(原版)澳大利亚语文第二册 LESSON 49
LESSON 49 THE TIN SOLDIER
THE TIN SOLDIER
Ⅰ
sol-dier al-though thought
e-nough stream ser-vant
firm-ly straight guard
shout-ed pres-ent stairs
1. Once upon a time an old tin can was made into twenty-five tin soldiers. They looked very gay when they were painted red and blue. Each held a gun, and looked straight in front of him.
2. They were all placed in a box and sent to a shop to be sold. A man bought them and gave them to his little boy as a birthday present.
3. When the little boy took the lid off the box, he clapped his hands and shouted "Hurrah! Tin soldiers!" He placed the soldiers in a row upon the table. Then he saw that one of them had only one leg.
4. This one had been made last, when there was not quite enough tin left. But he stood just as firmly 〔1〕 on his one leg as the others did on their two.
5. The boy got a little cannon ready, with which to fire at the tin soldiers. The soldier with one leg was very bold. "I am sure," he said, "that I shall not run away when the peas begin to come from the big gun."
6. But the brave little fellow was not in the battle at all. The boy looked at him and said, "Oh, you are of no use; you have only one leg. You will have to take care of the camp while the others fight."
7. Then he put the one-legged soldier in front of a cardboard castle, and the battle began. The poor little tin soldier was sorry, but, instead of crying, he said to himself, "Never mind; if I cannot fight in the battle, I can do my best to keep the camp safe." So he held up his head and tried to do his duty.
8. When the battle was over, the boy put the soldiers back in the box. He quite forgot the one-legged soldier, who was thus left all night long, keeping guard 〔2〕 at the door of the castle.
9. In the morning, the little boy's sister came into the room to play. She took the tin soldier off the table, and placed him on the window ledge.
10. Then a servant opened the window, and down went the little soldier head over heels into the street below. When he reached the ground he stood on his head, with his gun stuck fast in a crack in the pavement 〔3〕 .
11. The little boy ran downstairs, and into the street, but nowhere could he find his little tin soldier, although he nearly trod on him twice.
12. Soon it began to rain, and the water ran down the gutters in a stream. When the storm was over, two boys came along the street. "Look," said one, "here is a tin soldier; he shall have a sail for once in his life."
13. So they made a boat out of an old newspaper, put the tin soldier into it, and away he sailed down the gutter. The boys ran by the side of the gutter and clapped their hands.
14. The paper boat rocked to and fro, and every now and then turned round so quickly that the tin soldier felt quite giddy. He did not move, however, but looked straight before him, and held his gun tightly.
15. All at once the boat sailed into a drain; he found it as dark here as at home in his own box. "Where shall I get to next?" thought he.
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Fretting mends no broken dishes,
Brings us none of all our wishes.
A good laugh is sunshine in a house.
A useful trade is a mine of gold.
注释
〔1〕 firmly: Steadily.
〔2〕 keeping guard: Standing on watch.
〔3〕 pavement: Footpath made of large flat stones.
