英国语文第三册 第65期:淘气的玛蒂

 LESSON 55 Meddlesome² Matty 第五十五课 淘气的玛蒂

Oh, how one ugly trick has spoiled 噢！令人讨厌的恶作剧

The sweetest and the best! 把最甜美，最美好的东西都给糟蹋了！

Matilda, though a pleasant child, 玛蒂尔达，虽然是个可人的孩子，

One ugly trick possessed³, 但是总爱恶作剧，

Which, like a cloud before the skies, 就像天空的云朵，

Hid all her better qualities. 遮掩了她良好的品质。

Sometimes she'd lift the teapot lid, 有时她会打开茶壶盖，

To peep at what was in it; 偷看里面有什么；

Or tilt⁴ the kettle, if you did 她就会把水壶打翻， 

But turn your back a minute. 假如你刚刚转过头去一分钟。

In vain you told her not to touch, 告诫她不要乱动是徒劳的，

Her trick of meddling⁵ grew so much. 她越来越爱瞎玩儿。

Her grandmamma went out one day, 一天，她祖母外出，

And by mistake she laid 祖母不小心

Her spectacles and snuff-box gay 将眼镜和鼻烟盒

Too near the little maid; 放在玛蒂尔达旁边；

"Ah! well," thought she, "I'll try them on, “啊！好吧，”玛蒂尔达想，我要试试这些

As soon as grandmamma is gone." “祖母出去之后。”

Forthwith she placed upon her nose the glasses large and wide; 她很快戴上了又大又宽的眼镜；

And looking round, as I suppose, the snuff-box too she spied: 四处张望，我猜她是在找鼻烟盒：

"Oh, what a pretty box is this! “噢！这盒子真漂亮！

I'll open it," said little Miss. 我要打开它，”这个小女孩心想。

"I know that grandmamma would say, 'Don't meddle¹ with it, dear;' “我知道祖母会说，亲爱的，不要乱动；

But then she's far enough away, and no one else is near; 但是之后她就会找一个附近没有人的地方；

Besides, what can there be amiss in opening such a box as this?" 再说了，打开这么漂亮的一个盒子又有什么错呢？”

So thumb and finger went to work to move the stubborn lid; 所以她开始用手拧盖子；

And presently a mighty⁶ jerk the mighty mischief⁷ did; 用力拧开；

For all at once, ah, woeful case! 一下子，很悲惨的是，

The snuff came puffing⁸ in her face. 所有的鼻烟都扑到了她的脸上！

Poor eyes, and nose, and mouth, and chin, 可怜的眼睛，鼻子，嘴巴和下巴，

A dismal⁹ sight presented; 她顿时变得很可怜；

And as the snuff got further in, 吸入越来越多的鼻烟，

Sincerely she repented¹⁰. 她真的开始后悔了。

In vain she ran about for ease— 为了缓解痛苦，她跑来跑去，但都是徒劳——

She could do nothing else but sneeze! 她不停地打喷嚏！

She dashed the spectacles away, 她把眼镜甩在一旁，

To wipe her tingling¹¹ eyes, 去揉那刺痛的眼睛，

And as in twenty bits they lay. 过了一会儿，

Her grandmamma she spies. 她看见祖母回来了。

"Hey day! and what's the matter now?" “天呐！这是怎么了？”

Cried grandmamma with lifted brow. 她祖母皱起眉头尖叫起来。

Matilda, smarting with the pain,and tingling still, and sore, 痛苦不堪的玛蒂尔达不停保证说

Made many a promise to refrain from meddling evermore. 自己再也不淘气了。

And 'tis a fact, as I have heard, 这是真的，据我后来所知，

She ever since has kept her word. 她从那以后再也没有淘气过。

1 meddle   

v.干预，干涉，插手

参考例句：

• I hope he doesn't try to meddle in my affairs.我希望他不来干预我的事情。
• Do not meddle in things that do not concern you.别参与和自己无关的事。

2 meddlesome   

adj.爱管闲事的

参考例句：

• By this means the meddlesome woman cast in a bone between the wife and the husband.这爱管闲事的女人就用这种手段挑起他们夫妻这间的不和。
• Get rid of that meddlesome fool!让那个爱管闲事的家伙走开！

3 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

4 tilt   

v.(使)倾侧；(使)倾斜；n.倾侧；倾斜

参考例句：

• She wore her hat at a tilt over her left eye.她歪戴着帽子遮住左眼。
• The table is at a slight tilt.这张桌子没放平，有点儿歪.

5 meddling   

v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句
• They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野，因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句

6 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

7 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

8 puffing   

v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• He was puffing hard when he jumped on to the bus. 他跳上公共汽车时喘息不已。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My father sat puffing contentedly on his pipe. 父亲坐着心满意足地抽着烟斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 dismal   

adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的

参考例句：

• That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。
• My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。

10 repented   

对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He repented his thoughtlessness. 他后悔自己的轻率。
• Darren repented having shot the bird. 达伦后悔射杀了那只鸟。

11 tingling   

v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• My ears are tingling [humming; ringing; singing]. 我耳鸣。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My tongue is tingling. 舌头发麻。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》