美国语文第四册 第148期:彩虹之旅(4)

 　　I knew that no Indian knew of the name, as it was a little family secret; so I sprang up, and caught my brother about the ankles¹. 印第安人肯定不知道这个名字，因为这是一个家庭小秘密。我于是跳了起来，抓住哥哥的腿。

　　I hardly think that an Indian could have given a louder yell² than he gave then; and he jumped so that he fell off the log³ down by my side. 他发出一声大叫，我想没有任何印第安人叫得比他的声音大，他从圆木上跳下来，正巧跌倒在我旁边。

　　But nobody was hurt; and, after kissing me till he had kissed away all my tears, 我俩都没伤着，他不断亲着我，把我的泪水都亲没了。

　　he hoisted⁴ me on to his shoulder, called my other brothers, who were hunting in different directions, and we all set out for home. 他把我举到肩膀上，叫着分头寻找我的其他哥哥的名字，一起出发往家走。

　　I had been gone nearly three hours, and had wandered a number of miles. 后来知道当我离家快三个小时，走了好几英里的时候，

　　My brother Joseph's coming and asking for me, had first set them to inquiring⁵ and searching me out. 我的哥哥约瑟夫刚好来家里，知道我的情况后，立即开始让人们分头寻找。

　　When I went into the room where my brother Rufus sat, 当我走进鲁弗斯房间的时候，

　　he said, Why, my poor little sister! I did not mean to send you off on such a wild-goose chase⁶ to the end of the rainbow. 他说：怎么了，可怜的小妹妹！我可没想让你没头没脑地找什么彩虹的尽头。

　　I thought you would know I was only quizzing⁷ you. 我以为你知道我在逗你玩呢。

　　Then my eldest⁸ brother took me on his knee, and told me what the rainbow really is: 然后大哥把我抱到膝盖上，告诉我什么是彩虹：

　　that it is only painted air, and does not rest on the earth, so nobody could ever find the end; 彩虹只是带有色彩的空气，也不是立在地上的，因此不会找到彩虹的尽头。

　　and that God has set it in the cloud to remind him and us of his promise never again to drown the world with a flood. 上帝在云里创造了彩虹，是为了提醒他和人们，他曾经发誓不再发洪水。

　　"Oh, I think God's Promise would be a beautiful name for the rainbow!" I said. “噢，我想‘上帝的约定’这个名字更好！”我说。

　　"Yes," replied my mother, but it tells us something more than that he will not send great floods upon the earth, “是的，”妈妈回答说，可是，彩虹告诉我们的比不再发洪水还要多。

　　it tells us of his beautiful love always bending over us from the skies. 它告诉我们，他对人类美好的爱永远来自天上。

　　And I trust that when my little girl sets forth⁹ on a pilgrimage to find God's love, 我相信当我的小女孩启程寻找上帝之爱的时候，

　　she will be led by the rainbow of his promise through all the dark places of this world to "treasures laid up in heaven," better, far better, than silver or gold. 在上帝的彩虹的引导下，世界上任何黑暗的地方都挡不住，最终将找到“天上的财富”，这财富比任何金银都珍贵。

1 ankles   

n.踝，踝关节( ankle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We had to step in mud over our ankles. 我们必须进入没脚的泥塘。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• When Mary sprained her ankles, John carried her piggyback to the doctors. 玛丽扭伤了足踝，约翰驮她去看医生。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 yell   

vi./n.号叫，叫喊

参考例句：

• This gave them a chance to yell.这给了他们大声喊叫的机会。
• When his schoolmate made the last goal,the boy gave out with an untrammeled yell.那个男孩在他的同学踢进最后一球时不禁纵声欢呼。

3 log   

n.记录，圆木，日志；v.伐木，切，航行

参考例句：

• They log for a living.他们以伐木为生。
• And then what do you do with that log?然后你要拿那些记录做什么呢？

4 hoisted   

把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He hoisted himself onto a high stool. 他抬身坐上了一张高凳子。
• The sailors hoisted the cargo onto the deck. 水手们把货物吊到甲板上。

5 inquiring   

a.爱探索的，好问的

参考例句：

• A man has been inquiring for you at the office. 有个人在办公室一直等着要见你。
• The police are inquiring into the murder. 警察正在调查这起谋杀案。

6 chase   

vt.追逐，追赶，追求；n.追赶

参考例句：

• The police grabbed the robbers after a long chase.警察经过长距离追赶后逮住了抢劫犯。
• Would you chase me if I did?如果我逃开了，你会来追吗？

7 quizzing   

vt.盘问（quiz的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Pug's short assured answers were instinctive returns of the hard straight quizzing. 帕格用那几句简短而有把握的话不加思索地答复了对方单刀直入的追询。 来自辞典例句
• You are quizzing me and Miss Anderson. 你是在拿我和发德逊小姐开玩笑。 来自辞典例句

8 eldest   

adj.最年长的，最年老的

参考例句：

• The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。
• The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。

9 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。