美国语文第四册 第136期:道德勇气(3)

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　　A few years later, when Arnold's manly¹ piety² had begun to leaven³ the school, the tables turned: 几年后，阿诺德校长以勇敢和虔诚开始潜移默化地转变这种风气，

　　before he died, in the Schoolhouse at least, and I believe in the other houses, the rule was the other way. 在他去世前，至少拉格比学校的情形不同了。我想其他学校里并没有什么变化。

　　But poor Tom had come to school in other times. 但是可怜的汤姆没赶上好时候，

　　The first few nights after he came he did not kneel down because of the noise, 他来的头几晚因为喧闹没有跪地祷告，

　　but sat up in bed till the candle was out, and then stole out and said his prayers, in fear lest some one should find him out. 而是坐在床上，等蜡烛熄灭后溜出去祷告，怕让别人看到。

　　So did many another poor little fellow. 可怜的小孩子很多都这么做。

　　Then he began to think that he might just as well say his prayers in bed, 后来他想干脆就在床上祷告吧，然后他想，

　　and then that it did not matter whether he was kneeling, or sitting, or lying down. 不论是跪着还是坐着或躺着有什么关系。

　　And so it had come to pass with Tom, as with all who will not confess their Lord before men; 这就是事情的经过，不愿意当着别人的面祷告的人都是这么做的；

　　and for the last year he had probably not said his prayers in earnest a dozen times. 最后一年，他很多次祷告都敷衍了事。

　　Poor Tom! the first and bitterest feeling, which was like to break his heart, was the sense of his own cowardice⁴. 可怜的汤姆，最先也是最令他痛苦的就是他的懦弱，这让他的心都碎了。

　　The vice⁵ of all others which he loathed⁶ was brought in and burned in on his own soul. 他想到了别的令他厌恶的罪恶，这些罪恶现在让他的灵魂备受煎熬。

　　He had lied to his mother, to his conscience, to his God. 他对母亲、自己的良心和上帝说了谎。

　　How could he bear it? 他怎么能容忍呢？

　　And then the poor, little, weak boy, whom he had pitied and almost scorned for his weakness, had done that which he, braggart⁷ as he was, dared not do. 然而，这可怜的柔弱的男孩，这个曾让他感到怜悯，甚至鄙视男孩，却做了这件他这么自负的人都没有勇气做的事。

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