美国语文第四册 第192期:母亲的坟墓(2)

 　　One day when I had lost my place in the class, I came home discouraged and fretful. 一天，因为考试不理想，我沮丧和烦躁地回到家里。

　　I went to my mother's chamber¹. 我走进母亲的房间。

　　She was paler than usual, but she met me with the same affectionate smile that always welcomed my return. 她比以前更显苍白，可是她一如往常带着亲切的微笑欢迎我回来。

　　Alas²! when I look back through the lapse³ of thirteen years, I think my heart must have been stone not to have been melted by it. 唉！十三年后回忆起来，我想当时我的心可能是石头做的才没被融化。

　　She requested me to go downstairs and bring her a glass of water. 她叫我下楼取一杯水。

　　I pettishly⁴ asked her why she did not call a domestic to do it. 我怒气冲冲地说怎么不叫佣人去。

　　With a look of mild reproach, which I shall never forget if I live to be a hundred years old, 她略带责备地说，这种责备即使活一百岁我也不会忘记，

　　she said, "Will not my daughter bring a glass of water for her poor, sick mother?" 我的女儿不愿意给她生病的可怜母亲取杯水吗？

　　I went and brought her the water, but I did not do it kindly⁵. 我心不甘情不愿地取来了水。

　　Instead of smiling, and kissing her as I had been wont⁶ to do, I set the glass down very quickly, and left the room. 我没有对她笑，也没有像往常一样亲吻她，我放下杯子就离开了房间。

　　After playing a short time, I went to bed without bidding my mother good night; 在玩了一阵后，我上床了，没有和母亲说晚安；

　　but when alone in my room, in darkness and silence, I remembered how pale she looked, and how her voice trembled when she said, 可是当我独自一人在安静漆黑的房间里，我想起她脸色多么苍白，她的声音是多么颤抖，我无法入睡。

　　"Will not my daughter bring a glass of water for her poor, sick mother?" I could not sleep. 她说“我的女儿不愿意给她生病的可怜母亲取杯水吗？”

　　I stole into her chamber to ask forgiveness. 我偷偷走进她的房间请求她原谅我。

　　She had sunk into an easy slumber⁷, and they told me I must not waken her. 可她已经睡着了，人们告诉我不能惊醒她。

1 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

2 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

3 lapse   

n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效

参考例句：

• The incident was being seen as a serious security lapse.这一事故被看作是一次严重的安全疏忽。
• I had a lapse of memory.我记错了。

4 pettishly   

参考例句：

• \"Oh, no,'she said, almost pettishly, \"I just don't feel very good.\" “哦，不是，\"她说，几乎想发火了，\"我只是觉得不大好受。” 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Then he tossed the marble away pettishly, and stood cogitating. 于是他一气之下扔掉那个弹子，站在那儿沉思。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

5 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

6 wont   

adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯

参考例句：

• He was wont to say that children are lazy.他常常说小孩子们懒惰。
• It is his wont to get up early.早起是他的习惯。

7 slumber   

n.睡眠，沉睡状态

参考例句：

• All the people in the hotels were wrapped in deep slumber.住在各旅馆里的人都已进入梦乡。
• Don't wake him from his slumber because he needs the rest.不要把他从睡眠中唤醒，因为他需要休息。