1Tom and His Mother
"Mother," said little Tom, "did you tell father I wanted a
new bicycle.'?"
"Yes, dear," said his mother. "I told him, but he said he
couldn't afford to buy you one."
"Of course he would say that. But what did you do?"
I told him how badly you wanted it and argued in favor of it,
but he refused.
"Argued? Ah, mother, if it had been something you wanted
you would have cried a little and then you' d have got it !"
汤姆和妈妈
“妈妈,”小汤姆说,“你告诉爸爸我想要一辆新自行车
了吗?”
“是呀,亲爱的,”妈妈说。“我告诉他了,可是他说没
钱给你买。”
“他当然会那么说。可是你怎么做的呢?”
我告诉他你有多么想要,并且也站在你这边据理力争
了,可是他还是拒绝了。
“据理力争?啊!妈妈,如果是你想要什么东西,你就
哭一会儿,然后你就得到了!”
2 Is There a Crib in Your Stomach
When my sister-in-law Leah was expecting her second child,
her son Brian would sometimes touch his mother' s tummy to feel
the baby move. One day, while touching her stomach and not
feeling anything, he asked, "How come the baby isn't moving?"
"The baby is sleeping," replied his mother.
Brian thought for a moment and then said, "You mean you
got a crib in there, too?"
你的肚子里有个小床吗
我嫂子利亚准备生第二个孩子的时候,她的儿子布莱
恩有时就会摸摸她的肚子,感觉一下胎儿的动静。一天,
他摸着妈妈的肚子,却没感觉到任何动静,他便问道:“小
孩为什么不动了?”
他妈妈回答道:“小孩睡着了。”
布莱恩想了一会儿,说道:“你是说你的肚子里有个小
床吗?”
3 Mother and Son
One day Mother looked at Tom' s shoes and said, "Tom,
look at your shoes. How dirty they are! You must clean them."
"Oh, Mother, but I cleaned them only yesterday," said the boy.
"But they are dirty now. You must clean them again"
"I don' t want to clean them today; even if I Clean them to-
day, they will be dirty again tomorrow."
Tom' s mother thought for a moment and said, "All right,
don' t clean them then."
In the evening Tom came back from school. He was very
hungry.
"Mother, give me something to eat, please," he said
"You had your breakfast in the morning, Tom, and you had
your lunch at school," his mother said, smiling.
"I' m hungry again now," cried the boy.
"Oh, really.'? But even if I give you something to eat today,
you will be hungry again tomorrow."
母亲和儿子
一天,妈妈看了汤姆的鞋子说道:“汤姆,看看你的鞋
子。真脏啊!你得洗洗了。”
“哦,妈妈,可我昨天刚洗的啊!”汤姆说。
“可是,现在又脏了啊。你要再洗洗。”
“今天我不想洗;就算今天我洗了,明天还是会脏的。”
汤姆的妈妈想了一会儿,说:“好吧,那就不要洗了。”
晚上,汤姆放学回来。他饿极了。
“妈妈,请给我些吃的吧。”他说。
“汤姆,你早上吃了早饭,中午又在学校吃了午餐。”
他妈妈笑着说。
“我现在又饿了啊。”汤姆叫着。
“哦?真的?可是就算我今天给你吃了东西,明天你也
会又饿的。”
4Quick Service
A man took a pair of shoes to a shoe repair shop and said to the shoemaker, "I'd like you to repair these shoes for me, please."
"Certainly, sir," the shoemaker said.
"When will they be ready?" the man asked.
"I'm a bit busy, but they'll be ready for you on Thursday." he said.
That's fine," the man said, and left the shop.
The next morning he received a letter, offering him a job in another country. Within 24 hours he was on an airplane to his new job.
Twenty years passed and he returned to his hometown.
He remembered his shoes.
"They were a good pair of shoes," he thought. "I wonder if the shoemaker is still there and still has them. I'll go and see.He was pleased to see that the shoemaker was still in the same shop ,although he was an old man by now.
"Good morning," he said to him. "Twenty years ago, I brought in a pair of shoes to be repaired. Do you think you've still got them?"
"Name?" the old shoemaker asked.
"Smith," the man said.
"I'll go and see. They may be out back.
The shoemaker went out to the back of his shop -and a few minutes later returned ,carrying the pair of shoes.
"Here we are," he said. "One pair of brown shoes to be repaired. I'm a bit busy now, but they'll probably be ready on Thursday."
