美國語文第四冊 第109期：中國故事一則（01）
Two young, near-sighted fellows, Chang and Ching,
常和慶是兩個年輕的近視眼，
Over their chopsticks idly chattering,
飯桌上閑談時，
Fell to disputing which could see the best;
爭執(zhí)起誰的眼力好，
At last, they agreed to put it to the test.
最后他們決定來較量；
Said Chang,A marble tablet, so I hear,
常說，在大理石板，我聽到，
Is placed upon the Bo-hee temple near,
附近有個武夷廟，
With an insCRIption on it.
碑上刻著碑文，
Let us go And read it (since you boast your optics so),
我們?nèi)タ纯?，碑文（既然你吹噓你的眼力好），
Standing together at a certain place
站在石碑前面一定距離，
In front, where we the letters just may trace;
剛好看見上面文字的地方，
Then he who quickest reads the insCRIption there,
誰最快讀出碑上的文字，
The palm for keenest eyes henceforth shall bear.
誰的視力就最好。
"Agreed," said Ching, but let us try it soon:
慶說，同意，我們盡快比，
Suppose we say tomorrow afternoon.
明天下午怎么樣？
"Nay, not so soon," said Chang;
常說，不用這么早，我還有
I'm bound to go tomorrow a day's ride from Hoang-Ho,
一天的行程，騎馬從黃河出發(fā)，
And sha'n't be ready till the following day:
后天才能回來，
At ten A. M., on Thursday, let us say.
周四上午十點再較量吧。
So't was arranged; but Ching was wide-awake:
這樣決定了，慶睡不著覺：
Time by the forelock he resolved to take;
天剛蒙蒙亮他就出發(fā)了；
And to the temple went at once, and read,
到了廟前看石碑上寫著，
Upon the tablet, To the illustrious dead, The chief of mandarins, the great Goh-Bang.
這里埋葬著杰出的滿洲首領，偉大的國邦。
Scarce had he gone when stealthily came Chang,
他剛剛離開常就偷偷溜來，
Who read the same; but peering closer,
他也看到了同樣的碑文，可他更仔細，
he spied in a corner what Ching failed to see—The words,
發(fā)現(xiàn)碑角上寫著——這是慶沒看到的。
This tablet is erected here by those to whom the great Goh-Bang was dear.
這個石碑是敬愛國邦的人所立。
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