Unit 1
1 Text
From
Little Hou in the Big Woods
By Laura Ingalls Wilder
气氛电影
Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote many books about her life in the wilderness. This is a true story from one of her books. On the edge of the Big Woods of Wisconsin in 1872, she lived with her family in a little log hou. It was miles from any neighbors and far from any town. One day her father was away from home, leaving the family alone in the wilderness. At night there came a big bear. What were the mother and her daughters going to do? Were they safe in the end? Plea read the following story.
Then one day Pa said that spring was coming.
In the Big Woods the snow was beginning to thaw. Bits of it dropped from the branches of the trees and made little holes in the softening snowbanks below. At noon all the big icicles along the eaves of the little hou quivered and sparkled in the sunshine, and drops of water hung trembling at their tips.
Pa said he must go to town to trade the furs of the wild animals he had been trapping all winter. So one evening he made a big bundle of them. There were so many furs that when they were packed tightly and tied together they made a bundle almost as big as Pa.
Very early one morning Pa strapped the bundle of furs on his shoulders, and started to walk to town. There were so many furs to carry that he could not take his gun.
Ma was worried, but Pa said that by starting before sun-up and walking very fast all day he could get home again before dark.
The nearest town was far away. Laura and Mary had never en a town. They had never en a store. They had never en even two hous standing together. But they knew that in a town there were many hous, and a store full of candy and calico and other wonderful things—powder, and shot, and salt, and store sugar.
They knew that Pa would trade his furs to the storekeeper for beautiful things from town, and all day they were expecting the prents he would bring them. When the sun sank low above the treetops and no more drops fell from the tips of the icicles they began to watch eagerly for Pa.
The sun sank out of sight, the woods grew dark, and he did not come. Ma started supper and t the table, but he did not come. It was time to do the chores, and still he had not come.
Ma said that Laura might come with her while she milked the cow. Laura could carry the lantern.
So Laura put on her coat and Ma buttoned it up. And Laura put her hands into her red mittens that hung by a red yarn string around her neck, while Ma lighted the candle in the lantern.
Laura was proud to be helping Ma with the milking, and she carried the lantern very carefully. Its sides were of tin, with places cut in them for the candle-light to shine through.
When Laura walked behind Ma on the path to the barn, the little bits of candle-light from the lantern leaped all around her on the snow. The night was not yet quite dark. The woods were dark, but there was a gray light on the snowy path, and in the sky there were a few faint stars. The stars did not look as warm and bright as the little lights that came from the lantern.
Laura was surprid to e the dark shape of Sukey, the brown cow, standing at the barnyard gate. Ma was surprid, too.
It was too early in the spring for Sukey to be let out in the Big Woods to eat grass. She lived in the b
arn. But sometimes on warm days Pa left the door of her stall open so she could come into the barnyard. Now Ma and Laura saw her behind the bars, waiting for them.
Ma went up to the gate, and pushed against it to open it. But it did not open very far, becau there was Sukey, standing against it. Ma said, "Sukey, get over!" She reached across the gate and slapped Sukey's shoulder.
Just then one of the dancing little bits of light from the lantern jumped between the bars of the gate, and Laura saw long, shaggy, black fur, and two little, glittering eyes.
Sukey had thin, short, brown fur. Sukey had large, gentle eyes.
Ma said, "Laura, walk back to the hou."
So Laura turned around and began to walk toward the hou. Ma came behind her. When they had gone part way, Ma snatched her up, lantern and all, and ran. Ma ran with her into the hou, and slammed the door.
Then Laura said, "Ma, was it a bear?"
"Yes, Laura," Ma said. "It was a bear."
Laura began to cry. She hung on to Ma and sobbed, "Oh, will he eat Sukey?"
新教师工作总结"No," Ma said, hugging her. "Sukey is safe in the barn. Think, Laura—all tho big, heavy logs in the barn walls. And the door is heavy and solid, made to keep bears out. No, the bear cannot get in and eat Sukey.”"
Laura felt better then. "But he could have hurt us, couldn't he?" she asked.
"He didn't hurt us," Ma said. "You were a good girl, Laura, to do exactly as I told you, and to do it quickly, without asking why."
Ma was trembling, and she began to laugh a little. "To think," she said, "I've slapped a bear!"
Then she put supper on the table for Laura and Mary. Pa had not come yet. He didn't come. Laura and Mary were undresd, and they said their prayers and snuggled into the trundle bed.
