Wet Pants

by David Owen

翻译：Jasmine

应该多行善事，为了做一个幸福的人。

——列夫·托尔斯泰（俄国作家）

In the third grade classroom, a nine-year-old boy named Tom is sitting at his desk. Suddenly, there is a1)puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet.

He thinks his heart is going to stop, and he knows that when his classmates find out, they will laugh at him again and again.

Tom puts his head down and2)prays, “Dear God, I need help now!”

He looks up and here comes the teacher. The look in her eyes says he has been discovered.

As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a bowl of water. She falls down in front of the teacher and drops the water in the boy’s3)lap.

Tom4)pretends to be angry, but all the while he is saying to himself, “Thank you, God!”

Now Tom is the5)object of6)sympathy.The teacher gives him7)gym shorts to put on.All the other children come to help clean up around his desk.

词组加油站

★laugh at 嘲笑，取笑

★fall down 跌倒，摔倒

★all the while 一直，始终

★on purpose 故意地，有意地

★do good 行善，做好事

But the8)ridicule has turned to Susie. She tries to help, but they tell her to go away.

Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, Tom asks Susie in a low voice, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”Susie answers, “I wet my pants once too.”

9)May we all see the chances around us to do good.

1) puddle ['pʌdl] n. 水坑，污水坑

2) pray [preɪ] v. 祈祷，恳求

3) lap [læp] n.（坐时的）大腿前部

4) pretend [prɪ'tend] v. 假装，装扮

5) object ['ɒbdʒɪkt] n. 目标，对象

6) sympathy ['sɪmpəθɪ] n. 同情，同情心

7) gym [dʒɪm] n. 体育馆

8) ridicule ['rɪdɪkjuːl] n. 嘲笑，奚落

9) may [meɪ] aux. 祝，愿

参考译文

在三年级的教室里，一个名叫汤姆的九岁男孩正坐在自己的课桌前。忽然，他两脚间出现一摊水，他的短裤前裆也湿了。

他觉得自己的心跳都要停止了，他明白如果被同学们发现，他就会被无休止地嘲笑。

汤姆低下头，祈祷着：“亲爱的上帝啊，我现在急需帮助！”

他抬起头，看到老师正走向他。老师的眼神表明他已经被发现了。

就在老师向他走来的时候，一个名叫苏西的同学正端着一碗水。她在老师的前面摔倒了，水洒在了男孩的大腿上。汤姆假装很生气，但心理却一直暗自地说：“感谢上帝！”现在，汤姆成了被同情的对象。老师让他换上了运动短裤，其他的孩子都跑过来帮他清理桌子四周。

而奚落都转向了苏西。她试图帮忙，可他们却叫她走开。

最后，在结束一天的课程后，他俩都在等校车。这时，汤姆低声问苏西：“你是故意的，对吧？”苏西回答说：“我也曾经尿过裤子呢。”

愿我们都能发现身边做好事的机会。

名师考点小结

1. find out 含有经过观察、研究或探索而得知的意思，后常接较抽象的事物，意思是“找出；发现；查明（真相）”等。例如：

I can find out who took my money away. 我能查出是谁拿了我的钱。

2. here comes the teacher 这是一个倒装句。表语here位于句首，主语为the teacher。在英语中，以here、there、now、then、in、away、up、down等副词开头的句子，常用主谓倒装结构，目的是为了强调句首的部分或避免句子头重脚轻。此时应注意两点：

（1）如果主语是代词，主语和谓语动词部分不用倒装。例如：

Here you are./Here it is. 给你。

（2）如果主语是名词，主语和谓语部分要倒装（谓语在前，主语在后），称为全部倒装或完全倒装。例如：

Here comes the bus. 公共汽车来了。

Now comes your turn to play. 现在轮到你玩了。

3. pretend 作动词，表示“假装，佯装，装扮”，后接名词、不定式或从句作宾语。例如：

She pretended Snow White. （接名词）她装扮成白雪公主。

He pretended to be friendly with me. （接不定式）他假装对我友善。

He pretended that he didn’t see me. （接从句）他装作没看见我。