and honor 没的。世间的种种光彩，荣耀，在适当are coming to me in due season." 的时候，会降临到我的头上。” 一天，泥土发现自己挪了位置，不One day the clay felt itself taken from the place 在原来长期苦守的地方了。一铲下去，where it had waited so long. A flat blade of iron passed 6 它被挖了起来，然后和别的泥土一起装beneath it, and lifted it, and tossed it into a cart with other 到一辆车上，沿着一条似乎很不平坦铺lumps of clay, and it was carried far away, as it seemed, 着石块的路，运到遥远的地方去。但它over a rough and stony road. But it was not afraid, nor 并不害怕，也不气馁，只是心里想:“这discouraged, for it said to itself: "This is necessary. The 完全是必要的。通往光荣的道路总是艰path to glory is always rugged . Now I am on my way to 难崎岖的。现在我就要到世界上去完成play a great part in the world." 我的重大使命。” 这段路程非常辛苦，但比起后来所But the hard journey was nothing, compared with 经受的种种折磨痛苦却又不算什么。黏the tribulation and distress that came after it. The clay 土被抛进一个槽子里面，然后便是一番was put into a trough and mixed and beaten and stirred 搀和，捶打，搅拌，践踏。真是不堪其and trampled. It seemed almost unbearable. But there 苦。但是一想到某种美好崇高的事物必was consolation in the thought that something very fine 将从这一番痛苦中产生出来，也就感到and noble was certainly coming out of all this trouble. 释然了。黏土坚决相信，只要它能耐心The clay felt sure that, if it could only wait long enough, 地等待下去，总有一天它将得到重酬。 a wonderful reward was in store for it. 接着它被放到一只飞速转动的悬Then it was put upon a swiftly turning wheel, and 盘上去，自己也跟着旋转起来，感觉好whirled around until it seemed as if it must fly into a 象自己即将被甩得粉身碎骨。在旋转thousand pieces. A strange power pressed it and molded 中，仿佛有一种神力把它紧紧搏捏在一it, as it revolved, and through all the dizziness and pain it 起，所以尽管它经历一切眩晕痛苦，它felt that it was taking a new form. 觉着自己已经开始变成一种新的形状。 然后一只陌生的手把它透进炉灶，Then an unknown hand put it into an oven, and fires 周围烈火熊熊---真是痛心刺骨---那were kindled about it --- fierce and penetrating --- hotter 灼热程度远比盛夏时节河边的艳阳厉than all the heats of summer that had ever brooded upon 害得多。整个期间，泥土始终十分坚强，the bank of the river. But through all, the clay held itself 经受一切考验，对自己伟大前途信心不together and endured its trials, in the confidence of a 坠。它心想，“既然人家对我下了这么great future. "Surely," it thought, "I am intended for 大工夫，我注定有一番锦绣前程。看来something very splendid, since such pains are taken with 我不是去充当庙堂殿宇里的华美装饰，me. Perhaps I am fashioned for the ornament of a 便是成为帝王几案上的名贵花瓶。” temple, or a precious vase for the table of a king." 最后烘培完毕。黏土从灶中取出，At last the baking was finished. The clay was taken 7 放在一块木板上面，让它在蓝天之下凉from the furnace and set down upon a board, in the cool 风之中去慢慢冷却。一番磨难既过，报air, under the blue sky. The tribulation was passed. The 偿的日子也就不远了。 reward was at hand. 木板之旁便有一泓潭水，水虽不深Close beside the board there was a pool of water, 也不很清，但却波纹平静，能把潭边事not very deep, not very clear, but calm enough to reflect, 物公正如实反映出来。当泥土被人从板with impartial truth, every image that fell upon it. There 上拿起来时，它这才第一次窥见了自己for the first time, as it was lifted from the board, the clay 新的形状，而这便是它千辛万苦之后的saw its new shape, the reward of all its patience and pain, 报偿，它的全部心愿的成果 --- 一只the consummation of its hopes --- a common flower-pot, 普普通通的花盆，线条粗硬，又红又丑。straight and stiff, red and ugly. And then it felt that it was 这时它才感觉到自己既不可能登帝王not destined for a king's house, nor for a palace of art, 之家，也不可能入艺术之宫，因为自己because it was made without glory or beauty or honor; 的外貌一点也不高雅华贵;于是它对自and it murmured against the unknown maker, saying, 己那位无名的制造者喃喃抱怨起来，"Why hast thou made me thus?" “你为什么把我造成这等模样,” 一连数日它抑郁不快。