LESSON 60 True courage
第六十課 真正的勇敢
A teacher had been much annoyed by some of his boys whistling during school hours. At last he was obliged to threaten with punishment any one who should repeat the offence.
從前,有一個老師,他很為學生們在上課期間吹口哨所煩惱。最終,他被迫威脅說對任何再次冒犯的人進行懲罰。
The next morning, when the room was very quiet, a loud whistle was heard! The scholars were very much startled, and the teacher at once looked around to discover the offender.
第二天早晨,就在教室里很安靜時,突然傳來一聲很響的口哨聲!學生們都很震驚,老師則馬上四處觀望尋找肇事者。
The blame fell on a bad boy who was often in mischief. When charged, he strongly denied the act: yet his words were not believed, for I am sorry to say he was not a truthful boy; so the master brought him up for punishment.
責任被歸于一個經常惡作劇的不良少年身上。被指控時,他極力否認。然而,大家都不信他的話,很遺憾地說,他不是一個誠實的孩子。所以老師對他進行了懲罰。
Seeing what was about to take place, a slender little fellow, about nine years old, who had been anxiously watching the proceedings, sprang from his seat.
看到即將發(fā)生的事情,一個大約九歲的身材瘦小的小孩站了起來,他剛剛不安地看著審問的過程。
"Do not punish John, sir," he said to the teacher. "It was I who whistled. I was doing a long, hard sum, and in rubbing out another sum to make room for it, I rubbed out the difficult one by mistake. I spoiled it all, and before I remembered where I was, I had whistled right out, sir! I am very, very sorry, sir; I did not mean to whistle, but I cannot let John be punished for my fault." And with all the firmness he could command, the little fellow held out his hand to be punished!
他對老師說“請不要懲罰約翰,先生,是我吹的口哨。剛剛我正在做一個又長又難的加法,我擦去另一個式子給它騰空時不小心把難的式子擦掉了。我把所有的搞砸了,當我意識到我在哪之前,我已經吹了口哨,先生!真的很抱歉,先生!我不是故意吹口哨的,但我不能讓約翰因為我的錯誤被懲罰。”然后,在所有人的肯定中,這個小孩舉起手準備接受懲罰。
Taking the little boy's hand, the teacher said, "Charles, you have done right. No one can doubt that you have spoken the truth, and that you did not intend to whistle. I cannot punish you, my boy, after having acted so nobly."
老師抓住小孩的手說:“查爾斯,你做得對。沒有人能懷疑你說謊,而且你不是故意吹的口哨。我的孩子,在你表現這么好后,我不能懲罰你。”
Charles returned to his seat with a flushed face, and even the youngest child in the school felt proud of him; for every scholar could see how bravely he had acted.
查爾斯紅著臉回到座位上。即使是學校里最小的孩子也為他感到驕傲,因為每個學生都可以看到他表現得多勇敢。
Charles was truly a brave boy. He had done that which he knew to be right, even though at the time it might have brought suffering upon himself.
查爾斯真的是一個勇敢的男孩。他做了他認為正確的事,即使這時他可能使自己受苦。
True courage may also be shown by refusing to do that which we know to be wrong, though bad companions may laugh at us, and call us cowards, for saying No.
勇敢也表現為拒絕做自己認為錯的事,雖然壞伙伴可能會因為我們說不而嘲笑我們,把我們稱作膽小鬼。
QUESTIONS
問題
What had annoyed the teacher? What was the teacher obliged to do? What was heard next morning? What did the teacher then do? Upon whom did the blame fall? Why were the words of the bad boy not believed? Who sprang from his seat? What did this boy say? What was the teacher's reply? What were the feelings of the children? How was Charles a brave boy? How may true courage be shown?
是什么使老師煩惱?老師被迫做了什么?第二天早晨聽到了什么?接著老師做了什么?責任落到了誰的身上?為什么大家不信那個壞孩子的話?誰從他的座位上站了起來?這個男孩說了什么?老師的回答是?孩子們是什么感受?查爾斯是如何成為一個勇敢的男孩的?真正的勇敢可以如何體現?