美国小学英语教材3:第179课 哥伦布和他的儿子迭戈(5)

 The boys fell back, surprised and ashamed, as Diego proudly followed the messenger¹ to the queen. 孩们退到了一边，他们既惊讶又羞愧，这时迭戈自豪地跟着信使来到王后面前。

In the whole world there was no happier boy, for what his father had taught him was all true! 世界没有比他更幸福的孩子了，因为他父亲教给他的东西都是真的！

Columbus had proved that the world is round! 哥伦布证明了地球是圆的！

The troubles of Diego were now over. 迭戈的烦恼现在没了。

Columbus had made his great voyage and had come back safely. 哥伦布完成了他伟大的航程，并安全回来了。

The King and Queen of Spain gave him a wonderful welcome, 西班牙的国王和王后给了他隆重的欢迎仪式，

and no reward was too great for the man who had proved that the earth is round! 对于一个证明了地球是圆形之人来说，什么样的奖励都不过分！

Diego wept for joy when his father took him in his arms and told him the story of his great voyage. 当迭戈的父亲用胳臂抱起他、告诉他这次伟大的航行故事的时候，迭戈高兴地哭了起来。

And how the boy's eyes opened when he saw the strange, dark people, dressed in skins of wild beasts, 看到那些从海外的土地上带回来的穿着野兽皮的陌生黑人，

whom Columbus had brought with him from the lands beyond the sea! 这个男孩的眼睛瞪得大大的！

We know now that it was not India that Columbus had found, but our own America. 现在我们知道哥伦布发现的不是印度，而是我们的美洲大陆。

This great land of ours, and the islands near it, lay right across his path to the shore of India. 我们这片伟大的土地及其周围的岛屿正好处在通往印度的道路上。

But after all, Columbus was right, 但无论如何，哥伦布是对的。

For the earth is a globe, and by sailing westward² around it we can reach the lands in the far east. 因为地球是个球体，一直向西航行的话，就可以到达远东的大陆了。

 

1 messenger   

n.报信者，先驱

参考例句：

• By the time the messenger reached him,the damage had been done.送信人赶到他那儿时，损失已经造成了。
• I'll order a special messenger to deliver the document.我会派专人把文件送去。

2 westward   

n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西

参考例句：

• We live on the westward slope of the hill.我们住在这座山的西山坡。
• Explore westward or wherever.向西或到什么别的地方去勘探。