接着它给装Many days it passed in sullen discontent. Then it 上了土，另外还有一件东西---是什么was filled with earth, and something --- it knew not what 它弄不清，但灰黄粗糙，样子难看------ but something rough and brown and dead-looking, 也给插到了土中间，然后用东西盖上。was thrust into the middle of the earth and covered over. 这个新的屈辱引起了泥土的极大不满。The clay rebelled at this new disgrace. "This is the worst “我的不幸现在到了极点，让人装起脏of all that has happened to me, to be filled with dirt and 土垃圾来了。我这一生算是完了。” rubbish. Surely I am a failure." 但过了不久，泥土又给人放进一间But presently it was set in a greenhouse, where the 温室，阳光和煦地照射着它，并经常给sunlight fell warm upon it, and water was sprinkled over 它喷水，就在它一天天静静等候的时it, and day by day as it waited, a change began to come to 候，某种变化终于开始到来。某种东西it. Something was stirring within it --- a new hope. Still it 正在体内萌动---莫非是希望重生～但was ignorant, and knew not what the new hope meant. 它对此仍然毫不理解，也不懂得这个希 望意味着什么。 一天泥土又给人从原地搬起，送进One day the clay was lifted again from its place, and 一座宏伟的教堂。它多年的梦想这回终carried into a great church. Its dream was coming true 8 将实现了。它在世界上的确是有所作为after all. It had a fine part to play in the world. Glorious 的。这时空际仙乐阵阵，四周百花飘香。music flowed over it . It was surrounded with flowers. 但它对这一切仍不理解。于是便向它身Still it could not understand. So it whispered to another 旁和它一模一样的另一个泥土器皿悄vessel of clay, like itself, close beside it, "Why have they 声问到，“为什么他们把我放在这里,set me here? Why do all the people look toward us?" And 为什么所有的人都向我们张望,”那个the other vessel answered, "Do you not know? You are 器皿答到，“怎么你还不知道吗,你现carrying a royal scepter of lilies. Their petals are white 在身上正怀着一棵状如王节的美丽百as snow, and the heart of them is like pure gold. The 合。它那花瓣皎白如雪，它那花心有如people look this way because the flower is the most 纯金。人们的目光都集中到这里，因为wonderful in the world. And the root of it is in your 这株花乃是世界上最了不起的。而花的heart." 根就在你的心里。 这时泥土心满意足了，它暗暗感谢Then the clay was content, and silently thanked its 它的制造者，因为虽然自己是一只泥土maker, because, though an earthen vessel, it held so great 器皿，但里面装的却是一件稀世奇珍。 a treasure. 9 纺锤、梭子和针 Spindle, Shuttle, and Needle 从前有个女孩，很小的时候父母就Once upon a time there was a girl whose father and 相继去世了。她的教母独自一人住在村mother died when she was still a little child. Her 头的一间小屋里，靠做针线活儿、纺纱godmother lived all alone at the end of the village in a 和织布来维持生活。这位好心肠的妇人little house, and earned her living with spinning, 把这个孤儿接到家中，教她做活儿，培weaving, and sewing. The old woman took the orphaned 养她长大成了一个既孝顺又虔诚的人。 child into service and gave her a pious upbringing. 女孩十五岁的那年，她的教母突然When the girl was fifteen years old the godmother 病倒了。她把女孩叫到床边，对她说:took ill, called the child to her bedside, and said, "My “亲爱的孩子，我感觉我就要去了。我dear daughter, I feel that my end is near. I leave to you 把这间小屋留给你，可以给你挡风遮this little house, that will protect you from wind and 雨。我把我用过的纺锤、梭子和针也留weather; and also a spindle, a shuttle, and a needle, with 给你，你可以凭它们来糊口。” which you can earn your living." 说着，她把手放在女孩的头上为她She then laid her hands on the girl's head and 祝福，并且对她说:“心地要纯洁诚实，blessed her, saying, "Keep God in your heart, and it will 幸福会降临到你头上的。”说完便合上go well with you." With that she closed her eyes. When 了眼。在去墓地的路上，可怜的女孩一she was laid to rest in the earth, the girl walked behind 路走在教母的棺材旁放声大哭。 the coffin crying, and paid her last respects. 