2 A FRENCH LESSON法语课-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《小公主A Little Princess》

2 A FBENCH LESSON WHEN Sara entered the school-room the next morning everybody looked at her with wide, interested eyes. By that time every pupil-from Lavinia Herbert, who was nearly thirteen and felt quite grown up,to Lottie Legh, who was only just four and the baby of the school-had heard a great deal about her. They knew very certainly^{①} that she was Miss Minchin's show pupil and was considered a credit② to the establishment. One or two of them had even caught a glimpse of^③ her French maid, Mariette, who had arrived the evening before. Lavinia had managed to pass Sara's room when the door was open, and had seen Mariette opening a box which had arrived late from some shop. "It was full of petticoats{④ with lace frills{} on them-frills and frills," she whispered to her friend Jessie as she bent over her geography. "I saw her shaking them out. I heard Miss Minchin say to Miss Amelia that her clothes were so grand that they were ridiculous for a child. My mamma says that children should be dressed simply. She has got one of those petticoats on now. I saw it when she sat down." "She has silk stockings on!" whispered Jessie, bending over her geography also."And what little feet! I never saw such little feet." .024· D 法语课 第二天上午,当萨拉走进教室时,每个人都 睁大了眼睛饶有兴趣地看着她。到这时候,每个 学生--从自以为已相当成熟的年近13岁的拉维 尼哑·赫伯特到学校中最小的4岁的洛蒂·利- 都已听说了关于她的许多事情。他们都很明白 ①certainly /'sa:tonli/ ad. 无 疑;一定, 她是为明钦小姐装点门面的学生,也被看成是这 ② credit /kredit/ n. 荣誉 ③ catch a glimpse of 看到 所学校的光荣。有一两个学生甚至见过昨天晚上 才到达的她的法国女仆玛丽埃特。当萨拉的房门 开着时,拉维尼哑设法走过她的房间,看见玛丽 埃特正在打开不久前哪一家商店送来的一只盒 子。 “盒子里全是带花边的裙子-各种各样的花 ④ pctticoat /petikout/ n. 福 子 边,”她悄悄对她的朋友杰西说,一边埋头阅读地 frill/fril/n.(服装的)褶边 理书。“我看见她把它们抖开。我听见明钦小姐 geography /d3i'ografi,'d3iog-/ n. 地 对阿米莉亚小姐说,萨拉的衣服那么华丽,小孩 理 子穿简直可笑。我妈说,孩子应该穿戴简朴。她 现在就穿着一件这样的裙子。她坐下的时候我看 见了。” “她还穿着长筒丝袜!”杰西低声说,也在埋 头看地理书。“多小的脚!我从来没有见过这么 ·025· A Cittfe Princess "Oh,"sniffed^①Lavinia, spitefully②},"that is the way her slippers are made. My mamma says that even big feet can be made to look small if you have a clever shoemaker. I don't think she is pretty at all. Her eyes are such a queer color." "She isn't pretty as other pretty people are," said Jessie, stealing a glance across the room; "but she makes you want to look at her again. She has tremendously long eyelashes, but her eyes are almost green." Sara was sitting quietly in her seat, waiting to be told what to do. She had been placed near Miss Minchin's desk. She was not abashed③ at all by the many pairs of eyes watching her. She was interested and looked back quietly at the children who looked at her. She wondered④ what they were thinking of, and if they liked Miss Minchin, and if they cared for their lessons, and if any of them had a papa at all like her own She had had a long talk with Emily about her papa that morning “He is on the sea now, Emily," she had said. “We must be very great friends to each other and tell each other things. Emily, look at me. You have the nicest eyes I ever saw-but I wish you could speak." She was a child full of imaginings and