手机APP下载

您现在的位置: 首页 > 双语阅读 > 故事小说 > 安徒生童话 > 正文

安徒生童话:Children's Prattle孩子话

来源:本站原创 编辑:alex   可可英语APP下载 |  可可官方微信:ikekenet

Children's Prattle

by Hans Christian Andersen(1859)

  AT a rich merchant's house there was a children's partyand the children of rich and GREat people were there. The merchant was a learned manfor his father had sent him to collegeand he had passed his examination. His father had been at first only a cattle dealerbut always honest and industriousso that he had made moneyand his sonthe merchanthad managed to increase his store. Clever as he washe had also a heartbut there was less said of his heart than of his money. All descriptions of people visited at the merchant's housewell bornas well as intellectualand some who possessed neither of these recommendations.

  Now it was a children's partyand there was children's prattlewhich always is spoken freely from the heart. Among them was a beautiful little girlwho was terribly proudbut this had been taught her by the servantsand not by her parentswho were far too sensible people.

  Her father was groom of the Chamberswhich is a high office at courtand she knew it. “I am a child of the court,” she saidnow she might just as well have been a child of the cellarfor no one can help his birthand then she told the other children that she was well-bornand said that no one who was not well-born could rise in the world. It was no use to read and be industriousfor if a person was not well-bornhe could never achieve anything. “And those whose names end with 'sen'said she, “can never be anything at all. We must put our arms akimboand make the elbow quite pointedso as to keep these 'sen' people at a GREat distance.” And then she stuck out her pretty little armsand made the elbows quite pointedto show how it was to be doneand her little arms were very prettyfor she was a sweet-looking child.

  But the little daughter of the merchant became very angry at this speechfor her father's name was Petersenand she knew that the name ended insen,” and therefore she said as proudly as she could, “But my papa can buy a hundred dollars' worth of bonbonsand give them away to children. Can your papa do that?”

  “Yesand my papa,” said the little daughter of the editor of a paper, “my papa can put your papa and everybody's papa into the newspaper. All sorts of people are afraid of himmy mamma saysfor he can do as he likes with the paper.” And the little maiden looked exceedingly proudas if she had been a real princesswho may be expected to look proud.

  But outside the doorwhich stood ajarwas a poor boypeeping through the crack of the door. He was of such a lowly station that he had not been allowed even to enter the room. He had been turning the spit for the cookand she had given him permission to stand behind the door and peep in at the well-dressed childrenwho were having such a merry time withinand for him that was a GREat deal. “Ohif I could be one of them,” thought heand then he heard what was said about nameswhich was quite enough to make him more unhappy. His parents at home had not even a penny to spare to buy a newspapermuch less could they write in oneand worse than allhis father's nameand of course his ownended insen,” and therefore he could never turn out wellwhich was a very sad thought. But after allhe had been born into the worldand the station of life had been chosen for himtherefore he must be content.

  And this is what happened on that evening.

  Many years passedand most of the children became grown-up persons.

  there stood a splendid house in the townfilled with all kinds of beautiful and valuable objects. Everybody wished to see itand people even came in from the country round to be permitted to view the treasures it contained.

  Which of the children whose prattle we have describedcould call this house his ownOne would suppose it very easy to guess. Nonoit is not so very easy. The house belonged to the poor little boy who had stood on that night behind the door. He had really become something GREatalthough his name ended insen,”—for it was Thorwaldsen.

  And the three other childrenthe children of good birthof moneyand of intellectual pride,—wellthey were respected and honored in the worldfor they had been well provided for by birth and positionand they had no cause to reproach themselves with what they had thought and spoken on that evening long agoforafter allit was merechildren's prattle.”

重点单词   查看全部解释    
reproach [ri'prəutʃ]

想一想再看

n. 责备,耻辱
v. 责备,申斥

联想记忆
contained [kən'teind]

想一想再看

adj. 泰然自若的,从容的;被控制的 v. 包含;遏制

 
intellectual [.intil'ektʃuəl]

想一想再看

n. 知识份子,凭理智做事者
adj. 智力的

联想记忆
cellar ['selə]

想一想再看

n. 地窖,地下室
vt. 把 ... 藏入地

联想记忆
permission [pə'miʃən]

想一想再看

n. 同意,许可,允许

联想记忆
groom [gru:m]

想一想再看

n. 马夫,新郎,男仆
vt. 刷洗,照看马,

联想记忆
elbow ['elbəu]

想一想再看

n. 手肘,急弯,扶手
v. 用手肘推开,推挤

联想记忆
permitted

想一想再看

adj. 被允许的 v. 允许(permit的过去分词)

 
prattle ['prætl]

想一想再看

v. 小孩般说话,说半截话,闲聊 n. 半截话,无聊话

 
industrious [in'dʌstriəs]

想一想再看

adj. 勤劳的,勤奋的

 

发布评论我来说2句

    最新文章

    可可英语官方微信(微信号:ikekenet)

    每天向大家推送短小精悍的英语学习资料.

    添加方式1.扫描上方可可官方微信二维码。
    添加方式2.搜索微信号ikekenet添加即可。