美国语文第五册 第78期:不满意的钟摆(1)

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　　without giving its owner any cause of complaint, early one summer's morning, before the family was stirring, suddenly stopped. 老钟从未向主人抱怨过什么。一年夏天，黎明时分，农夫全家起床的喧哗之前，钟突然停了。

　　Upon this, the dial plate (if we may credit the fable) changed countenance¹ with alarm; 钟刚停，惊诧不已的钟的表盘（我们不妨认为这不过是个寓言）马上拉长了脸，

　　the hands made a vain effort to continue their course; the wheels remained motionless with surprise; 钟的指针打算循原有路程迈步，却发现不过徒劳枉然；齿轮此刻也惊讶地静止不动；

　　the weights hung speechless; and each member felt disposed to lay the blame on the others. 这边刻度量衡高高挂着，一声不吭。每位成员都想将过错归咎于他人，

　　At length the dial instituted a formal inquiry² as to the cause of the stagnation³, when hands, wheels, weights, with one voice, protested their innocence⁴. 最终，表盘实施正规盘查，以求查明老钟停止的缘由，与此同时，时针、齿轮以及刻度量衡异口同声地表明自己的无辜清白。

　　But now a faint tick was heard below from the pendulum⁵, who spoke⁶ thus,I confess myself to be the sole cause of the present stoppage; 就在那时，钟摆下方传来极为微弱的一声滴答，那声音说道，我主动坦白，我是钟表停止的唯一原因，

　　and I am willing, for the general satisfaction, to assign my reasons. The truth is, that I am tired of ticking. 考虑到在座各位，我愿意陈述自己的理由。原因很简单，我实在厌倦了滴答。

　　Upon hearing this, the old clock became so enraged⁷ that it was upon the very point of striking. 听到这话，又恰逢敲钟的节骨眼上，老钟顿时怒火中烧。

　　"Lazy wire!" exclaimed the dial plate, holding up its bands. “好一个懒惰钟摆！”表盘也大声叫着，同时扬起表盘嵌条。

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