绿野仙踪 第36期:一只胆小的狮子(4)

 No one would think of biting such a little thing, except a coward¹ like me," continued the Lion sadly. 除非是我这个胆小鬼，否则是没有谁会去咬这样的一个小东西，”狮子羞愧地继续说。

"What makes you a coward?" asked Dorothy, looking at the great beast in wonder, for he was as big as a small horse. 你怎么会变成胆小鬼呢？”多萝茜问，惊奇地注视着这只大野兽，它就跟一匹小马一样大。

"It's a mystery," replied the Lion. "I suppose I was born that way. “这我也不知道，”狮子回答说。“我想我生下来就是这样的。

All the other animals in the forest naturally expect me to be brave, for the Lion is everywhere thought to be the King of Beasts. 森林中的一切野兽，都以为我是勇敢的，因为在任何一个地方，狮子都是百兽之王。

I learned² if I roared³ very loudly every living thing was frightened and got out fo my way. 我知道动物们一听到我的吼声就会害怕，逃开我的视线。”

Whenever I've met a man I've been awfully⁵ scared; but I just roared at him, and he has always run away as fast as he could go. 不论何时只要我遇到一个人就非常害怕。但只要我对他吼叫，他就会立刻逃走。

If the elephants and the tigers and the bears had ever tried to fight me, I should have run myself--I'm such a coward;  如果象、老虎和熊，要想和我挑战，我就想逃走了——我就是这样的一个胆小鬼；

but just as soon as they hear me roar⁴ they all try to get away from me, and of course I let them go." 但是它们只要听到我吼叫以后，就会立刻逃开，当然，我只能让它们逃掉。”

“But that isn't right. The King of the Beasts shouldn't be a coward," said the Scarecrow. “这似乎不合常理。百兽之王不该是个胆小鬼，”稻草人说。

"I know it," returned the Lion, wiping a tear from his eye with the tip of his tail. 我也知道这个，”狮子回答说，用它尾巴末梢擦去从眼里滚出来的泪水，

"It is my great sorrow⁶, and makes my life very unhappy. “这是我最大的烦恼，让我的生活非常不愉快。

But whenever there is danger, my heart begins to beat fast." 因为每逢我遇到危险的时候，我的心跳就开始加速。”

"Perhaps you have a heart disease," said the Tin Woodman. 铁皮人说：“恐怕你有心脏病吧。”

"It may be," said the Lion. “可能吧，”狮子说。

1 coward   

n.懦夫，胆小鬼

参考例句：

• The newspapers had unjustly labelled him as a coward.那家报纸不公正地称他为懦夫。
• I was basically a dreadful coward.从根本上说，我非常胆小怕事。

2 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

3 roared   

v.咆哮( roar的过去式和过去分词 )；大笑；大哭；熊熊燃烧

参考例句：

• A log fire roared in the open hearth. 柴火在敞开着的壁炉里熊熊燃烧。
• Vroom! A sports car roared past. 呜的一声，一辆跑车疾驶而过。

4 roar   

n.吼，咆哮，轰鸣，喧闹；vi.吼叫，大声说出，喧闹；vt.呼喊，使轰鸣

参考例句：

• He began to roar when I took the chocolate away. 当我把巧克力拿走时，他大哭起来。
• The machines roar incessantly during the hours of daylight.机器在白天隆隆地响个不停。

5 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

6 sorrow   

n.悲哀；悲痛

参考例句：

• It helps to share your sorrow with someone else.向他人诉说你的痛苦对你是有益的。
• I think she did it more in sorrow than in anger.我觉得她这样做更多是出于悲哀而不是愤恨。