快速服务
一个人把一双鞋子拿到一家鞋店,并对修鞋匠说,“请帮我修这双鞋子。”
“当然可以,先生,”鞋匠说。
“什么时候能修好?”那个人问。
“我有点忙,但到星期四我会修好鞋子的。”他说。
“很好,”那人说,并离开了那家店。
第二天早上,他收到一封信,提供他一份在国外的工作。24小时内,他登上飞机去接受那份新工作。
二十年过去了,他回到了故乡。
他记起了那双鞋。
“那是一双好鞋,”他想,“我想知道鞋匠是否还在那儿,是否还有那双鞋。我要去看看。”
他很高兴看到鞋匠还在那家店里,虽然他已很老了。
“早上好,”他对鞋匠说,“二十年前,我拿了一双鞋子来修。你记得还有那双鞋吗?”
“名字?”老鞋匠问。
“史密斯,”那人回答。
“我去瞧瞧,或许在后面呢。”
鞋匠回到店的后面去,几分钟后又回来了,手里提着那双鞋子,“在这呢,”他说,“一双棕色的鞋子要修。我有点忙,但可以到星期四把鞋子修好。”
5 A Short Holiday
Alan worked in an office in the city. He worked very hard and really looked forward to his holidays.
He usually went to the seaside, but one year he saw an ad in a newspaper "Enjoy country life. Spend a few weeks at Willow Farm. Good food, fresh air, horse riding, walking, fishing. Reasonable prices ."
" This sounds like a good idea." he thought, " I' 11 spend a month at Willow Farm. I'll enjoy horse riding, walking and fishing. They'll make a change from sitting by the seaside.
Four days later he returned home.
"What' s wrong with Willow Farm ?" his friend asked him. " Didn't you enjoy country life ?"
"Country life was fine," Alan said." But there was another problem.
"Oh, what?"
Well, the first day I was there a sheep died, and we had roast lamb for dinner.
Fresh meat is the best."I know, but on the second day a cow died, and we had roast beef for dinner. "
"Lucky you!"
"You don't understand," Alan said." On the third day a pig died and we had roast pork for dinner."
" A different roast every day." Jack exclaimed.
"Let me finish," Alan said." On the fourth day the farmer died and I didn't dare stay for dinner!"
短期假日
亚伦在一个城市的公司工作。他十分努力地工作,期望着休假。
以前休假,他经常去海边。但有一年,他看到报纸上有一则广告:“领略乡村生活。在唯利屋农场度假数周,可享受:美味佳肴、新鲜空气、骑马、散步、垂钓。价格合理。”
“这到是个好主意,”他想,“我要在唯利屋过上一个月,去享受骑马的乐趣,还要去散步、钓鱼。这肯定与坐在海边不同。”
四天后,他回来了。
“唯利屋发生什么事了?”他的朋友问他,“你不喜欢那里的乡村生活吗?”
“乡村生活是很好,”亚伦说,“但是有一个问题。”
“什么?”
“第一天,一只羊死了。我们的饭是烤羊肉。”
“新鲜肉最好。”
“我知道,但是第二天,一只牛死了。于是我们吃的是烤牛肉。”
“你真是幸运。”
“你不知道,”亚伦说,“第三天,一头猪死了。我们就吃烤猪肉。”
“每天吃不同的烧烤。”
“让我说完,”亚伦说,“第四天,农场主死了。我不敢呆在那里吃饭了。”
6 A Woman's answer
A husband said to his wife, " Why did God create women to be beautiful but foolish?"
"Well," his wife answered at once." The reason is very simple. God made us beautiful so men would love us; God made us foolish so we would marry them."
妇女的回答
一位丈夫对他的妻子说:“为什么上帝把妇女创造得如此美丽却又愚蠢呢?”
“噢,”他的妻子立刻回答道,“原因很简单。上帝使我们如此美丽,男人才会爱我们。上帝使我们如此愚蠢,我们才会嫁给他们。”
7 The Beat Salesman in the World
Harry saw an ad in a window. It said: "Wanted. The Best Sales- man in the World. Top Pay."
" I' m a great salesman." Harry told himself." I can sell anything. I'll go in and ask for that job."
He went into the building and spoke to the manager.
"I'm the best salesman in the world," he said. "Give me the job. "
"You must prove you're the best," the manager said.
"I'll pass every test you give me." Harry told him.
"Good."
The manager took a box of candy out of his desk .
"Last week, I bought a thousand boxes of this candy. If you can sell them all before the end of the week, you can have the job.
"That's easy," Harry said.
He took the box of candy and left the office.
Every day and all day, he went from shop to shop, trying to sell boxes of the candy .
