美国语文第四册 第55期:最高尚的复仇(2)

 　　"Now, Philip;" said Stephen, I think you will act better in not minding him, “现在，菲利普，”斯蒂芬说，我认为你不去和他一般见识会更好，

　　as your contempt will be the best punishment you can inflict 1 upon him. 因为你的蔑视是你能够惩罚他的最佳方式。
　　Be assured, he will always be able to do more mischief 2 to you than you choose to do to him. 放心吧，他总能对你做更多的恶作剧，远比你要对他做得多。
　　And, now I think of it, I will tell you what happened to him not long since. 现在我想到这个，我告诉你不久前在他身上发生了什么。
　　Very unluckily for him, he chanced to see a bee hovering 3 about a flower which he caught, 对他来说非常不幸，他偶然看到了一只蜜蜂在花上盘旋，他抓住了它，
　　and was going to pull off its wings out of sport, when the animal stung him, and flew away in safety to the hive. 要把它的翅膀扯下来。这时蜜蜂叮了他一下，安全地飞回了蜂箱。
　　The pain put him into a furious passion, and, like you, he vowed 4 revenge. 疼痛让他怒不可遏，像你一样，他发誓要报仇。
　　He accordingly procured 5 a stick, and thrust it into the beehive. 于是，他找来一根棍子，戳进了蜂箱。
　　In an instant the whole swarm 6 flew out, and alighting upon him stung him in a hundred different places. 顷刻间，整个蜂群飞了出来，落在他身上，叮了他一百多处。
　　He uttered the most piercing cries, and rolled upon the ground in the excess of his agony. 他发出了最尖利的哭喊声，过度痛苦使得他在地上打起滚来。
　　His father immediately ran to him, 他父亲立刻跑来，
　　but could not put the bees to flight until they had stung him so severely 7 that he was confined several days to his bed. 但是根本没办法赶走蜜蜂，直到它们把他叮得严重到不得不卧床很多天。
　　Thus, you see, he was not very successful in his pursuit of revenge. 你看，他期望的报仇并不成功。
　　I would advise you, therefore, to pass over his insult. 因此，我建议你忽略他对你的侮辱。
　　He is a wicked boy, and much stronger than you; so that your ability to obtain this revenge may be doubtful. 他是个坏孩子，又比你强壮，那么你来实施报复的能力就值得怀疑。
　　"I must own," replied Philip, that your advice seems very good. “我必须承认，”菲利普回答道，你的建议非常好。
　　So come along with me, and I will tell my father the whole matter, and I think he will not be angry with me. 随我来吧，我会把一切告诉父亲，我想他不会生我的气。
　　They went, and Philip told his father what had happened. 他们离开，菲利普告诉父亲发生了什么。
　　He thanked Stephen for the good advice he had given his son, and promised Philip to give him another cane 8 exactly like the first. 他父亲感谢斯蒂芬给他儿子的建议，并且答应给菲利普一个完全一样的竹藤。
　　A few days afterward 9, Philip saw this ill-natured boy fall as he was carrying home a heavy log of wood, which he could not lift up again. 之后几天，菲利普看到这个坏脾气的男孩在往家里搬一块很沉的木柴时摔倒在地，再也抬不起来。
　　Philip ran to him, and helped him to replace it on his shoulder. 菲利普跑到他身边，帮他把木柴扛在肩上。
　　Young Robinson was quite ashamed at the thought of this unmerited kindness, and heartily 10 repented 11 of his behavior. Philip went home quite satisfied. 小罗宾逊想到这份好意时感到非常惭愧，发自内心地对自己的行为表示后悔。菲利普心里非常满足地回到家。
　　"This," said he, is the noblest vengeance 13 I could take, in returning good for evil. It is impossible I should repent 12 of it. “这，”他说，是我进行的最高尚的复仇，以德报怨。我是不会为此后悔的。