美国小学英语教材6:第229课 明星学徒(2)

Too much for him, was it? The foreman had had to eat his words. For around the boy's neck, in plain sight at that very moment,

这对他来说太沉重了，不是吗？工头要食言了，在小男孩的脖子上，此时此刻我们可以清楚地看到，

hung one of the Efficiency Medals which the company awarded to show its appreciation¹ of a mighty² task well done.

悬挂着公司奖赏给他的“高效奖牌”，以此对这一艰巨任务的出色完成表示感激。

To Tim, that medal was the first stepping-stone to a great career as a machinist among the giants of steel and steam.

对于蒂姆而言，这块奖牌是他事业的基石，在钢铁和蒸汽的大幕下，他将成为伟大的机械师。

He would have parted with it, he felt, almost as unwillingly³ as with his own life. The steam sang and groaned⁴ in the valve of the Blower's engine,

他本来会放弃这一事业，就像他不愿放弃自己的生命一样，吹风机引擎阀门中的蒸汽发出巨响，

for they were shutting her down. Instantly workmen swarmed⁵ over the scaffolding around her, putting on the final touches.

蒸汽将关闭引擎，突然供人们蜂拥到吹风机旁边的脚手架上，再进行最后的工作。

For tomorrow came the first of the tests, when an agent for the firm in India must see her run and do her work before he accepted the machine.

明天将迎来首次测试，印度公司代表会在接收之前检查它的运行情况。

There was a loose bolt to be tightened⁶ up from the inside, and men were at work removing the manhole plate at the side of the casing.

里面的松动的螺栓需要拧紧，工人们要移除罩子旁边的活塞板。

Tim, grasping his large oily wrench⁷, stood ready, for to him fell the job of entering the machine to do the work of tightening⁸.

蒂姆手里攥着有油的大扳手，站在那里准备，他的工作是进入机器把螺栓拧紧。

A final act of devotion was this last small task for his beloved Blower. He almost wished that he might hide away within those vast insides

最后一次对他喜爱的吹风机表示衷心的就是这个小任务，他特别希望他可以躲避在巨大的内室中，

and take care of this giant machine forever in its coming years of toil⁹.

并在未来多年的劳累中照顾这个大型机器。

He had clambered inside with his extension lamp and had settled to the work of tightening.

他携带着长颈灯进入了机器内，并开始拧紧螺栓的工作。

But the job was all too short, and when it was done, Tim could not fight down the desire to see once more the insides of the great machine.

但这个工作时间太短，当完成时，蒂姆迫不及待地希望多看机器室内一眼。

It was quitting time, anyway. Nobody would care if he did delay for a bit. He wouldn't see her again, not inside, at least.

现在到了离开的时候了，他延长一会没人会注意，但他不会再看了，至少不是里面。

The boss machinist's voice came faintly through the manhole:

机械工头从下水井发出微弱的声音：

Hey, boy, it's four-thirty, I'm going home, you close her up when you get done!

嗨伙计，四点半了，我回家了，你完事后给它关上！

1 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

2 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

3 unwillingly   

adv.不情愿地

参考例句：

• He submitted unwillingly to his mother. 他不情愿地屈服于他母亲。
• Even when I call, he receives unwillingly. 即使我登门拜访，他也是很不情愿地接待我。

4 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 swarmed   

密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去

参考例句：

• When the bell rang, the children swarmed out of the school. 铃声一响，孩子们蜂拥而出离开了学校。
• When the rain started the crowd swarmed back into the hotel. 雨一开始下，人群就蜂拥回了旅社。

6 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

7 wrench   

v.猛拧；挣脱；使扭伤；n.扳手；痛苦，难受

参考例句：

• He gave a wrench to his ankle when he jumped down.他跳下去的时候扭伤了足踝。
• It was a wrench to leave the old home.离开这个老家非常痛苦。

8 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

9 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。