A wrong judgement 一次错误的判断

胡发高

语篇导读

在日常生活中，如果我们对身边的人或事急于下决定或判断，很可能出现误判而导致不好的结果。本文中的这位父亲就是因为没有完全理解女儿的想法，继而对她的行为产生了错误的判断。这个小故事告诉我们：对待任何事情都不要匆忙地下结论。

A father and his daughter were walking along the country road on a hot summer day. Suddenly his young daughter saw a young woman selling apples nearby. She asked her father to buy her an apple. The father didnt bring much money with him， but it was enough to pay for two apples. So， he went to the woman， bought two big red apples and gave them to his daughter.

His daughter held one apple in each of her hands. They walked to a tree and stood in the shade to have a rest. The father smiled and asked her if she could share the two apples with him. On hearing this， his daughter quickly took a bite from one apple. The father felt surprised. But before he could speak， his daughter also took a bite from the second apple quickly.

The father felt more surprised. He wondered why she acted in such a greedy way and what mistakes he had made in raising her daughter. His mind was lost in thoughts. He guessed that perhaps he was just thinking too much or that probably his daughter was too young to understand about sharing and giving. The smile disappeared from his face little by little.

And suddenly his daughter with an apple in her one hand said， “Father， have this one. This one is much sweeter.” The father was speechless.

He felt sorry about reaching to the judgement so quickly about a small child. His smile came back again. Now he knew why his daughter quickly took a bite from each apple.

Dont judge anything too quickly or reach a conclusion. Always spare a period of time to understand things better.

词语积淀

stand in the shade 站在树荫下

be lost in thoughts 陷入沉思

little by little 渐渐地

speechless /̍spi：tʃlɪs/ adj. 说不出话的

judgement /̍dʒʌdʒmənt/ n. 判断

a period of 一段（时间）

典句赏析

1.On hearing this， his daughter quickly took a bite from one apple. 一听到这句话，他的女儿快速地咬了一口苹果。

该句为简单句。on hearing...是常见的一种简化形式，意为“一听到……”，on hearing this相当于as soon as引导的时间状语从句as soon as she heard his words，强调谓语动词的动作随之迅速发生;take a bite from意为“从……上咬下一口”。

【即时尝试】一听到那个好消息，我们都高兴得跳起来。

2.But before he could speak， his daughter also took a bite from the second apple quickly. 但还没等他开口，他女儿又赶紧在第二个苹果上咬了一口。

这是一个复合句。before he could speak是时间状语从句，该从句中有can / could与无can / could语气不一样。没有can / could，此句表示“在他开口之前”;而有can / could，此句则表示“他没来得及开口”。

【即时尝试】我还没来得及阻止她，她就已经冲进办公室了。

3.He guessed that perhaps he was just thinking too much or that probably his daughter was too young to understand about sharing and giving.  他猜测，也许是他想得太多了，也可能是他的女儿还太小，不懂得分享和给予。

主句中的He guessed后面是两个that引导的宾语从句，这两个宾语从句又是由or连接的并列句。too... to...结构意为“太……而不能……”，该结构含有否定的概念，常可与so... that...（如此……以至……）进行同义转换。

【即时尝试】那时，我母亲身体太虚弱，连站都站不起来。

（答案见第63页）

译文助读

一个炎热的夏日，一位父亲和他的女儿正在沿着乡间小路往前走着。突然，他的女儿看到一位年轻女士在附近卖苹果，她让她父亲给她买一个苹果。父亲没带多少钱，但足够买两个苹果。于是，他朝那位女士走去，给他的女儿买了两个又大又红的苹果，然后将苹果给了他女儿。

他的女儿双手各拿一个苹果。他们走到一棵树下，站在树荫中休息。父亲笑着问她是否可以和他分享这两个苹果。一听到这句话，他的女儿快速地咬了一口苹果，父亲感到很惊讶。但还没等他开口，他女儿又赶紧在第二个苹果上咬了一口。

父亲感到更加惊讶，他不知道女儿为什么会如此贪婪，也不知道他在抚养女儿时犯了什么错误。他陷入了沉思。他猜测，也许是他想得太多了，也很可能是他的女儿还太小，不懂得分享和给予。他脸上的笑容渐渐消失了。

突然，他的女儿拿着一个苹果说：“爸爸，吃这个吧，這个更甜。”父亲说不出话来。

这么快就对一个小孩做出判断使他感到很抱歉。他的笑容又回来了，现在他知道为什么他的女儿如此快速地在每个苹果上都咬了一口。

不要太快做出判断，也不要太快地下结论。为了更好地理解事物，多花一些时间去思考吧。