美国语文第五册 第91期:香水月季(4)

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　　When one gives to poor people, one wants to give them something useful—a bushel of potatoes, a ham, and such things. 如果想送穷人东西，送点实用的东西总是不错，比如，一麻袋土豆，或一条火腿什么的。

　　Why, certainly, potatoes and ham must be supplied; but, having ministered to the first and most craving¹ wants, 天呀！确实，土豆或火腿都是不可少的，那是穷人生存的首选或最渴望得到的东西，

　　why not add any other little pleasures or gratifications we may have it in our power to bestow²? 可是，我们为什么就不能给穷人精神上的微薄快乐，使她们内心获得少许喜悦，而这些，对我们来说不过举手之劳？

　　I know there are many of the poor who have fine feeling and a keen sense of the beautiful, 我知道，许多穷人情感丰富，对美好事物相当敏锐，

　　which rusts³ out and dies because they are too hard pressed to procure⁴ it any gratification. 可他们活得实在艰难，也就自然钝化或磨灭了内在美好。

　　Poor Mrs. Stephens, for example; I know she would enjoy birds, and flowers, and music as much as I do. 否则，就鸟类花草或音乐欣赏能力而言，史蒂芬夫人，虽穷，亦绝不比我少。

　　I have seen her eye light up as she looked upon these things in our drawing room and yet not one beautiful thing can she command. 我留意到，那次斯蒂芬夫人来到我们家，仔细打量客厅里那些艺术摆件，尽管没说一句话，可她的眼睛很亮。

　　From necessity, her room, her clothing,—all she has, must be coarse and plain. 你看看她家的陋屋、那些衣物还有居家必需品，当然杂乱不堪。

　　You should have seen the almost rapture⁵ she and Mary felt when I offered them my rose. 你也该看到，当我想说把香水月季送给她们，她和女儿玛丽几乎欣喜若狂。

　　Dear me! all this may be true, but I never thought of it before. 天呀！这些或许不假，不过，我以前从未想到这些，

　　I never thought that these hard-working people had any ideas of taste! 这些每天苦力劳作的穷人能有什么欣赏品位。

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