教母去世以后，女孩独自一人生活The girl now lived all alone in the little house. She 着，勤劳地纺纱、织布、做针线活儿;was industrious. She span, wove, and sewed; and 而且好心肠的老教母的祝福使她免受everything she did was touched by the good old woman's 了伤害。人们难免会揣测一番:她的亚blessing. It was as though the flax multiplied itself in her 麻老是用不完，而且她每织完一块布，kitchen, and whenever she wove a piece of cloth or a 或缝好一件衬衫，马上就会来个出好价carpet, or sewed a shirt, she always immediately found a 的买主。这样一来，她不但没有受穷，buyer who paid so well that she was never in need and 而且还能分给穷人一些东西。 always had something to share with others. 这时王子正周游全国各地，打算物At this time the king's son was traveling throughout 色一位王妃。他不能选择穷人家姑娘，the country in search of a bride. He wanted neither a poor 也不喜欢富家小姐。他说:“我妻子要one nor a rich one. He said, "My wife shall be the girl 是一位最贫穷同时又最富有的姑娘。” who is at the same time the poorest and the richest." 王子来到女孩居住村庄，按照他在When he came to the village where the girl lived he 10 其它地方一惯作法，打听村子里哪个姑asked, as he had done everywhere, who was the richest 娘最贫穷同时又最富有。村民们马上告girl and the poorest girl. First of all they named for him 诉他，村里哪个姑娘最富有;至于最贫the richest girl, and then said that the poorest girl was the 穷的姑娘嘛，当然就是独自住在村头小 one who lived in the little house at the end of the village. 屋里的那个女孩了。 那位富家小姐身着节日盛装，坐在The rich girl sat in her doorway in all her finery, and 门前，看见王子走过来便站起身，迎上when the prince approached she bowed before him. He 前去给他行礼，可是王子看了看她，便looked at her, said not a word, and rode on. 一言不发地走了过去。 王子来到最贫穷姑娘的屋前;姑娘When he arrived at the poor girl's house she was not 没有站在门前，而是把自己关在那间小standing in the doorway, but instead was sitting in her 屋里。王子在窗前停下脚步，透过窗子little kitchen. He stopped his horse and looked into the 注视着屋里。阳光射进小屋，屋里一片window, through which the bright sun was shining, and 明亮，姑娘正坐在纺车前纺纱，手脚灵saw the girl, sitting at her spinning wheel and diligently 巧，动作娴熟。姑娘暗暗注意到，王子spinning. She looked up, and when she saw the prince 正看着她，她羞得满脸通红，于是急忙looking in she blushed all over, closed her eyes, and 垂下目光，继续纺纱。不过这回儿纺的continued to spin. I do not know if the thread was 纱是否很均匀，我可说不准喽。她一直entirely even at this time, but she continued to spin until 纺啊纺啊，直到王子离开了才停下来。 the prince had ridden away. 王子一离开，她急忙跑到窗前，一Then she stepped to the window and opened it, 把推开窗子，说道:“屋里可真热啊～”saying, "It is so hot in the kitchen," but she continued to 透过窗口，她两眼紧紧地盯着王子的背follow him with her eyes as long as she could recognize 影，直到他帽子上的羽毛也在视线中消the white feathers on his hat. 失了，才作罢。 The girl sat back down in the kitchen and continued 姑娘重新坐到纺车前继续纺纱。无to work at her spinning. Then a saying came to her that 意中她忽然想起了老教母经常哼唱的the old woman had sometimes said while she was at 一句歌词，便唱了起来: work, and she sang it thus: “小纺锤啊，快快跑，千万别住脚，Spindle, spindle, go on out, 一定将我的心上人啊，早早带到～” And bring a suitor to my house. 怎么回事,话音刚落，纺锤突然从What happened? The spindled immediately jumped 她手中滑落，飞也似的跑出门去。她目out of her hand and out the door. Amazed, she stood up 11 不转睛地看着纺锤奔跑，惊得目瞪口and watched it as it danced merrily across the field, 呆。只见纺锤蹦蹦跳跳地跑过田野，身pulling along a glistening golden thread behind it. Before 后拖着闪闪发光的金线。不大一会儿，long it had disappeared from her eyes. 锤纺就从她的视线里消失了。 Because the girl no longer had a spindle, she picked 没了纺锤，姑娘便拿起梭子，开始up her shuttle, seated herself at her loom, and began to 织布。 weave. 