美国语文第四册 第109期:中国故事一则(1)

 　　Two young, near-sighted fellows, Chang and Ching, 常和庆是两个年轻的近视眼，

　　Over their chopsticks idly chattering¹, 饭桌上闲谈时，

　　Fell to disputing which could see the best; 争执起谁的眼力好，

　　At last, they agreed to put it to the test. 最后他们决定来较量；

　　Said Chang,A marble tablet, so I hear, 常说，在大理石板，我听到，

　　Is placed upon the Bo-hee temple near, 附近有个武夷庙，

　　With an inscription² on it. 碑上刻着碑文，

　　Let us go And read it (since you boast your optics so), 我们去看看，碑文（既然你吹嘘你的眼力好），

　　Standing³ together at a certain place 站在石碑前面一定距离，

　　In front, where we the letters just may trace; 刚好看见上面文字的地方，

　　Then he who quickest reads the inscription there, 谁最快读出碑上的文字，

　　The palm for keenest eyes henceforth shall bear. 谁的视力就最好。

　　"Agreed," said Ching, but let us try it soon: 庆说，同意，我们尽快比，

　　Suppose we say tomorrow afternoon. 明天下午怎么样？

　　"Nay⁴, not so soon," said Chang; 常说，不用这么早，我还有

　　I'm bound to go tomorrow a day's ride from Hoang-Ho, 一天的行程，骑马从黄河出发，

　　And sha'n't be ready till the following day: 后天才能回来，

　　At ten A. M., on Thursday, let us say. 周四上午十点再较量吧。

　　So't was arranged; but Ching was wide-awake: 这样决定了，庆睡不着觉：

　　Time by the forelock he resolved to take; 天刚蒙蒙亮他就出发了；

　　And to the temple went at once, and read, 到了庙前看石碑上写着，

　　Upon the tablet, To the illustrious dead, The chief of mandarins, the great Goh-Bang. 这里埋葬着杰出的满洲首领，伟大的国邦。

　　Scarce had he gone when stealthily came Chang, 他刚刚离开常就偷偷溜来，

　　Who read the same; but peering closer, 他也看到了同样的碑文，可他更仔细，

　　he spied in a corner what Ching failed to see—The words, 发现碑角上写着——这是庆没看到的。

　　This tablet is erected⁵ here by those to whom the great Goh-Bang was dear. 这个石碑是敬爱国邦的人所立。

1 chattering   

n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The teacher told the children to stop chattering in class. 老师叫孩子们在课堂上不要叽叽喳喳讲话。
• I was so cold that my teeth were chattering. 我冷得牙齿直打战。

2 inscription   

n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文

参考例句：

• The inscription has worn away and can no longer be read.铭文已磨损，无法辨认了。
• He chiselled an inscription on the marble.他在大理石上刻碑文。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 nay   

adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者

参考例句：

• He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。
• Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。

5 ERECTED   

adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立

参考例句：

• A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。
• A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。