2015
這一章的開頭，便是琢磨起來非常有哲理的一段敘述。
The night seemed long. Wilbur's stomach was empty and his mind was full. And when your stomach is empty and your mind is full, it's always hard to sleep.
這短短幾句話，就描述出了我們?nèi)祟愐粯拥睦Ь?，關(guān)于難以入眠的漫漫長夜，關(guān)于物質(zhì)和精神難以兩全的空empty和滿full。
這一段里時(shí)態(tài)的變換也可以注意一下。關(guān)于Wilbur的敘述都使用過去式，而當(dāng)主題擴(kuò)展開來，延伸到讀者這里的時(shí)候，就變成了一般現(xiàn)在時(shí)。
A dozen times during the night Wilbur woke and stared into the darkness, listening to the sounds and trying to figure out what time it was. （這不正是我們大多數(shù)人夜不能寐時(shí)會(huì)照做的動(dòng)作嗎？） A barn is never perfectly quiet. Even at midnight there is usually something stirring.
接下來，描寫了Wilbur 第一次醒來，聽到并不屬于descent animal 的rat Templeton偷谷倉里的谷物?！疶hat crazy rat！’ thought Wilbur. ‘Why does he have to stay up all night, grinding his clashers and destroying people's property? Why can't he go to sleep, like any descent animal?’對(duì)啊，總有一些瘋狂的人們夜里不睡，做一些不能入眼的事，破壞別人之所有。
那么當(dāng)wilbur第二次醒來又會(huì)聽到什么呢？會(huì)是好事還是壞事呢？
The second time Wilbur woke, he heard the goose turning on her nest and chuckling to herself.
'What time is it?' whispered Wilbur to the goose.
'Probably-obably-obably about half-past eleven,' said the goose. 'Why aren't you sleep, Wilbur?'%塑造人物形象就是這么簡單，幾個(gè)音節(jié)就把一個(gè)結(jié)結(jié)巴巴說話的大憨鵝的形象勾畫出來啦！
'Too many things on my mind,' said Wilbur. %注意，這里介詞是on，on my mind
‘Well,’said the goose, 'that's not my trouble. I have nothing at all on my mind, but I've too many things under my behind. Have you ever tried to sleep while sitting on eight eggs?' %under my behind, 這里的behind不能用后面來理解了，而是屁股的委婉說法。a person's bottom. People often say 'behind' to avoid saying 'bottom'.
'No,' replied Wilbur. 'I suppose it is uncomfortable. How long does it take a goose egg to hetch?'
Approximately-oximately-oximately thirty days, all told,' answered the goose. 'But I cheat a little. On warm afternoons, I just pull a little straw over the eggs and go out for a walk.'% all told：adv. with everything included or counted.
下載小花生APP
關(guān)注小花生公眾號(hào)
