美国语文第四册 第50期:环境不同 处理各异(1)

 　　Good morning, neighbor Scrapewell. 早上好，斯科利普韦尔。

　　I have half a dozen miles to ride today, and shall be extremely obliged if you will lend me your gray mare¹. 我今天要赶十几英里路，如果你能把你的灰马借我，我将感激不尽。

　　It would give me great pleasure to oblige you, friend Derby; 能够帮你是我莫大的荣幸，德比；

　　but I am under the necessity of going to the mill this very morning, with a bag of corn. 但我今天一早就必须要到磨坊去，还要驮着一袋玉米。

　　My wife wants the meal to-day, and you know what a time there'll be if I disappoint her. 我妻子今天想吃粗粮，你知道，如果我让她扫兴了，日子得多难过。

　　Then she must want it still, for I can assure you the mill does not go today. 那么她一定会更想吃了，因为我可以向你保证，磨坊今天不开门。

　　I heard the miller² tell Will Davis that the water was too low. 我听说磨坊主跟威廉姆·戴维斯说水位太低了。

　　You don't say so! That is bad, indeed; for in that case I shall be obliged to gallop³ off to town for the meal. 不见得吧！不过确实是太倒霉了；那样的话我就不得不骑马飞奔着进城去弄粗粮了。

　　My wife would comb my head for me if I should neglect it. 如果我忽略了这件事，我妻子肯定会修理我的。

　　I can save you this journey, for I have plenty of meal at home, and will lend your wife as much as she wants. 我能让你不必出门了，因为我家里有很多粗粮，可以借给你妻子，她要多少都行。

　　Ah! neighbor Derby, I am sure your meal would never suit my wife. You can't conceive how whimsical she is. 啊！德比，我敢肯定你的粗粮不符合我妻子的要求，你都想象不出她有多古怪。

　　If she were ten times more whimsical than she is, I am certain she would like it; 即使她比现在古怪十倍，我也敢肯定她会喜欢我的粗粮，

　　for you sold it to me yourself, and you assured me it was the best you ever had. 因为这些是你们卖给我的，你还保证说这是你们最好的。

　　Yes, yes! that's true, indeed; I always have the best of everything. 是的，是的！确实是事实；我的一切东西都总是最好的。

　　You know, neighbor Derby, that no one is more ready to oblige a friend than I am; 你看，德比，没人比我更乐于助人了。

　　but I must tell you the mare this morning refused to eat hay; and, truly, I am afraid she will not carry you. 但是我必须告诉你，今天早上灰马拒绝吃草，事实上，我是担心它载不了你。

1 mare   

n.母马，母驴

参考例句：

• The mare has just thrown a foal in the stable.那匹母马刚刚在马厩里产下了一只小马驹。
• The mare foundered under the heavy load and collapsed in the road.那母马因负载过重而倒在路上。

2 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

3 gallop   

v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展

参考例句：

• They are coming at a gallop towards us.他们正朝着我们飞跑过来。
• The horse slowed to a walk after its long gallop.那匹马跑了一大阵后慢下来缓步而行。