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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
1.Atri is the name of a little town in Italy. A long time ago, the King of Atri bought a large bell and had it hung up in a tower in the marketplace. A long rope that reached almost to the ground was fastened to the bell. “It is the bell of justice,” said the King. All the men and women and children came down to the marketplace to look at the bell of justice. It was a very pretty bell. “How we should like to hear it ring!” they said. Then the King came down the street. “Perhaps he will ring it,” said the people. And everybody stood very still and waited to see what he would do.
“阿特里”是意大利一个小镇的名字。很久以前，当那里还是个王国的时候，阿特里国王买了一口大钟，并把它挂在了市场里的一座塔楼内。一根长长的绳子一头系在这口钟上，另一头几乎垂到了地面。国王说：“这是一口正义之钟。”全国所有的男女老少纷纷来到了这个市场，看一看这口正义之钟。它是一口非常漂亮的钟。人们说：“我们真想听听它的响声！”随后，国王沿着大街向钟的方向走去。人们纷纷说：“也许他会摇响那口钟。”每个人都站在那里，一动不动地等着看国王要做什么。
2.But he did not ring the bell. He did not even take the rope in his hands. “My people,” he said, “do you see this beautiful bell? It is your bell. But it must never be rung except in case of need. If any one of you is wronged at any time, you may come and ring the bell. And then the judges shall come together at once, and hear your case, and give you justice. Rich and poor, old and young, all alike may come. But no one must touch the rope unless you know that you have been wronged.”
但是，他并没有摇响那口钟。他甚至都没有伸手去抓那根绳子。“我的臣民们”，他说，“你们看到这口漂亮的钟了吗？它属于你们。但只有在需要时，才可以摇响它。如果你们中的任何人在任何时候受到了不公正的待遇，就可以来摇响这口钟。然后，法官们就会立即来这里集合，审理你的案件，并还你公正。无论你是富人还是穷人，是上年纪的还是年轻人，都可以过来摇响它。但是，除非你真的确认自己受到了不公正的待遇，否则任何人都不可以碰那根绳子。”
3.Many years passed by after this. Many times did the bell in the marketplace ring out to call the judges together. Many wrongs were righted; many ill-doers were punished. In the end the rope was almost worn out. It became so short that only someone tall could reach it. “This will never do,” said the judges one day. “What if a child should be wronged? The child could not ring the bell to let us know it.” They gave orders that a new rope should be put upon the bell at once, but there was not a rope to be found in all Atri.
自此之后许多年过去了，召集法官们集合在市场内的钟声响起了许多次。许多不公正的待遇回归了正义，许多作恶之人受到了惩罚。最后，绳子磨损得几乎不成样子了。它被磨得太短了，以至于只有高个子的人才能够到它。“这根绳子不能再用了，”法官们一天这样说道，“要是一个孩子受到了不公正的待遇该怎么办？孩子根本无法摇响那口让我们知道他所受到不公正待遇的钟”。于是，法官们下达了立即更换新绳子的命令，但阿特里全国都找不到一根合适的新绳子。
4.What if some great wrong should be done before it came? How could the judges know about it, if the injured one could not reach the old rope? “Let me fix it for you,” said a man who stood by. He ran into his garden, which was not far away, and soon came back with a long grapevine in his hands. “This will do for a rope,” he said. And he climbed up and fastened it to the bell. “Yes,” said the judges, “it is a very good rope. Let it be as it is.”
如果在找到一根新绳子之前有人受到了严重的不公正待遇该怎么办？如果受到伤害的人无法够到那根旧绳子，那法官们该如何知道他所受到的不公呢？“让我来帮你们修好这根绳子吧，”一个旁观的男子说。然后，他跑进不远处的自家花园里，很快手里拿着一根长长的葡萄藤回来了。“这东西可以当绳子用，”他说。然后，他爬上了塔楼，把那根葡萄藤牢牢地系在了钟上。“是的，”法官说，“这的确是一根很好的绳子。就用它吧。”
5.Now, on the hillside above the village, there lived a man who had once been a brave knight1. In his youth he had ridden through many lands, and he had fought in many a battle. His best friend through all that time had been his horse—a strong, noble steed.
当时，在村庄旁边的山坡上住着一个男子，他曾几何时是一位勇敢的骑士。他年轻时曾骑着马穿越了许多国家，而且还参加过许多场战斗。他的那匹强壮且高贵的骏马一直以来都是他最好的朋友。
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6.But the knight, when he grew older, cared no more to ride into battle; he cared no more to do brave deeds; he thought of nothing but gold; he became a miser2. So he sold all that he had, except his horse, and went to live in a little hut on the hillside. Day after day he sat among his moneybags and planned how he might get more gold. And day after day his horse stood in his bare stall3, hungry and shivering with cold.
