英语听力：圣诞欢歌 3 The second of the three spirits
时间：2019-02-26 作者：英语课 分类：圣诞欢歌.A.Christmas.Carol
英语课
3 The second of the three spirits
When Scrooge woke up，he realized immediately that the church clock was just going to strike one．He felt sure that the second spirit would Soon visit him．This time he wanted to be ready，so he pulled back all the curtains round his bed himself，and lay there，waiting．At one o'clock，instead of a spirit，a strong light shone down on Scrooge's bed．He felt very frightened．After a few minutes he thought that perhaps the light was coming from the next room，so he got up and went to the door．When he touched it，a strange voice called his name，and asked him to enter．He obeyed．
Although he recognized it as his own room，it looked very different now．The walls were covered with bright green leaves，and there was a good fire burning in the fireplace．On the floor were big plies of the best Christmas food—wonderful rich dark cakes，warm soft bread，colourful apples and oranges，plates of yellow butter，cooked chickens，boxes of chocolates and sugared sweets．Sitting beside all this was a large，smiling spirit，who called out cheerfully to Scrooge， ‘Come in！Chme in，man！I am the ghost of Christmas Present！Look at me！’
Since the first ghost's visit，Scrooge was no longer very sure of himself．So although the spirit's eyes were clear and kind，Scrooge was afraid to look straight into its face．But he could see that its body was dressed in a long green robe，its long brown hair fell freely down its back，and its face wore a warm and friendly smile．Light shone from the torch which it was holding in its strong right hand．
‘Spirit，’said Scrooge quietly，‘take me where you want．Last night I learned a lesson which is working now．If you have anything to teach me tonight，let me learn from you．’
‘Touch my robe！’said the spirit，and Scrooge obeyed．
The food，the room，the fire all disappeared，and they were standing outside in the cold，snowy streets on Christmas morning．Althought the sky was grey and the streets were dirty，the people looked surprisingly cheerful，as they hurried to the bakers'shops with their Christmas dinners，all ready for cooking．The spirit seemed specially interested in poor people．He stood with Scrooge in a baker's doorway and held his torch over the dinners as they were carried past him．Sometimes，when he saw people pushing each other or getting angry，he lifted his torch over their heads，and immediately they became kinder，or stopped arguing，‘because it's Christmas，’they told each other．
‘What does your torch do，spirit？’asked Scrooge．
‘It gives a special taste to people's dinners on this day，’answered the spirit．
‘Why do you use it most on poor people？’said Scrooge．
‘Because poor people need it most，’was the reply．
They went on through London，and came to the small house where Scrooge's clerk lived．Here the spirit smiled，and held his torch high over the door．Inside，Bob Cratchit's wife and second daughter，Belinda，in their everyday dresses，but looking clean and pretty，were putting plates on the table for their Christmas dinner．Bob's son Peter was helping to cook the potatoes，and two smaller Cratchits，a boy and a girl，were running round excitedly．Just then the eldest daughter，Martha，arrived home from work．
