LESSON 62

FRANK AND THE HOURGLASS

弗兰克和时漏

line figure second perfectly
grain verse advice impatient
study busily followed understand
  1. Frank was a very talkative little boy. He never saw a new thing without asking a great many questions about it.

LESSON 62 - 图1

  1. His mother was very patient and kind. When it was proper to answer his questions, she would do so.

  2. Sometimes she would say, "You are not old enough to understand that, my son. When you are ten years old, you may ask me about it, and I will tell you."

  3. When his mother said this, he never teased any more. He knew she always liked to answer him when he asked proper questions.

  4. The first time Frank saw an hourglass, he was very much amused; but he did not know what it was.

  5. His mother said, "An hourglass is made in the shape of the figure 8. The sand is put in at one end, and runs through a small hole in the middle. As much sand is put into the glass as will run through in an hour."

  6. Frank watched the little stream of sand. He was impatient, because it would not run faster. "Let me shake it, mother," said he; "it is lazy, and will never get through."

  7. "Oh yes, it will, my son," said his mother, "The sand moves by little and little, but it moves all the time.

  8. "When you look at the hands of the clock, you think they go very slowly, and so they do; but they never stop.

  9. "While you are at play the sand is running, grain by grain, The hands of the clock are moving, second by second.

  10. "At night, the sand in the hourglass has run through twelve times. The hour hand of the clock has moved all around its great face.

  11. "This because they keep at work every minute. They do not stop to think how much they have to do, and how long it will take them to do it."

  12. Now, Frank's mother wanted him to learn a little hymn; but he said, "Mother, I can never learn it."

  13. His mother said, "Study all the time. Never stop to ask how long it will take to learn it. You will be able to say it very soon."

  14. Frank followed his mother's advice. He studied line after line, very busily; and in one hour and a half he knew the hymn perfectly.

【中文阅读】

1．弗兰克是一个非常善谈的小男孩。每当看到一件新东西，他都会无一例外地提出一大堆关于它的问题。

2．他的妈妈非常善良，也是个很有耐心的人。每当弗兰克问的问题适合回答，她就会予以回答。

3．有时她会说：“你还小，这些问题对于你来说还理解不了，我的儿子。当你满十岁的时候，你再问我，我会告诉你的。”

4．每当妈妈这样说的时候，弗兰克从没取笑过妈妈。他知道只要他问的问题合适，妈妈总是很愿意回答他的问题。

5．弗兰克第一次看见沙漏的时候，他觉得非常有趣，却不知道这是干什么用的。

6．妈妈说：“沙漏是按照数字8的形状做成的。沙子被放在一头，然后穿过中间的一个细洞流到玻璃杯里。沙子的总量刚好够它们流上一个小时。”

7．弗兰克注视着流下来的细沙。他很着急，因为沙子不能流得再快些。“妈妈，让我摇摇它吧。”他说，“它们太懒了，根本不会流空的。”

8．“噢，是的，我的孩子。”妈妈说，“沙子一点儿一点儿地流，但它们却一直在流动喔。”

9．“当你拿它们和钟表上的指针比较时，你觉得他们走得非常慢。它们走得的确很慢，但它们从没停下脚步。”

10．“当你玩的时候，沙子仍在一粒一粒地流下，钟表上的指针也在一秒一秒地走。”

11．“夜里，沙漏里的沙子会来回流十二次，钟表上的时针也会在钟表盘上转整整一圈。”

12．“这是因为它们每分钟都在工作。它们从不停下来思考它们已经做了多少工作，以及还需要多长时间来完成。”

13．现在，弗兰克的妈妈想要他学一学圣歌，他却说：“妈妈，我永远都学不会这个。”

14．他的妈妈说：“一直都得学。永远不要停下来问这个要学多长时间。你很快就能学会的。”

15．弗兰克听从了妈妈的劝告，他勤奋地学了一行又一行。一个半小时之后，他完整地学会了圣歌。