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新叶（2） (美国）劳拉·E·理查兹 陈荣生 译
（图片欣赏——区怡摄/湛江） “Fffff！Grrrr！哎哟！”老猫说，她那绿眼睛射出火花，她的皮毛竖立起来。“好了，你们两个，听我说！你们认为那些大人为什么要留着你们？是因为你们温柔、漂亮和愚蠢吗？根本不是！他们之所以留着你们，是因为你们应该是有用的。你母亲，小猫，是一位努力工作而且自重的捕鼠者，她每天都捕抓老鼠，就像她每天都吃牛奶面包一样。你父亲，小狗，只要他的脚能够站起来，他都和我在这个谷仓一起捕抓老鼠，我们俩把这个地方保持得整整有序。伟大的老狗在这个年纪不可能再继续打猎了，再说，他体型也太大；也许他可以跟公牛一起去打猎。但是，自从你们的父母去世之后，你们这两个懒惰的孩子几乎是什么都没有做过，其结果会是什么呢？我不得不干到皮包骨瘦，但老鼠还是满屋跑；我听到厨师是这么说的。请好好考虑一下我说的话；任何生物，无论是四条腿的还是两条腿的，只有用这样或那样的方式做好本职工作，才是称职的。好了，你们对自己有什么要说的吗？” “喵！”小猫说。“很抱歉了，老猫。” “汪！汪！”小狗说。“我也很抱歉，老猫。” “很好！”谷仓里的老猫说。“那就翻开新的一页吧！” “喵！”“汪！”“这正是我们想做的事情！”小猫小狗同声说，“但我们一片也找不到啊。” “其实，”谷仓里的老猫说，“这是一种愚蠢的方法说大人拥有的东西。它只是说，别再做坏人了，开始做好人吧。你们现在明白了吗？” “Prrr！”小猫说，“我现在明白了。我这就去抓老鼠，老猫。” “Wuff！”小狗说，“我现在也明白了，我会来跟你一起抓老鼠的，老猫。” “Prrrrrrr！”谷仓里的老猫说。“这就对了！去干活吧，像好孩子那样，还有，最近我很少理你们，所以我也要翻开新的一页，请你们俩去我的草堆客厅和我一起吃晚饭。厨师把圣诞节的鹅骨头给了我，我们可以来一顿大盛宴。” （完） （译自《三分钟故事》） 您若认为此文对教育有益，敬 请 传 阅、推 荐、转 载。 原文如下，若有问题，可留言，我将尽量回答。 “Ffffff! grrrr-yow!” said Old Cat; her green eyes shot out sparks, and her fur began to stand up. “Now, you two, listen to me! Why do you think the Big People keep you? Because you are soft and pretty and foolish? Not at all! They keep you because you are supposed to be useful. Your mother, Little Cat, was a hard-working, self-respecting mouser, who caught her daily mouse as regularly as she ate her daily bread and milk. Your father, Little Dog, hunted rats with me in this barn as long as he had legs to stand upon, and between us we kept the place in tolerable order. Great Old Dog cannot be expected to hunt at his age, and besides, he is too big; one might as well hunt with an ox. But since your parents died you two lazy children have done next to nothing, and what is the consequence? I am worked to skin and bone, and the mice are all over the house; I heard Cook say so. Mind what I say; no creature, with four legs or two, is worth his salt unless he earns it, in one way or another. Now, what have you to say for yourselves?” “Miaouw!” said Little Cat. “I am very sorry, Old Cat.” “Yap! Yap!” said Little Dog. “I am sorry too, Old Cat.” “Very well!” said Old Cat in the Barn. “Then turn over a new leaf!” “Miaouw!” “Yap!” “That is just what we want to do!” said Little Cat and Little Dog together; “but we can’t find any.” “The fact is,” said Old Cat in the Barn, “it is one of the foolish ways of speaking that the Big People have. It just means, stop being bad and begin to be good. Now do you see?” “Prrr!” said Little Cat; “now I see. I will go and catch a mouse this minute, Old Cat.” “Wuff!” said Little Dog; “I see, too, and I will come and hunt rats with you, Old Cat.” “Prrrrrrr!” said Old Cat in the Barn. “That is right! Go to work, like good children, and as I may have been rather short with you lately I will turn over a new leaf, too, and ask you both to supper with me in my hay-parlor. Cook gave me the bones of the Christmas goose, and we will have a great feast.” |
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