‘Here's Martha，mother！’cried the two young Cratchits happily．‘We're having a really big chicken for dinner， Martha！’In fact it was only a small chicken，but it seemed large to the excited children．
‘My dear，how late you are！’said Mrs Cratchit，kissing her daughter several times．
‘We were so busy yesterday，mother！’replied the girl．‘That's why we didn't finish until this morning！’
‘Well！Never mind，now that you're here．God bless you！ Sit down by the fire，my dear！’
‘No，no！Father's coming！’ried the two young Cratchits．‘Hide，Martha，hide！’
So Martha hid herself，and in came Bob in his thin coat and long white scarf，with his son Tiny Tim in his arms．Poor Tiny Tim！He had not walked since he was born，and although he could pull himself and his thin little legs along with the help of a wooden crutch，he was not strong enough to travel far alone．
‘Why，where's Martha？’cried Bob，looking round．
‘Not coming，’said Mrs Cratchit．
‘Not coming！’repeated Bob，his cheerful smile disappearing．‘Not coming on Christmas Day！’
But Martha didn't like to worry her father for a minute，so she ran out from behind the door and kissed him， while the two young Cratchits showed Tiny Tim the chicken，now ready to eat．
Scrooge and the spirit watched as the family sat down to eat．It was a poor enough meal，but to them it seemed wonderful，and they ate every bit of it．
‘It's the best chicken I've ever tasted，’said Bob， smiling round at his family， who， with their mouths full，all agreed．
And then，the most exciting moment of the day！Belinda put a clean plate in front of each person， and they all turned to look at Mrs Cratchit as she came in from the kitchen．Her face was hot from her morning's work， but she was smiling happily as she carried in-the Christmas pudding， in its little circle of blue fire！
Oh，it was a wonderful pudding！They were all delighted with it．
‘It's your greatest success in all the years that we've been married，my dear！’said Bob．
‘Well，I did wonder how much fruit to put in it，’said his wife，‘but， yes， it's a good one！’And she laughed just like a young girl．
Nobody said that it was a very small pudding for a large family．Nobody even thought it．No Cratchit ever said or thought things like that．
At last，when they had finished their meal，the children cleared the table and washed the plates．Then they all sat round the fire， eating apples and oranges．There was a large bowl of fruit and sugar and hot water and something a little stronger，but only three people could drink at the same time， because the family only owned two glasses and a cup．But this did not worry the Cratchits at all．Now Bob lifted his glass and said，‘A merry Christmas to us all， my dears！ God bless us！’
The family repeated his wish，and Tiny Tim said，last of all，‘God bless us every one！’He sat very close to his father， on a small chair．Bob held his son's thin little hand in this own．The boy had a special place in his father's heart．