纺锤不停地跑啊跑，刚好在金线用Now the spindle danced ever onward, and just as the 完了的时候，追上了王子。 thread came to an end it reached the prince. “我看见什么啦,”王子大叫起"What do I see?" he cried. "Is this spindle showing 来，“这支纺锤想给我带路呢。” me the way?" 他于是掉转马头，沿着金线飞快地He turned his horse around and followed the golden 往回赶。 thread back. 姑娘呢，还在一边织布一边唱道: The girl was seated at her work singing: “小梭子啊，快快跑，千万迎接好，Shuttle, shuttle, weave so fine, 一定将我的未婚夫啊，早早领到～” Lead a suitor here to me. 话音刚落，梭子突然从她手中滑Just then the shuttle jumped from her hand and out 落，蹦跳着跑到门口。谁知到了门口，the door. However, it began to weave a carpet before the 它就开始织地毯，织了一块世上最漂亮threshold, a more beautiful one than anyone had ever 的地毯。地毯两侧织着盛开的玫瑰和百seen before. At its sides blossomed roses and lilies. In its 合花，中间呢，在金色的底子上织着绿middle, against a golden background, there were rows of 油油的籐蔓。籐蔓间有许多蹦蹦跳跳的green upon which hares and rabbits were jumping about. 小兔子，还有许多探头探脑的小鹿和松In between, stags and deer stuck out their heads. Colorful 鼠;枝头上栖息着五颜六色的小鸟，虽birds sat above in the branches. The only thing missing 然小鸟不能歌唱，却栩栩如生。梭子不was their singing. The shuttle jumped back and forth. It 停跑过来跳过去，地毯很快就织好了。 was as though everything was growing by itself. 梭子不在手边，姑娘便拿起针来，Because her shuttle had run away, the girl now sat 一边缝一边唱道: down to sew. She held her needle in her hand and sang: “小针儿啊，你来瞧，他马上就到，Needle, needle, sharp and fine, 一定将我的小屋子啊，快整理好。” Clean up the house for the suitor of mine. 话音刚落，针突然从她手指间滑Then the needle jumped out of her fingers and flew 落，在小屋里奔来路去，动作快得和闪about in the kitchen as quick as lightning. It was as 12 电一样。真如同是肉眼看不见的小精灵though invisible spirits were at work. The table and 在做着这一切:转眼之间，桌子和长凳green cloth, the chairs benches were soon covered with 罩上了绿色的织锦，椅子罩上了天鹅with velvet; and silk curtains hung at the windows. 绒，墙上挂满了丝绸装饰品。 The needle had scarcely made its last stitch when 小针儿刚刚整理完小屋，姑娘就透the girl looked through the window and saw the white 过窗子看见了王子帽子上的羽毛，王子feathers on the prince's hat. The spindle had brought him 沿着金线回到了这里。他踏过地毯，走here with its golden thread. He dismounted and walked 进小屋，只见姑娘衣着依然简朴，站在across the carpet into the house. When he stepped into 眨眼之间变得富丽堂皇的小屋中，格外the kitchen she was standing there in her simple dress, 刺眼，恰似灌木丛中一朵盛开的玫瑰。 but she was glowing in it like a rose in a bush. “你既是最贫穷也是最富有的姑"You are the poorest, but also the richest," he said to 娘，”王子对她说道，“跟我来，做我her. "Come with me. You shall be my bride." 的王妃吧。” She said nothing, but reached out her hand to him. 姑娘默不作答，而是将手伸给了王Then he gave her a kiss and led her outside, lifted her 子。王子吻了她之后，把她抱上马，带onto his horse, and took her to the royal palace where 着她离开了小村庄，回到了王宫。在宫their wedding was celebrated with great joy. 里，他们举行了盛大的婚宴。 The spindle, shuttle, and needle were secured in the 那么，纺锤、梭子和针呢,啊～就treasure chamber, where they were kept in great honor. 珍藏在王宫的宝库里了。 13 富裕家庭 The Rich Family 我永远忘不了1946年的复活节。I’ll never forget Easter 1946. I was fourteen, my 那年我14岁，妹妹奥茜12岁，姐姐达little sister, Ocy, was twelve and my older sister, 琳16岁，我们和妈妈一起艰难地生活Darlene, was sixteen. We lived at home with our mother, 着，爸爸5年前去世了，丢下了妈妈和and the four of us knew what it was to do without. My 7个待育的我们，没有钱。 dad had died five years before, leaving Mom with no money and seven school-aged kids to raise. 