美国小学英语教材2:第39课 亚伯拉罕林肯和他的爱犬

 Abraham Lincoln and His Dog 亚伯拉罕·林肯和他的爱犬

Once there was a young farmer boy named Abraham Lincoln. 从前有一个年轻的农民男孩，叫亚伯拉罕·林肯，

His friends all called him Abe. 他的朋友都叫他亚伯。

He lived with his father, mother and sister in a log¹ house on a small farm. 他与爸爸妈妈、姐姐一起住在小农场的木屋里。

His parents were very poor and Abe' s father had to work hard to get enough food for his wife and children. 他的父母非常穷，爸爸必须努力工作才能养活妻子和孩子。

One day Mr.Lincoln said to his family, "I have sold this farm. We are going to move away." 有一天，林肯先生和他的家人说，“我卖了这个农场，我们得搬家。”

At that time people had to go across the country on horseback or in wagons³. 那时，人们横跨国家必须骑马或乘马车。

Abraham's family started on their long journey in a covered wagon² with two strong oxen to pull it. 亚伯拉罕一家开始了他们的长途旅行，他们乘坐一辆两头壮牛拉的有篷四轮马车。

Through the woods and up and down the hills they rode. 他们乘车穿过树林、上山下山。

The journey was very slow, for the winter was almost over and the roads were deep with mud⁴. 旅途非常慢，因为冬天快过去了，路上泥泞不堪。

There were few bridges in those days, 当时几乎没有什么桥，

and the oxen had to pull the heavy wagon through most of the streams. 牛不得不拉着沉重的马车过河。

Where the ice was thick and strong, the oxen walked across the streams on it. 在冰厚且坚的地方，牛直接在冰上走着过河。

But when the ice was thin, they broke through at almost every step. 但冰薄时，它们几乎每走一步就得破冰。

Day after day the covered wagon went slowly on. 一天又一天，有篷马车慢慢地走着。

The family thought about their new home and how glad they would be to finish their long, hard journey. 全家人都在设想他们的新家，也很高兴将要完成他们漫长而艰难的旅程。

Abe walked along in front of the oxen. 亚伯走在牛的前面。

By his side went his little dog, who seemed to like the hard journey. 他的小狗在他身边，它似乎很喜欢这场艰苦的旅行，

He ran after rabbits and squrrels and had a very good time. 它追逐着兔子和松鼠，玩得很高兴、

One day the dog followed a rabbit off into the woods. 有一天，狗跟着一只兔子跑进了树林。

While he was gone, the oxen pulled the wagon, with the family inside, across a stream. 当它离开时，牛拉着马车带着一家人穿过了一条小溪。

The thin ice broke under their feet as the heavy oxen waded⁶ across. 当笨重的牛蹚过河时，它们脚下的薄冰裂开了。

When the Lincoln family had gone a short way, they heard a loud barking. 林肯一家走了一小段路时，听到了响亮的叫声。

They looked back and saw Abe's little dog on the other side of the stream. 他们回头，看到亚伯的小狗在河的另一边。

He was barking with all his might and running up and down the bank. 它尽全力地叫着，在河岸旁跑来跑去。

Abe ran back and tried to coax⁷ him to walk across the thin ice. 亚伯跑回来，试图哄它穿过薄冰。

But the dog was afraid to try it. 但狗不敢尝试。

"We shall have to go on without the dog," said Abe's parents. 他的父母说：“没有狗，我们也得继续前行。”

"The roads are so muddy⁸ that we can't turn around and go back for him." “路太泥泞了，我们不能为了它返回去。”

"But we can't leave him there alone," said Abe. “但我们不能把它留在这儿，”亚伯说，

"The wolves will get him. I'll wade⁵ across and carry him over." “狼会抓到它的。我要涉水过去，带它回来。”

Abe sat down on a stone and took off his shoes and stockings⁹. 亚伯坐在一块石头上，脱下鞋子和袜子。

Then he waded back through the cold water and broken ice. 然后他又蹚过冷水和破冰。

When the dog saw his master coming, he barked with joy. 当狗看到主人过来时，高兴得大叫。

Abe picked up the frightened little animal in his arms and waded back across the stream. 亚伯把吓坏的小狗抱在怀里，涉水过河返了回来。

Soon he caught up with the slow oxen. 他很快就赶上了那头慢吞吞的牛。

All the rest of the journey the little dog kept close to his master's side. 剩下的一路，小狗一直靠在主人的身边。

He had found that Abraham Lincoln was a true friend, even to a little dog. 他发现亚伯拉罕·林肯是一个真正的朋友，即使是对一只小狗。

This kind lad, Abraham Lincoln, became president of our country. 这个善良的少年——亚伯拉罕·林肯，成为了我们国家的总统。

1 log   

n.记录，圆木，日志；v.伐木，切，航行

参考例句：

• They log for a living.他们以伐木为生。
• And then what do you do with that log?然后你要拿那些记录做什么呢？

2 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

3 wagons   

n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车

参考例句：

• The wagons were hauled by horses. 那些货车是马拉的。
• They drew their wagons into a laager and set up camp. 他们把马车围成一圈扎起营地。

4 mud   

n.泥，泥浆

参考例句：

• The swimming pool is filled up with mud.游泳池里全是泥。
• A car ran past,spotting my coat with mud.一辆汽车驶过，给我的外衣溅上了泥点。

5 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

6 waded   

（从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She tucked up her skirt and waded into the river. 她撩起裙子蹚水走进河里。
• He waded into the water to push the boat out. 他蹚进水里把船推出来。

7 coax   

v.哄诱，劝诱，用诱哄得到，诱取

参考例句：

• I had to coax the information out of him.我得用好话套出他掌握的情况。
• He tried to coax the secret from me.他试图哄骗我说出秘方。

8 muddy   

adj.泥泞的，污的，肮脏的；vt.使污浊，使沾上泥污

参考例句：

• The road is very muddy.这条路非常泥泞。
• They passed a muddy track through the forest.他们穿过森林的泥泞小路。

9 stockings   

n.长袜( stocking的名词复数 )；靺；袜子

参考例句：

• a pair of silk stockings 一双长筒丝袜
• She wears a pair of sheer stockings. 她穿着一双透明的丝袜。 来自《简明英汉词典》