George's mother was very poor. Instead of having bright,blazing fires in winter,
喬治的媽媽非常貧窮,冬天里見不到明亮、閃爍的爐火,家里沒有木柴生火取暖,
she had nothing to burn but dry sticks, which George picked up from under the trees and hedges.
她只能利用喬治從樹下或籬笆邊揀來的干樹枝取暖。
One fine day in July, she sent George to the woods, which were about two miles from the village in which she lived.
七月的一天,她讓喬治到森林中去揀木頭,那個地方離他們住的村子大概兩英里遠。
Hewas to stay there all day, to get as much wood as he could collect.
喬治在森林里逛了一整天,以盡量多收集一點能用的木頭。
It was a bright, sunny day, and George worked very hard;
這是一個灑滿陽光的日子,喬治很辛苦地揀拾著木頭。
so that by the time the sun was high, he was hot, and wished for a cool place where he might rest and eat his dinner.
等到太陽高高在上時,他已經(jīng)非常熱了,希望能找個涼快的地方吃點東西,好好休息一下。
While he hunted about the bank he saw among the mosssome fine, wild strawberries, which were a bright scarlet with ripeness.
他一路搜尋到岸邊,在苔蘚叢中發(fā)現(xiàn)了一些外形誘人的野生草莓,散發(fā)著明亮的猩紅色,一副圓圓的熟透了的樣子。
"How good these will be with my bread and butter!"thought George;
“用這些草莓來充當我的面包和奶油,多好呀!”喬治心里這樣想著。
and lining his little cap with leaves, he set to work eagerly to gather all he could find, and then seated himself by the brook.
他將樹葉鋪在自己的小帽子里,開始迫不及待地去摘那些剛剛發(fā)現(xiàn)的草莓,隨后,他就在小溪邊坐下來。
It was a pleasant place, and George felt happy and contented.
這是一個很舒適的地方,喬治既高興又滿足。
He thought how much his mother would like to see him there, and to be there herself, instead of in her dark, close room in the village.
他心想,要是媽媽看到自己坐在這里該多么高興,她該多么想到這里來坐坐呀,而不是整天待在村中那個黑暗、封閉的小屋里。
George thought of all this, and just as he was lifting the first strawberry to his mouth,
喬治一邊想著,一邊拿起一個草莓準備放入口中,
he said to himself, "How much mother would like these;"
就在這時,他自言自語地說:“媽媽該多么喜歡這些草莓呀。”
and he stopped, and put thest rawberry back again.
接著,他的手停下來,又把草莓放回原處。
"Shall I save them for her?" said he, thinking how muchthey would refresh her, yet still looking at them with a longing eye.
“我應該把草莓留給她嗎?”他說,心里一邊想著這些草莓能給媽媽補充多少營養(yǎng),一邊又帶著渴望的眼神看著它們。