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当前位置:首页 -> 10级英语阅读 - > 安徒生童话英文版:The Top and Ball
安徒生童话英文版:The Top and Ball
添加时间:2014-02-24 15:20:20 浏览次数: 作者:Andersen
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  • A WHIPPING TOP and a little ball lay together in a box, among other toys, and the top said to the ball, “Shall we be married, as we live in the same box?”

    But the ball, which wore a dress of morocco leather, and thought as much of herself as any other young lady, would not even condescend1 to reply.

    The next day came the little boy to whom the playthings belonged, and he painted the top red and yellow, and drove a brass-headed nail into the middle, so that while the top was spinning round it looked splendid.

    “Look at me,” said the top to the ball. “What do you say now? Shall we be engaged to each other? We should suit so well; you spring, and I dance. No one could be happier than we should be.”

    “Indeed! do you think so? Perhaps you do not know that my father and mother were morocco slippers2, and that I have a Spanish cork3 in my body.”

    “Yes; but I am made of mahogany,” said the top. “The major himself turned me. He has a turning lathe4 of his own, and it is a great amusement to him.”

    “Can I believe it?” asked the ball.

    “May I never be whipped again,” said the top, “if I am not telling you the truth.”

    “You certainly know how to speak for yourself very well,” said the ball; “but I cannot accept your proposal. I am almost engaged to a swallow. Every time I fly up in the air, he puts his head out of the nest, and says, ‘Will you?’ and I have said, ‘Yes,’ to myself silently, and that is as good as being half engaged; but I will promise never to forget you.”

    “Much good that will be to me,” said the top; and they spoke5 to each other no more.

    Next day the ball was taken out by the boy. The top saw it flying high in the air, like a bird, till it would go quite out of sight. Each time it came back, as it touched the earth, it gave a higher leap than before, either because it longed to fly upwards6, or from having a Spanish cork in its body. But the ninth time it rose in the air, it remained away, and did not return. The boy searched everywhere for it, but he searched in vain, for it could not be found; it was gone.

    “I know very well where she is,” sighed the top; “she is in the swallow’s nest, and has married the swallow.”

    The more the top thought of this, the more he longed for the ball. His love increased the more, just because he could not get her; and that she should have been won by another, was the worst of all. The top still twirled about and hummed, but he continued to think of the ball; and the more he thought of her, the more beautiful she seemed to his fancy.

    Thus several years passed by, and his love became quite old. The top, also, was no longer young; but there came a day when he looked handsomer than ever; for he was gilded7 all over. He was now a golden top, and whirled and danced about till he hummed quite loud, and was something worth looking at; but one day he leaped too high, and then he, also, was gone. They searched everywhere, even in the cellar, but he was nowhere to be found. Where could he be? He had jumped into the dust-bin, where all sorts of rubbish were lying: cabbage-stalks, dust, and rain-droppings that had fallen down from the gutter8 under the roof.

    “Now I am in a nice place,” said he; “my gilding9 will soon be washed off here. Oh dear, what a set of rabble10 I have got amongst!” And then he glanced at a curious round thing like an old apple, which lay near a long, leafless cabbage-stalk. It was, however, not an apple, but an old ball, which had lain for years in the gutter, and was soaked through with water.

    “Thank goodness, here comes one of my own class, with whom I can talk,” said the ball, examining the gilded top. “I am made of morocco,” she said. “I was sewn together by a young lady, and I have a Spanish cork in my body; but no one would think it, to look at me now. I was once engaged to a swallow; but I fell in here from the gutter under the roof, and I have lain here more than five years, and have been thoroughly11 drenched12. Believe me, it is a long time for a young maiden13.”

    The top said nothing, but he thought of his old love; and the more she said, the more clear it became to him that this was the same ball.

    The servant then came to clean out the dust-bin.

