LESSON 9 Tell the truth
第九課 講實話
There was once a little boy whose name was George, and his father one day gave him a small axe to play with.
從前有個小男孩,叫喬治。有一天,他父親給了他一把小斧頭讓他去玩兒。
George was greatly pleased with it, and took it with him to the garden. He roamed about, trying it upon nearly every thing that came in his way.
喬治對這把斧頭非常滿意,便帶著他的小斧頭去了花園。他漫步花園,他路過的地方幾乎無一幸免。
At last he came to a young cherry-tree, and began to try the axe on it. He soon made some deep cuts in the tree. And then he walked away to another part of the garden.
最后,他來到了一顆小櫻桃樹前,然后開始試著用斧頭砍。很快他就在樹上弄出了一個很深的切口。接著他走向了樹的另一邊。
This cherry-tree was greatly prized by his father; but George forgot all about that.
他父親非常珍惜這棵樹,但喬治顯然忘記了。
By-and-by his father came to that part of the garden where the tree stood. He was very sorry when he found his fine cherry-tree almost ruined.
不久以后,他的父親來到種這棵樹的地方。當他發(fā)現(xiàn)他好好的櫻桃樹幾乎被毀時,他感到非常遺憾。
"George!" said he sternly(1) to his son, "who has done this?"
“喬治”,他嚴厲地問他兒子,“誰做的?”
Did George answer, “I don't know, father?”O(jiān) no. Did he lay the blame on any one else? O no.
喬治回答,“我不知道,父親”? 哦,不。他把責任推卸到別人身上了嗎?哦,不。
With tears in his eyes he looked up to his father's face. “Father,” said he, “I can't tell a lie—I did it.”
他看著他的父親眼淚留了下來。“父親”, 他說到,“我不能撒謊-是我做的。”
Noble boy! He was not afraid to tell the truth; and his father at once forgave him.
可貴的孩子!他不懼怕說出事實;并且他父親這次原諒了他。
Boys are often tempted(2) to speak what is not the truth. When that happens(3) let each one think of George, and try like him to say,“I can't tell a lie.” Come what may, boys, speak the truth.
孩子們都會試圖說謊。當事情發(fā)生的時候,試著想想喬治,并且試圖向他說的一樣,“我不能說謊。” 這樣,孩子們就有可能說實話了。
Speak the truth, and speak it ever,
“講實話,并且一直這樣做,
Cost it what it will;
不惜一切代價;
He who hides the wrong he did
一個人如果說了謊,
Does the wrong thing still.
就會撒無數(shù)的謊來掩蓋之前的謊言?!?/p>
The boy of this story became one of the greatest men that ever lived. He was George Washington.
這個故事的小男孩后來成為了一個偉大的人。他就是喬治.華盛頓。
QUESTIONS
問題:
What did George get from his father? What did he try it upon? What did he at last injure very much with it? Whom did this make very sorry? What did his father say to him? What did George answer? What did this boy become? Who was he?
喬治從他父親那里得到了什么?他用它來做了什么?他最后給什么造成了重大傷害?誰對這個傷害感到抱歉?他父親對他說了什么?喬治是怎么回答的?這個小男孩后來成了什么?他是誰?
PROVERBS
箴言
Better to slip with the foot than with the tongue.
寧可失足,不可失言
He is wise who speaks little.
寡言者智
As the tree is, such is the fruit.
種瓜得瓜,種豆得豆