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当前位置:首页 -> 10级英语阅读 - > 绿山墙的安妮:CHAPTER VII
绿山墙的安妮:CHAPTER VII
添加时间:2023-12-15 10:19:49 浏览次数: 作者:未知
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  • CHAPTER VII.

    Anne Says Her Prayers

    WHEN Marilla took Anne up to bed that night she said stiffly:

    “Now, Anne, I noticed last night that you threw your clothes all about the floor when you took them off. That is a very untidy habit, and I can’t allow it at all. As soon as you take off any article of clothing fold it neatly1 and place it on the chair. I haven’t any use at all for little girls who aren’t neat.”

    “I was so harrowed up in my mind last night that I didn’t think about my clothes at all,” said Anne. “I’ll fold them nicely tonight. They always made us do that at the asylum2. Half the time, though, I’d forget, I’d be in such a hurry to get into bed nice and quiet and imagine things.”

    “You’ll have to remember a little better if you stay here,” admonished3 Marilla. “There, that looks something like. Say your prayers now and get into bed.”

    “I never say any prayers,” announced Anne.

    Marilla looked horrified4 astonishment5.

    “Why, Anne, what do you mean? Were you never taught to say your prayers? God always wants little girls to say their prayers. Don’t you know who God is, Anne?”

    “‘God is a spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable, in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth,’” responded Anne promptly6 and glibly7.

    Marilla looked rather relieved.

    “So you do know something then, thank goodness! You’re not quite a heathen. Where did you learn that?”

    “Oh, at the asylum Sunday-school. They made us learn the whole catechism. I liked it pretty well. There’s something splendid about some of the words. ‘Infinite, eternal and unchangeable.’ Isn’t that grand? It has such a roll to it—just like a big organ playing. You couldn’t quite call it poetry, I suppose, but it sounds a lot like it, doesn’t it?”

    “We’re not talking about poetry, Anne—we are talking about saying your prayers. Don’t you know it’s a terrible wicked thing not to say your prayers every night? I’m afraid you are a very bad little girl.”

    “You’d find it easier to be bad than good if you had red hair,” said Anne reproachfully. “People who haven’t red hair don’t know what trouble is. Mrs. Thomas told me that God made my hair red on purpose, and I’ve never cared about Him since. And anyhow I’d always be too tired at night to bother saying prayers. People who have to look after twins can’t be expected to say their prayers. Now, do you honestly think they can?”

    Marilla decided8 that Anne’s religious training must be begun at once. Plainly there was no time to be lost.

    “You must say your prayers while you are under my roof, Anne.”

    “Why, of course, if you want me to,” assented9 Anne cheerfully. “I’d do anything to oblige you. But you’ll have to tell me what to say for this once. After I get into bed I’ll imagine out a real nice prayer to say always. I believe that it will be quite interesting, now that I come to think of it.”

    “You must kneel down,” said Marilla in embarrassment10.

    Anne knelt at Marilla’s knee and looked up gravely.

    “Why must people kneel down to pray? If I really wanted to pray I’ll tell you what I’d do. I’d go out into a great big field all alone or into the deep, deep, woods, and I’d look up into the sky—up—up—up—into that lovely blue sky that looks as if there was no end to its blueness. And then I’d just feel a prayer. Well, I’m ready. What am I to say?”

    Marilla felt more embarrassed than ever. She had intended to teach Anne the childish classic, “Now I lay me down to sleep.” But she had, as I have told you, the glimmerings of a sense of humor—which is simply another name for a sense of fitness of things; and it suddenly occurred to her that that simple little prayer, sacred to white-robed childhood lisping at motherly knees, was entirely11 unsuited to this freckled12 witch of a girl who knew and cared nothing about God’s love, since she had never had it translated to her through the medium of human love.

    “You’re old enough to pray for yourself, Anne,” she said finally. “Just thank God for your blessings13 and ask Him humbly14 for the things you want.”

    “Well, I’ll do my best,” promised Anne, burying her face in Marilla’s lap. “Gracious heavenly Father—that’s the way the ministers say it in church, so I suppose it’s all right in private prayer, isn’t it?” she interjected, lifting her head for a moment. “Gracious heavenly Father, I thank Thee for the White Way of Delight and the Lake of Shining Waters and Bonny and the Snow Queen. I’m really extremely grateful for them. And that’s all the blessings I can think of just now to thank Thee for. As for the things I want, they’re so numerous that it would take a great deal of time to name them all so I will only mention the two most important. Please let me stay at Green Gables; and please let me be good-looking when I grow up. I remain,

    “Yours respectfully,

    Anne Shirley.

    “There, did I do all right?” she asked eagerly, getting up. “I could have made it much more flowery if I’d had a little more time to think it over.”

    Poor Marilla was only preserved from complete collapse15 by remembering that it was not irreverence16, but simply spiritual ignorance on the part of Anne that was responsible for this extraordinary petition. She tucked the child up in bed, mentally vowing17 that she should be taught a prayer the very next day, and was leaving the room with the light when Anne called her back.

    “I’ve just thought of it now. I should have said, ‘Amen’ in place of ‘yours respectfully,’ shouldn’t I?—the way the ministers do. I’d forgotten it, but I felt a prayer should be finished off in some way, so I put in the other. Do you suppose it will make any difference?”

    “I—I don’t suppose it will,” said Marilla. “Go to sleep now like a good child. Good night.”

    “I can only say good night tonight with a clear conscience,” said Anne, cuddling luxuriously18 down among her pillows.

