美國語文第五冊 第175期：請君制怒（03）
At length, he opened the Bible, and began to read.
待大家安頓坐好，他打開《圣經(jīng)》開始朗讀。
The child who was seated beside him made some little disturbance, upon which Mr. Sherman paused and told it to be still.
坐在他身邊的孩子鬧出些許響動，謝爾曼先生停下來，告訴孩子保持安靜，
Again he proceeded; but again he paused to reprimand the little offender,
然后繼續(xù)誦讀經(jīng)文。那孩子仍然坐立不安，父親只得再度停下，責備這位不懂事的小家伙，
whose playful disposition would scarcely permit it to be still.
但生性愛動的孩子很難保持安靜。
And this time he gently tapped its ear.
做父親的他，只是輕輕地拍打一下孩子的耳朵，
The blow, if blow it might be called, caught the attention of his aged mother,
如果不妨稱為“拍打”的話。法官的老母親看到這些，
who now, with some effort, rose from the seat, and tottered across the room.
她費力地從座位上站起，蹣跚地走到桌子對面，
At length she reached the chair of Mr. Sherman, and, in a moment,
來到謝爾曼先生身邊，站立片刻；
most unexpectedly to him, she gave him a blow on the ear with all the force she could summon.
他萬萬沒有想到的是，母親用盡全身力氣，狠狠地給了他一記響亮的耳光。
"There," said she, "you strike your child, and I will strike mine."
“既然，”她說，“你可以打你的孩子，我也可以打我的孩子。”
For a moment, the blood was seen mounting to the face of Mr. Sherman;
片刻工夫，血從謝爾曼先生臉上滲出，
but it was only for a moment, when all was calm and mild as usual.
全家人很快恢復了往常的寧靜平和，
He paused; he raised his spectacles; he cast his eye upon his mother;
他只是略作停息，再度戴好眼鏡，
again it fell upon the book from which he had been reading.
看了看母親，然后拿起書從先前暫停地方，
Not a word escaped him; but again he calmly pursued the service,
一字不漏地開始重新朗讀。謝爾曼先生再度冷靜地完成了職責，
and soon after sought in prayer an ability to set an example before his household which would be worthy of their imitation.
在禱告中尋求一種為家庭豎立榜樣的能力，一種值得孩子們模仿的能力。
Such a victory was worth more than the proudest one ever achieved on the field of battle.
的確，就戰(zhàn)場上自豪勝利者而言，這種內(nèi)在美德實在超過軍人的威武尊嚴。
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