读小说 学英语

《狗的故事》是美国作家马克·吐温的短篇小说，写于作者晚年，此时他对人性失望，这篇小说是对人性恶的讽刺。下面是节选并改编小说的第一章的英文，以及汉语翻译。

My father was a St.Bernard, my mother was a collie, but I am a Presbyterian. This is what my mother told me. I do not know theses nice distinctions myself. To me they are only fine large words meaning nothing.

我爸爸是个“圣·伯纳种”，我妈妈是个“柯利种”，但是我是“长老会教友”。这是我妈妈告诉我的，我自己不知道这些细微的差别。对我来说，他们只是毫无意义的长单词。

My mother had a fondness for such; she liked to say them, and see other dogs look surprised and envious, as if wondering how she got so much education. But, indeed, it was not real education; it was only show: she got words by listening in the dining room and drawing room when there was company, and by going with the children to Sunday school and listening there; and whenever she heard a large word she said it over to herself many times, and so was able to keep it until there was a gathering in the neiborhood, then she would get it off, and surprise and distress them all, from pocket-pup to mastiff, which rewarded her for all her trouble.

我妈妈有这样的爱好; 她喜欢说长单词，看其他狗惊讶和羡慕的表情，好像在疑惑她是怎样获得如此多的教育。但是，实际上，这不是真正的教育；这只是作秀。她通过在餐厅里、绘画室里倾听同伴获得这些单词，也和孩子一起在主日学校听课；每当听见一个长单词，她都会反复说给自己听，所以她能掌握这个单词，直等到在邻居间的聚会中，把这个单词显摆出来，这样就会把所有人吓呆，从口袋小狗到大型獒犬，这就是她所有付出的回报。

If there was a stranger he was nearly sure to be suspicious, and when he got his breath again he would ask her what it meant. And she always told him. He was never expecting this but thought he would catch her; so he when she told him, he was the one that looked ashamed, whereas he had thought it was going to be she.

如果旁边有一个陌生人，他几乎肯定会觉得难以置信，当他淡定下来之后会问我妈妈那个单词的意思。她经常会告诉他。这个陌生人想着会理解她，没想到还要询问她。所以，当妈妈告诉他的时候，他羞愧了，尽管他原来想着羞愧的会是她。

The others were always waiting for this, and glad of it and proud of her, for they knew what was going to happen, because they had had experience. When she told the meaning of a big word they were all so taken up with admiration that it nevere occured to any dog to doubt if it was the right one; and that was natural, because , for one thing, she answered up so promptly that it seemed like a ditionary speaking, and for another thing, where could they find out whether it was right or not? For she was the only cultivated dog there was.

其他的狗总是在等这个时刻，为此高兴，为她自豪，他们知道接下来要发生什么，因为他们经历过。当她说出这个长单词的意思，他们都会满怀钦佩之情，以至于没有一只狗会怀疑她说的。这是自然的，因为，一方面，她回答得如此迅速，好似背字典，另一方面，他们也无法判断正误，我妈妈是这里唯一一只有教养的狗。