A Little Lad of Long Ago
很久以前的一位少年
The boy in this story was very fond of reading, but he did not have many books.
这则故事里的小男孩非常喜欢读书，但是他没有多少书。
Find how an interesting book helped him to become a great man.
在文中找一找，一本有趣的书是如何帮助他成为一个伟大的人的。
Little Abe hurried home one cold winter evening as fast as his feet could carry him.
冬天里的一个晚上，亚伯飞快地跑回了家里。
Perhaps if he had worn stockings and shoes like yours, he could have run faster.
要是他穿了和你们一样的鞋袜也许会跑得更快些。
But he wore deerskin leggings and heavy shoes of bearskin that his mother had made for him.
但是，他穿的是妈妈做的鹿皮绑腿和熊皮重靴。
Such a funny-looking boy he was, hurrying along across the fields!
这个看起来样子很可笑的男孩子正匆匆穿过田野！
His suit was of warm cloth that his mother had made at home.
他的棉外套是妈妈在家做的。
His cap was made of a coon's skin, and the tail of the coon hung down behind.
他的帽子是用浣熊皮做的，后面还垂着浣熊的尾巴。
But if you could have looked into the twinkling blue eyes of this little lad of long ago, you would have liked him at once.
但是如果你看到了这位很久以前的少年闪闪发光的蓝眼睛，你会立刻喜欢上他的。
In one hand little Abe held something very precious.
小亚伯的一只手里还拿着一样非常珍贵的东西。
It was only a book, but the boy thought more of that book than he would have thought of gold or diamonds.
那只是一本书，但是这个男孩把这本书看得比黄金和钻石还重要。
You will know what that book meant to little Abe if you are very fond of reading.
如果你很喜欢读书的话，你就会知道那本书对小亚伯的意义了。
Think how it would be to see no books except two or three old ones that you had read over and over, until you knew them by heart!
想想看，在那个年代，除了两三本翻了又翻、烂熟于心的旧书以外，没有其他书可以读，那会是一种什么样的境遇啊！
