美国语文第四册 第135期:道德勇气(2)

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　　and he did not see what had happened, and looked up in wonder at the sudden silence. 没有看到发生的一切，房间里突然的安静使他惊讶地抬起了头。

　　Then two or three boys laughed and sneered¹, and a big, brutal² fellow, who was standing³ in the middle of the room, 这时两三个男孩儿大声取笑讥讽小阿瑟，站在房子中间的一个高大野蛮的家伙，

　　picked up a slipper⁴ and shied it at the kneeling boy, calling him a sniveling young shaver. 拾起一只拖鞋，掷向跪拜的男孩，把他称作哭啼啼的小教徒。

　　Then Tom saw the whole, and the next moment the boot he had just pulled off flew straight at the head of the bully⁵,  汤姆看到了发生的一切，刚脱下的靴子笔直地飞向了那个恶棍的头，

　　who had just time to throw up his arm and catch it on his elbow. 那个野蛮的家伙连忙伸手去接，正好打在肘部。

　　"Confound you, Brown; what's that for?" roared he, stamping with pain. “你疯了，布朗；你干什么？”他大声叫起来，疼得直跺脚。

　　"Never mind what I mean," said Tom, stepping on to the floor, every drop of blood in his body tingling⁶: “别管我什么意思，”汤姆说着，站到了地上，身上的每滴血都沸腾了：

　　if any fellow wants the other boot, he knows how to get it. 如果谁想要另一个靴子，他知道应该怎么做。

　　What would have been the result is doubtful, for at this moment the sixth-form boy came in, and not another word could be said. 可能发生什么谁也无法知道，因为这时，六年级男孩走了进来，大家都不作声了。

　　Tom and the rest rushed into bed and finished their unrobing there, and the old janitor⁷ had put out the candle in another minute, 汤姆和别的孩子们匆忙上了床，脱去衣服，一分钟后老舍监熄了蜡烛，

　　and toddled⁸ on to the next room, shutting the door with his usual, "Good night, gentlemen." 走向另一个房间，像往常一样关了门，说了声“晚安，先生们。”

　　There were many boys in the room by whom that little scene was taken to heart before they slept. 刚发生的小插曲让房间里很多男孩睡前在心里思量起来。

　　But sleep seemed to have deserted⁹ the pillow of poor Tom. 可怜的汤姆一点也不瞌睡。

　　For some time his excitement and the flood of memories which chased one another though his brain, kept him from thinking or resolving. 兴奋和刚发生的场面在头脑中相互追逐着，使他无法思考和分析。

　　His head throbbed¹⁰, his heart leapt, and he could hardly keep himself from springing out of bed and rushing about the room. 他的头痛得厉害，心跳个不停，强忍住才没从床上跳起来，在房间里奔跑。

　　Then the thought of his own mother came across him, and the promise he had made at her knee, years ago, 他想起了母亲，想起了几年前在她的膝前自己的承诺，

　　never to forget to kneel by his bedside and give himself up to his Father before he laid his head on the pillow, from which it might never rise; 一定要把自己交给上帝，然后才能把头放到枕头上，因为一觉之后可能就再也醒不过来了；

　　and he lay down gently, and cried as if his heart would break. 他轻轻躺下，哭泣起来，好像心都要碎了。

　　He was only fourteen years old. 他才十四岁呀。

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