LESSON 31 THE GREAT JUMP 第三十一课 出色的一跳

Ben and May were twins; that means that they were of the same age. May was not so tall as Ben was, and she was not so strong; but May thought more, learned more, and did more than Ben. Ben和May是对双胞胎，因此他们同龄。May没有Ben高，不强壮，但是比Ben更愿意去思考，去学习，去行动。

Ben could jump down one step of the stair at a time. When he held by the top of the rail, he could jump two steps at a time. Ben was proud that he could jump more than May could. Ben一次可以跳下一个台阶。当他依靠栏杆顶部时可以一次跳两个台阶。Ben很自豪可以比May跳的多。

When Ben and May were just four years old, Ben thought that he would soon be a big boy, fit for school. He loved to talk, and he loved to boast, and so Ben said things which no wise boy would have said. 在Ben和May四岁那年，Ben觉得自己很快就是个大男孩了，适合上学了。他喜欢说大话，喜欢吹牛，所以Ben就会说一些不聪明的男孩会说到的话。

“I can jump—I can jump a great way!”cried Ben. “Now that I am four years old I can jump down four steps at a time, and not hold at all by the top of the rail!” “我能跳---我能出色的完成一跳！”Ben大声喊道。“我现在四岁了一次可以跳下4个台阶了，不用在靠栏杆帮忙了。”

“Oh no, dear Ben,”said May; “we must not try such a great jump as that. We must wait till we are tall and strong.” For May was too wise to boast. “不要，亲爱的Ben，”May说道，“我们不用跳的那么出色，我们要等到足够强壮高大的时候.”May很聪明不说大话的。

“I can jump four steps at a time—I am sure that I can!” cried proud Ben. “I can do much more than you can; for you are but a girl, and I am a boy—a big, strong boy. Just look now how I can jump!” “我能一次跳下4个台阶，我确定的！”Ben自豪的喊道。“我做的比你可以做到的要多得多，你仅是个女孩，而我是个高大强壮的男孩。你就看着我是怎么跳的！”

Ben ran up the four steps, and looked down from the high place on May with a smile.“Just look how I jump!”he cried once more. Ben跑上了4个台阶，从高处往下笑着看May，再一次喊道“看好我是怎么跳的！”

Ben jumped down the four steps, but, as you may think, he came down on his nose, and not on his feet! Oh, how his nose was hurt! how fast it bled! Ben跳下了4个台阶，正如你想的那样，他是鼻子着地而不是脚着地！受伤的鼻子啊，鼻血流的多快啊！

Poor Ben roared with the pain. He roared loud; he roared like a bull. May ran to help him up; and so did Aunt Jane, who had heard his loud roar, though she was in her own room, with her door shut. She could have heard him through two or three doors. 可怜的Ben因为痛大声的咆哮着，哭喊的声音很大，像一头牛一样。May跑过去帮忙，尽管房门关着，阿姨Jane还是听到了Ben的哭喊，也跑着过来帮忙。Jane即使隔着2个或3扇门也能听到Ben的声音。

Aunt Jane washed Ben's poor nose, and bound up his face, when she had put some oil on it to make it well. But it did not get well for a long time. Jane洗了Ben的鼻子并涂上了一些油以后包扎了整张脸。但是还是好久都没好起来。

The poor nose was nearly as big as a pear, and as red as the comb of a cock, for more than a week! 超过一周的时间，可怜的鼻子几乎像梨一样大，像鸡冠一样红。

Do you not hope that the pain taught Ben to boast less, and to think more? You see that he was not yet a wise boy, though he was four years old. 你不希望这次伤痛教会Ben少吹牛多思考吗？你明白他不是个聪明的孩子尽管才4岁。

We may hope that poor Ben got more sense in his head by the time that he came to be five. 我们或许希望在快5岁时可怜的Ben头脑能开窍些。

Love not to talk, 爱不是说大话，

Love not to boast; 爱不是吹牛。

Grief comes to him who brags¹ the most. 老是说大话的人总会出事故的。