男孩和他的斧頭

A long time ago， there lived a very poor but hard-working boy in a small village. His father was so ill that he became bed ridden. To earn a living， the boy woke up early in the morning and went into the jungIe to chop wood for sale in the village.

以前，在一個小村子里，住著一個貧窮卻很勤勞的男孩。他的父親患了重病，長期臥床不起。為了維持生活，男孩不得已每天天剛亮就上山砍柴，然后在村子里賣。

One day， the boy took his axe and went into the jungle as usual. When he was near a lake， he saw a big tree. He climbed up the tree and tried to chop some branches.

有一天，男孩像往常一樣，拿了斧頭到深山里去砍柴。男孩在湖邊發現一棵大樹。他爬上樹，揮動斧頭砍樹枝。

Suddenly his axe slipped and fell into the lake. The boy started crying because he had lost the one tool he needed to earn his living. Suddenly the water surface rippled and an old man appeared.

突然，斧頭從他手中滑落到了湖里。男孩傷心地哭了起來，沒有了斧頭，他無以謀生了。這時，平靜的湖水起了漣漪，波浪中出現了一位老人。

Seeing that the boy was frightened， he said， “My boy， please do not be afraid. Tell me why you are crying so sadly.” “My axe dropped into the water. I need it to earn a living to care for my sickly father.”

男孩嚇了一跳，老人說：“孩子，別怕。告訴我你為何哭得如此傷心？”“我的斧頭掉到湖里去了，我靠它謀生，賺錢照顧我生病的父親?！?/p>

“Let me search for it，” said the old man. Then he disappeared into the water and the lake became calm again. After a while， the water surface tippled again and the old man reappeared. In his hand was a shining golden axe. “Is this your axe？” asked the old man.

“我這就給你找斧頭去?！崩先苏f完，便消失在湖中，湖水又恢復了以往的平靜。不一會兒，湖水又動蕩了起來，老人從波浪中走出來，他手里拿著一把閃閃發光的金斧頭?！斑@是你的斧頭嗎？”老人問。

“This axe is beautiful but it is not mine，” said the boy. “Well， let me go in and search once more.” The old man disappeared into the water again.

“這把斧頭好漂亮??！但它不是我的。”男孩說?！澳呛?，我再去找你的斧頭。”老人的身影又消失在湖中。

A moment later， he reappeared. This time， he was holding a silver axe. “Is this your axe？” asked the old man. “No， mine is just an ordinary one， not made of gold or silver，” replied the boy. “All right， let me go in and search again.” He then disappeared into the water.

過了一會兒，他又出現了。這次他手舉一把銀斧頭從波浪里出來?！笆沁@把嗎？”老人問?！耙膊皇牵业母^既不是金的，也不是銀的，它只是一把普普通通的鐵斧頭。”男孩說。“那好，我再去找找看?！崩先苏f完又消失在湖中。

He reappeared this time carrying the boy's axe. “Yes， yes， that is minel” shouted the boy excitedly. The old man said， “My dear boy， I am so pleased that you are such an honest person. I am giving the golden and silver axes to you. You can then find a good doctor and I am sure your father will recover very soon.” The old man then disappeared into the water.

老人再次現身時，手里拿著男孩的斧頭。男孩興奮地叫道：“是的，是的，這才是我的斧頭！”老人說：“好孩子，我真高興你是個如此誠實的孩子。我把金斧頭和銀斧頭也一齊給你。你給你父親找個好醫生，我相信，你父親很快就會好起來的?！崩先苏f完，又消失在湖中。

The boy sold both the axes. With the money， he managed to find a good doctor and soon cured his father of his illness.

男孩賣掉了金、銀斧頭，用換來的錢找了位醫術高明的醫生，父親的病很快就被治好了。

Vocabulary

earn "vt. "賺;賺得

jungle "n. "叢林

chop "v. "切碎;砍

rippled "vt. amp; vi. "使泛起漣漪（ripple的過去式與過去分詞形式）

frightened "v.（使）驚恐（frighten的過去式和過去分詞）

dropped "v. "落下（drop的過去式和過去分詞）

disappeared "v. "不見，消失（disappear的過去式和過去分詞）

calm "adj. "鎮定的;平靜的

search "v. "搜尋;搜索

cured "v. "治愈（cure的過去式和過去分詞）