英语小达人 177 A Good Lesson

 　　A Good Lesson

　　痛心的教训

　　It was Sunday. The trains were crowded. A gentleman was walking along the platform¹ looking for a place. In one of the cars he saw a vacant² seat. But a samll suit-case was lying on it and a stout³ gentleman was sitting next to it.

　　那天是星期天。火车上乘客很多。一个绅士沿着站台一路寻找座位。在车厢里，他看到了一个空座位，但是上面放着只小提箱，一个胖绅士坐在提箱旁边。

　　"Is this seat vacant?" asked the gentleman.

　　“这座位没人吧？”绅士问道。

　　"No, it is my friend's," answered the gentleman. "He is just coming--this is his suitcase."

　　“不，这是我朋友的座位。”那位绅士回答，“他就要来了——这是他的小提箱。”

　　"Well," said the gentleman, "I'll sit here till he comes." Five minutes later the train started, but nobody came.

　　“那么，”绅士说，“我先坐着，他来了再说。”五分钟后火车开动了，可是他的朋友并没有来。

　　"Your friend is late," said the gentleman. "He has missed his train, but he need not lose his suitcase." And with these words he took the suitcase and threw it out of the window.

　　“你的朋友迟到了。”绅士说，“他赶不上火车了。可他不该把提箱也弄丢了。”说着，他拿起小提箱，扔出了窗外。

　　The stout gentleman got up and tried to catch the suitcase, but it was too late. It was his suitcase and he had taken a second seat for his own comfort⁴.

　　那个胖绅士赶紧站起来，想抓住那个小提箱，可是为时已晚。那是他的小提箱，他本想占两个位子，让自己舒服些。

1 platform   

n.平台，月台，讲台，坛

参考例句：

• Which platform do I want?我该上哪个站台？
• Your train is waiting at Platform 5.你要坐的那列火车在第五号站台。

2 vacant   

adj.未被占用的，空着的；空缺的

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• He stared into space with a vacant expression.他茫然地凝视着天空。

3 stout   

adj.强壮的，粗大的，结实的，勇猛的，矮胖的

参考例句：

• He cut a stout stick to help him walk.他砍了一根结实的枝条用来拄着走路。
• The stout old man waddled across the road.那肥胖的老人一跩一跩地穿过马路。

4 comfort   

n.安慰，舒适，安慰者；vt.安慰，使（痛苦等）缓和

参考例句：

• The child turned to its mother for comfort.那孩子向母亲寻求安慰。
• She lives there in comfort.她舒适地生活在那里。