美国语文第四册 第191期:母亲的坟墓(1)

 　　It was thirteen years since my mother's death,  母亲已经去世十三年了，

　　when, after a long absence from my native village, I stood beside the sacred mound¹ beneath which I had seen her buried. 离开家乡十三年后，我站在了这片神圣的土堆旁，我曾亲眼看见她被埋葬在这里。

　　Since that mournful period, a great change had come over me. 从那悲伤的时刻以后，我的生活也已经发生了很大的变化。

　　My childish years had passed away, and with them my youthful character. 我的孩提岁月已成往事，青年时光也一去不返。

　　The world was altered, too; and as I stood at my mother's grave, 世界也发生了变化；当我站在母亲的坟墓前，

　　I could hardly realize that I was the same thoughtless, happy creature, whose cheeks she so often kissed in an excess of tenderness. 难以想象我曾经是天真无邪、快快乐乐的小孩子，是那个双颊被母亲无数遍亲吻的。

　　But the varied² events of thirteen years had not effaced³ the remembrance of that mother's smile. 十三年的岁月也无法抹去记忆中妈妈的笑容。

　　It seemed as if I had seen her but yesterday—as if the blessed sound of her well-remembered voice was in my ear. 一切就好像是在昨天——我的耳畔依然响着她亲切的声音。

　　The gay dreams of my infancy⁴ and childhood were brought back so distinctly to my mind that,  儿时和童年的梦境清晰地出现在脑海，

　　had it not been for one bitter recollection, the tears I shed would have been gentle and refreshing⁵. 要不是一件痛苦的回忆，我流出的泪水一定是柔情似水和心旷神怡的。

　　The circumstance may seem a trifling⁶ one, but the thought of it now pains my heart; 尽管发生的只是一件小事，却依然刺痛着我的心；

　　and I relate it, that those children who have parents to love them may learn to value them as they ought. 我描述它，就是希望那些依然享受着父母之爱的孩子们能珍惜这一切。

　　My mother had been ill a long time, and I had become so accustomed to her pale face and weak voice, 我的母亲长期生病，我也习惯了她苍白的脸色和微弱的声音，

　　that I was not frightened at them, as children usually are. 不再像孩子一般害怕。

　　At first, it is true, I sobbed⁷ violently; but when, day after day, I returned from school, and found her the same, 开始的时候，我哭泣不止，可是日渐一日，当从学校返回，见到她和从前一样，

　　I began to believe she would always be spared to me; but they told me she would die. 我开始相信她会永远和我在一起，可是别人告诉我她快死了。

1 mound   

n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫

参考例句：

• The explorers climbed a mound to survey the land around them.勘探者爬上土丘去勘测周围的土地。
• The mound can be used as our screen.这个土丘可做我们的掩蔽物。

2 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

3 effaced   

v.擦掉( efface的过去式和过去分词 )；抹去；超越；使黯然失色

参考例句：

• Someone has effaced part of the address on his letter. 有人把他信上的一部分地址擦掉了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The name of the ship had been effaced from the menus. 那艘船的名字已经从菜单中删除了。 来自辞典例句

4 infancy   

n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期

参考例句：

• He came to England in his infancy.他幼年时期来到英国。
• Their research is only in its infancy.他们的研究处于初级阶段。

5 refreshing   

adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的

参考例句：

• I find it'so refreshing to work with young people in this department.我发现和这一部门的青年一起工作令人精神振奋。
• The water was cold and wonderfully refreshing.水很涼，特别解乏提神。

6 trifling   

adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的

参考例句：

• They quarreled over a trifling matter.他们为这种微不足道的事情争吵。
• So far Europe has no doubt, gained a real conveniency,though surely a very trifling one.直到现在为止,欧洲无疑地已经获得了实在的便利，不过那确是一种微不足道的便利。

7 sobbed   

哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说

参考例句：

• She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
• She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。