1 SARA萨拉-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《小公主A Little Princess》

C SARA ONCE on a dark winter's day, when the yellow fog^{①} hung②} so thick and heavy in the streets of London that the lamps③ were lighted and the shop windows blazed④ with gas as they do at night, an odd-looking little girl sat in a cab with her father and was driven rather slowly through the big thoroughfares. She sat with her feet tucked^{}under her, and leaned against her father, who held her in his arm, as she stared out of the window at the passing people with a queer^{ old-fashioned thoughtfulness^{} in her big eyes She was such a little girl that one did not expect to see such a look on her small face. It would have been an old look for a child of twelve. and Sara Crewe was only seven. The fact was, however, that she was always dreaming and thinking odd things and could not herself remember any time when she had not been thinking things about grown-up people and the world they belonged to. She felt as if she had lived a long, long time. At this moment she was remembering the voyage^{} she had just made from Bombay with her father, Captain Crewe. She was thinking of the big ship, of the Lascars^{① passing silently to and fro{②} on it, of the .002. 萨拉 ①fog /fog/n. 雾 在一个阴暗的冬日里,沉沉浓雾笼罩着伦敦 ②hang/haen/v. 悬浮于空中 ③lamp /lemp/ n. 煤灯 的街道。于是像在夜晚一样,煤气路灯点亮了 ④blaze /blelz/v. 发光,发亮 cab/kaeb/n. 出租马车 商店的厨窗也被煤气灯照得闪闪发光。一个神情 thoroughfare /oArofea/ n 古怪的小姑娘和她的父亲坐在一牺马车里,马车 大道,大街 tmck/tAk/v.缩起.收拔 缓缓驶过大街。她斜靠着父亲腿坐着,父亲用 ⑧queer /kwio/a. 古怪的,奇 怪的 一只手楼着她,她注视着窗外的过往行人,大眼 thoughtfulnessnis 睛里流露出奇怪的、若有所思的目光,显得老气 /o:tfulnis/n. 深思,思考 横秋。 像她这么小的女孩子,人们想不到会在她的 小脸上看到这样一种表情。这本应是12岁小孩才 会有的老练的神态,而萨拉·克鲁只有7岁。实际 上,她总是梦见和思索一些古怪的事情,她还记 不起有什么时候她不在思索成年人的事情和他们 所拥有的世界。她觉得自已好像已经活了很久很 久似的。 voyage/voiid3/ n. 航行,航 这时,她正在回忆刚和父亲克鲁上尉一起从 海 lascar /laesko/n. 东印度水 孟买回来时的旅程。她正想到那只大船,船上默 手 to and fro来来往往增 默地来来往往的印度水手,在炽热的甲板上玩要 ·003· A Cittfe Princess children playing about on the hot deck, and of some young officers' wives who used to try to make her talk to them and laugh at the things she said. Principally^{①}, she was thinking of what a queer thing it was that at one time one was in India in the blazing② sun, and then in the middle of the ocean,and then driving in a strange vehicle③ through strange streets where the clay was as dark as the night. She found this so puzzling④ that she moved closer to her father "Papa,"she said in a low, mysterious little voice which was almost a whisper,"papa." "What is it, darling?" Captain Crewe answered, holding her closer and looking down into her face. "What is Sara thinking of?" "Is this the place?" Sara whispered, cuddling{} still closer to him. "Is it,papa?" "Yes, litte Sara, it is. We have reached it at last."And though she was only seven years old, she knew that he felt sad when he said it. It seemed to her many years since he had begun to prepare her mind{} for"the place" as she always called it. Her mother had died when she was born, so she had never known or missed her. Her young, handsome, rich, petting^{②}father seemed to be the only relation she had in the world. They had always played together and been fond of each other. She only knew he was rich because she had heard people say so when they thought she was not listening,and she had also heard them say that when she grew up she would be rich, too. She did not know all that being rich meant. She had always lived in a beautiful bungalow^{}. and had been used to seeing many servants who made salaams^{} to her and ealled her "Missee Sahib" and gave her her own way in everything^{①}. She had had toys and pets and an ayah^{} who worshipped^{} her, and she had gradually learned that people who were rich had these things. That, ·004· 小公主 的孩子,还有一些青年军官的妻子,她们老是让 她同她们说话,又笑话她所说的事情。 她主要想到的是:真奇怪,一个人一会儿在 ① principally /prinsipli/ ad 主要地 烈日下的印度,接着到了海洋中间,随后又坐在 ②blazing /bleizin/a. 