美國語文第四冊 第136期：道德勇氣（03）
It was no light act of courage in those days for a little fellow to say his prayers publicly, even at Rugby.
在當時一個小孩子當眾禱告需要不小的勇氣，在整個拉格比也是這樣。
A few years later, when Arnold's manly piety had begun to leaven the school, the tables turned:
幾年后，阿諾德校長以勇敢和虔誠開始潛移默化地轉(zhuǎn)變這種風氣，
before he died, in the Schoolhouse at least, and I believe in the other houses, the rule was the other way.
在他去世前，至少拉格比學校的情形不同了。我想其他學校里并沒有什么變化。
But poor Tom had come to school in other times.
但是可憐的湯姆沒趕上好時候，
The first few nights after he came he did not kneel down because of the noise,
他來的頭幾晚因為喧鬧沒有跪地禱告，
but sat up in bed till the candle was out, and then stole out and said his prayers, in fear lest some one should find him out.
而是坐在床上，等蠟燭熄滅后溜出去禱告，怕讓別人看到。
So did many another poor little fellow.
可憐的小孩子很多都這么做。
Then he began to think that he might just as well say his prayers in bed,
后來他想干脆就在床上禱告吧，然后他想，
and then that it did not matter whether he was kneeling, or sitting, or lying down.
不論是跪著還是坐著或躺著有什么關系。
And so it had come to pass with Tom, as with all who will not confess their Lord before men;
這就是事情的經(jīng)過，不愿意當著別人的面禱告的人都是這么做的；
and for the last year he had probably not said his prayers in earnest a dozen times.
最后一年，他很多次禱告都敷衍了事。
Poor Tom! the first and bitterest feeling, which was like to break his heart, was the sense of his own cowardice.
可憐的湯姆，最先也是最令他痛苦的就是他的懦弱，這讓他的心都碎了。
The vice of all others which he loathed was brought in and burned in on his own soul.
他想到了別的令他厭惡的罪惡，這些罪惡現(xiàn)在讓他的靈魂備受煎熬。
He had lied to his mother, to his conscience, to his God.
他對母親、自己的良心和上帝說了謊。
How could he bear it?
他怎么能容忍呢？
And then the poor, little, weak boy, whom he had pitied and almost scorned for his weakness, had done that which he, braggart as he was, dared not do.
然而，這可憐的柔弱的男孩，這個曾讓他感到憐憫，甚至鄙視男孩，卻做了這件他這么自負的人都沒有勇氣做的事。
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