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当前位置:首页 -> 8级英语阅读 - > 安徒生童话英文版:A Great Grief
安徒生童话英文版:A Great Grief
添加时间:2014-02-26 15:25:33 浏览次数: 作者:Andersen
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  • (1853)

    THIS story really consists of two parts. The first part might be left out, but it gives us a few particulars, and these are useful.

    We were staying in the country at a gentleman’s seat, where it happened that the master was absent for a few days. In the meantime, there arrived from the next town a lady; she had a pug dog with her, and came, she said, to dispose of shares in her tan-yard. She had her papers with her, and we advised her to put them in an envelope, and to write thereon the address of the proprietor1 of the estate, “General War-Commissary Knight,” &c.

    She listened to us attentively2, seized the pen, paused, and begged us to repeat the direction slowly. We complied, and she wrote; but in the midst of the “General War-” she struck fast, sighed deeply, and said, “I am only a woman!” Her Puggie had seated itself on the ground while she wrote, and growled3; for the dog had come with her for amusement and for the sake of its health; and then the bare floor ought not to be offered to a visitor. His outward appearance was characterized by a snub nose and a very fat back.

    “He doesn’t bite,” said the lady; “he has no teeth. He is like one of the family, faithful and grumpy; but the latter is my grandchildren’s fault, for they have teased him; they play at wedding, and want to give him the part of the bridesmaid, and that’s too much for him, poor old fellow.”

    And she delivered her papers, and took Puggie upon her arm. And this is the first part of the story which might have been left out.

    PUGGIE DIED!! That’s the second part.

    It was about a week afterwards we arrived in the town, and put up at the inn. Our windows looked into the tan-yard, which was divided into two parts by a partition of planks4; in one half were many skins and hides, raw and tanned. Here was all the apparatus5 necessary to carry on a tannery, and it belonged to the widow. Puggie had died in the morning, and was to be buried in this part of the yard; the grandchildren of the widow (that is, of the tanner’s widow, for Puggie had never been married) filled up the grave, and it was a beautiful grave—it must have been quite pleasant to lie there.

    The grave was bordered with pieces of flower-pots and strewn over with sand; quite at the top they had stuck up half a beer bottle, with the neck upwards6, and that was not at all allegorical.

    The children danced round the grave, and the eldest7 of the boys among them, a practical youngster of seven years, made the proposition that there should be an exhibition of Puggie’s burial-place for all who lived in the lane; the price of admission was to be a trouser button, for every boy would be sure to have one, and each might also give one for a little girl. This proposal was adopted by acclamation.

    And all the children out of the lane—yes, even out of the little lane at the back—flocked to the place, and each gave a button. Many were noticed to go about on that afternoon with only one suspender; but then they had seen Puggie’s grave, and the sight was worth much more.

    But in front of the tan-yard, close to the entrance, stood a little girl clothed in rags, very pretty to look at, with curly hair, and eyes so blue and clear that it was a pleasure to look into them. The child said not a word, nor did she cry; but each time the little door was opened she gave a long, long look into the yard. She had not a button—that she knew right well, and therefore she remained standing8 sorrowfully outside, till all the others had seen the grave and had gone away; then she sat down, held her little brown hands before her eyes, and burst into tears; this girl alone had not seen Puggie’s grave. It was a grief as great to her as any grown person can experience.

    We saw this from above; and looked at from above, how many a grief of our own and of others can make us smile! That is the story, and whoever does not understand it may go and purchase a share in the tan-yard from the window.



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    1 proprietor [prəˈpraɪətə(r)] zR2x5   第9级
    n.所有人;业主;经营者
    参考例句:
    • The proprietor was an old acquaintance of his. 业主是他的一位旧相识。
    • The proprietor of the corner grocery was a strange thing in my life. 拐角杂货店店主是我生活中的一个怪物。
    2 attentively [ə'tentɪvlɪ] AyQzjz   第7级
    adv.聚精会神地;周到地;谛;凝神
    参考例句:
    • She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时,她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    • She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着,把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    3 growled [ɡrauld] 65a0c9cac661e85023a63631d6dab8a3   第8级
    v.(动物)发狺狺声, (雷)作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 );低声咆哮着说
    参考例句:
    • \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道:“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
    • He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    4 planks [plæŋks] 534a8a63823ed0880db6e2c2bc03ee4a   第8级
    (厚)木板( plank的名词复数 ); 政纲条目,政策要点
    参考例句:
    • The house was built solidly of rough wooden planks. 这房子是用粗木板牢固地建造的。
    • We sawed the log into planks. 我们把木头锯成了木板。
    5 apparatus [ˌæpəˈreɪtəs] ivTzx   第7级
    n.装置,器械;器具,设备
    参考例句:
    • The school's audio apparatus includes films and records. 学校的视听设备包括放映机和录音机。
    • They had a very refined apparatus. 他们有一套非常精良的设备。
    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 eldest [ˈeldɪst] bqkx6   第8级
    adj.最年长的,最年老的
    参考例句:
    • The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne. 国王的长子是王位的继承人。
    • The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son. 城堡和土地限定由长子继承。
    8 standing [ˈstændɪŋ] 2hCzgo   第8级
    n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
    参考例句:
    • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing. 地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
    • They're standing out against any change in the law. 他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

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