绿野仙踪 第39期:一只胆小的狮子(7)

 When Dorothy presently asked him a question the Tin Woodman could not open his mouth, for his jaws¹ were tightly rusted² together. 当多萝茜跟他说话时，铁皮人却没有答话，因为他的嘴巴都牢牢地锈在一起了。

He became greatly frightened at this and made many motions to Dorothy to relieve him, but she could not understand. 他非常惊慌，挥着手向多萝茜做着许多手势，要她帮助自己，但是多萝茜却不明白。

The Lion was also puzzled to know what was wrong. 狮子也不知道出了什么问题。

But the Scarecrow seized the oil-can from Dorothy's basket and oiled the Woodman's jaws, so that after a few moments he could talk as well as before. 幸亏稻草人迅速从多萝茜的篮子里取出油罐，在铁皮人的嘴上加着油，所以不一会儿功夫，他便能够像以前一样地说话了。

"This will serve me a lesson," said he, "to look where I step. “这真是给了我一个教训，”他说，“我要看清楚才踏上去。

For if I should kill another bug³ or beetle⁴ I should surely cry again, and crying rusts⁵ my jaws so that I cannot speak." 一旦我踏死了旁的小虫或甲虫，我一定会很难受，会哭锈了我的嘴，这样我就说不了话了。”

Thereafter he walked very carefully, with his eyes on the road, and when he saw a tiny ant toiling⁶ by he would step over it, so as not to harm it. 于是他十分小心地盯在路面上，慢慢地走着，他看见一个小蚂蚁，正在辛苦地向前爬过来，他便跨了过去，不伤害它。

The Tin Woodman knew very well he had no heart, and therefore he took great care never to be crue l or unkind to anything. 铁皮人很清楚，他是没有心的，所以他要小心翼翼，永远不要残忍地对待着任何东西。

"You people with hearts," he said, " have something to guide you, and need never do wrong; but I have no heart, and so I must be very careful. 你们大家都有心。”他说，“仁慈的心会指导你们，一定永远不去做坏事；但是我却没有心，所以必须十分地谨慎。

When Oz gives me a heart of course I needn't mind so much." 等到奥芝给了我一颗心，当然，我就不必这么紧张了。”

1 jaws   

n.口部；嘴

参考例句：

• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
• The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。

2 rusted   

v.（使）生锈( rust的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I can't get these screws out; they've rusted in. 我无法取出这些螺丝，它们都锈住了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My bike has rusted and needs oil. 我的自行车生锈了，需要上油。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 bug   

n.虫子；故障；窃听器；vt.纠缠；装窃听器

参考例句：

• There is a bug in the system.系统出了故障。
• The bird caught a bug on the fly.那鸟在飞行中捉住了一只昆虫。

4 beetle   

n.甲虫，近视眼的人

参考例句：

• A firefly is a type of beetle.萤火虫是一种甲虫。
• He saw a shiny green beetle on a leaf.我看见树叶上有一只闪闪发光的绿色甲虫。

5 rusts   

n.铁锈( rust的名词复数 )；（植物的）锈病，锈菌v.（使）生锈( rust的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Copper nails are better than iron nails because the iron rusts. 铜钉比铁钉好，因为铁会生锈。 来自辞典例句
• The axenic culture of rusts has been achieved on various defined media. 在各种规定的培养基上可得到锈菌的单体纯净培养物。 来自辞典例句

6 toiling   

长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉

参考例句：

• The fiery orator contrasted the idle rich with the toiling working classes. 这位激昂的演说家把无所事事的富人同终日辛劳的工人阶级进行了对比。
• She felt like a beetle toiling in the dust. She was filled with repulsion. 她觉得自己像只甲虫在地里挣扎，心中涌满愤恨。