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LESSON 48 The speaking chip 第四十八课 会说话的木板
As I had gone to work one morning without my square, I took up a chip, 我早上工作时忘记带水准尺，我就捡起一块木板，
and with a piece of charcoal1 wrote upon it a request that Mrs. Williams would send me that article. 用碳在上面写上了我的需求，以便Williams太太能把我要的东西送来，
I called a chief, who was looking after a portion of the work, and said to him, 我就找了一位以跑腿送货为工作的师傅，对他说，
Friend, take this; go to our house and give it to Mrs. Williams. 朋友，麻烦把这个送到我家给威廉姆斯太太。
He was a strange-looking man. He had been a great warrior2; and, in one of the many battles he had fought, he had lost an eye. 这个师傅面相很怪，他曾是一名战士，在他参加的众多战役中的一场奋战中，失去了一只眼睛，
Giving me a look of wonder with the other, he said, "Take that! She will call me foolish, and scold me, if I carry chip to her." 他用另一只眼睛奇怪的看着我，说“带上这个给她，她会说我神经病的，会责骂我的。”
"No," I replied, "she will not. Take it and go at once; I am in haste." 我回答道：“不会的，带上它，立刻走，我很着急。”
Seeing that I was in earnest, he took it, and asked, "What must I say?" 看到我很真诚，他拿起了木板，问道，“我要说些什么呢？”
I replied, "You have nothing to say; the chip will say all I wish." 我回答道”你什么都不用说，这个木块会表达出我所有的需求。“
With a look of surprise and contempt3, he held up the piece of wood, and said, "How can this speak? Has this a mouth?" 带着吃惊和怀疑的表情，他举起了那块木板，说道“它怎么可能说话？它都没有嘴巴。”
I desired him to take it instantly, and not spend so much time in talking about it. 我希望他立刻带走它，不想花费太多的时间来讨论这些，
On reaching the house, he gave the chip to Mrs. Williams; who read it, threw it away, and went to the tool-chest. 一到我家，他就把木板给了我太太，她读过之后，把木板扔到一边，直奔工具箱，
The chief wishing to see the result of this strange affair, followed her closely. 这个师傅很想弄明白这件奇怪的事情，就紧跟着她。
On receiving the square from her, he said, "Stay, daughter; how do you know that this is what Mr. Williams wants?" 从她手里拿到水准尺就问“等下，女士，你怎么知道这就是威廉姆斯先生想要的东西？”
"Why," she replied, "did you not bring me a chip just now?" 为什么，她回答道， “你不是带给我一块木板吗？”
"Yes," said the astonished warrior; "but I did not hear it say anything." 是呀，这个战士惊讶的回答，但是我没有听到它说什么呀。
"If you did not, I did," was the reply, "for it made known to me what he wanted; 你没听到，我听到了，女士回答道，它让我知道我的先生需要什么，
and all you have to do is to return with it as quickly as possible." 你所要做的就是尽快把它带给我先生。
Upon this, the chief rushed out of the house; and catching4 up the piece of wood, 听到这个师傅就冲出了房间，抓起那块木板，
he ran through the settlement with the chip in one band and the square in the other. 一手拿着木板一手拿着水准尺，
Holding them up as high as his arms could reach, he shouted as he went, 把它们举到手臂能伸到的最高位置，边走边喊着，
See the wisdom of these English people; they can make chips talk! 看看这些英国人的聪明智慧吧，他们能让木板说话。
On giving me the square, he wished to know how it was possible thus to talk with persons at a distance. 给我水准尺的时候，他希望知道远距离和人交流是怎么实现的，
I explained the matter to him as well as I could; but it was so great a mystery, 我尽我所能的向他解释了事情的原委，这事儿太神奇了，
that he actually tied a string to the chip, hung it round his neck, and wore it for some time! 以至于他在那块木板上打了一个结，把它挂在了脖子上，并挂了很长一段时间。
During several following days, we often saw him surrounded by a crowd, 接下来的几天里，我们经常看到他身边围了一群人，
who listened with the greatest interest while he told them the wonders which the chip had performed. 兴致勃勃地在听着他讲木板的神奇的故事。
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1
charcoal
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| n.炭，木炭，生物炭 | |
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2
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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3
contempt
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| n.轻视，藐视，受辱，丢脸 | |
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4
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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