美国小学英语教材6:第158课亚伯拉罕·林肯成长历程(4)（打印版）

He found he was fast, strong, and keen when he went against other boys in sports.

他发现在运动上，他比其他男子更加敏捷，身体更强壮，更有活力。

On farms where he worked, he held his own at scuffling, knocking off hats, wrestling.

在他工作的农场，他在扭打，摘掉帽子以及摔跤上都表现出色。

The time came when around Gentryville and Spencer County he was known as the best rassler of all, the champion.

他成为了金特里维尔和史宾塞郡附近声名远播的冠军，史上最棒的摔跤手。

In jumping, foot-racing, throwing the maul, pitching the crowbar, he won against the lads of his own age always,

在跳跃，竞走，投掷锤子，投掷铁撬棍上面，他总是能赢下同龄人，

and usually against those older than himself. He earned his board, clothes, and lodgings, sometimes working for a neighbor farmer.

通常也会赢下比自己年长的人，有时通过为周边农户干活获得食宿和衣物。

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He watched his father, while helping make cabinets, coffins, cupboards, window frames, doors.

他关注他的父亲，同时帮助建造陈列柜、棺材、橱柜、窗框以及门。

Hammers, saws, pegs, cleats, he understood first-hand, also the scythe and the cradle for cutting hay and grain,

他亲身了解了锤子、锯、钉子、金属桩，还有切干草和谷物的大镰刀和支架，

the corncutter's knife, the leather piece to protect the hand while shucking corn, and the horse, the dog, the cow, the ox, the hog.

玉米收割用的刀子，还有在去玉米皮时保护手戴的皮革，还有马匹、狗、奶牛、公牛以及猪。

And the hiding places of fresh spring water under the earth crust had to be in his thoughts.

他知道哪里可以找到地下储存的春雨。

He helped at well-digging; the wells Tom Lincoln dug went dry one year after another;

他帮助凿井，汤姆·林肯挖掘的井一年年在变干，

neighbors said Tom was always digging a well and had his land honey-combed, and the boy, Abe,

邻居说汤姆总是在凿井，他的地变成了蜂窝结构，男孩艾比

ran the errands and held the tools for the well-digging. When he was eighteen years old,

帮忙跑前跑后，为凿井拿工具，当他十八岁时，

he could take an ax at the end of the handle and hold it out in a straight horizontal line,

他可以拿住斧子棒的末端，并将它平平地举起来，

easy and steady, he had strong shoulder muscles and steady wrists early in life.

很轻松，很稳当，他这么年轻就有如此强壮的肩部肌肉以及稳定的手腕力量。

He walked thirty-four miles in one day, just on an errand, to please himself, to hear a lawyer make a speech.

他每天忙来忙去就要走34英里，为了自娱自乐，他就去听律师做演讲。

He could tell his body to do almost impossible things, and the body obeyed.

他会告诉身体去做一些几乎不可能的事情，身体照做了。