美國語文第六冊 第94期:教師和生病的學(xué)者(4)
這么熱的天，甚至連蜜蜂都要飛到花蕊里藏起來，
as if they had made up their minds to retire from business, and be manufacturers of honey no more.
好像它們決定退休，都不再做釀蜜的工作了。
The day was made for laziness, and lying on one's back in green places, and staring at the sky,
這樣的天氣人注定要懶惰倦怠，躺在草地上，仰望天空，
till its brightness forced the gazer to shut his eyes and go to sleep.
直到五彩斑斕刺目的光線強迫他閉上眼睛，昏昏欲睡。
And was this a time to be poring over musty books in a dark room, slighted by the very sun itself? Monstrous!
蠻不成這是憋悶在太陽不愿意光顧的黑屋子里，苦讀乏味的書本的時候嗎?簡直荒唐透頂!
The lessons over, writing time began.
上完正課，寫字時間開始了。
This was a more quiet time;
這是更加寂靜難耐的時刻。
for the master would come and look over the writer's shoulder, and mildly tell him to observe how such a letter was turned up,
教師走來走去，他常常來到寫字者的背后端詳著，然后溫和地告訴他，要看看那張字母表筆畫是如何下筆的，
in such a copy on the wall, which had been written by their sick companion, and bid him take it as a model.
這張字母表是那個生病的學(xué)生臨摹的，作為范本掛在墻上。
Then he would stop and tell them what the sick child had said last night, and how he had longed to be among them once again;
然后他停下腳步告訴他們，昨天晚上那個生病的孩子說了些什么，他是多么渴望重新和他們一起;
and such was the poor schoolmaster's gentle and affectionate manner,
可憐的教師那種又溫柔又可親的態(tài)度令他們頗為感動，
that the boys seemed quite remorseful that they had worried him so much, and were absolutely quiet;
這些孩子似乎懊悔不該讓他那么不省心，就這樣大家全都安靜下來。
eating no apples, cutting no names, and making no grimaces for full two minutes afterward.
誰也不吃蘋果了，沒人再用小刀刻名字了，也不再擠眉弄眼扮鬼臉了，足足持續(xù)了兩分鐘之久。
