美國語文第四冊 第135期：道德勇氣（02）
Tom was sitting at the bottom of his bed unlacing his boots, so that his back was towards Arthur, and he did not see what had happened, and looked up in wonder at the sudden silence.
湯姆正坐在床腳解鞋帶，背對著阿瑟，沒有看到發(fā)生的一切，房間里突然的安靜使他驚訝地抬起了頭。
Then two or three boys laughed and sneered, and a big, brutal fellow, who was standing in the middle of the room,
這時兩三個男孩兒大聲取笑譏諷小阿瑟，站在房子中間的一個高大野蠻的家伙，
picked up a slipper and shied it at the kneeling boy, calling him a sniveling young shaver.
拾起一只拖鞋，擲向跪拜的男孩，把他稱作哭啼啼的小教徒。
Then Tom saw the whole, and the next moment the boot he had just pulled off flew straight at the head of the bully, who had just time to throw up his arm and catch it on his elbow.
湯姆看到了發(fā)生的一切，剛脫下的靴子筆直地飛向了那個惡棍的頭，那個野蠻的家伙連忙伸手去接，正好打在肘部。
"Confound you, Brown; what's that for?" roared he, stamping with pain.
“你瘋了，布朗；你干什么？”他大聲叫起來，疼得直跺腳。
"Never mind what I mean," said Tom, stepping on to the floor, every drop of blood in his body tingling:
“別管我什么意思，”湯姆說著，站到了地上，身上的每滴血都沸騰了：
if any fellow wants the other boot, he knows how to get it.
如果誰想要另一個靴子，他知道應該怎么做。
What would have been the result is doubtful, for at this moment the sixth-form boy came in, and not another word could be said.
可能發(fā)生什么誰也無法知道，因為這時，六年級男孩走了進來，大家都不作聲了。
Tom and the rest rushed into bed and finished their unrobing there, and the old janitor had put out the candle in another minute,
湯姆和別的孩子們匆忙上了床，脫去衣服，一分鐘后老舍監(jiān)熄了蠟燭，
and toddled on to the next room, shutting the door with his usual, "Good night, gentlemen."
走向另一個房間，像往常一樣關了門，說了聲“晚安，先生們。”
There were many boys in the room by whom that little scene was taken to heart before they slept.
剛發(fā)生的小插曲讓房間里很多男孩睡前在心里思量起來。
But sleep seemed to have deserted the pillow of poor Tom.
可憐的湯姆一點也不瞌睡。
For some time his excitement and the flood of memories which chased one another though his brain, kept him from thinking or resolving.
興奮和剛發(fā)生的場面在頭腦中相互追逐著，使他無法思考和分析。
His head throbbed, his heart leapt, and he could hardly keep himself from springing out of bed and rushing about the room.
他的頭痛得厲害，心跳個不停，強忍住才沒從床上跳起來，在房間里奔跑。
Then the thought of his own mother came across him, and the promise he had made at her knee, years ago,
他想起了母親，想起了幾年前在她的膝前自己的承諾，
never to forget to kneel by his bedside and give himself up to his Father before he laid his head on the pillow, from which it might never rise;
一定要把自己交給上帝，然后才能把頭放到枕頭上，因為一覺之后可能就再也醒不過來了；
and he lay down gently, and CRIed as if his heart would break.
他輕輕躺下，哭泣起來，好像心都要碎了。
He was only fourteen years old.
他才十四歲呀。
