Wet Pants

by David Owen

翻譯：Jasmine

應該多行善事，為了做一個幸福的人。

——列夫·托爾斯泰（俄國作家）

In the third grade classroom, a nine-year-old boy named Tom is sitting at his desk. Suddenly, there is a1)puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet.

He thinks his heart is going to stop, and he knows that when his classmates find out, they will laugh at him again and again.

Tom puts his head down and2)prays, “Dear God, I need help now!”

He looks up and here comes the teacher. The look in her eyes says he has been discovered.

As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a bowl of water. She falls down in front of the teacher and drops the water in the boy’s3)lap.

Tom4)pretends to be angry, but all the while he is saying to himself, “Thank you, God!”

Now Tom is the5)object of6)sympathy.The teacher gives him7)gym shorts to put on.All the other children come to help clean up around his desk.

詞組加油站

★laugh at 嘲笑，取笑

★fall down 跌倒，摔倒

★all the while 一直，始終

★on purpose 故意地，有意地

★do good 行善，做好事

But the8)ridicule has turned to Susie. She tries to help, but they tell her to go away.

Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, Tom asks Susie in a low voice, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”Susie answers, “I wet my pants once too.”

9)May we all see the chances around us to do good.

1) puddle ['p?dl] n. 水坑，污水坑

2) pray [pre?] v. 祈禱，懇求

3) lap [l?p] n.（坐時的）大腿前部

4) pretend [pr?'tend] v. 假裝，裝扮

5) object ['?bd??kt] n. 目標，對象

6) sympathy ['s?mp?θ?] n. 同情，同情心

7) gym [d??m] n. 體育館

8) ridicule ['r?d?kju?l] n. 嘲笑，奚落

9) may [me?] aux. 祝，愿

參考譯文

在三年級的教室里，一個名叫湯姆的九歲男孩正坐在自己的課桌前。忽然，他兩腳間出現一攤水，他的短褲前襠也濕了。

他覺得自己的心跳都要停止了，他明白如果被同學們發現，他就會被無休止地嘲笑。

湯姆低下頭，祈禱著：“親愛的上帝啊，我現在急需幫助！”

他抬起頭，看到老師正走向他。老師的眼神表明他已經被發現了。

就在老師向他走來的時候，一個名叫蘇西的同學正端著一碗水。她在老師的前面摔倒了，水灑在了男孩的大腿上。湯姆假裝很生氣，但心理卻一直暗自地說：“感謝上帝！”現在，湯姆成了被同情的對象。老師讓他換上了運動短褲，其他的孩子都跑過來幫他清理桌子四周。

而奚落都轉向了蘇西。她試圖幫忙，可他們卻叫她走開。

最后，在結束一天的課程后，他倆都在等校車。這時，湯姆低聲問蘇西：“你是故意的，對吧？”蘇西回答說：“我也曾經尿過褲子呢。”

愿我們都能發現身邊做好事的機會。

名師考點小結

1. find out 含有經過觀察、研究或探索而得知的意思，后常接較抽象的事物，意思是“找出；發現；查明（真相）”等。例如：

I can find out who took my money away. 我能查出是誰拿了我的錢。

2. here comes the teacher 這是一個倒裝句。表語here位于句首，主語為the teacher。在英語中，以here、there、now、then、in、away、up、down等副詞開頭的句子，常用主謂倒裝結構，目的是為了強調句首的部分或避免句子頭重腳輕。此時應注意兩點：

（1）如果主語是代詞，主語和謂語動詞部分不用倒裝。例如：

Here you are./Here it is. 給你。

（2）如果主語是名詞，主語和謂語部分要倒裝（謂語在前，主語在后），稱為全部倒裝或完全倒裝。例如：

Here comes the bus. 公共汽車來了。

Now comes your turn to play. 現在輪到你玩了。

3. pretend 作動詞，表示“假裝，佯裝，裝扮”，后接名詞、不定式或從句作賓語。例如：

She pretended Snow White. （接名詞）她裝扮成白雪公主。

He pretended to be friendly with me. （接不定式）他假裝對我友善。

He pretended that he didn’t see me. （接從句）他裝作沒看見我。