What was to be done? Charles began to pick up the feathers one by one;
下步該做什么?查爾斯迅速逐一揀拾羽絨。
but the old gentleman, who was in an adjoining room, hearing a scuffle, and guessing the cause of it, entered the room, to the consternation of Charles Brown,
此刻,那位老人走進(jìn)房間,原來(lái)他就在隔壁,聽到了這邊的手忙腳亂,猜到了事情的原委經(jīng)過。使查爾斯.布朗大為驚愕的是,他很快就被打發(fā)回家。
who was very soon dismissed as a boy who had not principle enough to resist even a slight temptation.
沒有足夠定力的少年,竟然無(wú)法抵制如此微小的誘惑。
When the room was once more arranged, Henry Wilkins was placed there until such time as he should be sent for.
當(dāng)房間再度安排妥當(dāng),亨利.威爾金斯被帶了進(jìn)來(lái)。他亦得單獨(dú)待上一段時(shí)間。
No sooner was he left to himself than his attention was attracted by a plate of fine, ripe cherries.
片刻工夫,看到一盤鮮艷熟透的莓果,他的眼球就錯(cuò)不開了。
Now Henry was uncommonly fond of cherries, and he thought it would be impossible to miss one cherry among so many.
亨利喜愛莓果,稱得上情有獨(dú)鐘。他暗中思忖,這么大一盤莓果,不品咂上一顆似乎絕無(wú)可能。
He looked and longed, and longed and looked, for some time, and just as he had got off his seat to take one,
他左盯右看,心里七上八下。就在他站起來(lái),準(zhǔn)備抓起一顆,
he heard, as he thought, a foot coming to the door; but no, it was a false alarm.
他聽見,不,他以為有腳步聲走來(lái),原來(lái)卻是鬧鐘滴嗒聲,弄得他虛驚一場(chǎng)。
Taking fresh courage, he went cautiously and took a very fine cherry,
亨利重新鼓起勇氣,小心翼翼走上前,抓了只艷紅的果子。
for he was determined to take but one, and put it into his mouth. It was excellent;
原本他只拿一顆,但品嘗后發(fā)現(xiàn),那莓果味道實(shí)在太好,
and then he persuaded himself that he ran no risk in taking another; this he did, and hastily popped it into his mouth.
他不停地說(shuō)服自己,絕不能冒險(xiǎn)再拿一顆,然而還是伸出了手。倉(cāng)促中,果實(shí)“砰”的一聲落進(jìn)他的嘴里。
Now, the old gentleman had placed a few artificial cherries at the top of the others, filled with Cayenne pepper;
原來(lái),老人在莓果上放了幾顆人造果實(shí),里面夾雜辣椒或胡椒面,
one of these Henry had unfortunately taken, and it made his month smart and burn most intolerably.
亨利不巧拿到那顆假果,剛進(jìn)口,那辛辣味道讓他實(shí)在無(wú)法忍受。
The old gentleman heard him coughing, and knew very well what was the matter.
老人聽見隔壁咳嗽聲,便已洞悉這邊發(fā)生的事情。
The boy that would take what did not belong to him, if no more than a cherry, was not the boy for him.
那可憐的少年,拿取不屬于自己的東西,盡管不過一顆莓子,對(duì)老人來(lái)說(shuō),也就完全失去了聘用意義。
Henry Wilkins was sent about his business without delay, with his mouth almost as hot as if he had put a burning coal in to it.
威爾金斯毫不遲延地被帶了出去,當(dāng)時(shí)他的口腔冒火,嘴里像塞了塊燃煤。