A Child’s Biography(Excerpt 1)

Track 12

by Louisa May Alcott翻译：范婕

路易莎·梅·奥尔科特（Louisa May Alcott）（1832～1888）是一位美国女作家，她的代表作《小妇人》（Little Women）是她根据孩提的记忆写成的，出版后获得了巨大的成功，成为公认的美国名著，100多年以来，一直备受读者喜爱。路易莎在很小的时候就对写作产生极大的兴趣，我们通过她写的一篇小自传来看看她是怎么从一个“野孩子”变成“故事大王”的吧！节选分为两部分，第二部分将在下期杂志呈现。听路易莎用成年人的语气谈起自己小时候的糗事很是有趣，文中也有很多用得很精妙的词组值得学习哦！

As much as seventy years ago, in the city of Boston, there lived a small girl who had the 1)naughty habit of running away.On a certain April morning, almost as soon as her mother finished 2)buttoning her dress, Louisa May Alcott slipped out of the house and up the street as fast as her feet could carry her.

词组加油站

as much as 差不多

as soon as 一……就……

slip out of 从……溜走

1) naughty ['nɔːtI] adj. 顽皮的，淘气的

2) button['bʌtn] v. 扣上

Louisa3)creptthrough a4)narrow5)alleyand crossed several streets. It was a beautiful day, and she did not care so very much just where she wentso long asshe was having an6)adventure,all by herself. Suddenly shecame uponsome children who said they were going to a nice, tall7)ash 8)heapto play. They asked her to join them. Louisa thought they were fine playmates, for when she grew hungry they shared some cold potatoes and bread9)crustswith her.

When she tired of the ash heap shebade the children goodbye, thanked them for their kindness, and10)hopskippedtotheCommon注, where she must havewandered aboutfor hours,because,all of a sudden, it began to grow dark. Then she wanted to get home. She wanted her doll, her kitty, and her mother!

It11)frightenedher when she could not find any street that looked natural.She was hungry and tired, too. Shethrew herself downon some door-steps to rest and to watch the12)lamplighter,for you must remember this was long before there was any13)gasor electricity in Boston.

At this moment a big dog came along. He kissed her face and hands and then sat down beside her. Poor tired Louisa leaned against his neck andwasfastasleep in no time. The dog kept very14)still. He did not want to wake her.

Pretty soon thetown crier went by.

词组加油站

so long as只要

come upon偶遇，邂逅

bid sb. goodbye向……说再见

wander about徘徊，游荡

all of a sudden突然间

throw oneself down躺下

in no time立刻，马上

town crier街头公告员，公告传报人（旧

时受雇沿街大声宣读公告的人）

go by经过

3) creep [kriːp] v. 蹑手蹑脚地走

4) narrow ['nærəʊ] adj. 狭窄的

5) alley ['ælI] n. 胡同，小巷

6) adventure [əd'ventʃə] n. 冒险经历，奇遇

7) ash [æʃ] n. 灰，废墟

8) heap [hiːp] n. 一堆

9) crust [krʌst] n. 面包皮

10) hop-skip [hɒp skIp] v. 蹦蹦跳跳

歪靠在回学校的班车上，我望着窗外一闪而过的街灯、行人和噼里啪啦的大雨，我知道，自己这辈子估计完了。一切都像在梦中一样，我使劲掐了一下自己的大腿，很疼，我知道这不是做梦，还有那个纸包还一直在裤兜里硬硬地提醒着我，这不是做梦！我把手伸进裤兜里，一次一次地摸着那个硬硬的纸包，好几次我一把抓住那个纸包想把它从车窗里扔出去，但最终还是没有扔。最后我把纸包小心翼翼地掏出来，小心翼翼地撕开一个口，是崭新的一摞老人头，厚厚的，毛主席他老人家正微笑地望着我，我连忙又把他塞进了裤兜。

11) frighten ['fraItn] v. 使惊恐，使恐慌

12) lamplighter ['læmp,laItə] n. 点街灯的灯夫

13) gas [gæs] n. 燃气

14) still [stIl] adj. 不动的，静止的

注：波士顿公园（Boston Common或the Common），处于波士顿中心地带，建于1664年，是美国最早的公园之一。处于闹市区，绿树成荫，是市民游乐的好去处。

参考译文

差不多七十年前，美国城市波士顿住着一个小女孩，她有个调皮的习惯，总喜欢溜出家门。四月的一天早晨，妈妈刚帮她把裙子扣好，路易莎·梅·奥尔科特就溜出屋子，以最快的速度飞奔到了街上。

路易莎蹑手蹑脚地穿过一条窄窄的小巷，又走过好几条街道。那天的天气很好，对于要去往何处，她并不那么在乎，只要能展开探险之旅，独自一人。突然，她碰到几个孩子，他们说要去一个很棒、很高的废物堆那里玩，要路易莎跟他们一起。路易莎觉得他们都是很好的玩伴，因为当她肚子饿的时候，他们分了一些冷土豆和面包皮给她吃。

在废物堆玩腻了，她就跟孩子们告了别，感谢他们的慷慨相待，然后蹦蹦跳跳地去了波士顿公园。她在那里肯定游来荡去了好几个小时，因为，突然间，天就黑了。这时她想回家了，想念她的娃娃、小猫，还有妈妈！

周围的街道都好奇怪，这让她害怕起来。她又饿又累，在门阶上瘫坐下来休息，看着点灯的灯夫，你一定记得，当时的波士顿离有燃气和电还早着呢。

这时，一只大狗狗跑了过来，亲了亲她的脸和手，然后在她身边坐了下来。可怜的路易莎非常疲惫，靠着狗狗的脖子，立刻就睡着了。狗狗坐在那里一动不动。他不想弄醒了路易莎。

不一会儿，街头传报员从路易莎身边经过。

名师考点小结

be asleep为系表结构，意为“睡着”，相当于fall asleep。be asleep表示入睡的状态，而fall asleep表示入睡的动作。例如：

The baby was sound asleep. 婴儿睡得很熟。

He soon fell asleep with weariness. 他很快就疲倦地睡着了。