smelt  闻

hide  隐藏

crept  蹑手蹑脚

laid  铺设

floor  地板

inn  客栈

bear 熊

fur 毛皮

youngest 最小的 

danced  跳舞

joyfully  愉快的

marched 游行

soldiers  士兵

badly  惨

running  赛跑

eldest 最年长的

THE BEAR AND THE CHILDREN 狗熊和孩子们

In the parlor of an inn in a small town, sat a man who had been going about with a bear.  在小镇的一家客栈客厅里，坐着一位带着狗熊一起出门办事的人。

He was waiting for his supper, and the bear was tied up in the yard. 他在等待晚餐，而狗熊则被拴在后院里。

Up in the attic, three little children were playing together.  阁楼上，三个小孩正在一起玩耍。

The eldest might have been six years old; the youngest, not more than two. 最大的孩子已经六岁了，最小的还不到两岁。

Stump! stump! stump! Some one was coming up the stairs. 咚！咚！咚！有人在上楼。

The door flew open suddenly, and there stood the great, shaggy bear.  门突然开了，门口出现了一头高大而长满毛发的狗熊。

He had got tired of waiting, and had found his way to the stairs. 它已经等烦了，自己找到了通往楼梯的通道。

The children were badly frightened.  孩子们非常害怕，

Each one crept into a corner, but the bear found them all out, and smelt their clothes, but did not hurt them. 他们都爬进了墙角。狗熊发现了他们，但只闻了闻他们的衣服，却没有伤害他们。

"This must be a great dog," they said, and they began to pat him. “这一定是条大狗。”说罢，他们开始轻轻地拍它。

Then the bear lay down on the floor, and the youngest boy climbed on his back,  之后，这只狗熊躺倒在地板上。最小的男孩爬到了它的背上，

hid his head in the shaggy fur, and played at "hide and seek." 把头藏在它浓密的毛里玩捉迷藏。

The eldest boy took his drum and began to strike it, when the bear rose on his hind legs and danced.  当狗熊抬起后腿跳舞时，最大的男孩敲起了他的鼓。

At that the children gave a merry shout. 孩子们高兴地欢呼起来。

The two younger boys took their wooden guns, and gave the bear one.  两个较小的男孩拿起他们的木枪，还给了狗熊一把。

Away they all marched around the room, keeping step. 他们一起围着屋子列队踏步。

Now the frightened mother of the children came to the door.  现在，孩子们受惊的妈妈来到门口。

But the youngest boy shouted, joyfully. "See, we are playing soldiers!" 最小的男孩快乐地喊道：“看，我们在玩假扮士兵的游戏！”

Then the bear's master came running up, and took the bear away. 这时，狗熊的主人跑过来，把它带走了。