‘Spirit，’said Scrooge，with an interest that he had never felt before，‘ tell me if Tiny Tim will live．’
‘In the future I see an empty chair by the fire， with a crutch beside it．If these shadows do not change， the child will die．’
‘No，no！’said Scrooge．‘Oh no，kind spirit！Say that he will live！’
‘If his life does not change soon， he will die before next Christmas．What does that matter？There are too many people in the world，so it's a good thing if some of them die．’
Scrooge was ashamed and sad to hear his own words spoken by the spirit．But he lifted his head when he heard his name．
‘Mr Scrooge！’said Bob．‘Let's drink to Mr Scrooge， whose money has paid for this meal！’
‘His money！’said Mrs Cratchit angrily．‘What can we buy with his fifteen shillings a week？ Why should we drink to the health of a hateful，hard，unfeeling，mean old man like Scrooge？’
‘My dear，’said Bob gently，‘remember it's Christmas．’
‘Well，Bob， I'll drink to his health only because of you and because it's Christmas．Long life to Mr Scrooge！A merry Christmas and a happy new year to him！ He'll be very merry and very happy，I'm sure！’
When the children heard Scrooge's name，a dark shadow came over their happiness for a while，and they were quiet and a little sad．But five minutes later they were talking，and laughing，and telling stories，ten times merrier than before．They were not a good-looking or a well-dressed family， but they were happy and grateful and loved each other．As they disappeared in the light of the spirit's torch，Scrooge could not take his eyes off them， especially Tiny Tim．
By this time it was getting dark，and snowing heavily．The spirit took Scrooge into many houses，where fires were burning cheerfully，and food was cooking，and people were merrily welcoming their friends and families into their homes．The ghost was delighted to see all this excitement，and made sure that he lifted his torch over every poor family，to give them more fun，and better food，and greater happiness．
Then the spirit took Scrooge away from the busy capital，to a wild，lonely place in the country，where no trees grew．Here they visited a small stone house， a long way from any town or village， where an old man and woman were singing Christmas carols，with their children and grandchildren．The spirit did not stay long here， but told Scrooge to hold his robe again．
‘Where are we going？ Not up in the air， surely！’And Scrooge，terribly frightened，looked down as they flew over the land and then over the sea．It was stormy， windy weather， and the waves crashed violently underneath them．
The spirit took Scrooge to a lighthouse built on a lonely rock， several miles from land．A light was kept burning at the top， in order to warn sailors to keep away from the dangerous rocks．Two men lived here in this cold， unfriendly place， far away from their families，but the spirit smiled to see them shake hands，wish each other a merry Christmas，and sing a carol together in front of their fire．
Again the spirit and Scrooge flew on，and together they landed on a ship in the middle of the sea．Here every man， although many miles from home，had a kind word for his friend， or thought warmly of his family，because it was Christmas．