发光 一辆奇怪的车上,驶过陌生的街道,而这里的白 的,闪耀的 ③vehicle /vitikl/ n. 陆上交 天却像夜间一样黑,她感到这一切士分费解,所 通工具,车 以更紧地靠近父亲。 ④puzzling /pazlin/a. 令人 费解的 “爸爸,”她神秘地几乎是耳语般低声叫, mysterious /mis'tiarios/ a “爸爸。” 神秘的 whisper /(hjwispo/ n. 耳 “什么事,宝贝儿?”克鲁上尉答道,把她楼 语,低声说话 得更紧,同时朝下瞧着她的脸。“萨拉在想什么 呀?” cuddle /kAdl/ v. 偎依 “这就是那个地方吗?”萨拉低声说,向他靠 得更紧。“是吗,爸爸?” “是的,小萨拉,是这里。我们终于到了。” 她虽然只有7岁,但她知道他说这话时心里感到 悲哀。 她觉得,自她对“那个地方”--她常常是 ③ prepare one's mind 为.. 做好思想准备 这样称呼它的--从思想上作好准备以来,已有 pet /pet/v. 宠爱 许多年了。她母亲在生她时去世了,所以她从不 了解母亲,也不想念她。她的年轻、英俊、富 有、宠爱她的父亲似乎是她在这个世界上唯一的 亲人。他们总是在一起玩,彼此相亲,她只知道 他富有,因为她听到人们在认为她没有注意听的 bungalow /'bAnqalou/ n 有凉台的平房 时候是这么说的。她还听他们说,她长大以后也 salaam /sa'la:m/n. 额手靴 会富有。她并不明白成为富人的全部含义。她一 躬礼 give sb. one's own way to 直住在漂亮的有游廊的平房里,看惯许多仆人向 do sth.随心所欲地做... ayah/aia/ n. 女仆 她行礼,称她“小姐”,让她随心所欲。她有各 worship /wa:fip/ v. 崇拜 种玩具、小猫小狗和一个尊敬她的女仆,她逐渐 ·005· A Cittfe Princess however, was all she knew about it During her short life only one thing had troubled her, and that thing was "the place" she was to be taken to some day. The climate{} of India was very bad for children, and as soon as possible they were sent away from it-generally② to England and to school. She had seen other children go away, and had heard their fathers and mothers talk about the letters they received from them. She had known that she would be obliged{③} to go also, and though sometimes her father's stories of the voyage and the new country had attracted her, she had been troubled by the thought that he could not stay with her. "Couldn't you go to that place with me, papa? " she had asked when she was five years old. "Couldn't you go to school, too? I would help you with your lessons." “But you will not have to stay for a very long time, little Sara,"he had always said. "You will go to a nice house where there will be a lot of little girls, and you will play together, and I will send you plenty of books, and you will grow so fast that it will seem scarcely④ a year before you are big enough and clever enough to come back and take care of papa." She had liked to think of that. To keep the house{} for her father: to ride with him, and sit at the head of his table when he had dinner-parties: to talk to him and read his books that would be what she would like most in the world, and if one must go away to "the place"in England to attain} it, she must make up her mind to^{} go. She did not care very much for, other little girls, but if she had plenty of books she could console{⑧} herself. She liked books more than anything else, and was, in fact, always inventing stories of beautiful things and telling them to herself. Sometimes she had told them to her father, and he had liked them as much as she did "Well, papa," she said softly, "if we are here I suppose{ we must .006. 小公主 懂得富人都有这些东西。可是,她所知道的富有 就是这些。 ①climate /'klaimit/ n. 气短 在她有生以来的短短几年中,只有一件事使 她苦恼,这就是总有一天要把她送去的“那个地 方”。印度的气候对孩子来说是很不利的,要尽 ② generally /dgenarali/ ad 普遍地 快把他们送走--一般是送往英国上学。她看见 别的孩子离去,也听到他们的父母亲谈起收到他 ③oblige /s'blaidg/ v. 不得不 们的来信。她知道她也不得不去,虽然有时候她 做 父亲讲的关于航行和这个新国家的故事曾引起她 的兴趣,但使她苦恼的是,她不能和他在一起。 “你不能同我一起到那个地方去吗,爸爸?” 当她5岁的时候曾问过这个问题。“你不能也上 学吗?我会帮助你做功课的。' “可是你用不着呆很久,小萨拉,”他总是这 么说。“你将住在一所漂亮的房子里,那里有许 多小姑娘,你们可以一起玩,我会寄好多书给 你,你会很快地长大,几乎要不了一年,你就长 ④ scarcely /'skeasli/ ad. 仅 大起来了,能干得足可以回来照顾爸爸。”她喜 仅,几乎不 欢想这些事。替父亲管理家务;同他一起骑马, keep the house 呆在家里 不外出 在他举行宴会时坐在餐桌的主位上;同他谈话和 读他的书--这是她最喜爱的事,要是她必须到 英国的“那个地方”去,她就必须下决心去。她 attain/'tein/v.到达,达到 make up her mind to do 决 倒不大在乎别的小姑娘,只要有许多书可以安慰 定作... 自己就行了。她爱书胜过爱其他任何东西,事实 ③console /konsoul/ v. 安是 上,她总是编一些情节动人的故事,讲给自己 听。有时候她把故事讲给父亲听,他和她一样喜 欢这些故事。 “好吧,爸爸,”她低声说,“我们既然到了 suppose /sa'pouz/ v. 