美国小学英语教材4:第56课 爱丽丝漫游丛林(6)

 One porter was so afraid of the bicycles that he wouldn't touch them. 一个搬运工非常害怕自行车，不敢碰它们。

He thought it was magic that made them go. 他认为是魔法让它们行走得。

When he was told to carry one, he lay down on the ground and shook with fear. 当有人叫他去扛一辆自行车时，他吓得躺在地上，浑身发抖。

And yet this man was so brave that he had killed a lion with his spear! 但是这个人非常勇敢，他竟然用矛杀死了一头狮子！

On the march the travelers always sent messengers ahead to tell the chief in the next village 在行进途中，旅行者们总会提前派信使通知下一个村落的首领，

that the party was coming with a great number of porters for whom they wanted to buy food. 告诉他这一行人和许多搬运工将要到来，并且他们要为搬运工们买食物。

When the party drew near the village, the chief and his men would come out to meet them. 当那群人接近村落时，首领会和他的族人们一起出来迎接他们。

The chiefs usually wore skins, strings¹ of beads², and bracelets³. 首领通常披着兽皮，带着串珠和手镯。

Every native carried his spear in his hand, wherever he went. 每个土著人无论去哪儿，手里都拿着他的矛。

Once, when Alice and her mother were marching at the head of the procession, 有一次，爱丽丝和她的妈妈在队伍前面行走，

they looked up and saw the chief and his man waiting at the top of the hill. 她们一抬头就看到了首领和他的族人们在山顶上等候。

When the chief looked down and saw them, saw that a little child was coming, 首领往下看时看到了他们，他看到一个小孩要来了，

he drove his spear deep into the ground; and all his men did the same. 就把他的长矛深深地插进地里。接着他的所有族人也都这样做。

That was their way of saying to the strangers, "It is peace." 那是他们向陌生人表示和平的方式。

The chief always brought a present of alive chicken, 首领总是带一只火鸡作为礼物，

which some follower⁴ carried, dangling⁵ upside down from his wrist. 由一个随从把它倒挂在手腕上带着。

Alice was very sorry for the poor chicken, and she used to see that if had water and food in camp. 爱丽丝非常同情那些可怜的鸡，她总是会看一下营地里是否有水和食物。

The white people would also give the chief a present, usually money. 白人们也会赠送给首领礼物，通常是钱。

Then the chief would allow the travelers to get water from the nearest river, and would give them fire wood; 然后首领就会允许他们到最近的河流取水，给他们木柴，

he would also give them eggs and chickens, or whatever other food there was. 也会给他们鸡蛋和鸡肉，或者那里有的其他食物。

After this the white people picked out a good place to camp and told the porters to bring in the boxes and bundles. 在这之后，白人们挑选一个好地方扎营，并让搬运工们把箱子和包裹拿进来。

1 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

2 beads   

n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链

参考例句：

• a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
• Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。

3 bracelets   

n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The lamplight struck a gleam from her bracelets. 她的手镯在灯光的照射下闪闪发亮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• On display are earrings, necklaces and bracelets made from jade, amber and amethyst. 展出的有用玉石、琥珀和紫水晶做的耳环、项链和手镯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 follower   

n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒

参考例句：

• He is a faithful follower of his home football team.他是他家乡足球队的忠实拥护者。
• Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。

5 dangling   

悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口

参考例句：

• The tooth hung dangling by the bedpost, now. 结果，那颗牙就晃来晃去吊在床柱上了。
• The children sat on the high wall,their legs dangling. 孩子们坐在一堵高墙上，摇晃着他们的双腿。