散文：忠诚的朋友Part 19

【英文原文】

  "But what became of the Miller¹?" asked the Water-rat.

  "Oh! I really don't know," replied the Linnet; "and I am sure that I don't care."

  "It is quite evident² then that you have no sympathy in your nature," said the Water-rat.

  "I am afraid you don't quite see the moral³ of the story," remarked the Linnet.

  "The what?" screamed the Water-rat.

  "The moral."

  "Do you mean to say that the story has a moral?"

  "Certainly," said the Linnet.

  "Well, really," said the Water-rat, in a very angry manner, "I think you should have told me that before you began. If you had done so, I certainly would not have listened to you; in fact, I should have said 'Pooh,' like the critic. However, I can say it now"; so he shouted out "Pooh" at the top of his voice, gave a whisk with his tail, and went back into his hole.

  "And how do you like the Water-rat?" asked the Duck, who came paddling up some minutes afterwards. "He has a great many good points, but for my own part I have a mother's feelings, and I can never look at a confirmed bachelor without the tears coming into my eyes." 

  "I am rather afraid that I have annoyed him," answered the Linnet. "The fact is, that I told him a story with a moral."

  "Ah! that is always a very dangerous thing to do," said the Duck.

  And I quite agree with her.

1 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

2 evident   

adj.明显的，显然的，明白的

参考例句：

• It's evident to me that they have no experience in this work.在我看来，他们干这项工作没有经验是显而易见的。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

3 moral   

adj.道德(上)的，有道德的；n.品行，寓意，道德

参考例句：

• Moral beauty ought to be ranked above all other beauty.品德之美应列于其他美之上。
• He deceived us into believing that he could give us moral support.他骗得我们相信他能给我们道义上的支持。