It was a great surprise to Scrooge，while listening to the noise of the wind and waves，to hear a happy laugh．He recognized it as his nephew's，and found himself，with the smiling spirit beside him，in his nephew's bright，warm sitting-room．
When Scrooge's nephew laughed，everybody who was with him wanted to laugh too．He had that kind of laugh．And at the moment， his very pretty wife and several of his friends were laughing with him．
‘He said that Christmas was humbug！Ha ha ha！’cried Scrooge's nephew．
‘That's very bad of him，Fred！’said his wife．
‘He's a strange old man，’said Scrooge's nephew，‘but I'm sorry for him．His money is no use to him，you see．He isn't at all happy or comfortable，although he's rich．It's sad to think of him sitting alone in his cold room．And so I'm going to invite him every Christmas．He can be cross and miserable if be likes，but I'll go on inviting him and one day perhaps he'll think better of Christmas！’
After tea，the cheerful little group sang songs，and played music．Scrooge recognized the song that his little sister used to sing， and remembered sadly what the ghost of Christmas Past had shown him．Later the friends played guessing games，and Scrooge joined in the games with delight．Nobody except the spirit could hear him，but he often guessed the right answer．
‘It's time to go now，’said the ghost，smiling at the old man's childish excitement．
‘No，spirit，please，let me stay a little longer．Look， they're playing a new game！’
It was a game called Yes and No，in which Scrooge's nephew had to think of something，and the others had to ask questions to discover what it was．The only possible answers were Yes or No．Scrooge heard that Fred was thinking of a living animal，a wild animal，sometimes an angry animal， which lived in London and walked in the streets．Every time he answered a question，Fred could not stop himself laughing．At last，his wife's dark， pretty sister started laughing too．
‘I know what it is，Fred！I know！’she cried out．‘It's your uncle Scro-o-o-o-oge！’
Everyone laughed until they cried．What a wonderful game！ What a clever idea of Fred's！But at last Fred dried his eyes， and said，‘We've been very merry because of him， so I think we should drink to his health．Here's to Uncle Scrooge！A merry Christmas and a happy new year to the old man！Uncle Scrooge！’
‘To Uncle Scrooge！’they all cried，cheerfully lifting their glasses．
Uncle Scrooge wanted to thank them，but the spirit hurried him away．The ghost seemed much older now： his brown hair had become grey．
‘Are spirits' lives so short？’asked Scrooge．
‘My life in this world ends at midnight tonight．Listen！It's a quarter to midnight now！’
The church clock was striking the three quarters．
‘Excuse me for asking，spirit，’said Scrooge，‘but what are those strange things near your foot？’
‘Oh man， look here！’said the spirit sadly，and brought out from under his robe two ghostly figures， a boy and a girl．They were thin and poorly dressed， with cold， mean eyes and dry，yellow skin， and their faces showed only a frightening and murderous hate．Scrooge had never seen anything so terrible or so sad．
