美國語文第三冊 第51期：善舉
One day, as two little boys were walking along the road, they overtook a woman carrying a large basket of apples.
有一天，兩個小男孩走在路上的時候，遇上了一個提著一大籃子蘋果的婦人。
The boys thought the woman looked very pale and tired; so they said, "Are you going to town?"
兩個男孩覺得婦人看起來蒼白而疲倦，于是問道：“您是要進城嗎？”
If you are, we will carry your basket.
如果是的話，我們來幫你提著籃子。
"Thank you," replied the woman, "you are very kind: you see I am weak and ill."
“謝謝你們，”婦人回答，“你們真好，看我虛弱生病而幫助我。”
Then she told them that she was a widow, and had a lame son to support.
接著她告訴他們，她是個寡婦，撫養(yǎng)著一個瘸腿的兒子。
She lived in a cottage three miles away, and was now going to market to sell the apples which grew on the only tree in her little garden.
她住在三英里外的一座小農(nóng)舍里，現(xiàn)在是要到集市上，把從自家院子里唯一的樹上摘下來的蘋果賣掉。
She wanted the money to pay her rent.
她需要錢交房租。
"We are going the same way you are," said the boys. "Let us have the basket;"
“我們與您同路，”男孩說，“讓我們提著籃子吧。”
and they took hold of it, one on each side, and trudged along with merry hearts.
然后他們把籃子接了過來，一人一邊抬著走，步履艱難，心情卻很愉快。
The poor widow looked glad, and said that she hoped their mother would not be angry with them.
可憐的寡婦看上去很高興，說她希望他們的母親不會為此生他們的氣。
"Oh, no," they replied; "our mother has taught us to be kind to everybody, and to be useful in any way that we can."
“噢，不會的，”他們回答，“媽媽教我們要友好對待所有人，并且盡力做有用之人。”
She then offered to give them a few of the ripest apples for their trouble.
接著婦人提出要給他們幾個最紅的蘋果，作為麻煩他們的酬勞。
"No, thank you," said they; "we do not want any pay for what we have done."
“不，謝謝您，”他們說，“我們做這些事情不需要任何報酬。”
When the widow got home, she told her lame son what had happened on the road, and they were both made happier that day by the kindness of the two boys.
寡婦回到家里以后，把路上發(fā)生的事情告訴了跛腳的兒子。那一天他們倆都因為兩個男孩的善舉而更加快樂。
The other day, I saw a little girl stop and pick up a piece of orange peel, which she threw into the gutter.
第二天，我見到一個小姑娘停下來，撿起一塊橙皮，把它丟到了溝里。
"I wish the boys would not throw orange peel on the sidewalk," said she. "Some one may tread upon it, and fall."
“我希望那些男孩不要把果皮扔在人行道上，”她說，“會有人踩到果皮，然后摔倒。”
"That is right, my dear," I said.
“說得對，親愛的，”我說，
It is a little thing for you to do what you have done, but it shows that you have a thoughtful mind and a feeling heart.
你剛剛做的事情對你來說只是舉手之勞，卻體現(xiàn)出你是個體貼人而富有同情心的小姑娘。
Perhaps some may say that these are little things.
也許有的人會說這些都是小事情。
So they are; but we must not wait for occasions to do great things.
確實是的，然而我們不能干等著做大事的機會。
We must begin with little labors of love.
我們得心甘情愿從小事情做起。
