美国小学英语教材3:第117课 灰姑娘(1)

 　　Cinderella  灰姑娘

　　This story tells how a fairy helped a poor little girl to become a beautiful princess.  这则故事讲述了一个仙女是怎样帮助一个可怜的小姑娘变成美丽公主的。

　　Cinderella's Selfish¹ Sisters 灰姑娘自私的姐姐们

　　Once upon a time there was a proud, selfish woman who had three daughters. 很久很久以前，有个傲慢自私的女人，她有三个女儿。

　　The two older girls were proud and selfish, too, but the other daughter was kind and good.  大女儿和二女儿也很傲慢自私，但三女儿却非常善良。

　　Now this unkind² woman loved her two selfish daughters greatly, but she had no love for the youngest one. 这个冷酷的女人最喜欢的是她的两个自私的女儿，她一点儿也不喜欢最小的那个女儿。

　　It always made her angry to hear the neighbors praise the kind and gentle ways of the youngest girl.  听到邻居们称赞小女儿为人善良温柔，她常常很恼火。

　　So the mother gave her youngest daughter the very hardest work to do. 所以，这位母亲让小女儿做最繁重的活儿。

　　She had to wash the clothes, scrub³ the floors, and clean the bedrooms. 小女儿每天都要洗衣服、擦地板、打扫卧室。

　　She slept in the attic⁴ upon a hard straw⁵ bed, while her two sisters had fine rooms and the very softest beds. 她睡在阁楼里硬硬的草床上，而她的两个姐姐却有精致的卧室和非常柔软的床。

　　They had looking-glasses, too, so large that they could see themselves from head to foot.  她们还有很大很大的衣镜，可以看到从头到脚全身的样子。

　　But the poor girl was always kind and gentle.  但这个可怜的姑娘总是很善良温柔。

　　She did not even tell her troubles to her father, because she did not want to say anything to him against her mother and sisters.  她没有把她的苦恼告诉她的父亲，因为她不想在他面前说她母亲和姐姐们的坏话。

1 selfish   

adj.自私的，利己主义的，自我中心的

参考例句：

• You must learn to share and not be so selfish.你一定要学会与他人分享，不要那么自私。
• She is a selfish person.她是一个自私自利的人。

2 unkind   

adj.不仁慈的，不和善的

参考例句：

• He was never unkind to her.他从未亏待过她。
• Unkindness often reacts on the unkind person.恶人有恶报。

3 scrub   

n.用力擦洗，矮树，渺小之物；v.用力擦洗

参考例句：

• I got paint on my hands and it won't scrub off.我手上沾上了油漆，擦不掉。
• The great plain was covered in scrub and small lifeless trees.浩瀚的平原覆盖着灌木和毫无生气的矮小树林。

4 attic   

n.顶楼，屋顶室

参考例句：

• Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
• What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理？

5 straw   

n.稻草，麦杆，吸管；adj.用稻草做的，用来作稻草的，麦杆色的，无价值的，象稻草人的，非正式民意测验所发现的

参考例句：

• The old peasant is twisting pieces of straw into a rope.这位老农民正把稻草搓成绳子。
• May I have a straw for my drink?给我一根喝饮料的吸管好吗？