牛津书虫系列《牙齿和爪子》Chapter2 附中英双语文本

故事无聊透顶，是关于一个小女孩的。她不漂亮，但总是非常非常地乖。因为她乖所以每个人都喜欢她。最后，她掉进了湖里，她的朋友救了她，因为她太乖了，他们非常喜欢她。
'Did they only save her because she was good？' asked the bigger girl．Shouldn't we save bad people too， if they fall in to a lake？'The bachelor wanted to ask the same question， but he said nothing．
“他们救她只是因为她乖吗？”大点的女孩问。“如果坏人掉进湖里，我们就不应该救他们吗？”单身男人想问同样的问题，只是没说出口。
'Well， yes， we should，' said the aunt．'But I'm sure the little girl's friends ran specially fast because they loved her so much．'
“这个，是的，我们应该救，”姑妈说。“但我能肯定小女孩的朋友跑得飞快，因为他们太喜欢她了。”
'That was the stupidest story that I've ever heard，'said the bigger girl．
“这是我听过的最蠢的故事，”大些的女孩说。
'I didn't listen after the first few words，' said Cyril，'because it was so stupid．'
“我只听了前面几句，”西里尔说，“因为它太蠢。”
The smaller girl was already quietly repeating the words of her song for the twentieth time．
小女孩已经在第二十次轻声重复她的歌词。
'You're not very successful as a story-teller，' the bachelor said suddenly from his corner．
“你的故事讲得不成功，”单身男人突然在他的一角说话了。
The aunt looked at him in angry surprise．'It's not easy to tell stories that children can understand，' she answered coldly．
姑妈生气地看着他，很惊讶。“讲孩子们能懂的故事不容易，”她冷淡地回答。
'I don't agree with you，' said the bachelor．
“我不同意，”单身男人说。
'Perhaps you would like to tell them a story，'said the aunt． She gave him a cold little smile．
“可能你想给他们讲个故事，”姑妈说。她对他冷冷地笑了笑。
'Yes— tell us a story，' said the bigger girl．
“给我们讲个故事，”大女孩说。
'A long time ago，'began the bachelor，'there was a little girl called Bertha， who was extraordinarily good． She always worked well at school． She always obeyed her teachers and her parents． She was never late， never dirty， and always ate all her vegetables． She was polite， she was tidy， and she never， never told lies．'
“很久以前。”单身男人开始讲。“有一个小女孩叫伯莎，她出奇地好。在学校她的成绩总是很好。她总是听老师和家长的话。她从不迟到、邋遢，总是把菜吃光。她有礼貌、整洁而且从不说谎。”
'Oh，' said the children． They were beginning to look bored already．
“哦，”孩子们说。他们已经开始不耐烦了。
'Was she pretty？' asked the smaller girl．
“她漂亮吗？”小女孩问。
' No，' said the bachelor． 'She wasn't pretty． But she was horribly good．'
“不，”单身男人说，“她不漂亮，但是她好得可怕。”
'Horribly good． I like that！' said Cyril． The children began to look more interested． The words 'horrible' and 'good'together was a new idea for them， and it pleased them．
“好得可怕！我喜欢！”西里尔说。孩子们开始感兴趣了。把“可怕”和“好”这两个词放在一起对他们是个新鲜的说法，这提起了他们的兴致。
'Bertha was always good，'continued the bachelor．'Because she was so good， Bertha had three medals． There was the “Never Late” medal． There was the “Politeness” medal．And there was the medal for the “Best Child in the World”．They were very large medals． Bertha always wore them on her dress， and they clinked as she walked along． She was the only child in her town who had three medals．So everybody knew that she must be an extra good child．'
“伯莎总是很好，”单身男人继续说。“因为表现太好，伯莎得了三枚奖章，分别是'从不迟到'奖章，“礼貌'奖章和'世界上最好的孩子'奖章。奖章都很大，伯莎总是把它们戴在衣服上，走路时它们丁当作响。她是镇上唯一得了三枚奖章的孩子，因此每个人都知道她一定是个极好的孩子。”
'Horribly good，' repeated Cyril happily．
“好得可怕，”西里尔高兴地重复。
'Everybody talked about Bertha's goodness． The king of that country heard about her， and he was very pleased．“Because Bertha is so good，”he said，“she may come and walk in my palace gardens every Friday afternoon．”The king's gardens were famous． They were large and very beautiful， and children were usually forbidden to go in them．'
“每人都谈论伯莎的好行为。国王听说了她，很高兴。'伯莎表现这么好，'他说，'每星期五下午她可以来我皇宫的花园里散步。'国王的花园很有名，很大，很漂亮，孩子们一般是不准进去的。”