讀點好英文:The Land of the Halt 瘸子之鄉(xiāng)

The Land of the Halt 瘸子之鄉(xiāng)

Many years since in a small territory, there was not one of the inhabitants who did not stutter when he spoke, and halt in walking；both these defects, moreover, were considered accomplishments. A stranger saw the evil, and thinking how they would admire his walking, went about without halting, after the usual manner of our race.Every one stopped to look at him, and all those who looked, laughed, and holding their sides to repress their merriment, shouted，“Teach the stranger how to walk properly！”

The stranger considered it his duty to cast the reproach from himself.“You halt，”he cried，“It is not I, you must accustom yourselves to leave off so awkward a habit！”This only increased the uproars, when they heard him speak；he did not even stammer；this was sufficient to disgrace him, and he was laughed at throughout the country.

很多年前，在一個很小的地方，住在那里的所有居民都口吃且瘸著腿走路，而這兩種缺陷居然還被視為才能。一個外地人到了那里，看到了這樣的缺陷，以為那里的居民會羨慕他的走姿。于是，他沒有跛腳，而是按照正常人的走姿走來走去。當?shù)厝硕纪Ｏ聛砜此?，都哈哈大笑起來。最后，他們好不容易忍住笑喊道：“來教教這個外地人怎樣正確地走路吧！”

這個外地人覺得自己有責任反駁他們?！澳銈儾攀侨匙?，”他高聲喊道，“不是我，你們必須改掉這種難看的走姿！”這更使當?shù)厝撕迦淮笮ΑＲ驗樗麄兟犓f話居然不口吃！這真讓人覺得丟臉啊。他所到之處，都會遭到別人的嘲笑。