‘These miserable children are Man's，’said the spirit．‘The boy is Crime．The girl is Need．They will destroy Man if nothing is done about them．’
‘Can't anyone help them？’cried Scrooge．
‘Are there no prisons？’said the spirit，turning on Scrooge for the last time with his own words．‘Are there on workhouses？’
The clock struck twelve．Scrooge looked，but could no longer see the ghost or the children．He was alone again．
3．三幽灵中的第二位
当斯克罗吉醒来的时候，他立刻发现教堂的钟就要敲响1点钟了。他肯定第二个幽灵不久就要来看望他了。这次他想做好准备，所以他自己把他床周围的帘子都拉开了，躺在那儿等着。1点钟时，幽灵没有来，但一束强光从上面照在了斯克罗吉的床上。他害怕极了。几分钟之后，他以为光是从隔壁的房间照过来的，所以他起身下床来到了门口。当他的手摸到门时，一个奇怪的声音叫他的名字并让他进去，他听从了。
尽管他认出这是他自己的房间，但它现在看上去已完全不同。墙壁被鲜亮的绿叶所覆盖，壁炉里燃烧着熊熊的火焰。地板上摆着大堆的上好的圣诞食品——味道浓郁的巧克力蛋糕、热乎乎松软的面包、五颜六色的苹果和桔子、一盘盘的黄油、炖好的鸡、一盒盒的巧克力和糖果。坐在这些东西旁边的是一个身材高大、面带笑容的幽灵，它高兴地对斯克罗吉高声喊，“请进！请进，伙计！我是今日圣诞鬼魂！看着我！”
自从第一个鬼魂的来访，斯克罗吉对自己就没了把握。所以尽管幽灵的眼睛明亮且充满善意，但斯克罗吉还是不敢正视它的脸，但他能看见幽灵身穿一件绿色长袍，它长长的棕色头发随意地散落在背上，它面带热情友好的笑容。光是从他强有力的右手握着的火把里发出的。
“幽灵，”斯克罗吉轻柔地说，“你想带我去哪儿就去哪儿。昨天晚上我接受了教训，而且这教训现在正在生效。如果今晚你也有什么让我借鉴的话，请让我向你领教。”
“拽着我的长袍！”幽灵说，斯克罗吉从命了。
食品、房间、炉火都消失了。是圣诞早晨，他们正站在冰天雪地的户外。虽然天空灰蒙蒙的，街上也很脏，但当人们拿着他们的圣诞晚餐匆匆赶往面包房准备烤制的时候，他们看上去都出奇的欢喜。幽灵似乎对穷人特别感兴趣。它和斯克罗吉一同站在面包房的门口，当晚餐从它面前经过时它把火把照在上面。有时当他看见人们相互拥挤或发脾气时，他把火把举在他们的头上，他们立刻就会变得温顺或停止争吵，“因为今天是圣诞节，”他们彼此告诫着。
“你的火把是作什么用的，幽灵？”斯克罗吉问。
“它能给人们今天的晚餐带来特殊的味道，”幽灵回答说。
“你为什么大多把它用在穷人身上？”斯克罗吉问。
“因为穷人最需要它，”幽灵回答说。
他们继续前行，穿过伦敦，来到了斯克罗吉雇员居住的狭小住处。在这儿幽灵笑了，把他的火把高高地举过房门。屋里，鲍勃·克拉奇蒂的妻子和二女儿贝琳达身穿她们平日的服装，但看起来干净漂亮，她们正往桌子上摆圣诞晚餐用的盘子。鲍勃的儿子彼得正帮着烧土豆，两个再小点的克拉奇蒂，一男一女，正高兴地来回跑着。这时大女儿玛莎下班回来了。
“玛莎回来了，妈妈！”两个小克拉奇蒂高兴地喊着。“晚饭我们能吃到一只真的很大的鸡了，玛莎！”实际上它不过是一只很小的鸡，但对这些兴奋的孩子们来说它似乎很大。
“我亲爱的，你这么晚才回来！”克拉奇蒂太太边说边吻了女儿好几下。
“我们昨天非常忙，妈妈！”女孩回答说。“所以我们直到今天早晨都没有干完！”
“哎！既然你回来了就没关系了。愿上帝保佑你！亲爱的，来坐到火边来！”
“不，不！爸爸回来了！”两个小克拉奇蒂嚷道。“藏起来，玛莎，藏起来！”
所以玛莎藏了起来，鲍勃身穿他的薄大衣戴着白色的长围巾走了进来，怀里抱着小蒂姆。可怜的小蒂姆啊！自从他降生就没行走过。尽管他借助于一个木拐杖能够拖着身躯和他那瘦骨嶙峋的腿往前走，但他毕竟太弱了，一个人走不了多远。
“怎么了，玛莎呢？”鲍勃高声喊道，并朝四周看了看。
“还没回来呢？”克拉奇蒂太太说。
“还没回来！”鲍勃重复了一遍，他欢快的笑容不见了。“圣诞节了，还没回来！”
但是玛莎不想让父亲为她多担心一分钟，所以她从门后跑出来，吻了父亲，这时两个小克拉奇蒂在给小蒂姆看那只已经烧熟了的鸡。
当全家人坐好准备吃饭时斯克罗吉和幽灵看着。这是一顿粗茶淡饭，但对他们来说它似乎是很丰盛的，他们把它吃了个精光。
“这是我曾经吃到过的最好吃的鸡。”鲍勃说，并对全家人都笑了笑，每个人的嘴里都塞满了吃的，他们都表示同意。
接着是这一天最激动人心的时刻！贝琳达在每个人面前放了一个干净盘子，当克拉奇蒂太太从厨房出来时，大家都转过身看着她。由于从一大早就开始忙，她的脸发热，但当她把带着蓝火圈的圣诞布丁拿进来时，她幸福地笑了。
噢，多好的布丁啊！他们看到它都很高兴。
“亲爱的，这是我们结婚这么多年来你做的最成功的一件事！”鲍勃说。
“哎，我的确不知道里面该放多少水果，”他妻子说，“不过，是的，它很不错！”她像一个小姑娘似地乐了。
没有人说这布丁太小，尤其对这么个大家庭来说。没有人这么想过。
最后，当他们吃完饭后，孩子们收拾好桌子并把碗洗干净了，他们团团围坐在炉火旁吃着苹果和桔子。有一大碗水果、糖、热水和略含酒精的东西，但只有三个人可以同时喝，因为他们家只有两个玻璃杯和一个茶杯，但克拉奇蒂一家并没因此而犯愁。鲍勃现在举起杯子说，“祝我们大家圣诞快乐，亲爱的！上帝保佑我们！”
全家人重复着他的祝愿，最后，小蒂姆说，“愿上帝保佑我们每一个人！”他紧靠着爸爸坐在一把小椅子上。鲍勃手握着他儿子瘦小的手，这个男孩在他父亲的心目中占据着特殊的位置。
“幽灵，”斯克罗吉以他以前从未有过的热情问，“告诉我小蒂姆是否能活下去。”
“将来我会看到火旁边有一把空椅子，边上有一根拐杖。如果这些影子不变的话，他就会死去。”
“不，不！”斯克罗吉说。“噢，善良的幽灵！说他会活下去的。”
“如果他的生活近期内不能改变的话，他在明年的圣诞前就会死去。这又有什么关系呢？世界上的人太多了，所以若有一部分死了的话，岂不是件好事吗？”
斯克罗吉听到幽灵重复着他曾说过的话感到羞愧悲伤。但听见自己名字的时候，他抬起了头。
“斯克罗吉先生！”鲍勃说，“让我们为斯克罗吉先生干杯，是他付的钱使我们才能吃上今天的这顿饭。”
“他的钱？”克拉奇蒂太太生气地说。“他一星期给的15先令够我们买什么的？ 我们干嘛要祝一个像斯克罗吉那样可恨、刻薄、没有感情、吝啬的老头健康？”
“我亲爱的，”鲍勃温柔地说，“记住今天是圣诞节。”
“好吧，鲍勃，我祝他健康只是看在你的面子上，况且今天还是圣诞节。祝斯克罗吉先生长寿。祝他圣诞、新年快乐！我肯定他会很快乐和幸福的！”
当孩子们听到斯克罗吉的名字时，不悦笼罩了他们原本高兴的笑脸，他们都不出声了，并且有些沮丧。但10分钟后他们又开始有说有笑，讲故事，比先前要高兴十倍。他们一家人长相平平，穿着一般，但他们幸福，对彼此充满感激之情并且互爱。当他们在幽灵的火把的光下消失的时候，斯克罗吉的目光无法从他们的身上移开，尤其是小蒂姆。