whimsical} thoughts, and one of her fancies*} was that there would be a great deal of comfort in even pretending^{} that Emily was alive and really heard and understood. After Mariette had dressed her in her dark-blue school-room frock and tied her hair with a dark-blue ribbon{}, she went to Emily, who sat in a chair of her own, and gave her a book. "You can read that while I am down-stairs," she said, and, seeing Mariette looking at her curiously^{②}, she spoke to her with a serious little face. "What I believe about dolls," she said, "is that they can do things they will not let us know about. Perhaps, really, Emily can read and talk ·026. 小公主 ① sniff /snif/ v. 嗤之以鼻,轻 小的脚。” 视 “哼,”拉维尼怨恨地哼了一声道,“是她 ② spitefully /'spaitfuli/ ad. 怀 有恶意 的鞋弄成这么小的。我妈说,要是你有个手巧的 鞋匠,连大脚也可以看上去像小脚。我觉得她长 得一点不美。她眼睛的颜色那么怪。” “她不像别的美人那么漂亮,”杰西说着偷偷 地朝房间的另一端看了一眼,“不过她使你想再 看她。她的睫毛长极了,可她的眼睛几乎是绿色 的。” 萨拉正安静地坐在座位上,等待着教她干什 ③ abashed /a'baeft/ a. 局促 么。她被安排在明钦小姐书桌旁。她一点也没有 不安的 ④wonder/wAndalv. 想知道 因为许多双眼睛看着她而局促不安。她也感兴趣 地默默看着那些正看着她的孩子。她想知道她们 在想些什么,是否喜欢明钦小姐,是否关心自己 的功课,她们中间是否有人有像她那样的爸爸 这天早晨,她和埃米莉花了很多时间谈她的爸 爸。 “现在他在海上啦,埃米莉,”她说,“我们 彼此一定要成为最好的朋友,把一切事情都告诉 whimsical /'(hiwimzikol 对方。埃米莉,看着我。你有着我所见过的最漂 a.古怪的 亮的眼睛--但是我希望你能说话。” fancy /faensi/ n. 想象 pretend /pri'tend/ v. 假装 她是个有丰富想象力和古怪想法的孩子,她 ② ribbon /riban/n. 缀带 的幻想之一就是权当埃米莉是有生命的,真的听 得见和听得懂,而她从中能得到很多安慰。在玛 丽埃特替她穿上深蓝色的校服,用深蓝色的缀带 替她扎上头发以后,她就走到坐在自已椅子上的 埃米莉那里,给了她一本书 curiously /kjuariasli/ ad “我在楼下的时候,你可以看这本书,”她 好奇地 说,她看见玛丽埃特奇怪地瞧她时,她就板起小 脸对她说了起来。 “我相信,”她说 “玩具娃娃能做各种事情, ·027· A Cittfe Princess and walk, but she will only do it when people are out of the room. That is her secret. You see, if people knew that dolls could do things, they would make them work. So, perhaps, they have promised each other to keep it a secret. If you stay in the room, Emily will just sit there and stare: but if you go out, she will begin to read, perhaps, or go and look out of the window. Then if she heard either of us coming, she would just run back and jump into her chair and pretend she had been there all the time." "Comme elle est drole!" Mariette said to herself, and when she went down-stairs she told the head housemaid{①} about it. But she had already begun to like this odd little girl who had such an intelligent small face and such perfect manners②. She had taken care of children before who were not so polite. Sara was a very fine little person, and had a gentle, appreciative{③ way of saying,"If you please, Mariette,""Thank you, Mariette," which was very charming. Mariette told the head housemaid that she thanked her as if she was thanking a lady. "Elle a l'air d'une princesse, cette petite," she said. Indeed, she was very much pleased with her new little mistress^{④ and liked her place greatly. After Sara had sat in her seat in the school-room for a few minutes, being looked at by the pupils, Miss Minchin rapped{} in a dignified^} manner upon her desk. "Young ladies," she said, "I wish to introduce you to your new companion." All the little girls rose in their places, and Sara rose also. "1 shall expect you all to be very agreeable^{} to Miss Crewe; she has just come to us from a great distance-in fact, from India. As soon as lessons are over you must make each other's acquaintance{}." The pupils bowed ceremoniously{, and Sara made a little courtesy^{}, and then they sat down and looked at each other again. .028· 小公主 不过它们不想让我们知道。