Ma sat by the lamp, mending one of Pa's shirts. The hou emed cold and still and strange, without pa.
Laura listened to the wind in the Big Woods. All around the hou the wind went crying as though it were lost in the dark and the cold. The wind sounded frightened.
Ma finished mending the shirt. Laura saw her fold it slowly and carefully. She smoothed it with her hand. Then she did a thing she had never done before. She went to the door and pulled the leather latch-string through its hole in the door, so that nobody could get in from outside unless she lifted the latch. She came and took Carrie, all limp and sleeping, out of the big bed.
She saw that Laura and Mary were still awake, and she said to them: "Go to sleep, girls. Everything is all right. Pa will be here in the morning." Then she went back to her rocking chair and sat there rocking gently and holding Baby Carrie in her arms.
She was sitting up late, waiting for Pa, and Laura and Mary meant to stay awake, too, till he came. But at last they went to sleep.
In the morning Pa was there. He had brought candy for Laura and Mary, and two pieces of pretty calico to make them each a dress. Mary's was a china-blue pattern on a white ground, and Laura's was dark red with little golden-brown dots on it. Ma had calico for a dress, too; it was brown, with a big, feathery white pattern all over it.
They were all happy becau Pa had got such good prices for his furs that he could afford to get them such beautiful prents.
The tracks of the big bear were all around the barn, and there were marks of his claws on the walls. But Sukey and the hors were safe inside. All that day the sun shone, the snow melted, and little streams of water ran from the icicles, which all the time grew thinner. Before the sun t that night, the bear tracks were only shapeless marks in the wet, soft snow.
(1,236 words) 译文：森林中的小屋
劳拉·英格尔·威尔德
劳拉·英格尔·威尔德写了很多书，讲述她在荒野里的生活。本文是从中选出的一个真实故事。1872年，她们全家住在威斯康辛州大森林边儿上的一幢小木屋中。方圆几里之内没有一户人家，也远离所有的城镇。一天，她父亲外出，荒野中只剩下她们母女四人。晚上，来了一只大熊，她们该怎么办呢？她们最后会安然无恙吗？请看下面的故事。
一天, 爸爸说春天来了。大森林中的雪已经开始融化。雪块儿从树枝上掉下来，落在下面松软的雪堆上，形成一个个小洞。午间的时侯，屋檐下所有的大冰柱在阳光下颤动闪烁。在冰柱尖儿上，一颗颗小水珠摇摇欲坠。