1946年时，姐姐们都结婚成家了，By 1946, my older sisters were married and my 哥哥们也离开了家。复活节前的一个brothers had left home. A month before Easter, the pastor 月，我们教堂的牧师说要搞一个特别的of our church announced that a special holiday offering 假日奉献，帮助一家贫困的家庭。他号would be taken to help a poor family. He asked everyone 召每个人都集攒一点钱来作奉献。 to save and give sacrificially. 回家后我们讨论起我们能做些什When we got home, we talked about what we could 么，最后决定买50磅土豆作这个月的do. We decided to buy fifty pounds of potatoes and live 口粮，这样我们就能省下20美元的生on them for a month. This would allow us to save twenty 活费来作捐献。尔后我们又想出尽量随dollars of our grocery money for the offering. Then we 手关灯并不听收音机的办法，省下这个thought that if we kept our electric lights turned out as 月的电费。达琳想办法再多接些替别人much as possible and didn’t listen to the radio, we’d save 打扫屋子和院落的活，我们俩琢磨再揽money on that month’s electric bill. Darlene got as many 些替别人照看孩子的事。我们花15美house- and yard-cleaning jobs as possible, and both of us 分买棉线织出的防烫布垫，能卖1美baby-sat for everyone we could. For fifteen cents we 元。那一个月是我们一生最美好的时could buy enough cotton loops to make three potholders 光。 to sell for a dollar. We made twenty dollars on potholders. That month was one of the best of our lives. 每天我们都在数今天又攒了多少Every day we counted the money to see how much 钱。晚上，坐在黑暗的屋子里，我们谈we had saved. At night we’d sit in the dark and talk about 着那家贫困家庭得到教堂的捐赠时会how the poor family was going to enjoy having the 是怎样的欣喜。我们教堂有80多人，money the church would give them. We had about eighty 我们计算着捐赠总数大概会有多少，总people in church, so we figured that whatever amount of 该是80的20倍吧，毕竟，牧师每个星money we had to give, the offering would surely be 期天都提醒大家为捐赠攒钱呀。 twenty times that much. After all, every Sunday the 14 pastor had reminded everyone to save for the sacrificial offering. 复活节的前一天晚上，我们兴奋得The night before Easter, we were so excited we 睡不着觉，我们一点也不在意自己过节could hardly sleep. We didn’t care that we wouldn’t have 没有新衣服穿，我们攒了70美元耶～new clothes for Easter; we had seventy dollars for the 我们都等不及去教堂了～星期天早晨大sacrificial offering. We could hardly wait to get to 雨瓢泼，我们没伞，教堂离我们家有一church! On Sunday morning, rain was pouring. We 英里地，可我们不怕淋湿衣衫。达琳用didn’t own an umbrella, and the church was over a mile 纸板垫在鞋里堵住破洞，纸板很快浸from our home, but it didn’t seem to matter how wet we 透，她的双脚全湿了。 got. Darlene had cardboard in her shoes to fill the holes. 但我们非常自豪地坐在教堂里。我The cardboard came apart, and her feet got wet. 听到有几个孩子在指指点点说我们穿But we sat in church proudly. I heard some 的旧衣服。看着他们穿着的新衣服，我teenagers talking about our old dresses. I looked at them 感觉自己同样非常富有。 in their new clothes, and I felt rich. 捐赠仪式开始时，我们坐在教堂前When the sacrificial offering was taken, we were 排的第2排。妈妈放入一张10元纸币，sitting in the second row form the front. Mom put in the 我们每个孩子放入了一张20元的纸ten-dollar bill, and each of us kids put in a twenty-dollar 币。 bill. 回家的路上，我们一路高歌，午饭We sang all the way home from church. At lunch, 时妈妈还给了我们一个惊喜，她买了鸡Mom had a surprise for us. She had bought a dozen eggs, 蛋，那天中午，除了油炸土豆，我们还and we had boiled Easter eggs with our fried potatoes! 吃了复活节煮蛋～下午晚些时分，牧师Late that afternoon, the minister drove up in his car. 开车来到我们家，妈妈开门迎的他，回Mom went to the door, talked with him for a moment, 屋时手里拿着一个信封。我们问那是什and then came back with an envelope in her hand. We 么，她一声未吭，打开信封，掉出一摞asked what it was, but she didn’t say a word. She opened 钱来，是3张20美元、1张10美元和the envelope and out fell a bunch of money. There were 17张1美元的纸币。 