LESSON 7
第7课
falsely
错误的
attend
参加
truant
逃学的
conduct
行为
therefore
因此
guilty
有罪
haste
匆忙
regular
常规的
struggled
挣扎
ignorant
无知的
THE TRUANT
逃 学
James Brown was ten years old when his parents sent him to school.
詹姆斯.布朗十岁时，父母将他送到学校读书。
It was not far from his home, and therefore they sent him by himself.
学校离家并不太远，所以父母让他单独去上学。
But, instead of going to school, he was in the habit of playing truant.
但是，他并没有按时去学校，反而玩起了逃学的游戏。
He would go into the fields, or spend his time with idle boys.
他要么去田野里玩耍，要么就和游手好闲的孩子们一起消磨时光。
But this was not all.
情况并非如此简单。
When he went home, he would falsely tell his mother that he had been to school, and had said his lessons very well.
回到家后，他还欺骗父母，说自己去上学了，而且还说课程很精彩。
One fine morning, his mother told James to make haste home from school, for she wished, after he had come back, to take him to his aunt's.
一个晴空万里的早晨，妈妈告诉詹姆斯放学后早点回家，因为想带他一起去姨妈家玩。
But, instead of minding her, he went off to the water,where there were some boats.
然而，他并没有将妈妈的嘱托放在心上，反而独自来到了海边，那里有很多很多的船。
There he met plenty of idle boys.
他还遇到了几个无所事事的小男孩。
Some of these boys found that James had money, which his aunt had given him;
其中几个孩子发现詹姆斯身上带着钱，这可是姨妈以前给的零花钱；
and he was led by them to hire aboat, and to go with them upon the water.
詹姆斯被他们诱导着去租一条小船，然后大家一起驶向大海。
Little did James think of the danger into which he was running.
小詹姆斯根本没有意识到这次航行充满危险。
Soon the wind began to blow, and none of them knew how to manage the boat.
很快，水面上刮起了大风，他们都不知道该如何控制小船。
For some time, they struggled against the wind and the tide.
有那么一会儿，他们挣扎着逆风而行。
At last, they became so tired that they could row no longer.
后来，他们实在太累了，再也划不动船桨了。
A large wave upset the boat, and they were all thrown into the water.
一个大浪打来，几个孩子全都落入水中。
Think of James Brown, the truant, at this time!
这时，再来看看詹姆斯?布朗——这个逃学的家伙！
He was far from home, known by no one.
他已经离家很远了，而且没有人知道他去了哪里。
His parents were ignorant of his danger.
爸爸妈妈根本不知道他已经陷入了危险之中。
He was struggling in the water,on the point of being drowned.
就在差点被淹死的危急关头，他奋力地在水中挣扎。
Some men, however, saw the boys, and went out to them in a boat.
然而，幸好有人看到他们了，并且乘船前来拯救他们。
They reached them just in time to save them froma watery grave.
人们及时地救起了这些即将溺水而死的孩子。
They were taken into a house, where their clothes were dried.
他们被带进了一所房子，将自己的湿衣服烤干。
After a while, they were sent home to their parents.
又过了一会儿，大家将孩子们纷纷送回了家。
James was very sorry for his conduct, and he was never known to be guilty of the same thing again.
詹姆斯对自己的行为感到十分难过，从此，他再也没有为同样的事情而内疚过。
He became regular at school, learned to attend to his books, and, above all, to obey his parents perfectly.
他开始按时上学、认真听课了，更重要的是，他完全听任父母的安排，成了一个听话的好孩子。