爸爸说，他得去城里一趟，卖掉他一冬捕获的兽皮。一天晚上, 他扎了很大一捆毛皮。毛皮太多，爸爸把它们紧紧捆在一起时, 这堆毛皮几乎和他一样高。
清晨, 爸爸把这一大捆毛皮背在肩上, 向城镇出发了。因为毛皮太多，他没有带枪。
妈妈很担心。但爸爸说，如果日出前就出发，并且快些走，他可以在天黑前赶回来。
最近的城镇也很远。劳拉和玛莉从没见过城镇, 也没见过商店。她们甚至从未见过两幢连在一起的房子。但是她们知道城里有好多的房屋, 还有一家满是糖果、印花布和其他神奇东西的商店。在那里可以买到火药、子弹、盐和糖。
她们知道，爸爸会用毛皮从镇上的店主那儿换回漂亮东西的。整整一天，她们等着爸爸给她们带回礼物。太阳下沉到树梢上, 冰柱上的水也不再往下滴, 她们开始急切地盼望着爸爸的归来。
太阳已经不见了, 森林也渐渐暗了下来, 爸爸没有回来。妈妈准备好晚餐, 摆好了桌子, 爸爸还是没有回来。到了平时干杂活的时间，他依然没有回来。
妈妈说，劳拉可以和她一起去挤牛奶, 因为劳拉可以帮忙提灯笼。
劳拉穿上了外套, 妈妈帮她系好扣子。妈妈点燃了灯笼里的蜡烛, 劳拉则戴上了她的红色手套。两只手套由一根红纱绳连着, 挂在脖子上。
能去帮妈妈挤牛奶，劳拉感到十分自豪。她小心翼翼地提着灯笼。灯笼壁是用锡皮做的, 上面有一些豁口，以便烛光透出来。
劳拉跟在妈妈身后向牲畜棚走去。一路上, 灯笼里透出点点烛光，在她身周的雪地上跃。夜还不是太深, 森林里已经暗下来。铺满白雪的小路隐隐泛着灰色的光，夜空中悬挂着几颗暗淡的星星。看上去，这几颗星星还不如灯笼的微光那么温暖明亮。
劳拉看到“棕色奶牛苏凯"的身影立在棚场门口时, 不禁吃了一惊。妈妈也十分纳闷。
这样的早春时分，还不能放苏凯出去到大森林吃草。它通常住在牲畜棚里。不过，天气暖和时, 爸爸也会把棚门敞开, 好让它到棚场里活动活动。妈妈和劳拉看到它正站在栅栏门后等着她们。
妈妈走到门口, 试图推开门。但是因为苏凯挡在那儿，门无法完全打开。妈妈说：“苏凯, 到一边去！”她把手伸过门去, 拍了拍苏凯的肩膀。
这时, 跳动的灯笼光恰好照亮了栅栏间的缝隙。劳拉看到杂乱的黑色长毛, 还有两只发亮的小眼睛。
苏凯的毛又短又薄, 而且是棕色的。苏凯的眼睛大而温和。妈妈说：“劳拉, 走回屋里去！”
劳拉转过身, 朝小屋走去, 妈妈跟在她后面。当她们走出一段路后, 妈妈一把抓起劳拉和灯笼，拔腿跑了起来。妈妈带着她一路跑进屋里, 随即关上了门。
劳拉问道：“妈妈, 刚才那只是熊吗?”
“是的, 劳拉，”妈妈说,“那是一只熊。”
劳拉开始哭了起来。她靠着妈妈的身体，哭着问道：“它会吃掉苏凯吗？”妈妈拥抱着她，说：“苏凯在棚里很安全。劳拉，想想吧，棚子四周的那些圆木又粗大又厚实。门也是又厚又牢，就是为了挡熊用的。熊不可能进去吃掉苏凯的。”
劳拉感觉好些了。“但刚才它本可能伤到我们的，是吗？”她问道。“可它没有伤到我们呀，”妈妈说：“你真是个乖孩子，劳拉。妈妈告诉你做什么你就做什么，而且也不问为什么就做得那样快。”
妈妈一直在颤抖，但她还是笑笑说,“想想吧，我还打了那熊一巴掌呢！”
接着她给劳拉和玛莉摆好晚餐。爸爸还是没回来。劳拉和玛莉脱了衣服，做了祷告之后一起钻到被里。
妈妈坐在灯边，缝补着爸爸的一件衬衣。爸爸不在，小屋看上去寒冷、安静而奇怪。
劳拉听着大森林里风的声音。风围着房子吹啊吹，仿佛它在又黑又冷的森林里迷了路。听上去，风也很害怕。
社会福利机构
妈妈补完了衬衣。劳拉看着妈妈慢慢地、仔细地叠好衬衣并用手把它抚平。然后，她做了一件她以前
从未做过的事。她走到门边，把栓锁的皮带从门洞中拽了过来。这样，除非她亲手打开门栓，谁也别想从外面进来。然后，她走过来，把沉睡着的凯丽从大床上抱了起来。
她看到劳拉和玛莉还醒着，就对她们说：“孩子们，睡吧，一切都很好。爸爸明天早上就会回来了。”接着她便走回摇椅，怀里抱着小凯丽，坐在那里轻轻摇着。
妈妈很晚还没睡，她仍在等着爸爸。劳拉和玛莉原也想等爸爸回来再睡，但最后还是睡着了。
第二天早上，爸爸回来了。他给劳拉和玛莉带回了糖果，还有两块漂亮的印花棉布，给她们做裙子用。给玛莉的是中国式的白底印花蓝布，而劳拉的则是点缀着金棕色小点的深红色棉布。他给妈妈也带回一匹做裙子的印花棉布。这块棕色的布料上面印满了大块羽毛状的白色花纹。
大家都很高兴，因为爸爸把皮毛卖了这么个好价钱，才能帮她们买到如此漂亮的礼物。
音乐家的故事牲畜棚周围都是大熊的脚印，四周墙上还有它的爪子印儿。但是苏凯和马匹在棚里都很安全。整整一天，阳光灿烂。雪融化了。小水流不停地从冰柱上流下，冰柱越变越小。那天晚上日落前，大熊的脚印在湿润、松软的雪地上只留下了一些模糊不清的印痕。
（刘晶译）
2 Home Reading
A Wonderful Prent
Pete Richards was the loneliest man in town on the day that little Jean Grace opened the door of his shop.