three crisp twenty-dollar bills, one ten-dollar bill and 妈妈把钱放回信封，我们突然无语seventeen one-dollar bills. 了，静坐着盯着地板，刚刚还觉得自己Mom put the money back in the envelope. We 百万富翁似的，突然间感到自己原来一didn’t talk, just sat and stared at the floor. We had gone 贫如洗。我们原本如此幸福，我们同情from feeling like millionaires to feeling poor. We kids 15 那个没有一个像我们这样的妈妈和去had such a happy life that we felt sorry for anyone who 世的爸爸、没有我们这样一个充满兄弟didn’t have our Mom and our late Dad for parents and a 姐妹的家庭的孩子。那晚吃饭，我们会house full of brothers and sisters and other kids visiting 分着享用我们家仅有的那套银餐具，看constantly. We thought it was fun to share silverware and 谁会拿到勺、谁会拿到叉，两把刀得大see whether we got the spoon or the fork that night. We 家合用，谁需要就传给谁。我们本觉得had two knives that we passed around to whoever needed 这非常有趣，我知道很多别人有的东西them. I knew we didn’t have a lot of things that other 我们没有，但我从未感觉自己贫困。 people had, but I’d never thought we were poor. 可是，这个复活节让我感到了。牧That Easter day I found out we were. The minister 师给我们送来了捐赠给那个贫困家庭had brought us the money for the poor family, so we must 的钱，那我们一定很贫困了。我不喜欢be poor, I thought. I didn’t like being poor. I looked at 做贫穷家庭～看着自己破旧的衣服和的my dress and worn-out shoes and felt so ashamed -- I 鞋子，我突然有一种羞愧感，我再也不didn’t even want to go back to church. Everyone there 想去教堂了～ probably already knew we were poor! 我突然想到学校。我已上9年级，I thought about school. I was in the ninth grade and 是100个学生中最拔尖的学生。我不知at the top of my class of over one hundred students. I 道学校的同学是否知道我们贫困，我决wondered if the kids at school knew that we were poor. I 定退学，既然我已习完8年课程，法律decided that I could quit school since I had finished the 要求读完8年就可以了。 eighth grade. That was all the law required at that time. 我们默默坐了很长时间，后来天黑We sat in silence for along time. Then it got dark, 了，我们上床睡觉。那一个星期，我们and we went to bed. All that week, we girls went to 虽然还照常上学、回家，可大家都不怎school and came home, and no one talked much. Finally, 么说话。到了星期六，妈妈问我们怎么on Saturday, Mom asked us what we wanted to do with 处置这些钱。穷人会怎么处置,我们不the money. What did poor people do with money? We 知道。我们从未觉得自己贫穷。星期天，didn’t know. We’d never know we were poor. We didn’t 我们不想去教堂了，可妈妈说一定得want to go to church on Sunday, but Mom said we had 去。那天虽然阳光灿烂，可我们一路无to. Although it was a sunny day, we didn’t talk on the 语。妈妈开始唱歌，可没人和着她一起way. Mom started to sing, but no one joined in, and she 唱，她只唱了一段就惺惺然停下来了。 sang only one verse. 这个星期天教堂里新来了个演说At church we had a missionary speaker. He talked 者，说起非洲的一些教堂，是用日头天about how churches in Africa made buildings out of 16 然晒干的砖头砌成的，现在他们需要一sun-dried bricks, but they needed money to buy roofs. He 些钱来盖屋顶，他说100美元就能为一said one hundred dollars would put a roof on a church. 个教堂盖屋顶。牧师接着补充说，“我The minister added, “Can’t we all sacrifice to help these 们大家能为他们作些捐献吗,”我们poor people?” We looked at each other and smiled for the 全家相互对视，会意地笑了，这是这一first time in a week. 周以来我们第一次露出的笑脸。 Mom reached into her purse and pulled out the 妈妈取出钱包，拿出信封递给达envelope. She passed it to Darlene, Darlene gave it to 琳，达琳传给我，我交给奥茜，奥茜将me, and I handed it to Ocy. Ocy put it in the offering. 它放入了捐赠箱。 When the offering was counted, the minister 数完所有捐赠以后，牧师宣布说，announced that it was a little over one hundred dollars. 总共100美元多一点。