    Marilla retreated to the kitchen, set the candle firmly on the table, and glared at Matthew.

    “Matthew Cuthbert, it’s about time somebody adopted that child and taught her something. She’s next door to a perfect heathen. Will you believe that she never said a prayer in her life till tonight? I’ll send her to the manse tomorrow and borrow the Peep of the Day series, that’s what I’ll do. And she shall go to Sunday-school just as soon as I can get some suitable clothes made for her. I foresee that I shall have my hands full. Well, well, we can’t get through this world without our share of trouble. I’ve had a pretty easy life of it so far, but my time has come at last and I suppose I’ll just have to make the best of it.”



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    1 neatly [ni:tlɪ] ynZzBp   第8级
    adv.整洁地,干净地,灵巧地,熟练地
    参考例句:
    • Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly. 水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
    • The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck. 那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。
    2 asylum [əˈsaɪləm] DobyD   第8级
    n.避难所,庇护所,避难
    参考例句:
    • The people ask for political asylum. 人们请求政治避难。
    • Having sought asylum in the West for many years, they were eventually granted it. 他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。
    3 admonished [ædˈmɔnɪʃt] b089a95ea05b3889a72a1d5e33963966   第9级
    v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 );训诫;(温和地)责备;轻责
    参考例句:
    • She was admonished for chewing gum in class. 她在课堂上嚼口香糖,受到了告诫。
    • The teacher admonished the child for coming late to school. 那个孩子迟到,老师批评了他。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    4 horrified ['hɔrifaid] 8rUzZU   第8级
    a.(表现出)恐惧的
    参考例句:
    • The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
    • We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。
    5 astonishment [əˈstɒnɪʃmənt] VvjzR   第8级
    n.惊奇,惊异
    参考例句:
    • They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment. 他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
    • I was filled with astonishment at her strange action. 我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。
    6 promptly [ˈprɒmptli] LRMxm   第8级
    adv.及时地,敏捷地
    参考例句:
    • He paid the money back promptly. 他立即还了钱。
    • She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her. 她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
    7 glibly [ɡlɪblɪ] glibly   第10级
    adv.流利地,流畅地;满口
    参考例句:
    • He glibly professed his ignorance of the affair. 他口口声声表白不知道这件事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
    • He put ashes on his head, apologized profusely, but then went glibly about his business. 他表示忏悔,满口道歉,但接着又故态复萌了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
    8 decided [dɪˈsaɪdɪd] lvqzZd   第7级
    adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
    参考例句:
    • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents. 这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
    • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting. 英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
    9 assented [əˈsentid] 4cee1313bb256a1f69bcc83867e78727   第9级
    同意,赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 )
    参考例句:
    • The judge assented to allow the prisoner to speak. 法官同意允许犯人申辩。
    • "No," assented Tom, "they don't kill the women -- they're too noble. “对,”汤姆表示赞同地说,“他们不杀女人——真伟大!
    10 embarrassment [ɪmˈbærəsmənt] fj9z8   第9级
    n.尴尬;使人为难的人(事物);障碍;窘迫
    参考例句:
    • She could have died away with embarrassment. 她窘迫得要死。
    • Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment. 在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。
    11 entirely [ɪnˈtaɪəli] entirely   第9级
    ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
    参考例句:
    • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
    • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
    12 freckled ['frekld] 1f563e624a978af5e5981f5e9d3a4687   第10级
    adj.雀斑;斑点;晒斑;(使)生雀斑v.雀斑,斑点( freckle的过去式和过去分词 )
    参考例句:
    • Her face was freckled all over. 她的脸长满雀斑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
    • Her freckled skin glowed with health again. 她长有雀斑的皮肤又泛出了健康的红光。 来自辞典例句
    13 blessings [ˈblesɪŋz] 52a399b218b9208cade790a26255db6b   第7级
    n.(上帝的)祝福( blessing的名词复数 );好事;福分;因祸得福
    参考例句:
    • Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马,焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    • We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
    14 humbly ['hʌmblɪ] humbly   第7级
    adv. 恭顺地,谦卑地
    参考例句:
    • We humbly beg Your Majesty to show mercy. 我们恳请陛下发发慈悲。
    • "You must be right, Sir,'said John humbly. “你一定是对的,先生,”约翰恭顺地说道。
    15 collapse [kəˈlæps] aWvyE   第7级
    vi.累倒;昏倒;倒塌;塌陷
    参考例句:
    • The country's economy is on the verge of collapse. 国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
    • The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse. 工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。
    16 irreverence [ɪ'revərəns] earzi   第12级
    n.不尊敬
    参考例句:
    • True irreverence is disrespect for another man's god. 真正的大不敬是不尊重别人的神。
    • Mark Twain said irreverence is the champion of liberty, if not its only defender. 马克·吐温说过,不敬若不是自由唯一的捍卫者,也会是它的拥护者。
    17 vowing [] caf27b27bed50d27c008858260bc9998   第7级
    起誓,发誓(vow的现在分词形式)
    参考例句:
    • President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
    • President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。
    18 luxuriously [lʌɡ'ʒʊərɪəslɪ] 547f4ef96080582212df7e47e01d0eaf   第7级
    adv.奢侈地,豪华地
    参考例句:
    • She put her nose luxuriously buried in heliotrope and tea roses. 她把自己的鼻子惬意地埋在天芥菜和庚申蔷薇花簇中。 来自辞典例句
    • To be well dressed doesn't mean to be luxuriously dressed. 穿得好不一定衣着豪华。 来自辞典例句

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