散文：夜莺与玫瑰Part 1

  THE NIGHTINGALE AND THE ROSE

  "She said that she would dance with me if I brought her red roses," cried the young student, "but in all

my garden there is no red rose." From her nest in the home oak¹ tree the nightingale heard him, and she

looked out through the leaves and wondered. "No red rose in all my garden!" he cried, and his beautiful

eyes filled with tears. "Ah, on what little things does happiness depend! I have read all that the wise men

have written, and all the secrets of philosophy are mine, yet for want of a red rose is my life made

wretched²."

  "Here at last is a true lover,"said the Nightingale. "Night after night have I sung of him, though I knew

him not: night after night have I told his story to the stars and now I see him. His hair is dark as the

hyacinth--blossom, and his lips are red as the rose of his desire; but passion has made his face like pale

 ivory, and sorrow has set her seal upon his brow."

  "The Prince gives a ball to-morrow night," murmured the young student, "and my love will be of the

company. If I bring her a red rose she will dance with me till dawn. If I bring her a red rose, I should

hold her in my arms, and she will lean her head upon my shoulder, and her hand will be clasped³ in mine.

But there is no red rose in my garden, so I shall sit lonely, and she will pass me by. She will have no

heed⁴ of me, and my heart will break."

1 oak   

n.栎树，橡树，栎木，橡木

参考例句：

• The chair is of solid oak.这把椅子是纯橡木的。
• The carpenter will floor this room with oak.木匠将用橡木铺设这个房间的地板。

2 wretched   

adj.可怜的，不幸的，卑鄙的，质量差的，恶劣的

参考例句：

• What a wretched life they lived in the workhouse!他们在济贫院里过的生活真悲惨！
• He was wretched when he failed the examination.由于考试不及格，他很痛苦。

3 clasped   

抱紧( clasp的过去式和过去分词 )； 紧紧拥抱； 握紧； 攥紧

参考例句：

• He leaned forward, his hands clasped tightly together. 他俯身向前，双手十字交错地紧握着。
• The child clasped the doll tightly. 小孩紧抱着洋娃娃。

4 heed   

v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心

参考例句：

• You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
• For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。