He couldn't sell one.
The candy was so bad he couldn't even give it away.
At the end of the week he went back to the manager.
"I'm sorry, sir, " he said," I was wrong about myself . I'm not the best salesman in the world, but I know who is.
"Oh," said the manager. "Who?"
"The person who sold you a thousand boxes of this candy, " Harry said.
世界上最好的售货员
哈里在橱窗上看到一则广告。上面写着:“招聘世界上最好的售货员,报酬优厚。”
“我是一名了不起的售货员,”哈里自言自语,“任何东西我都能卖出去,我要进去应聘这份工作。”
他走进大楼去和经理说这件事。
“我是世界上最好的售货员,”他说,“把这件工作给我吧。”
“你必须证明你是最好的,”经理说。
“我会通过你给我的每一次考验的。”哈里告诉他。
“好。”
经理从桌子里取出一箱糖果。
“我上星期买了一千箱这种糖果。如果你能在周末之前把这些全卖出去,你就能得到这份工作。”
“这很简单。”哈里说。
他拿着这箱糖果离开了办公室。
每天从早到晚,他从这家店走到那家店,竭力想卖出一千箱糖果。
结果他一箱也没卖出去。
糖果质量太差,以至于送人都没人要。
周末他回去见经理。
“很抱歉,先生,”他说,“我搞错了。我不是世界上最好的售货员,但我知道谁是最好的。”
“哦,”经理问,“是谁?”
“是把这一千箱糖果卖给你的人,”哈里说。
8 A Boy with a Big Head
A boy cried to his mother, "All the children make fun of me. They say I have a big head."
"Don't listen to them," his mother said, "You have a beautiful head. Now stop crying and go to the store to buy twenty pounds of patotoes."
"Where is the shopping bag?"
"I haven't got one-use your hat
大头娃娃
一个小男孩向他母亲哭诉道:“他们都取笑我,说我脑袋大。” “别听他们的,”他母亲安慰道,“你有一个很漂亮的脑袋。好啦,别哭了,去商店买十斤土豆来。”
“购物袋在哪儿?”
“没购物袋了——就用你的帽子吧。”
9 The Choice of Word
One day, John was back home after work. He found that his wife was shaking their daughter who was only half a year old. She said "Da-Dy" to the baby many times. John felt very happy because he thought his wife chose the word "Dady" to teach their baby.
During one night several weeks later, John and his wife were waken up by the cry "Dady". His wife said to him, "Darling, she is calling you." Then she turned to sleep.
选 词
一天下班回家,约翰发现妻子在摇半岁的女儿,嘴里反复念道:“爸-爸。”约翰心里感到美滋滋的,他的妻子选择了“爸爸”这个词首先教孩子。
几周后的一天夜里,约翰和妻子被一阵哭声惊醒了,“爸-爸!”“她在叫你,亲爱的。”妻子说,然后翻身竟自睡了。
10 I,You and she
Peter was a clever boy. On his first day at school, he learned three words: 1, You and She. The teacher taught him how to make sentences with those words. The teacher said," I, I am your teacher; (then pointing to a girl) She, She is your classmate; You, You are my student.
When Peter went home, his father asked him what he had learned at school. Peter said at once, " I, I am your teacher; (then pointing to his mother) She, She is your classmate; You, You are my student His father got angry and said, "I, I am your father; (then pointing to his wife) She, She is your mother; You, You are my son.
The next morning at school, the teacher asked Peter if he had learned the three words by heart. "Yes," he said proudly, "I, I am your father; (then pointing to a girl) She, She is your mother; You, You are my son."
我,你,她
彼得是个聪明的孩子。在学校的第一天,他学了三个词:我,你,她。老师教他如何用这三个词造句子。老师说:“我,我是你的老师;(然后指着一个女孩)她,她是你的同学;你,你是我的学生。”
彼得回到家里,爸爸问他学了什么。彼得马上说:“我,我是你的老师;(然后指着他的妈妈)她,她是你的同学;你,你是我的学生。”他的爸爸听了非常生气,说:“我,我是你的爸爸;(然后指着他的妻子)她,她是你的妈妈;你,你是我的儿子。”
第二天,老师问彼得是否用心学那三个词了。“是的,”彼得自豪地说,“我,我是你的爸爸;(然后指着一个女孩)她,她是你的妈妈;你,你是我的儿子。”
The Old Cat
An old woman had a cat. The cat was very old; she could not run quickly, and she could not bite, because she was so old. One day the old cat saw a mouse; she jumped and caught the mouse. But she could not bite it; so the mouse got out of her mouth and ran away, because the cat could not bite it.
