《汤姆·索亚历险记》（The Adventures of Tom Sawyer）是美国小说家马克·吐温1876年发表的长篇小说。

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

CHAPTER 4 Part 1

词汇预习：

grim [ɡrɪm] adj. 冷酷的；糟糕的；残忍的；n. (Grim)人名；(英、德、俄、...
memorizing ['mɛmə,raɪz] n. 记忆，熟记；v. 记忆，熟记；纪念（memorize 的现在分词）
mortar [ˈmɔːtə(r)] n. 灰泥，砂浆；迫击炮，迫击炮弹；研钵，臼；v. 用灰泥涂抹，结合；用...
Mosaic [məʊˈzeɪɪk] n. 马赛克；镶嵌画般的东西；不同要素组合体；（电视摄像机的）感光镶嵌板...
originality [əˌrɪdʒəˈnæləti] n. 创意；独创性，创造力；原始；新奇
tranquil [ˈtræŋkwɪl] adj. 平静的；镇静的；稳定的
traversing ['trævɝsɪŋ] n. 穿越，通过；v. 穿过（traverse的ing形式）；横越
verses  诗；n. (Verses)人名；(匈)韦尔谢什
benediction [ˌbenɪˈdɪkʃn] n. 祝福；赐福；恩赐；祈求上帝赐福的仪式
girded  v. 用带子束紧；包围；做好准备；嘲弄（gird的过去分词）
Polly [ˈpɒlɪ] n. （非正式）政客；鹦鹉（同 poll parrot）；n. (Pol...
Scriptural [ˈskrɪptʃərəl] adj. 圣经的；手稿的；依据圣经的
shorter [ʃɔːtə] adj. 较短的；更短的；更矮的（short的比较级）；n. (Shor...
Sinai ['saɪnaɪ] n. 西奈

THE sun rose upon a _平静的 world, and beamed down upon the peaceful village like a _祝福 . Breakfast over, Aunt _政客 had family worship: it began with a prayer built from the ground up of solid courses of _圣经的 quotations, welded together with a thin _{灰泥，砂浆} of _创意 ; and from the summit of this she delivered a _{冷酷的；糟糕的；残忍的} chapter of the _{马赛克；镶嵌画般的东西} Law, as from _西奈 .

Then Tom _{用带子束紧} up his loins, so to speak, and went to work to "get his _诗 ." Sid had learned his lesson days before. Tom bent all his energies to the _{记忆，熟记} of five verses, and he chose part of the Sermon on the Mount, because he could find no verses that were _{较短的；更短的} . At the end of half an hour Tom had a vague general idea of his lesson, but no more, for his mind was _{穿越，通过} the whole field of human thought, and his hands were busy with distracting recreations. Mary took his book to hear him recite, and he tried to find his way through the fog:

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"Blessed are the—a—a—"

"Poor"—

"Yes—poor; blessed are the poor—a—a—"

"In spirit—"

"In spirit; blessed are the poor in spirit, for they—they—"

"THEIRS—"

"For THEIRS. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they—they—"

"Sh—"

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"For they—a—"

"S, H, A—"

"For they S, H—Oh, I don't know what it is!"

"SHALL!"

"Oh, SHALL! for they shall—for they shall—a—a—shall mourn—a—a— blessed are they that shall—they that—a—they that shall mourn, for they shall—a—shall WHAT? Why don't you tell me, Mary?—what do you want to be so mean for?"

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"Oh, Tom, you poor thick–headed thing, I'm not teasing you. I wouldn't do that. You must go and learn it again. Don't you be discouraged, Tom, you'll manage it—and if you do, I'll give you something ever so nice. There, now, that's a good boy."

"All right! What is it, Mary, tell me what it is."

"Never you mind, Tom. You know if I say it's nice, it is nice."

"You bet you that's so, Mary. All right, I'll tackle it again."

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词汇预习：

contrived [kənˈtraɪvd] adj. 人为的；做作的；不自然的
grandeur [ˈɡrændʒə(r); ˈɡrændjə(r)] n. 壮丽；庄严；宏伟
prospective [prəˈspektɪv] adj. 未来的；预期的
convulsion [kənˈvʌlʃn] n. [医] 惊厥；动乱；震撼；震动
inconceivable [ˌɪnkənˈsiːvəbl] adj. 不可思议的；难以置信的；不能想象的；非凡的
scarify [ˈskærɪfaɪ; ˈskeərɪfaɪ] vt. 在…上划痕；乱划；严厉批评

And he did "tackle it again"—and under the double pressure of curiosity and _未来的 gain he did it with such spirit that he accomplished a shining success. Mary gave him a brand–new "Barlow" knife worth twelve and a half cents; and the _{[医] 惊厥} of delight that swept his system shook him to his foundations. True, the knife would not cut anything, but it was a "sure–enough" Barlow, and there was _{不可思议的 壮丽} in that—though where the Western boys ever got the idea that such a weapon could possibly be counterfeited to its injury is an imposing mystery and will always remain so, perhaps. Tom _人为的 to _{在…上划痕} the cupboard with it, and was arranging to begin on the bureau, when he was called off to dress for Sunday–school.