❷Two princes and the dwarves

周鲁成（译）

◆语篇导读

数学家笛卡尔说：“尊重别人，才能让人尊敬。”这句话启示我们：自尊的人懂得尊重他人，因为要想赢得他人的尊重，首先要尊重他人。尊重他人是一种高尚的美德，是个人内在修养的外在体现，是人所必须具有的良好品质。尊重是一种文明的社交方式，是顺利开展工作、建立良好社交关系的基石。

Once upon a time,the King's two princes were playing in a forest.And the two Princes came across four dwarves.The dwarves asked the two princes to be more careful.

The first dwarf had a headache and he asked the two princes not to shout.The second dwarf was drawing a picture,and he asked the two princes to move away,because they were blocking out the light.The third dwarf was doing a giant jigsaw puzzle in the middle of the road,and he asked the two princes not to walk on it.The fourth dwarf was watching a butterfly and he asked the two princes not to frighten it away.

The prince who respected others did as the dwarves asked.But the disrespectful prince ignored the dwarves'asking,and he kept troubling the dwarves.In the evening,the two princes had become separated and lost.They needed to get back to the palace quickly.

Each of the two princes separately came across the four dwarves again.And they asked for the dwarves'help.The dwarves did whatever they could to help the respectful prince.And they took the respectful prince along some secret paths which led right to the palace.But they refused to help the disrespectful prince.

The disrespectful prince arrived in the palace much later,and was punished for it.He now understood that it would be much better to respect everyone if you wanted to have friends.

◆词语积淀

dwarf/dwɔːf/n.矮子；有魔法的小矮人

block out遮住（光线或声音）；挡住

jigsaw puzzle n.拼图；智力拼图玩具

butterfly/΄bʌtəflaɪ/n.蝴蝶

disrespectful/ˌdɪsrɪ΄spektfl/adj.失礼的；不尊重的

ignore/ɪg΄nɔː(r)/v.忽视；对……不予理会

separate/΄sepəreɪt/v.(使)分开；分离

punish/΄pʌnɪʃ/v.处罚

◆典句赏析

1.Once upon a time,the King's two princes were playing in a forest.从前，国王的两个王子在森林里玩耍。

这是一个含有过去进行时态的句子。过去进行时表示在过去某一时刻或某一段时间内正在进行或发生的动作，其结构为“主语+was/were+v.-ing”。常与表示过去时间的状语then、at this(that)time等连用。

【即时尝试】汤姆昨晚在写作业。

2.The first dwarf had a headache and he asked the two princes not to shout.第一个矮人头痛，他要求两位王子不要喊叫。

ask sb.not to do sth.是一个复合宾语的“宾语＋宾语补语”结构形式，意为“要求某人不要做某事”，宾语补足语的主要作用是补充说明宾语的特点、身份等。一般来说，可以担任宾语补足语的常常是名词、形容词、副词、介词短语、分词和动词不定式等。

【即时尝试】杰克要求汤姆不要在街上踢足球。

3.The dwarves did whatever they could to help the respectful prince.矮人们尽他们所能帮助这位尊敬人的王子。

do whatever one can to do sth.是一种固定搭配形式，意为“竭尽全力做某事”。类似的同义短语还有try to do sth./try one's best to do sth./go all out to do sth.。

【即时尝试】你应该竭尽全力学好英语。

译文助读

从前，国王的两个王子在森林里玩耍。两位王子遇到了四个小矮人，小矮人们要求两个王子要多加小心。

第一个小矮人头痛，他要求两位王子不要喊叫。第二个小矮人正在画一幅画，他要求两位王子离开，因为王子们挡住了光线。第三个小矮人正在路中间做一个巨大的拼图，他要求两位王子不要走在上面。第四个小矮人正在看一只蝴蝶，他要求两位王子不要把它吓跑了。

尊敬他人的王子按照小矮人的要求行事。但那位不尊敬他人的王子没有理会小矮人们的请求，他一直在骚扰小矮人们。到了晚上，两位王子分开了，他们迷路了，他们需要尽快回到皇宫。

两位王子又各自碰见了四个小矮人，他们请求小矮人们的帮助。小矮人们尽他们所能帮助这位尊敬人的王子，他们带领尊敬人的王子走了几条通往皇宫的秘密通道。但是他们拒绝帮助那位不尊敬他人的王子。

那位不尊敬他人的王子过了很久才回到皇宫，因此受到了惩罚。他现在才明白，如果你想要有朋友，最好尊重每个人。