想,认 为 这里,我想我们只好听天由命了。” .007· A Cittfe Princess be resigned^①." He laughed at her old-fashioned speech and kissed her. He was really not at all resigned himself, though he knew he must keep that a secret. His quaint{② little Sara had been a great companion③ to him, and he felt he should be a lonely fellow when, on his return to India, he went intc his bungalow knowing he need not expect to see the small figure in its white frock④ come forward to meet him. So he held her very closely in his arm as the cab rolled into the big, dull sauare in which stood the house which was their destination It was a big,dull, brick house,exactly like all the others in its row, but that on the front door there shone a brass plate{} on which was engraved in black letters: MISS MINCHIN. Select{Seminary{for Young Ladies. "Here we are, Sara," said Captain Crewe, making his voice sound as cheerful as possible. Then he lifted her out of the cab and they mounted^{} the steps and rang the bell. Sara often thought afterward that the house was somehow exactly like Miss Minchin. It was respectable and well furnished, but everything in it was ugly; and the very armchairs seemed to have hard bones in them. In the hall everything was hard and polished-even the red cheeks of the moon face on the tall clock in the corner had a severe. varnished look. The drawing-room into which they were ushered^{} was covered by a carpet with a square pattern upon it, the chairs were square, and a heavy marble timepiece^{ stood upon the heavy marble mantel^{}. As she sat down in one of the stiff mahogany^{} chairs, Sara cast one of her quick looks about her ·0o8. 小公主 ① resigned /ri'zaind/ a. 屈从 他听到她的这种老成的说法笑了,吻了吻 的,顺从的 ② quaint /kweint/ a. 离奇有 她。他实在根本没想听天由命,但是他知道必须 趣的 保守秘密。他的机灵的小萨拉,一直是他的好伙 ③ companion /kom'paenjon 1.伙伴,朋友 伴,他想到回到印度后,他将是一个孤独的人, 当他走进平房时,就会知道自已不能指望见到穿 白外衣的小人前来迎接他。因此他更紧地楼着 ④ frock /frok/ n lI.童外衣 她,这时马车驶进一个阴暗的大广场,坐落在广 场上的那所房子就是他们的目的地。 这是一所宽大而阴暗的砖房,和那一排建筑 brass /bra:s/ n. 黄铜 物中其他房子完全一样,只是它的前门有一块发 plate /pleit/ n. 门牌 亮的铜牌,上面刻着黑体字 明钦小姐 私立女子学校 select /selikt/ e (学校.社 团等)选择成员严格的 ⑧ seminary /'seminari/ n. 学 院(尤私立女校或学院) “我们到了,萨拉,”克鲁上尉说,尽量使 声音听上去显得快活一些。接着他把她从马车 上抱下,登上台阶,拉响门钗。萨拉后来总觉 mount /maunt/ v. 爬上 得,这所房子不知怎的跟明钦小姐完全一样。 它是体面的,家具也好,但室内的一切却很难 看;就连扶手椅中间也仿佛有着硬掷掷的骨头。 大厅里的每样东西都是坚硬的,擦得发亮,甚 至角落里那只高大时钟的圆脸上,红润的双颊 也透出一种严厉的光泽。接待他们的那间客厅 usher/Afav. 引l导 里,铺着一块有正方形图案的地毯,几把椅子 timepiece /taimpi:s/ n. 钟 也是正方形的,一只笨重的大理石时钟摆在笨 mantel /maentl/ n. 壁炉架 重的大理石壁炉架上。 mahogany /ma'hogani/ n 萨拉在一把坚硬的红木椅上坐下,对周围迅 红木 速地看了一眼。 .009· A Cittfe Princess "I don't like it, papa," she said. "But then I dare say soldiers-even brave ones-don't really like going into battle." Captain Crewe laughed outright at this. He was young and full of fun, and he never tired of hearing Sara's queer speeches “Oh, little Sara,"he said. "What shall I do when I have no one to say solemn{①} things to me? No one else is quite as solemn as you are." “But why do solemn things make you laugh so?" inquired② Sara. “Because you are such fun when you say them," he answered, laughing still more. And then suddenly he swept her into his arms and kissed her very hard, stopping laughing all at once and looking almost as if tears had come into his eyes. It was just then that Miss Minchin entered the room. She was very like her house, Sara felt: tall and dull, and respectable and ugly. She had large, cold, fishy③ eyes, and a large, cold, fishy smile. It spread itself into a very large smile when she saw Sara and Captain Crewe. She had heard a great many desirable things of the young soldier from the lady who had recommended④ her school to him. Among other things, she had heard that he was a rich father who was willing to spend a great deal of money on his little daughter "It will be a great privilege{} to have charge of such a beautiful and promising{ child, Captain Crewe," she said, taking Sara's hand and stroking it. "Lady Meredith has told me of her unusual cleverness. A clever child is a great treasure in an establishment^{} like mine." Sara stood quietly, with her eyes fixed upon Miss Minchin's face. She was thinking something odd, as usual. "Why does she say I am a beautiful child?" she was thinking."I am not beautiful at all. Colonel Grange's little girl, Isobel, is beautiful .O1O.