?Two princes and the dwarves

周魯成（譯）

◆語篇導讀

數學家笛卡爾說：“尊重別人，才能讓人尊敬。”這句話啟示我們：自尊的人懂得尊重他人，因為要想贏得他人的尊重，首先要尊重他人。尊重他人是一種高尚的美德，是個人內在修養的外在體現，是人所必須具有的良好品質。尊重是一種文明的社交方式，是順利開展工作、建立良好社交關系的基石。

Once upon a time,the King's two princes were playing in a forest.And the two Princes came across four dwarves.The dwarves asked the two princes to be more careful.

The first dwarf had a headache and he asked the two princes not to shout.The second dwarf was drawing a picture,and he asked the two princes to move away,because they were blocking out the light.The third dwarf was doing a giant jigsaw puzzle in the middle of the road,and he asked the two princes not to walk on it.The fourth dwarf was watching a butterfly and he asked the two princes not to frighten it away.

The prince who respected others did as the dwarves asked.But the disrespectful prince ignored the dwarves'asking,and he kept troubling the dwarves.In the evening,the two princes had become separated and lost.They needed to get back to the palace quickly.

Each of the two princes separately came across the four dwarves again.And they asked for the dwarves'help.The dwarves did whatever they could to help the respectful prince.And they took the respectful prince along some secret paths which led right to the palace.But they refused to help the disrespectful prince.

The disrespectful prince arrived in the palace much later,and was punished for it.He now understood that it would be much better to respect everyone if you wanted to have friends.

◆詞語積淀

dwarf/dw??f/n.矮子；有魔法的小矮人

block out遮住（光線或聲音）；擋住

jigsaw puzzle n.拼圖；智力拼圖玩具

butterfly/?b?t?fla?/n.蝴蝶

disrespectful/?d?sr??spektfl/adj.失禮的；不尊重的

ignore/?g?n??(r)/v.忽視；對……不予理會

separate/?sep?re?t/v.(使)分開；分離

punish/?p?n??/v.處罰

◆典句賞析

1.Once upon a time,the King's two princes were playing in a forest.從前，國王的兩個王子在森林里玩耍。

這是一個含有過去進行時態的句子。過去進行時表示在過去某一時刻或某一段時間內正在進行或發生的動作，其結構為“主語+was/were+v.-ing”。常與表示過去時間的狀語then、at this(that)time等連用。

【即時嘗試】湯姆昨晚在寫作業。

2.The first dwarf had a headache and he asked the two princes not to shout.第一個矮人頭痛，他要求兩位王子不要喊叫。

ask sb.not to do sth.是一個復合賓語的“賓語＋賓語補語”結構形式，意為“要求某人不要做某事”，賓語補足語的主要作用是補充說明賓語的特點、身份等。一般來說，可以擔任賓語補足語的常常是名詞、形容詞、副詞、介詞短語、分詞和動詞不定式等。

【即時嘗試】杰克要求湯姆不要在街上踢足球。

3.The dwarves did whatever they could to help the respectful prince.矮人們盡他們所能幫助這位尊敬人的王子。

do whatever one can to do sth.是一種固定搭配形式，意為“竭盡全力做某事”。類似的同義短語還有try to do sth./try one's best to do sth./go all out to do sth.。

【即時嘗試】你應該竭盡全力學好英語。

譯文助讀

從前，國王的兩個王子在森林里玩耍。兩位王子遇到了四個小矮人，小矮人們要求兩個王子要多加小心。

第一個小矮人頭痛，他要求兩位王子不要喊叫。第二個小矮人正在畫一幅畫，他要求兩位王子離開，因為王子們擋住了光線。第三個小矮人正在路中間做一個巨大的拼圖，他要求兩位王子不要走在上面。第四個小矮人正在看一只蝴蝶，他要求兩位王子不要把它嚇跑了。

尊敬他人的王子按照小矮人的要求行事。但那位不尊敬他人的王子沒有理會小矮人們的請求，他一直在騷擾小矮人們。到了晚上，兩位王子分開了，他們迷路了，他們需要盡快回到皇宮。

兩位王子又各自碰見了四個小矮人，他們請求小矮人們的幫助。小矮人們盡他們所能幫助這位尊敬人的王子，他們帶領尊敬人的王子走了幾條通往皇宮的秘密通道。但是他們拒絕幫助那位不尊敬他人的王子。

那位不尊敬他人的王子過了很久才回到皇宮，因此受到了懲罰。他現在才明白，如果你想要有朋友，最好尊重每個人。