埃米莉也许真的能读。 能说、能走路,不过只有当房子里没人时,她才 会这样做。这是她的秘密。你要明白,要是人们 知道玩具娃娃们能做事,就会要它们工作。因此 它们也许已经彼此保证对这件事保密。要是你呆 在房间里,埃米莉只会坐在那里瞧着你;要是你 走了出去,或许她会开始读书,也可能走过去瞧 瞧窗外。这时候,如果她听到哪一个人来了,她 就会往回跑,跳到她的椅子上,假装她一直在那 里。” ① housemaid /hausmeid/ “Comme elle est drole(法语:她多么滑稽可 女拥人,女仆 笑),”玛丽埃特对自己说。她下楼把这件事告诉 ②manner /maena n. 举i止 女仆头儿,但她已经开始喜欢这位古怪的小姑 娘,她有着那么聪明的面相,举正又那么得体。 她以前照顾过的孩子都不曾那么有礼貌。萨拉是 ③ appreciative /o'pri:fjotiv a.有欣赏力的 个很好的小孩,说话文雅,令人赞赏,“对不 起,玛丽埃特,”“谢谢你,玛丽埃特,”干分可 爱。玛丽埃特告诉女仆头儿,萨拉向她道谢时好 像是向一位夫人道谢一样。“Ellea1'aird' ④mistress /mistris/ n. 女主 , une princesse,cette petite(法语:这个女孩像个 公主),”她说。她确实很喜欢她的新的小女主 rap /raep/v. 轻敲,拍击 人,也非常喜欢她的房间。 dignified /dignifaid/ a. 众目之下,萨拉在教室里的座位上坐了 威风的,庄严的 agreeable /a'ariobl/ a. 使 几分钟后,明钦小姐态度庄严地敲敲她的书桌。 人愉快的 “小姐们,”她说,“我要把你们的新同伴介 ③ acquaintance /s'kweintans/ n.熟悉,认 绍给你们。”所有小姑娘都从座位上站起,萨拉也 识 站了起来。“我希望你们大家都能和克鲁小姐非 ceremoniously /seri'maunjasli,-nias/ ad 常友好地相处;她刚从很远的地方一-事实上是 讲究礼节地 从印度来到我们这里。下课后,你们互相认识一 courtesy /ko:tisi. ko:-/ n 屈膝礼 下。” 学生们都有礼貌地鞠了一躬,萨拉微微行了 ·029· A Cittfe Princess "Sara," said Miss Minchin in her school-room manner,"come here tome." She had taken a book from the desk and was turning over its leaves Sara went to her politely. "As your papa has engaged^{①}a French maid for you," she began,"I conclude that he wishes you to make a special study of the French language." Sara felt a little awkward{② "I think he engaged her," she said,"because he-he thought I would like her, Miss Minchin." "I am afraid," said Miss Minchin, with a slightly③ sour④ smile, "that you have been a very spoiled little girl and always imagine that things are done because you like them. My impressionis that your papa wished you to learn French." If Sara had been older or less punctilious{} about being quite polite to people, she could have explained herself in a very few words. But, as it was, she felt a flush rising on her cheeks. Miss Minchin was a very severe^{} and imposing{} person, and she seemed so absolutely sure that Sara knew nothing whatever of French that she felt as if it would be almost rude to correct her, The truth was that Sara could not remember the time when she had not seemed to know French. Her father had often spoken it to her when she had been a baby. Her mother had been a French woman, and Captain Crewe had loved her language, so it happened that Sara had always heard and been familiar with it. "I-I have never really learned French, but-but-" she began, trying shyly to make herself clear One of Miss Minchin's chief secret annoyances* was that she did not speak French herself, and was desirous^{} of concealing^{① the irritating fact. She, therefore, had no intention of discussing the matter .O30. 小公主 个屈膝礼,接着她们都坐下了,重又相互打量。 “萨拉,”明钦小姐摆出上课的架式说,“到 我这里来。” 她已从书桌上拿起一本书,正在翻阅。萨拉 ①engage /in'geidy/ v. 雇用 彬彬有礼地朝她走去。 “因为你爸爸为你雇了一名法国女仆,”她开 始说,“我断定他希望你要特意地学习法语。” ② awkward /o:kwod/ a 萨拉感到有点尴尬。 