美国小学英语教材3:第72课 三百年前(3)

 At dinner, Mother said to Father, "I have been telling Peter and Mary about the things boys and girls had to do when Polly made the sampler." 晚饭的时候，妈妈跟爸爸说，我跟彼得和玛丽讲了波利制作绣样，那个年代男孩和女孩要做的事情。

"Did you tell them that children of long ago did not always sit down to eat?" asked Father. 你跟他们说了很久以前，孩子们往往不做下来吃饭了，爸爸问到。

"They didn't stand, did they?" asked Peter. 他们不会是站着吃的吧？彼得问道。

"Yes, children usually stood while eating,"answered Mother, "Sometimes they stood back of the older people and sometimes at a side-table." 是的，那时的孩子们经常是站着吃饭的，妈妈回答说，有时他们站在长辈的后面，有时是站在茶几旁。

"I wouldn't like that," said Mary. 我可不想那样，玛丽说。

"I wouldn't either," said Peter. 我也不想，彼得说。

"But even the people who sat down to eat were not very comfortable," laughed Father. 但即使坐下来吃饭也不是很舒服。父亲笑着说。

"Sometimes their tables and chairs were nothing but long, narrow boards laid across other boards." 有时他们的桌子和椅子不过是又长又窄的板子相互垒在一起而已。

"Did the people in those days have tablecloths¹?" asked Mary. 那时候的人们用桌布吗？玛丽问道。

"Oh, yes," Mother answered, "They had fine linen² cloths and napkins³, made from flax grown on their farms. 用啊，妈妈回答说，他们有上好的亚麻桌布和餐巾，这些都是用他们农场上生长的亚麻制作的。

Many of the people made all the cloth they needed for bedding, clothes, and table linen. 他们所有的床上用品、衣物和桌布都是自己做的。

But of course they only used their fine table linens⁴ when someone came to visit them." 当然他们只有在有人来拜访的时候才会用最好的桌布。

"People worked very hard in those early days," said Father, "and the children had to help, too." 那时候的人们工作很勤奋，孩子们也需要去帮忙，父亲说。

"I'd rather live now than when Polly did," said Peter. 我更想生活在现在而不是波利生活的那个年代，彼得说。

"So would I," said Mary. 我也是，玛丽说。

"Then who will help me wash dishes?" asked Mother. 那谁来帮我洗盘子呢？妈妈问。

"We will," said Mary and Peter together. 我们都愿意，玛丽和彼得一起说到。

1 tablecloths   

n.桌布，台布( tablecloth的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Champagne corks popped, and on lace tablecloths seven-course dinners were laid. 桌上铺着带装饰图案的网织的桌布，上面是七道菜的晚餐。 来自飘（部分）
• At the moment the cause of her concern was a pile of soiled tablecloths. 此刻她关心的事是一堆弄脏了的台布。 来自辞典例句

2 linen   

n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的

参考例句：

• The worker is starching the linen.这名工人正在给亚麻布上浆。
• Fine linen and cotton fabrics were known as well as wool.精细的亚麻织品和棉织品像羊毛一样闻名遐迩。

3 napkins   

n.餐巾( napkin的名词复数 )； 尿布

参考例句：

• The boys left their dirty napkins at the table. 男孩子们把他们用过的脏餐巾留在餐桌上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A new servant had been recently installed and had forgot the napkins. 最近又换了一个女仆，今天新女仆忘了准备餐巾。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

4 linens   

n.亚麻布( linen的名词复数 )；家庭日用织品

参考例句：

• All linens and towels are provided. 提供全套日用织品和毛巾。 来自辞典例句
• Linen, Table Linens, Chair Covers, Bed and Bath Linens. Linen. 采购产品亚麻布，亚麻布，椅子套子，床和沭浴亚麻布。 来自互联网