这时天渐渐黑了，雪下得很大。幽灵带着斯克罗吉去了很多家，每家都燃烧着欢乐的火焰，烧着吃的，人们都兴高采烈地欢迎着他们的朋友和家人的到来。鬼魂看见这兴奋的场面很是高兴，凡是在穷人家它都把火把高高举起，目的是给他们带来更多的欢乐、更好的食品和更多的幸福。
然后幽灵带着斯克罗吉离开了繁忙的都市，来到了乡下一个荒凉、偏僻的地方，这里连一棵树都不长。在这里他们去了一所石头房子，它离所有的小镇和村庄都很远。房子里一个老头和一个老太太同他们的孩子们一起正唱着圣诞颂歌。幽灵没有在这久留，它让斯克罗吉再一次地抓住它的袍子。
“我们要去哪儿？当然不会是去天上吧！”斯克罗吉吓得要命，当他们飞过田野然后又飞过海洋的时候，他朝下看着。风雨交加，海浪在他们下面咆哮。幽灵带着斯克罗吉来到了一座建在一块孤零零的礁石上的灯塔上，礁石距陆地有数英里之遥。灯塔顶上有一盏灯一直亮着，为的是提醒水手们远离那些危险的岩石。在这个冰冷荒凉的地方住着两个男人，他们远离自己的家人，但当幽灵看见他们握手，彼此祝福圣诞快乐并一起在炉火前唱着颂歌时，它笑了。
幽灵和斯克罗吉继续向前飞，他们又都同时落在了大海中央的一条船上。在这儿，虽然离家甚远，但每个人都向朋友说了一句祝福的话，或者向自己的家人给以温馨的祝福，因为今天是圣诞节。
当斯克罗吉正听着风的吼叫和浪涛的汹涌时，他很吃惊地听到了笑声。他听出这是他外甥的笑声，他发现他和面带微笑的幽灵一起来到了他外甥明亮温暖的起居室。
斯克罗吉的外甥笑着，和他在一起的人也都想笑，他的笑就具备这样的感染力。此刻，他漂亮的妻子和他的几个朋友和他一起在笑。
“他说圣诞节是骗人的！哈哈哈！”斯克罗吉的外甥大声说。
“他真是太坏了，弗雷德！”他妻子说。
“他是一个怪老头，”斯克罗吉的外甥说，“但我很是为他感到难过。你知道，他的钱没有给他带来什么，他既不幸福也不舒服，虽然他有钱。想到他独自一人坐在他那冷飕飕的屋子里我心里就不是滋味，所以每个圣诞节我都将去邀请他。他爱发脾气，那就发好了，但我会继续邀请他，也许终究有一天他对圣诞节的感觉会好起来的。”
下午茶后，这几个欢快的人唱歌并演奏音乐。斯克罗吉听出了他小妹妹过去常唱的那支歌，记起了“昔日圣诞”幽灵给他看过的东西。后来朋友们进行了猜谜游戏，斯克罗吉高兴地同他们一起猜。只有幽灵能听见他说什么，但他请的答案大都正确。
“现在该走了，”鬼魂说，这个老头孩子般的兴奋劲儿使他觉得好笑。
“不，幽灵，请让我再多呆一小会儿。看，他们又要做一个新游戏！”
这个游戏的名字叫‘是与否’，在这个游戏中斯克罗吉的外甥要想点什么事情，其余的人便可以问问题以便知道他想的是什么。唯一可能的答案就是‘是和否’。斯克罗吉听见弗雷德在想一只活着的动物，一只野兽，有时是一只暴怒的动物，它生活在伦敦，走在大街上。他每回答一个问题，弗雷德就情不自禁地大笑。最后他那长得黑黑的漂亮妻妹也开始笑了起来。
“弗雷德，我知道它是什么！我知道！”她大声喊道。“它是你舅舅斯克罗——吉！”
大家都笑得流出了眼泪。多么精彩的游戏啊！弗雷德的主意多妙啊！但最后弗雷德擦干了眼睛说道，“我们刚才很快活是因为他，所以我想我们应该为他的健康干杯。这一杯是祝斯克罗吉舅舅的！祝他老人家圣诞快乐、新年幸福！斯克罗吉舅舅！”
“祝福斯克罗吉舅舅！”他们异口同声地喊道，高兴地举起了洒杯。
斯克罗吉舅舅想感谢他们，但幽灵催他立刻离开。鬼魂现在看上去老了许多：它棕色的头发变成了灰白色。
“幽灵的生命如此短暂吗？”斯克罗吉问。
“我的生命在今天午夜时结束。听着，现在离午夜只差一刻钟了！”
教堂的钟正在敲响三刻的时晨。
“幽灵，请问，”斯克罗吉说，“你脚边是什么东西？”
“噢！伙计，看这个！”幽灵悲伤地说，并从他的长袍下掏出两个鬼魂似的塑像，一个男孩一个女孩。他们骨瘦如柴，破衣烂衫，目光冷漠犀利，皮肤干燥发黄，他们的脸上充满了可怕的、凶狠的仇恨表情。斯克罗吉从未见到过如此可怕、糟糕的场面。
“这些悲惨的孩子属于人类，”幽灵说。“男孩叫‘罪恶’，女孩叫‘需要’。如果不为他们做点什么的话，他们将毁掉人类。”
“难道就没有人能帮助他们吗？”斯克罗吉高声问道。
“难道没有看守所吗？”幽灵说着斯克罗吉自己曾说过的话，并最后一次把脸转向他。“难道没有济贫院吗？”
When Scrooge woke up，he realized immediately that the church clock was just going to strike one．He felt sure that the second spirit would Soon visit him．This time he wanted to be ready，so he pulled back all the curtains round his bed himself，and lay there，waiting．At one o'clock，instead of a spirit，a strong light shone down on Scrooge's bed．He felt very frightened．After a few minutes he thought that perhaps the light was coming from the next room，so he got up and went to the door．When he touched it，a strange voice called his name，and asked him to enter．He obeyed．
Although he recognized it as his own room，it looked very different now．The walls were covered with bright green leaves，and there was a good fire burning in the fireplace．On the floor were big plies of the best Christmas food—wonderful rich dark cakes，warm soft bread，colourful apples and oranges，plates of yellow butter，cooked chickens，boxes of chocolates and sugared sweets．Sitting beside all this was a large，smiling spirit，who called out cheerfully to Scrooge， ‘Come in！Chme in，man！I am the ghost of Christmas Present！Look at me！’
Since the first ghost's visit，Scrooge was no longer very sure of himself．So although the spirit's eyes were clear and kind，Scrooge was afraid to look straight into its face．But he could see that its body was dressed in a long green robe，its long brown hair fell freely down its back，and its face wore a warm and friendly smile．Light shone from the torch which it was holding in its strong right hand．