Then the old woman became very angry because the cat had not killed the mouse. She began to hit the cat. The cat said, "Do not hit your old servant. I have worked for you for many years, and I would work for you still, but I am too old. Do not be unkind to the old, but remember what good work the old did when they were young."
【译文】
老猫
一位老妇有只猫,这只猫很老,它跑不快了,也咬不了东西,因为它年纪太大了。一天,老猫发现一只老鼠,它跳过去抓这只老鼠,然而,它咬不住这只老鼠。因此,老鼠从它的嘴边溜掉了,因为老猫咬不了它。
于是,老妇很生气,因为老猫没有把老鼠咬死。她开始打这只猫,猫说:“不要打你的老仆人,我已经为你服务了很多年,而且还愿意为你效劳,但是,我实在太老了,对年纪大的不要这么无情,要记住老年人在年青时所做过的有益的事情。”
A man was going to the house of some rich person. As he went along the road, he saw a box of good apples at the side of the road. He said, "I do not want to eat those apples; for the rich man will give me much food; he will give me very nice food to eat." Then he took the apples and threw them away into the dust.
He went on and came to a river. The river had become very big; so he could not go over it. He waited for some time; then he said, "I cannot go to the rich man's house today, for I cannot get over the river."
He began to go home. He had eaten no food that day. He began to want food. He came to the apples, and he was glad to take them out of the dust and eat them.
Do not throw good things away; you may be glad to have them at some other time.
【译文】
一个人正朝着一个富人的房子走去,当他沿着路走时,在路的一边他发现一箱好苹果,他说:“我不打算吃那些苹果,因为富人会给我更多的食物,他会给我很好吃的东西。”然后他拿起苹果,一把扔到土里去。
他继续走,来到河边,河涨水了,因此,他到不了河对岸,他等了一会儿,然后他说:“今天我去不了富人家了,因为我不能渡过河。”
他开始回家,那天他没有吃东西。他就开始去找吃的,他找到苹果,很高兴地把它们从尘土中翻出来吃了。
不要把好东西扔掉,换个时候你会觉得它们大有用处。
The City Mouse and the Country Mouse
Once there were two mice. They were friends. One mouse lived in the country; the other mouse lived in the city. After many years the Country mouse saw the City mouse; he said, "Do come and see me at my house in the country." So the City mouse went. The City mouse said, "This food is not good, and your house is not good. Why do you live in a hole in the field? You should come and live in the city. You would live in a nice house made of stone. You would have nice food to eat. You must come and see me at my house in the city."
The Country mouse went to the house of the City mouse. It was a very good house. Nice food was set ready for them to eat. But just as they began to eat they heard a great noise. The City mouse cried, " Run! Run! The cat is coming!" They ran away quickly and hid.
After some time they came out. When they came out, the Country mouse said, "I do not like living in the city. I like living in my hole in the field. For it is nicer to be poor and happy, than to be rich and afraid."
【译文】
城里老鼠和乡下老鼠
从前,有两只老鼠,它们是好朋友。一只老鼠居住在乡村,另一只住在城里。很多年以后,乡下老鼠碰到城里老鼠,它说:“你一定要来我乡下的家看看。”于是,城里老鼠就去了。乡下老鼠领着它到了一块田地上它自己的家里。它把所有最精美食物都找出来给城里老鼠。城里老鼠说:“这东西不好吃,你的家也不好,你为什么住在田野的地洞里呢?你应该搬到城里去住,你能住上用石头造的漂亮房子,还会吃上美味佳肴,你应该到我城里的家看看。”
乡下老鼠就到城里老鼠的家去。房子十分漂亮,好吃的东西也为他们摆好了。可是正当他们要开始吃的时候,听见很大的一阵响声,城里的老鼠叫喊起来:“快跑!快跑!猫来了!”他们飞快地跑开躲藏起来。
过了一会儿,他们出来了。当他们出来时,乡下老鼠说:“我不喜欢住在城里,我喜欢住在田野我的洞里。因为这样虽然贫穷但是快乐自在,比起虽然富有却要过着提心吊胆的生活来说,要好些。”
Teacher:Why are you late for school every morning?
Tom:Every time I come to the corner,a sign says,"School-Go slow".
老师:为什么你每天早晨都迟到?
汤姆:每当我经过学校的拐角处,就看见一个牌子上写着"学校----慢行".
A Good Boy
Little Robert asked his mother for two cents. "What did you do with the money I gave you yesterday?"