牧师很激动，他The missionary was excited. He hadn’t expected such a 没料到我们这么一个小教堂会有那么large offering form our small church. He said, “You must 大数目的捐赠。“你们这个教堂一定有have some rich people in this church.” Suddenly it struck 些很富裕的人。”顿时，我们被打动了～us! We had given eighty-seven dollars of that “little over 在那“100美元多一点”中，有我们的one hundred dollars.” 87美元呀。 We were the rich family in the church! Hadn’t the 我们是这个教堂里富裕的家庭～牧missionary said so? From that day on, I’ve never been 师不是这么说的吗,从那天起，我不再poor again. 贫穷～ 17 十二门徒 The Twelve Apostles 在基督诞生前的三百年时，一位母It was three hundred years before the birth of Christ 亲生了十二个儿子。可她是那样的贫困the Lord, and there lived a mother who had twelve sons, 潦倒，不知如何来养活这些儿子。她天but she was so poor and needy that she did not know how 天向上帝祈祷，请他施恩，让她所有的she would be able to keep them alive. She prayed daily to 儿子能和那预言要降临人间的救世主God that he might allow her sons to be together on earth 在一起。当她生活越来越窘困时，她就with the promised savior. When her need became even 把儿子一个个从身边打发出去找活路。 GREater she sent them, one after the other, out into the 老大叫彼得，他已出门走了一整world to seek something to eat. 天，走了很远的路，最后进入了一片大The oldest one was named Peter. He went forth, and 森林。他想找一条出去的路，却再也找had already walked far, an entire day's journey, when he 不着，反而越迷越深。加之他非常饥饿，found himself in a great forest. He looked for a way out, 几乎都站不起来了，他实在太虚弱了，but could not find one, going instead deeper and deeper 只得躺下来，并深信死神就在咫尺了。 into the woods. His hunger was so great that he could barely stand upright. He finally became so weak that he 突然从他身边冒出了个小男孩，浑had to lie down, and he believed that he was near death. 身上下闪着光，像天使一样和善。孩子Suddenly there stood before him a small boy. He 拍了拍手，彼得只得抬起头望着他。只glistened, and was as beautiful and as friendly as an 听小孩问道:“你为甚么这般绝望地坐angel. The child clapped his hands together, causing 在这里?” Peter to look up at him. Then he said, "Why are you “唉!”彼得答道，“我正四处流浪，sitting there so sadly?" 想找条活路，希望能见到那即将降临人"Oh," answered Peter, "I am walking about in the 间的救世主，那也是我最大的心愿。” world seeking something to eat, so that I might be able to 孩子说:“那就跟我来吧!你的愿望see the promised savior, for that is my greatest wish." 会满足的。” The child said, "Come with me. Your wish shall be 他拉着可怜的彼得的手，领着他穿fulfilled." 过悬崖，来到一个山洞前。他们走进了He took poor Peter by the hand and led him between 山洞，里面全是金银水晶，一切都在闪the cliffs to a large cave. They went inside, and 闪发光。在洞的正中央有十二个摇蓝挨everything glistened with gold, silver, and crystal. In the 个儿排放着。 middle there stood twelve cradles next to each other. 小天使说:“躺到第一个摇篮里睡Then the little angel said, "Lie down in the first one, 18 一会儿，我会摇你入睡的。” and sleep a little. I will rock you." 彼得照做了，天使边唱歌边轻轻晃Peter did this, and the little angel sang to him and 动他着，最后摇他进入了梦乡。 rocked him until he fell asleep. 当他睡熟时，老二也被他的保护天While he slept the second brother came to him. He 使领来了，他也像哥哥一样被摇着进了too had been brought there by his guardian angel, and he 梦乡;接着其他兄弟一个接着一个都来too was rocked to sleep. In a like manner the others came 了，直到最后十二个兄弟都躺在金色的as well, each in turn, until all twelve were lying there 摇篮里睡着了。 asleep in the golden cradles. 他们睡啊，睡啊，一直到三百年后There they slept for three hundred years until the 的最后一个晚上，救世主降临了，那时night when the savior of the world was born. Then they 他们醒了，最终和救世主在一起，成了awoke and were with him on earth, and they were called 人们所说的耶苏的十二门徒。 the twelve apostles. 19