美国语文第四册 第193期:母亲的坟墓(3)

 　　I did not tell anyone what troubled me, but stole back to my bed, resolved to rise early in the morning and tell her how sorry I was for my conduct. 我没有告诉别人困扰我的是什么，悄悄地回到我的床上，我下定决心第二天早晨告诉她我是多么后悔。

　　The sun was shining brightly when I awoke, and, hurrying on my clothes, I hastened to my mother's chamber¹. 醒来时，太阳很刺眼，我急急忙忙换好衣服来到母亲的房间。

　　She was dead! She never spoke² more—never smiled upon me again; 她已经去世了！不再对我说什么，也不再对我微笑了；

　　and when I touched the hand that used to rest upon my head in blessing³, it was so cold that it made me start. 我触摸着她的手，她曾经把手放在我头上祝福我，现在是那么凉，使我吃了一惊。

　　I bowed down by her side, and sobbed⁴ in the bitterness of my heart. 我跪在她的床边，心中凄苦地啜泣。

　　I then wished that I might die, and be buried with her; and, old as I now am, 我多么希望我死了，和她埋在一起；现在不再年轻的我，

　　I would give worlds, were they mine to give, could my mother but have lived to tell me she forgave my childish ingratitude⁵. 如果能让母亲活着告诉我她已经原谅我儿时不懂得感恩，我愿意用全世界来交换——如果全世界都是我的。

　　But I can not call her back; and when I stand by her grave, and whenever I think of her manifold kindness, 但是时间不会倒转；现在我站在母亲坟墓旁，想着慈祥的母亲，

　　the memory of that reproachful look she gave me will bite like a serpent and sting like an adder⁶. 记忆中她责备我的神情就像毒蛇一样啮咬着我。

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 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

4 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。

5 ingratitude   

n.忘恩负义

参考例句：

• Tim's parents were rather hurt by his ingratitude.蒂姆的父母对他的忘恩负义很痛心。
• His friends were shocked by his ingratitude to his parents.他对父母不孝，令他的朋友们大为吃惊。

6 adder   

n.蝰蛇；小毒蛇

参考例句：

• The adder is Britain's only venomous snake.蝰蛇是英国唯一的一种毒蛇。
• An adder attacked my father.一条小毒蛇攻击了我父亲。