尴尬的 “我觉得他雇用了她,”她说,“因为他- ③ slightly /'slaitli/ ad. 轻微 地,略 他认为我会喜欢她的,明钦小姐。” ④ sour /saua/ a. 烦燥的,恼 “我认为,”明钦小姐露出有些恼怒的微笑 怒的 说,“你是一个被宠坏了的小女孩,总是认为人 impression /im'prefan/ n 印象:感想 家为你做什么事是因为你喜欢。我的印象是你的 爸爸希望你学法语。” 要是萨拉的年纪大一些,或者不是那么拘泥 punctilious /pank'tilias/ a.拘泥细节的,谨小慎微 于对人要很有礼貌,她本来可以用几句话解释清 的 楚。但是,她感到自已两颊一下子就红了。明钦 severe /si'viala. 严厉的 小姐是个极其苛刻而严厉的人,她似乎绝对肯定 萨拉根本不懂法语,所以她觉得纠正她的说法几 乎是粗暴无礼的。萨拉实在不记得她似乎不懂法 语的时候了。她还是个婴儿的时候,她的父亲就 经常对她讲法语。她母亲是法国人,克鲁上尉喜 ⑧ imposing /im'pauzin/ a 爱她的语言,因此萨拉经常听到并熟悉法语。 强迫性的 “我--我从来没有真正学过法语,可 annoyance /o'noions/ n. 烦 恼的事情 是--可是--”她开始羞怯地想讲清楚。 desirous /di'zaioras/ a. 渴 望的 明钦小姐隐秘的主要烦恼之一是她自己不会 conceal /kon'si:V/ v. 隐藏 隐 讲法语,而她又竭力想隐瞒这个令人不快的事 实。因此她无意谈论这个问题,在一个新来的小 学生无知的提问下暴露自己。 .031· A Cittfe Princess and laying herself open to innocent questioning by a new little pupil "That is enough," she said with polite tartness^{①}. "If you have not learned, you must begin at once. The French master, Monsieur Dufarge, will be here in a few minutes. Take this book and look at it until he arrives." Sara's cheeks felt warm. She went back to her seat and opened the book. She looked at the first page with a grave face. She knew it would be rude to smile, and she was very determined②} not to be rude. But it was very odd to find herself expected to study a page which told her tha “le père" meant"the father,"and"la mère"meant "the mother." Miss Minchin glanced toward her scrutinizingly③} "You look rather cross④, Sara," she said, "I am sorry you do not like the idea of learning French." "I am very, fond of it," answered Sara, thinking she would try again;"but-" "You must not say 'but'when you are told to do things," said Miss Minchin."Look at your book again." And Sara did so, and did not smile, even when she found that "le fils"meant "the son,"and "le frère"meant "the brother." “When Monsieur Dufarge comes,"she thought, "I can make him understand." Monsieur Dufarge arrived very shortly afterward. He was a very nice, intelligent, middle-aged Frenchman, and he looked interested when his eyes fell upon Sara trying politely to seem absorbed} in her little book of phrases. "Is this a new pupil for me, madame?" he said to Miss Minchin. "I hope that is my good fortune^{}." "Her papa-Captain Crewe-is very anxious that she should begin the language. But I am afraid she has a childish prejudice{ against it. .032. 小公主 “这就够了,”她有礼而又尖刻地说。“要是 你没有学过,就得马上开始学。过几分钟,法语 ① tartness /ta:tnis n. 尖刻 教师杜法奇先生就要来这里。在他到来以前,把 这本书拿去看看。” 萨拉觉得脸上热乎乎的。她回到自己座位 上,把书打开。她严肃地看着第一页。她知道笑 是失礼的,而她已决定断断不要失礼。但非常可 ②determined /di'to:mind/ a 笑的是,要她学习的一页书上告诉她,“lepère” 坚决的,已下决心的 的意思是“父亲”和“lamère”的意思是“母 亲”。 ③ scrutinize /'skrutinaiz/ y 细察,详审 明钦小姐检查似地瞥了她一眼 ④cross/kros/a.生气的,发 怒的 “你好像很不高兴,萨拉,”她说,“你不喜 欢学法语这个主张,我很遗憾。” “我很喜欢法语,”萨拉答道,同时想再设法 解释一下,“可是-” “当告诉你做什么事情的时候,不能说可 是’”,明钦小姐说,“再去看你的书吧。” 萨拉这样做了,甚至当她看到“lefils”意 思是“儿子,”和“lefrère”意思是“兄弟”的 时候,也没有笑。 “杜法奇先生来的时候,”她想,“我能使他 明白的。” 不一会儿以后,杜法奇先生就到了。他是个 absorbed /b'so:bd/ a. 注意 力集中的,一心一意的 文雅而聪明的法国人,已人到中年。他的目光落 phrase /freiz/n. 短语,词组 在极力想礼貌地似乎专心阅读那本印着短语的小 书的萨拉身上时,显出很感兴趣的样子。 fortune /'fo:tfon/ n. 运与 “这就是我的新学生吗,小姐?”他对明钦小 姐说,“我希望她使我交上好运。” ⑧ prejudice /predsudis/ n. 成 见,偏见 “她的爸爸克鲁上尉很想让她学习这种语言。 ·033·