但是，随着年纪越来越大，这位骑士变得不再喜欢骑马战斗了；变得不再愿意做勇敢的事情；变得除了金币什么也不关心。他已经变成了一个守财奴。于是，他卖掉了除了他的马以外的全部家当，然后搬进了山坡上的一间小屋里。他日复一日地坐在他的钱袋中间，盘算着如何得到更多的金币。而他的马则日复一日地站在他家光秃秃的马厩里，在饥饿与寒冷中瑟瑟发抖。
7.“What is the use of keeping that lazy steed?” said the miser to himself one morning. “Every week it costs me more to keep him than he is worth. I might sell him, but there is no one who wants him. I cannot even give him away. I will get rid of him, he will just have to take care of himself and pick grass by the roadside.” So the brave old horse was sent away to find what he could among the rocks on the hillside. Lame4 and sick, he strolled5 along the dusty roads, glad to find a blade of grass. The dogs barked at him, and in all the world there was no one to pity him.
“留着这匹懒马还有什么用？”这个守财奴一天早晨自言自语道，“每个星期我都要花钱白白养着它，这太不值了。我可以卖掉它，但是没人想要它。甚至白送都没人要。我要把它弄走，它以后只需要照顾好自己，然后在路边吃草果腹就行了。”于是，这匹勇敢的老马被送到了山坡上的岩石间。它病病歪歪、一瘸一拐地沿着灰尘弥漫的路漫无目的地走着，为能够找到一片草叶而高兴；狗见到它都会冲着它吠叫；这个世界上没有一个人可怜它。
8.One hot afternoon, when no one was upon the street, the horse wandered into the marketplace. Not a man nor child was there, for the heat of the sun had driven them all indoors. The horse saw the grapevine rope that hung from the bell of justice. What a fine dinner that would be for a hungry horse! He took a bite and pulled at the grapevine, and the great bell above him began to ring. All the people in Atri heard it. The judges heard it. They put on their robes and went out through the hot streets to the marketplace. They wondered who it could be who would ring the bell at such a time. When they passed through the gate, they saw the old horse nibbling6 at the vine. “Ha!” cried one, “It is the miser’s steed. He has come to call for justice. For his master, as everybody knows, has treated him most shamefully7.” “And he shall have justice!” said another.
一个炎热的下午，大街上空无一人，这匹马徘徊着走进了那个市场。市场里一个人也没有，炙热的太阳把大人们和孩子们都赶进了室内。马看到了从正义之钟上垂下来的葡萄藤绳。对于一匹饥饿的马来说，这简直是一顿美味大餐！它咬了一口，扯到了葡萄藤，与此同时，它头顶上的大钟响了起来。阿特里的所有人都听到了这钟声。法官们也听了，于是他们穿上了长袍，穿过热气腾腾的街道到来到市场。他们都很纳闷谁会在这个时间摇响钟声。当他们穿过大门时，他们看到了那匹老马正在啃着那根葡萄藤。“哈！”其中一位法官喊道，“原来是那个守财奴的马。它是来呼求正义的。众所周知，他的主人一直以最可耻的方式对待它。”“它应该得到公正的待遇！”另一位法官说。
9.Meanwhile a crowd of men and women and children had come into the marketplace. When they saw the horse, all stood still in wonder. Then everyone was ready to tell how they had seen him wandering on the hills, unfed, uncared for, while his master sat at home counting his bags of gold.
与此同时，男女老少一大群人也来到了市场。当他们看到这匹马时，所有人都停下了脚步，怔住了。然后，每个人都准备好讲述自己是如何看到这匹马在山上徘徊，饿着肚子，也没人照顾，而他的主人却坐在家里数着他的一袋子一袋子的金币。
10.“Go bring the miser before us,” said the judges. And when he came, they bade him stand and hear their judgment8. “This horse has served you well for many a year,” they said. “He has saved you many times. He has helped you gain your wealth. Therefore, we order that one half of all your gold shall be set aside to buy him shelter and food, a green grassland9, and a warm stall to comfort him in his old age.” The miser hung his head and grieved10 to lose his gold. But the people shouted with joy, and the horse was led away to his new stall and a dinner such as he had not had in many a day.
法官们说：“去把那个守财奴带到我们面前。”他被带来后，法官命令他站在那里，接受审判。法官们说：“这匹马为你服务了很多年，而且还多次救了你的命。你是在它的帮助下才获得了现在的财富。因此，我们下令将你所拥有金币的一半留给它，用于为它购买住所和食物、一片茂盛的草地以及一个温暖的马厩，以抚慰它的老年生活。”守财奴垂下头，为失去他的金币而感到悲痛 。但其他人都欢呼雀跃了起来。随后，这匹马被带到了它的新马厩，享受了一顿多年未曾有过的大餐。
收听单词发音 |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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miser
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| n.守财奴，吝啬鬼 (adj.miserly) | |
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3
stall
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| n.摊位，铺子，售货亭 | |
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lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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strolled
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| 散步（stroll的过去式形式） | |
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6
nibbling
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| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的现在分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
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7
shamefully
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| 可耻地； 丢脸地； 不体面地； 羞耻地 | |
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8
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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grassland
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| n.牧场，草地，草原 | |
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grieved
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| 伤心的 | |
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