LESSON 26
第26课
exactly
完全
folding
折叠
cheese
奶酪
chamber
室
rattling
卡嗒卡嗒的
protruded
伸出
forepaws
前脚掌
gazed
凝视着
doubt
怀疑
released
发布
perplexed
困惑
lattice
晶格
queer
酷儿
cozy
舒适的
staircase
楼梯
THREE LITTLE MICE
三只小老鼠
I will tell you the story of three little mice,
我会给你讲三只小老鼠的故事。
If you will keep still and listen to me,
如果你能安静好好聆听，
Who live in a cage that is cozy and nice,
它们住在一个舒适惬意的笼子里，
And are just as cunning as cunning can be.
像普通老鼠那样狡猾精明。
They look very wise, with their pretty red eyes,
它们看上去非常聪明，眨着可爱的红色小眼睛，
That seem just exactly like little round beads;
看上去真像小圆珠子；
They are white as the snow, and stand up in a row
它们身白如雪，它们就会站成一排；
Whenever we do not attend to their needs;
每当我们忽略其需求时，
Stand up in a row in a comical way,
他们以令人好笑的方式站成一排，
Now folding their forepaws as if saying, "please;”
合上前爪，仿佛在说：“求求你”；
Now rattling the lattice, as much as to say,
它们又咔哒咔哒地弄着格子，似乎在说：
We shall not stay here without more bread and cheese,
没有面包和奶酪，我们就不待在这里了
They are not at all shy, as you'll find, if you try
你会发现它们一点儿也不害羞，
To make them run up in their chamber to bed;
假如你想让它们沿着梯子跑回卧室；
If they don't want to go, why, they won't go—ah! no,
如果它们不想回去，它们绝不回去呀！
Though you tap with your finger each queer little head.
尽管你用手指敲着它们那奇怪的小脑袋。
One day as I stood by the side of the cage,
一天我站在笼子边，
Through the bars there protruded a funny, round tail;
栅栏里伸出一条有趣的圆尾巴；
Just for mischief I caught it, and soon, in a rage,
为了好玩我很快就抓住了它；
Its owner set up a most pitiful wail.
尾巴的主人在笼子里发出了可怜的哀号。
He looked in dismay, there was something to pay,
它看上去很沮丧，似乎要付出代价了
But what was the matter he could not make out;
但是，它不明白问题出在了哪里，
What was holding him so, when he wanted to go
当它想去看看楼上的兄弟们在做什么时，
To see what his brothers upstairs were about?
究竟是什么抓住了它？
But soon from the chamber the others rushed down,
然而，很快地，另外两只小老鼠从楼上的卧室里冲下来，
Impatient to learn what the trouble might be;
迫不及待地想了解发生了什么事情；
I have not a doubt that each brow wore a frown,
它们个个都皱着眉头，对此我一点儿都不怀疑，
Only frowns on their brows are not easy to see.
只不过它们那紧皱着的眉头不太容易被发现罢了。
For a moment they gazed, perplexed and amazed;
它们痴痴地凝视了片刻，既惊讶又困惑；
Then began both together to gnaw off the tail!
然后，一起过来准备咬断那条尾巴！
So, quick I released him, do you think that it pleased him?
于是，我马上就放开了它，你认为它会因此而高兴吗？
And up the small staircase they fled like a gale.
它像风一样夹着尾巴快速跑上了小扶梯。
