美国语文第四册 第60期:好奇的玛芝莉(4)

 　　Margery heard her mother calling her, and she trudged¹ home across the shells and pebbles² with a pleasant smile dimpling her cheeks; 玛芝莉听到妈妈在叫她，于是穿过布满贝壳和鹅卵石的岸边磕磕绊绊地往家里走。一丝满足的微笑浮现在她脸上，

　　for she felt very much at home in this large, wonderful world, 因为她在这个很大很奇妙的世界里感觉非常自由自在，

　　and was happy to be alive, although she neither could have told, nor cared to know, the reason why. 也非常高兴能够活着，虽然她从来说不清为什么，也不在乎。

　　But when her mother unpinned the little girl's Highland³ shawl, 但当妈妈解开小女孩的格子斗篷，

　　and took off her hood⁴, she said, O mother, do let me live on the doorstep! I don't like houses to stay in. 摘下她的帽子时，她说：“哦，妈妈，让我住在门口吧！我不喜欢住在屋子里。

　　What makes everything so pretty and so glad? Don't you like to wonder? 是什么让一切如此美丽，如此美好？难道您不好奇吗？

　　Margery's mother was a good woman. 玛芝莉的妈妈是个善良的人。

　　But then there was all the housework to do, and, if she had thoughts, 但所有的家务都要她做，只要她能想到，

　　she did not often let them wander outside of the kitchen door. 通常就不让他们在厨房外晃悠。

　　And just now she was baking some gingerbread, which was in danger of getting burned in the oven. 刚才她正在烤箱里烤一些姜饼，眼看就有着火的危险了。

　　So she pinned the shawl around the child's neck again, and left her on the doorstep, 所以她又把斗篷系在了孩子脖子上，把她放在门外台阶上。

　　saying to herself, as she returned to her work, "Queer child! I wonder what kind of a woman she will be!" 回去继续干活时她自言自语地说：“好奇怪的孩子！我很好奇她会变成什么样的女人。”

　　But Margery sat on the doorstep, and wondered, as the sea sounded louder, and the sunshine grew warmer around her. 但玛芝莉坐在台阶上，思考着，大海的声音更响了，更温暖的阳光包围着她。

　　It was all so strange, and grand, and beautiful! 一切都那么奇特，那么宏大，那么美丽！

　　Her heart danced with joy to the music that went echoing through the wide world from the roots of the sprouting⁵ grass to the great golden blossom of the sun. 从发芽的草根到太阳开出的金色花朵，这样的音乐回响在浩淼的世界里，而她的心便随着这音乐欢快地舞动着。

　　And when the round, gray eyes closed that night, at the first peep of the stars, the angels looked down and wondered over Margery. 那天夜里，当灰色的大圆眼睛闭上时，天使们伴随星星的出现低下头惊奇地看着玛芝莉。

　　For the wisdom of the wisest being God has made, ends in wonder; 因为上帝创造出的最聪明的生物的智慧在惊奇中结束。

　　and there is nothing on earth so wonderful as the budding soul of a little child. 世界上没有比小孩子萌芽的心灵更伟大的东西了。

1 trudged   

vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He trudged the last two miles to the town. 他步履艰难地走完最后两英里到了城里。
• He trudged wearily along the path. 他沿着小路疲惫地走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 pebbles   

[复数]鹅卵石； 沙砾； 卵石，小圆石( pebble的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The pebbles of the drive crunched under his feet. 汽车道上的小石子在他脚底下喀嚓作响。
• Line the pots with pebbles to ensure good drainage. 在罐子里铺一层鹅卵石，以确保排水良好。

3 highland   

n.(pl.)高地，山地

参考例句：

• The highland game is part of Scotland's cultural heritage.苏格兰高地游戏是苏格兰文化遗产的一部分。
• The highland forests where few hunters venture have long been the bear's sanctuary.这片只有少数猎人涉险的高山森林，一直都是黑熊的避难所。

4 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

5 sprouting   

v.发芽( sprout的现在分词 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出

参考例句：

• new leaves sprouting from the trees 树上长出的新叶
• They were putting fresh earth around sprouting potato stalks. 他们在往绽出新芽的土豆秧周围培新土。 来自名作英译部分