胡敏读故事记单词托福词汇112（在线收听）

Childhood dreams come back to haunt me

童年的梦重又萦绕我心头

Running along the brook, down to the hatchery, what heavenly joy this was when school was over! We would play in the hay, the constant tweeting of the hatchlings—a constant background symphony. Then on to our old haunt, the hazel grove. No hazards there, nothing but the healing sound of silence.

There was that freckled little girl with her hazel eyes who would come with us. Oh, was she a cutie! “when I grow up, I’m going to marry you.” I said to her on more than one occasion. “don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched!” she would invariably reply with a haughty laugh. “time will tell.” I would sigh to myself. At least, I did not detect any note of rejection or hatred, she was just playing hard to get.

Well, time has moved on, and my hasty words of all those years ago have come back to haunt me . I did marry that girl, but now she is gross and fat. Some people talk of marriage as a safe haven, heaven even, but for me it has turned out to be nothing less than purgatory here on earth. My innocent childhood dreams have vanished in a haze, trapped as I am in a monotonous routine of bondage.

How am I to heal my broken heart? Would I feel better if I took a hatchet to her, just to end this nightmare? Nonsense! Let me hasten to say that I could never do such a thing! Anyway, it would be far too hazardous for my own well-being. I would get caught, and then what?

放学后，有什么比沿着小溪跑到孵卵处更能给人如在天堂般的快乐！我们会在干草中嬉戏，孵出的小鸟不停地鸣叫，这是不间断的背景交响乐。接着，到我们经常去的小榛树林。那儿除了有治疗功用的寂静之外，没有任何危险的东西。

有一个长着雀斑的、淡褐色眼睛的小女孩会跟着我们。噢，她真漂亮！“我长大了要娶你，”我不止一次这么对她说，“不要在蛋还没孵出时就数鸡！”她总是高傲地笑着回答。“等着瞧，”我会对自己叹气道。至少，我没有从中听出任何拒绝或者憎恨的意思。她只是让我觉得很难做到。

好了，时间过去了，这么多年前我说的草率的话重又萦绕在我心头。我的确娶了那个女孩，但是，她现在既粗俗，又肥胖。有的人说婚姻是安全的避难所，甚至说是天堂，但对于我来说，它简直是地球上的炼狱。由于如今的我已深陷在单调乏味的日常生活的束缚中而难以自拔，那么童年时间的天真梦想自然也就随着薄雾的消失而消失殆尽了。

我如何为我破碎的心疗伤呢？如果我向她举起一把短柄斧，结束这场噩梦，我会感觉好一些吗？胡说八道！让我赶快说我永远不能做这样的事情！总之，对于我自己的幸福来说，那样太冒险了。我会被捕，然后呢？

Hasten vt.加速

Hasty adj.急急忙的，草率的

Hatch vt.孵化

Hatchery n.孵卵所

Hatchet n.短柄斧

Hatchling n.人工孵化的鱼苗或小鸟

Hatred n.憎恶，憎恨

Haughty adj.（指人或态度）高傲自大的

Haunt vt.（思想，回忆等）萦绕心头。 n.（某人）常去的地方。

Haven n.避难所，安全地。

Heaven n.天，天堂

Heavenly adj.天空的，天上的，超绝的

Hay n.干草

Hazard n.危险，危害物

Hazardous adj.危险的，冒险的

Haze n.薄雾

Hazel adj.榛树的，淡褐色的

Heal vt.康复，治愈

Healing adj.有治疗功效的。