LESSON 60

THE CONTENTED BOY

知足的男孩

Mr. Lenox was one morning riding by himself. He got off from his horse to look at something on the roadside. The horse broke away from him, and ran off. Mr. Lenox ran after him, but soon found that he could not catch him.

A little boy at work in a field near the road, heard the horse. As soon as he saw him running from his master, the boy ran very quickly to the middle of the road, and, catching the horse by the bridle, stopped him till Mr. Lenox came up.

Mr. Lenox. Thank you, my good boy, you have caught my horse very nicely. What shall I give you for your trouble?

Boy. I want nothing, sir.

Mr. L. You want nothing? So much the better for you. Few men can say as much. But what were you doing in the field?

B. I was rooting^〔1〕 up weeds, and tending^〔2〕 the sheep that were feeding on turnips^〔3〕.

Mr. L. Do you like to work?

B. Yes, sir, very well, this fine weather^〔4〕.

Mr. L. But would you not rather play?

B. This is not hard work. It is almost as good as play.

Mr. L. Who set you to work?

B. My father, sir.

Mr. L. What is your name?

B. Peter Hurdle, sir.

Mr. L. How old are you?

B. Eight years old, next June.

Mr. L. How long have you been here?

B. Ever since six o'clock this morning.

Mr. L. Are you not hungry?

B. Yes, sir, but I shall go to dinner soon.

Mr. L. If you had a dime now, what would you do with it?

B. I don't know, sir. I never had so much.

Mr. L. Have you no playthings?

B. Playthings? What are they?

Mr. L. Such things as ninepins, marbles, tops, and wooden horses.

B. No, sir. Tom and I play at football in winter, and I have a jumping rope. I had a hoop, but it is broken.

Mr. L. Do you want nothing else?

B. I have hardly time to play with what I have. I have to drive the cows, and to run on errands^〔5〕, and to ride the horses to the fields, and that is as good as play.

Mr. L. You could get apples and cakes, if you had money, you know.

B. I can have apples at home. As for cake, I do not want that. My mother makes me a pie now and then, which is as good.

Mr. L. Would you not like a knife to cut sticks?

B. I have one. Here it is. Brother Tom gave it to me.

Mr. L. Your shoes are full of holes. Don't you want a new pair?

B. I have a better pair for Sundays.

Mr. L. But these let in water.

B. I do not mind that, sir.

Mr. L. Your hat is all torn, too.

B. I have a better one at home.

Mr. L. What do you do when it rains?

B. If it rains very hard when I am in the field, I get under a tree for shelter.

Mr. L. What do you do, if you are hungry before it is time to go home?

B. I sometimes eat a raw^〔6〕 turnip.

Mr. L. But if there is none?

B. Then I do as well as I can without. I work on, and never think of it.

Mr. L. Why, my little fellow, I am glad to see that you are so contented. Were you ever at school?

B. No, sir. But father means to send me next winter.

Mr. L. You will want books then.

B. Yes, sir; each boy has a Spelling Book, a Reader, and a Testament^〔7〕.

Mr. L. Then I will give them to you. Tell your father so, and that it is because you are an obliging, contented little boy.

B. I will, sir. Thank you.

Mr. L. Good by, Peter.

B. Good morning, sir.

(Dr. John Aiken)

【中文阅读】

有一天早晨，雷诺克斯先生正独自骑着马。为了看路旁的某样东西，他从马上下来了。突然，马从他手上挣脱，跑开了。雷诺克斯先生急忙去追，可是很快就发现不可能追得上。

路旁的田里有一个小男孩正在劳作，他听到了马的声音。他一看到马从主人身边逃开，就迅速跑到路中间，他抓住了缰绳，让马停了下来，等待雷克诺斯先生走近。

雷诺克斯先生（以下为“雷”）：谢谢你，好小伙儿，你抓住了我的马，干得很漂亮。给你添了麻烦，我该给你些什么表示感谢呢？

男孩（以下为“男”）：我什么也不要，先生。

雷：你什么也不要？对你来说何乐而不为呢。很少有人能这么说的。可是你刚才在田里做什么呢？

男：我在除草，还有照看吃芜菁的绵羊。

雷：你喜欢干活吗？

男：是的，先生，很喜欢，这么好的天气。

雷：可是你不想去玩耍吗？

男：这不是什么重活，这几乎和玩耍一样好。

雷：是谁安排你来干活的？

男：我的父亲，先生。

雷：你叫什么名字？

男：彼得·赫德尔，先生。

雷：你多大了？

男：到6月就8岁了。

雷：你在这儿待了多久了？

男：早晨6点以后我就一直在这里。

雷：你肚子不饿吗？

男：饿的，先生，但是我很快就要吃午饭了。

雷：如果你有个一角的硬币，你会用它来做什么呢？

男：我不知道，先生，我从来没有过那么多的钱。

雷：你没有玩具吗？

男：玩具？玩具是什么？

雷：例如九柱戏、玻璃弹子、陀螺和木马等。

男：没有，先生。汤姆和我冬天的时候玩橄榄球，我有一根跳绳，还有一个铁箍，不过坏掉了。

雷：你不想要点别的东西吗？

男：我几乎没有时间玩我拥有的东西。我必须赶牛、跑腿、把马骑到田野里放养，这些事情和玩一样有趣。

雷：你知道，如果你有钱，可以买到苹果和蛋糕。

男：我家里就有苹果。至于说蛋糕，我不想要。我妈妈时不时会为我做馅饼，那也一样好吃。

雷：你想不想要一把刀用来削木棍？

男：我有一把。就在这儿。汤姆哥哥给我的。

雷：你的鞋子全是洞，难道你不想要一双新的吗？

男：我有一双好一点的鞋子，星期天才穿的。

雷：可是你现在穿的这双会进水的。

男：我不介意，先生。

雷：你的帽子也破了。

男：我家里有一顶更好的。

雷：下雨的时候你怎么办呢？

男：我在地里干活的时候，要是雨下得很大，我就到树底下避一避。

雷：如果你饿了，可是还没到时间回家，你怎么办？

男：我有时候会吃一个生萝卜。

雷：要是没有生萝卜呢？

男：那没有东西吃我也会一样好好地干活。我会继续干活，不去想它。

雷：啊，我的小家伙，我很高兴看到你如此知足常乐。你有没有上过学？

男：没有，先生。不过父亲有意明年冬天送我去念书。

雷：到那时你会需要书本的。

男：是的，先生。每个男孩都会有拼写课本、阅读课本和《圣经》。

雷：那么到时我会给你这些东西。把我的话转告你的父亲，并且告诉他，这是因为你是个乐于助人、知足常乐的小男孩。

男：我会的，先生。谢谢！

雷：再见，彼得。

男：愿您有个愉快的早上，先生。

（约翰·艾肯博士）

注释

〔1〕Rooting, pulling up by the roots.

〔2〕Tending, watching, attending.

〔3〕Turnips, a vegetable.

〔4〕Weather, state of the atmosphere.

〔5〕Errands, messages.

〔6〕Raw, not cooked.

〔7〕Testament, the last twenty-seven books of the Bible.