美国语文第四册 第154期:小证人(2)

 　　"Can you tell me what the Bible is?" inquired the judge. “能告诉我什么是《圣经》吗？”法官问道。

　　"It is the word of the great God," she answered. “这是伟大的神的话，”她回答。

　　"Well," said the judge, place your hand upon this Bible, and listen to what I say;and he repeated slowly and solemnly the following oath: “那么，”法官说，把手放到《圣经》上，听我说。”然后他缓慢而严肃地重复着以下的誓词，

　　Do you swear that in the evidence which you shall give in this case, you will tellthe truth, and nothing but the truth; and that you will ask God to help you? 你发誓你在为本案提供证据时，只讲真话，而且请求上帝帮助你吗？

　　"I do," she replied. “我发誓，”她回答说。

　　"Now," said the judge, "you have been sworn as a witness; will you tell me what will befall you if you do not tell the truth?" “现在，”法官说，“你已经宣誓做证人了；你能告诉我如果你讲的不是真话会发生什么吗？”

　　"I shall be shut up in the state prison," answered the child. “我将被关入州监狱，”孩子回答。

　　"Anything else?" asked the judge. “别的呢？”法官问。

　　"I shall never go to heaven," she replied. “我将永远不能去天堂了，”她回答。

　　"How do you know this?" asked the judge again. “你怎么知道的？”法官又问。

　　The child took the Bible, turned rapidly to the chapter containing the commandments, and, pointing to the one which reads, 孩子拿起《圣经》，迅速翻到有关“十诫”那一章，指着其中一节，

　　"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor," said, "I learned that before I could read." 上面写着：“你们不应该做伪证，陷害你们的邻居。”孩子说：“我识字前就知道了。”

　　"Has anyone talked with you about being a witness in court here against this man?" inquired the judge. “有人和你谈过在法庭上作证揭发这个人吗？”法官询问道。

　　"Yes, sir," she replied, "my mother heard they wanted me to be a witness; “是的，先生，”她回答，“我妈妈听说要让我做证人；

　　and last night she called me to her room, and asked me to tell her the Ten Commandments; and then we kneeled down together, 昨晚把我叫到她的房间，让我告诉她“十诫”的内容；然后我们一起向神祷告，

　　and she prayed that I might understand how wicked it was to bear false witness against my neighbor, 她让我知道做伪证陷害邻居是邪恶的，

　　and that God would help me, a little child, to tell the truth as it was before him. 她祷告上帝保佑我，要我讲实话，就好像在上帝面前一样。