Chapter8 The Story of My Life-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《假如给我三天光明Three Days to See》

The Story ofMyCife CHAPTER8 HE FIRST CHRIsTMAS after Miss Sullivan cane to Tuscumbia was a great event. Every one in the family prepared surprises for me, but what pleased me most, Miss Sullivan and I prepared surprises for everybody else. The mystery that surrounded the gifts was my greatest delight and amusement. My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick^{①} of time. Miss Sullivan and I kept up a game of guessing which taught me more about the use of language than any set lessons could have done. Every evening, seated round a glowing wood fire, we played our guessing game, which grew more and more exciting as Christmas approached. On Christmas Eve the Tuscumbia schoolchildren had their tree, to which they invited me. In the center of the schoolroom stood a beautiful tree ablaze② and shimmering{} in the soft light. its branches loaded with strange, wonderfu fruit. It was a moment of supreme happiness. I danced and capered{} round the tree in an ecstasy. When I learned that there was a gift for each child. I was delighted, and the kind people who had prepared the tree permitted me to hand the presents to the children. In the pleasure of doing this. I did not stop to look at my own gifts: but when I was ready for them, my impatience for the rea Christmas to begin almost got beyond control. I knew the gifts I already had .o90. 我的生活l 第八章 沙利文小姐来到塔斯坎比亚后,我们过的第一个圣 诞节可称得上是一件大事。家里的每一个人都为我准备 了惊喜,但最让我开心的是,我和沙利文小姐也为大家 准备了惊喜。饱含神秘的礼物激起了我巨大的乐趣和快 乐。我的朋友们尽其所能地通过各种暗示刺激我的好奇 ① nick [nik]n.关键时刻 心,在紧要关头他们故意只拼写半个句子来吊我胃口。 我和沙利文小姐一直都在玩猜词游戏,从中我掌握了更 多的语言技巧,这些技巧在课堂上是学不到的。每天晚 上我们都围坐在燃烧的炉火旁玩猜词游戏,随着圣诞节 的逼近,我们变得一天比一天兴奋 圣诞前夕,塔斯坎比亚的学生们也有自己的圣诞 ② ablaze [a'bleiz]a. 闪耀 树,他们邀请我一起参加庆祝活动。在教室的中间,赢 ③ shimmering I'fimorin]a 立着一棵美丽的圣诞树,它闪烁着柔和的灯光,枝干上 闪烁的 ④ caper [keipa]v: "跳 缀满了奇特的果实。那是一个极其幸福的时刻,我欢呼 露 雀跃地绕着圣诞树跳舞。当我得知每一个孩子都会得到 ecstasy Iekstasi]n. 狂喜 一份礼物时,我高兴极了。那些装扮圣诞树的善良人还 允许我把礼物分给在场的孩子们。在发放礼物期间,我 忍不住不停地看自己的那份礼物;当一切准备就绪,我 激动得难以自抑,一心想看到自己的礼物。我知道我的 礼物不是朋友们逗弄我时所暗示的东西,沙利文小姐也 .091· The Story ofMyCife were not those of which friends had thrown out such tantalizing{①} hints, and my teacher said the presents I was to have would be even nicer than these. I was persuaded, however, to content myself with the gifts from the tree and leave the others until morning That night, after I had hung my stocking, I lay awake a long time, pretending to be asleep and keeping alert②} to see what Santa Claus would do when he came At last I fell asleep with a new doll and a white bear in my arms. Next morning it was I who waked the whole family with my first "Merry Christmas!" I found surprises, not in the stocking only, but on the table, on all the chairs, at the door on the very window-sill{③}: indeed, I could hardly walk without stumbling on a bit of Christmas wrapped up in tissue{} paper. But when my teacher presented me with a canary{}, my cup of happiness overflowed. Little Tim was so tame that he would hop on my finger and eat candied cherries out of my hand. Miss Sullivan taught me to take all the care of my new pet. Every morning after breakfast I prepared his bath, made his cage clean and sweet, filled his cups with fresh seed and water from the well-house, and hung a spray of chickweed{} in his swing^{}. One morning I left the cage on the window-seat while I went to fetch water for his bath. When I returned I felt a big cat brush past me as I opened the door At first I did not realize what had happened: but when I put my hand in the cage and Tim's pretty wings did not meet my touch or his small pointed claws take hold of my finger, I knew that I should never see my sweet little singer again .092. 我的生活l ① tantalizing I'taentalaizin] 告诉我将要得到的礼物比他们说的东西都要好。最终在 a.挑逗性的 他们的劝说下,我对圣诞树上的礼物感到心满意足,并 将其他留给了早上时光。 平安夜,我悬挂好自已的长袜后便躺在床上假装睡 着,我一直保持警醒,想看看圣诞老人什么时候来。后 ② alert [o'laxt]a. 警觉的 来我楼着新的洋娃娃和小白熊睡着了。第二天早上我第 一个醒来,然后以“圣诞快乐”唤醒了全家人。让我惊 喜的是家里到处都摆满了礼物:长袜里、桌子上、椅子 上、门边和窗台上。事实上,我在圣诞礼物堆里几乎是 满酬而行,那些礼物都是用薄纱纸包裹着的。当沙利文 ③sill[silln.窗台 小姐送我一只金丝雀一一蒂姆时,我感到幸福满满,几 ④ tissue I'tifjux]n. 薄纸 canary [ka'ncari]n. 金 乎都要溢出来了。 丝雀 小蒂姆非常温顺,它在我的手指上崩来跳去,还从 我手中啄樱挑蜜钱吃。沙利文小姐教我如何照顾好我的 新宠物。每天早饭后,我就为它洗澡,清扫它的笼子 把它的小杯子里加满新鲜的食物和从井房那边取来的清 chickweed I'tfikwitd] n. 水,最后在它站立的秋千上挂上一簇绽开的警缕 【植物】缕 一天早上我把鸟笼放在了窗座上,然后去打水准备 swing[swin]n. 秋千 为它洗澡。然而,就在我回来开门的时候,我看到一只 大猫与我擦身而过。起初,我并没有意识到发生了什么 事,直到我把手伸进笼子里却没有摸到小蒂姆的翅膀 它那尖细的小爪子也没有握住我的手指。那一刻,我知 道我再也见不到我那可爱的小歌唱家了 .o93.