美国小学英语教材6:第158课 亚伯拉罕·林肯成长历程(4)

He found he was fast, strong, and keen when he went against other boys in sports.

他发现在运动上，他比其他男子更加敏捷，身体更强壮，更有活力。

On farms where he worked, he held his own at scuffling, knocking off hats, wrestling.

在他工作的农场，他在扭打，摘掉帽子以及摔跤上都表现出色。

The time came when around Gentryville and Spencer County he was known as the best rassler of all, the champion.

他成为了金特里维尔和史宾塞郡附近声名远播的冠军，史上最棒的摔跤手。

In jumping, foot-racing, throwing the maul, pitching the crowbar, he won against the lads of his own age always,

在跳跃，竞走，投掷锤子，投掷铁撬棍上面，他总是能赢下同龄人，

and usually against those older than himself. He earned his board, clothes, and lodgings¹, sometimes working for a neighbor farmer.

通常也会赢下比自己年长的人，有时通过为周边农户干活获得食宿和衣物。

1.jpg

He watched his father, while helping² make cabinets, coffins³, cupboards, window frames, doors.

他关注他的父亲，同时帮助建造陈列柜、棺材、橱柜、窗框以及门。

Hammers, saws, pegs⁴, cleats, he understood first-hand, also the scythe⁵ and the cradle for cutting hay and grain,

他亲身了解了锤子、锯、钉子、金属桩，还有切干草和谷物的大镰刀和支架，

the corncutter's knife, the leather piece to protect the hand while shucking corn, and the horse, the dog, the cow, the ox, the hog⁶.

玉米收割用的刀子，还有在去玉米皮时保护手戴的皮革，还有马匹、狗、奶牛、公牛以及猪。

And the hiding places of fresh spring water under the earth crust had to be in his thoughts.

他知道哪里可以找到地下储存的春雨。

He helped at well-digging; the wells Tom Lincoln dug went dry one year after another;

他帮助凿井，汤姆·林肯挖掘的井一年年在变干，

neighbors said Tom was always digging a well and had his land honey-combed, and the boy, Abe,

邻居说汤姆总是在凿井，他的地变成了蜂窝结构，男孩艾比

ran the errands and held the tools for the well-digging. When he was eighteen years old,

帮忙跑前跑后，为凿井拿工具，当他十八岁时，

he could take an ax at the end of the handle and hold it out in a straight horizontal line,

他可以拿住斧子棒的末端，并将它平平地举起来，

easy and steady, he had strong shoulder muscles and steady wrists early in life.

很轻松，很稳当，他这么年轻就有如此强壮的肩部肌肉以及稳定的手腕力量。

He walked thirty-four miles in one day, just on an errand, to please himself, to hear a lawyer make a speech.

他每天忙来忙去就要走34英里，为了自娱自乐，他就去听律师做演讲。

He could tell his body to do almost impossible things, and the body obeyed.

他会告诉身体去做一些几乎不可能的事情，身体照做了。

1 lodgings   

n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍

参考例句：

• When he reached his lodgings the sun had set. 他到达公寓房间时，太阳已下山了。
• I'm on the hunt for lodgings. 我正在寻找住所。

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 coffins   

n.棺材( coffin的名词复数 )；使某人早亡[死，完蛋，垮台等]之物

参考例句：

• The shop was close and hot, and the atmosphere seemed tainted with the smell of coffins. 店堂里相当闷热，空气仿佛被棺木的味儿污染了。 来自辞典例句
• Donate some coffins to the temple, equal to the number of deaths. 到寺庙里，捐赠棺材盒给这些死者吧。 来自电影对白

4 pegs   

n.衣夹( peg的名词复数 )；挂钉；系帐篷的桩；弦钮v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的第三人称单数 )；使固定在某水平

参考例句：

• She hung up the shirt with two (clothes) pegs. 她用两只衣夹挂上衬衫。 来自辞典例句
• The vice-presidents were all square pegs in round holes. 各位副总裁也都安排得不得其所。 来自辞典例句

5 scythe   

n. 长柄的大镰刀，战车镰； v. 以大镰刀割

参考例句：

• He's cutting grass with a scythe.他正在用一把大镰刀割草。
• Two men were attempting to scythe the long grass.两个人正试图割掉疯长的草。

6 hog   

n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占

参考例句：

• He is greedy like a hog.他像猪一样贪婪。
• Drivers who hog the road leave no room for other cars.那些占着路面的驾驶员一点余地都不留给其他车辆。