Pete's grandfather had owned the shop until his death. Then the shop became Pete's. The front window was full of beautiful old things: jewelry of a hundred years ago, gold and silver boxes, carved figures from China and Japan and other nations.
On this winter afternoon, a child stood there, her face clo to the window. With large and rious eyes, she studied each piece in the window. Then, looking plead, she stepped back from the window and went into the shop.
There was not much light inside the shop, but the little girl could e that the place was full of things; old guns and clocks, more jewelry and boxes and figures, and a hundred other things for which she didn't even know the names.
Pete himlf stood behind the counter. He was only 30 years old, but already his hair was turning gray. His eyes were cold as he looked at the small girl.
"Plea," she began, "would you let me look at the pretty string of blue beads in the window?"
Pete took the string of blue beads from the window. The beads were beautiful against his hand as he held the necklace up for her to e.
"They are just right," said the child as though she were alone with the beads. "Will you wrap them up in pretty paper for me, plea?"
Pete studied her with his cold eyes. "Are you buying the for someone?" he asked.
"They are for my big sister. She takes care of me. You e, this will be the first Christmas since our mother died. I've been looking for a really wonderful Christmas prent for my sister."
"How much money do you have?" asked Pete.
From the pocket of her coat, she took a handful of pennies and put them on the counter. "This is all I have," she explained simply. "I've been saving the money for my sister's prent."
Pete looked at her, his eyes thoughtful. Then he carefully clod his hand over the price mark on the necklace so that she could not e it. How could he tell her the price? The happy look in her big blue eyes struck him like the pain of an old wound.
"Just a minute," he said and went to the back of the shop. "What's your name?" he called out. He was very busy about something.
"Jean Grace," answered the child.
When Pete returned to the front of the shop, he held a package in his hand. It was wrapped in pretty Christmas paper and tied with a green ribbon.
南京名吃"There you are," he said. "Don't lo it on the way home."
She smiled happily at him as she ran out the door. Through the window he watched her go. He felt more alone than ever.
Something about Jean Grace and her string of beads had made him feel once more the pain of his old grief. The child's hair was as yellow as the sunlight; her eyes were as blue as the a. Once upon a time, Pete had loved a girl with hair of that same yellow and with eyes just as blue. And the necklace of blue stones had been meant for her.
But one rainy night, a car had gone off the road and struck the girl whom Pete loved. After she died, Pete felt that he had nothing left in the world except his grief.
Since then, Pete Richards had lived too much alone. He talked with the people who came to his shop, but after business hours he remained alone with his grief. At last the grief for his lost love became grief for himlf. In lf-pity he almost succeeded in forgetting the girl.
数字拼图
The blue eyes of Jean Grace brought him out of that world of lf-pity and made him remember again all that he had lost. The pain of remembering was so great that Pete wanted to run away from the happy Christmas shoppers who came to look at
his beautiful old things during the next ten days.
When the last shopper had gone, late on Christmas Eve, Pete was glad. It was all over for another year.沟壑难填
But for Pete Richards, the night was not quite over. The door opened and a young woman came in. Pete could not understand it, but he felt that he had en her before. Her hair was sunlight yellow and her eyes were a-blue. Without speaking, she put on the counter a package wrapped in pretty Christmas paper. From her pocket she took out a green ribbon and put it with the package. When Pete opened the package, the string of blue beads lay again before him.
"Did this come from your shop?" she asked.
Pete looked at her with eyes no longer cold. "Yes, it did," he said.
"Are the stones real?"
集中英语"Yes. They aren't the best turquoi but they are real."
"Can you remember to whom you sold them?"
"She was a small girl. Her name was Jean. She wanted them for her sister's Christmas prent."
"How much were they?"
"I can't tell you that," he said. "The ller never tells anyone el what a buyer pays."
"But Jean has never had more than a few pennies. How could she pay for them?"
Pete was putting the Christmas paper around the necklace and tying the green ribbon just as carefully as he had done for Jean Grace ten days earlier.
"She paid the biggest price one can ever pay," he said. "She gave all she had."
For a moment there was no sound in the little shop. Then somewhere in the city, church bells began to ring. It was midnight and the beginning of another Christmas Day.
