英国语文第三册 第29期:雄心勃勃的男孩

 　　LESSON 28 The ambitious boy 第二十八课 雄心勃勃的男孩

　　"I never knew before, Cecil, that you were so fond of drawing," said Aunt Sophia, “我以前从不知道,塞西尔,你非常喜欢画,”索菲娅阿姨说,

　　as she looked over the shoulder of her nephew, who was busy with his pencil. 她看着她的侄子的肩膀,正忙于他的铅笔。

　　"You really have made great progress." “你真的已经取得了很大的进步。”

　　"I need to do so," cried Cecil, "if I am to carry off the prize for drawing, as I am resolved to do this term." “我需要这样做,”塞西尔喊道,“如果我想得到绘画奖,这学期我下定决心要做。”

　　"I should have thought," said the aunt, "that you had little chance against Lee. “我本以为，”阿姨,说:“你几乎没有机会赢李。

　　He is an artist's son, and has used the pencil, one might almost say, from his cradle." 他是一个艺术家的儿子,,几乎可以说,从他的摇篮里就用铅笔。”

　　"That will double the pleasure of beating him!" cried Cecil, dashing the bough¹ of a tree into his picture, as if he meant what he said. “那将会翻倍打击他的乐趣!“塞西尔喊道,潇洒的大树枝树成他的照片,就好像他的意思是他说什么。

　　"I'm working now at this four hours a day; he never draws more than two." “我现在工作在这一天四个小时,他从不画过两个。”

　　"You are not neglecting your Latin for it, I hope?  “我希望你不要忽视你的拉丁?

　　You have had the Latin prize every term for these three years past," said Aunt Sophia. 三年过去每学期你已经有了这些的拉丁奖,“索菲亚阿姨说。

　　"Yes," replied Cecil, with a proud smile; "there is no boy in our class can match me in that, though Russell is now working hard. 回答说:“是的,塞西尔,骄傲的微笑,“在我们班没有男孩能比得上我,虽然罗素现在努力工作。

　　But I am not content with one prize: I cannot rest till I have won the paint-box for drawing, of which Tom Lee makes so sure. 但我并不满足于一个奖:我不能休息,直到我获得绘画的颜料盒,其中汤姆李让那么肯定了。

　　It would be glorious to beat the son of an artist on his own ground!" 在艺术家的地盘打败他的儿子非常光荣!”

　　"Take care," said his aunt, gently laying her hand on his shoulder, “保重”他姑姑说,轻轻把她的手在他的肩上,

　　"that you do not lose the Latin prize, in trying for that which you are not likely to gain. “你不失去拉丁奖,在那些你不太可能获得。

　　Remember the fable² of the dog that dropped the substance, in catching³ at the shadow." 记得把寓言的狗捡了芝麻丢了西瓜。”

　　On the evening of the day on which the names of the prize-winners were read out, Cecil came home from school gloomy and grave. 那一天晚上宣读获奖者的名字,塞西尔放学回家悲观。

　　His looks told his aunt enough to make her spare him the pain of questions; but his little sister Rosey was not so thoughtful. 他看起来对他的姑姑足以让她分析他头疼的问题;但他的小妹妹Rosey没头没脑。

　　"O Cecil," she cried, running eagerly up to him, "tell me, are you to get the two prizes?" “塞西尔阿,”她喊道,急切地向他,“告诉我,你获得两个奖项吗?”

　　"No," said Cecil, with a growl⁴. “不,”塞西尔说,咆哮。

　　"Only one," cried the child in a sorrowful tone. 叫道:“只有一个“，悲伤的说。

　　"Not one," muttered the boy. "I was so busy trying to beat Lee, that I could not hold my ground against Russell." “不,”男孩咕哝着。我太忙于击败李,我不能坚定立场反对罗素。”

　　Cecil flung himself on a chair, in so angry a mood that even Rosey did not dare to question him further. 塞西尔把自己扔在椅子上,在如此愤怒的情绪,甚至进一步Rosey不敢问他。

　　Their aunt silently hoped that the lesson might prove worth the pain which it cost, 他们的阿姨默默希望教训可能值得花的疼痛,

　　and that the ambitious boy might not again need to be reminded of the dog in the fable. 而雄心勃勃的男孩可能不再需要被提醒狗的寓言。

1 bough   

n.大树枝，主枝

参考例句：

• I rested my fishing rod against a pine bough.我把钓鱼竿靠在一棵松树的大树枝上。
• Every bough was swinging in the wind.每条树枝都在风里摇摆。

2 fable   

n.寓言；童话；神话

参考例句：

• The fable is given on the next page. 这篇寓言登在下一页上。
• He had some motive in telling this fable. 他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

3 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

4 growl   

v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣

参考例句：

• The dog was biting,growling and wagging its tail.那条狗在一边撕咬一边低声吼叫，尾巴也跟着摇摆。
• The car growls along rutted streets.汽车在车辙纵横的街上一路轰鸣。