    “Ah,” she exclaimed, “here is a gilt14 top.” So the top was brought again to notice and honor, but nothing more was heard of the little ball. He spoke not a word about his old love; for that soon died away. When the beloved object has lain for five years in a gutter, and has been drenched through, no one cares to know her again on meeting her in a dust-bin.



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    1 condescend [ˌkɒndɪˈsend] np7zo   第9级
    vi.俯就,屈尊;堕落,丢丑
    参考例句:
    • Would you condescend to accompany me? 你肯屈尊陪我吗?
    • He did not condescend to answer. He turned his back on me. 他不愿屈尊回答我的问题。他不理睬我。
    2 slippers ['slɪpəz] oiPzHV   第7级
    n. 拖鞋
    参考例句:
    • a pair of slippers 一双拖鞋
    • He kicked his slippers off and dropped on to the bed. 他踢掉了拖鞋,倒在床上。
    3 cork [kɔ:k] VoPzp   第8级
    n.软木,软木塞
    参考例句:
    • We heard the pop of a cork. 我们听见瓶塞砰的一声打开。
    • Cork is a very buoyant material. 软木是极易浮起的材料。
    4 lathe [leɪð] Bk2yG   第9级
    n.车床,陶器,镟床
    参考例句:
    • Gradually she learned to operate a lathe. 她慢慢地学会了开车床。
    • That lathe went out of order at times. 那台车床有时发生故障。
    5 spoke [spəʊk] XryyC   第11级
    n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
    参考例句:
    • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company. 他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
    • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre. 辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
    6 upwards [ˈʌpwədz] lj5wR   第8级
    adv.向上,在更高处...以上
    参考例句:
    • The trend of prices is still upwards. 物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
    • The smoke rose straight upwards. 烟一直向上升。
    7 gilded ['gildid] UgxxG   第10级
    a.镀金的,富有的
    参考例句:
    • The golden light gilded the sea. 金色的阳光使大海如金子般闪闪发光。
    • "Friends, they are only gilded disks of lead!" "朋友们,这只不过是些镀金的铅饼! 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡
    8 gutter [ˈgʌtə(r)] lexxk   第8级
    n.沟,街沟,水槽,檐槽,贫民窟
    参考例句:
    • There's a cigarette packet thrown into the gutter. 阴沟里有个香烟盒。
    • He picked her out of the gutter and made her a great lady. 他使她脱离贫苦生活,并成为贵妇。
    9 gilding ['gildiŋ] Gs8zQk   第10级
    n.贴金箔,镀金
    参考例句:
    • The dress is perfect. Don't add anything to it at all. It would just be gilding the lily. 这条裙子已经很完美了,别再作任何修饰了,那只会画蛇添足。
    • The gilding is extremely lavish. 这层镀金极为奢华。
    10 rabble [ˈræbl] LCEy9   第11级
    n.乌合之众,暴民;下等人
    参考例句:
    • They formed an army out of rabble. 他们用乌合之众组成一支军队。
    • Poverty in itself does not make men into a rabble. 贫困自身并不能使人成为贱民。
    11 thoroughly [ˈθʌrəli] sgmz0J   第8级
    adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地
    参考例句:
    • The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting. 一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
    • The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons. 士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。
    12 drenched [drentʃd] cu0zJp   第8级
    adj.湿透的;充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 );在某人(某物)上大量使用(某液体)
    参考例句:
    • We were caught in the storm and got drenched to the skin. 我们遇上了暴雨,淋得浑身透湿。
    • The rain drenched us. 雨把我们淋得湿透。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    13 maiden [ˈmeɪdn] yRpz7   第7级
    n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的
    参考例句:
    • The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden. 王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
    • The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow. 这架飞机明天首航。
    14 gilt [gɪlt] p6UyB   第12级
    adj.镀金的;n.金边证券
    参考例句:
    • The plates have a gilt edge. 这些盘子的边是镀金的。
    • The rest of the money is invested in gilt. 其余的钱投资于金边证券。

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