LESSON 16

A KIND BROTHER

善良的哥哥

1. A boy was once sent from home to take a basket of things to his grandmother.

2. The basket was so full that it was very heavy. So his little brother went with him, to help carry the load.

3. They put a pole under the handle of the basket, and each then took hold of an end of the pole. In this way they could carry the basket very nicely.

4. Now the older boy thought, "My brother Tom does not know about this pole.

5. "If I slip the basket near him, his side will be heavy, and mine light; but if the basket is in the middle of the pole, it will be as heavy for me as it is for him.

6. "Tom does not know this as I do. But I will not do it. It would be wrong, and I will not do what is wrong."

7. Then he slipped the basket quite near his own end of the pole. His load was now heavier than that of his little brother.

8. Yet he was happy; for he felt that he had done right. Had he deceived his brother, he would not have felt at all happy.

【中文阅读】

1．从前，一个男孩离开家去给他的奶奶送一篮子东西。

2．篮子装得很满，又很重。他的小弟弟和他一起去，好帮他搬东西。

3．他们把一根竿子放在篮子的提手下，然后每个人提着竿子的一端。这样他们就可以很轻松地抬起篮子了。

4．现在，哥哥在想：“我弟弟汤姆不明白这个竿子的作用。

5．“如果我把篮子滑得离他近一些，他那边就会重，我这边就会轻。但如果篮子在竿子的中间，他所提的重量就会和我的一样。

6．“汤姆不明白我在干什么，但我不能这样做。这是错的，我不能犯错误。”

7．然后，他把篮子滑得离他自己这端很近。他提的重量现在比他弟弟的更大了。

8．但他很高兴，因为他觉得自己做的是对的。如果他欺骗了弟弟，他一点儿也不会觉得高兴。