"I gave it to a poor old woman," he answered.
"You're a good boy," said the mother proudly. "Here are two cents more. But why are you so interested in the old woman?"
"She is the one who sells the candy."
好孩子
小罗伯特向妈妈要两分钱。
“昨天给你的钱干什么了?”
“我给了一个可怜的老太婆,”他回答说。 “你真是个好孩子,”妈妈骄傲地说。“再给你两分钱。可你为什么对那位老太太那么感兴趣呢?”
“她是个卖糖果的。”
Drunk
One day, a father and his little son were going home. At this age, the boy was interested in all kinds of things and was always asking questions. Now, he asked, "What's the meaning of the word 'Drunk', dad?" "Well, my son," his father replied, "look, there are standing two policemen. If I regard the two policemen as four then I am drunk."
"But, dad," the boy said, " there's only ONE policeman!"
醉酒
一天,父亲与小儿子一道回家。这个孩子正处于那种对什么事都很感兴趣的年龄,老是有提不完的问题。他向父亲发问道:“爸爸,‘醉’字是什么意思?” “唔,孩子,”父亲回答说,“你瞧那儿站着两个警察。如果我把他们看成了四个,那么我就算醉了。” “可是,爸爸, ”孩子说,“那儿只有一个警察呀!”
The Rain
A small boy and his father were having a walk in the country when it suddenly began to rain very hard. They did not have their umbrella with them, and there was nowhere to hide from the rain, so they were soon very wet, and the small boy did not feel very happy.
For a long time while they were walking home through the rain, the boy was thinking. Then at last he turned to his father and said to him,“Why does it rain, Father? It isn't very nice, is it?”
“No, it isn't very nice, but it's very useful,Tom,”answered his father.“It rains to make the fruit and the vegetables grow for us, and to make the grass grow for the cows and sheep.”
Tom thought about this for a few seconds, and then he said,“Then,why does it rain on the road too, Father?”
下雨
一个小男孩和他的父亲正在乡间行走,突然下起了大雨。
他们没带伞,加上四下无处可以躲雨,所以很快他们浑身上下被淋湿了,小男孩感到很不好受。
他们在雨中朝家走去,有好一会儿,那个男孩一直在思索着什么。后来终于他朝父亲转过脸去,问他说:“爸爸,为什么天会下雨呢?下雨可不太好,是吧?”
“是呀,下雨是不太好,可是下雨也有很多有益的地方,汤姆。”父亲回答说。“老天爷下雨促使了为我们所食用的水果和蔬菜的生长,同样也促使牛羊所吃的青草的生长。”
汤姆对父亲的这番话想了一会,然后说:“那么,父亲,老天爷为什么还要把雨下在路上呢?”
Saying Good-bye to Cambridge Again
by Xu Zhimo
Very quietly I take my leave
As quietly as I came here;
Quietly I wave good-bye
To the rosy clouds in the western sky.
The golden willows by the riverside
Are young brides in the setting sun;
Their reflections on the shimmering waves
Always linger in the depth of my heart.
The floating heart growing in the sludge
Sways leisurely under the water;
In the gentle waves of Cambridge
I would be a water plant!
That pool under the shade of elm trees
Holds not water but the rainbow from the sky;
Shattered to pieces among the duck weeds
Is the sediment of a rainbow-like dream?
To seek a dream?
Just to pole a boat upstream
To where the green grass is more verdant;
Or to have the boat fully loaded with starlight
And sing aloud in the splendor of starlight.
But I cannot sing aloud
Quietness is my farewell music;
Even summer insects keep silence for me
Silent is Cambridge tonight!
Very quietly I take my leave
As quietly as I came here;
Gently I flick my sleeves
Not even a wisp of cloud will I bring away
再别康桥
徐志摩
轻轻的我走了,
正如我轻轻的来;
我轻轻的招手,
作别西天的云彩。
那河畔的金柳
是夕阳中的新娘
波光里的艳影,
在我的心头荡漾。
软泥上的青荇,
油油的在水底招摇;
在康河的柔波里,
我甘心做一条水草
那榆荫下的一潭,
不是清泉,是天上虹
揉碎在浮藻间,
沉淀着彩虹似的梦。
寻梦?撑一支长篙,
向青草更青处漫溯,
满载一船星辉,
在星辉斑斓里放歌
但我不能放歌,
悄悄是别离的笙箫;
夏虫也为我沉默,
沉默是今晚的康桥!
悄悄的我走了,
正如我悄悄的来;
我挥一挥衣袖,
不带走一片云彩。