美国小学英语教材3:第159课 统治者约瑟(3)

 When the brothers went home that day, they told their father that Joseph had been carried off by a wild beast¹. 那天兄弟们回家的时候，他们告诉父亲约瑟被一只野兽叼走了。

As soon as the men who had bought Joseph reached Egypt, they sold him to one of the king's officers. 买了约瑟的那些人一到埃及，就把他卖给了埃及王的一个官员。

This man found out in a short time that Joseph was wise and honest, and that he knew how to take care of sheep. 很快，这个人就发现约瑟诚实机智，他很懂放羊的那一套。

After a while he made Joseph ruler over all his flocks² and his servants. 没过多久，他就让约瑟管理他所有的羊群和仆人了。

So well did the young man do his work that after a few years people began to hear of him, 这个年轻人做事确实很好，没过几年，埃及的人民就都知道了约瑟，

the wise, kind, honest Joseph, who was different from all the people about him. 一个善良、诚实的智者，他与周围的人完全不一样。

Now it happened one night that the King of Egypt had a strange dream. 现在发生了件事，一天晚上，埃及的国王做了一个奇怪的梦。

When no one could tell him what the dream meant, the king was much troubled. 没有人能他解这个梦，所以国王很是烦恼。

At last one of his servants said, "O King, I believe that Joseph, the wise slave³, can tell you the meaning of your dream. " 最后，他的一个仆人说：“啊，我的国王，我相信那个机智的奴隶约瑟可以帮您解梦。

Bring Joseph to me,  said the king. 国王说：带约瑟来见我。

So Joseph was brought to the palace, and the great King of Egypt told him his dream. 于是约瑟被带到了王宫，伟大的埃及国王对他说了自己的梦。

O King, said Joseph, "the meaning of your dream is this. “啊，国王陛下，”约瑟说，“您的梦的意义是这样的。

For seven years there will be good crops⁴. Then will come seven years in which no grain⁵ will grow. 七年之内，五谷丰登，随后七年，谷黍不生。

God⁶ has told you this in a dream so that you may get ready for the poor years." 上帝在梦里告诉您这些，是想让您为灾年做好准备。

 

1 beast   

n.野兽，牲畜，兽性；凶残的人，举止粗鲁的人

参考例句：

• He is a beast.他是个恶棍。
• When he's drunk,he's a beast.他喝醉时很野蛮。

2 flocks   

n.畜群( flock的名词复数 )；鸟群；人群；同一教会团体的教徒v.群集，成群结队而行( flock的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Vistors came in flocks to see the new bridge. 参观者成群结队地来观看这座新桥。 来自《用法词典》
• They move with their flocks to upland pastures. 他们带着牲畜迁往高原上的牧场。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 slave   

n.奴隶，附件，卑鄙的人；vi.拼命工作

参考例句：

• Don't be a slave to custom.不要做风俗习惯的奴隶。
• Why should I slave away all my life!我为什么要辛辛苦苦地干一辈子呀！

4 crops   

pl.农作物

参考例句：

• Farmers are being encouraged to diversify into new crops. 目前正鼓励农民兼种新的农作物。
• The crops will not grow on exposed hillsides. 在裸露的山坡上庄稼没法生长。

5 grain   

n.谷物，粮食；颗，粒；些微，一点儿；纹理；脾气，特性

参考例句：

• Grain output reached a new high in the three years.谷物产量达到三年中最高水平。
• We ship grain to Africa.我们把谷物运往非洲。

6 god   

n.上帝，神；被极度崇拜的人或物

参考例句：

• God knows how the cat got up on the roof.只有天知道那只猫是怎样爬上房顶的。
• God wills that man should be happy.上帝愿人类幸福。