‘Spirit，’said Scrooge quietly，‘take me where you want．Last night I learned a lesson which is working now．If you have anything to teach me tonight，let me learn from you．’
‘Touch my robe！’said the spirit，and Scrooge obeyed．
The food，the room，the fire all disappeared，and they were standing outside in the cold，snowy streets on Christmas morning．Althought the sky was grey and the streets were dirty，the people looked surprisingly cheerful，as they hurried to the bakers'shops with their Christmas dinners，all ready for cooking．The spirit seemed specially interested in poor people．He stood with Scrooge in a baker's doorway and held his torch over the dinners as they were carried past him．Sometimes，when he saw people pushing each other or getting angry，he lifted his torch over their heads，and immediately they became kinder，or stopped arguing，‘because it's Christmas，’they told each other．
‘What does your torch do，spirit？’asked Scrooge．
‘It gives a special taste to people's dinners on this day，’answered the spirit．
‘Why do you use it most on poor people？’said Scrooge．
‘Because poor people need it most，’was the reply．
They went on through London，and came to the small house where Scrooge's clerk lived．Here the spirit smiled，and held his torch high over the door．Inside，Bob Cratchit's wife and second daughter，Belinda，in their everyday dresses，but looking clean and pretty，were putting plates on the table for their Christmas dinner．Bob's son Peter was helping to cook the potatoes，and two smaller Cratchits，a boy and a girl，were running round excitedly．Just then the eldest daughter，Martha，arrived home from work．
‘Here's Martha，mother！’cried the two young Cratchits happily．‘We're having a really big chicken for dinner， Martha！’In fact it was only a small chicken，but it seemed large to the excited children．
‘My dear，how late you are！’said Mrs Cratchit，kissing her daughter several times．
‘We were so busy yesterday，mother！’replied the girl．‘That's why we didn't finish until this morning！’
‘Well！Never mind，now that you're here．God bless you！ Sit down by the fire，my dear！’
‘No，no！Father's coming！’ried the two young Cratchits．‘Hide，Martha，hide！’
So Martha hid herself，and in came Bob in his thin coat and long white scarf，with his son Tiny Tim in his arms．Poor Tiny Tim！He had not walked since he was born，and although he could pull himself and his thin little legs along with the help of a wooden crutch，he was not strong enough to travel far alone．
‘Why，where's Martha？’cried Bob，looking round．
‘Not coming，’said Mrs Cratchit．
‘Not coming！’repeated Bob，his cheerful smile disappearing．‘Not coming on Christmas Day！’
But Martha didn't like to worry her father for a minute，so she ran out from behind the door and kissed him， while the two young Cratchits showed Tiny Tim the chicken，now ready to eat．
Scrooge and the spirit watched as the family sat down to eat．It was a poor enough meal，but to them it seemed wonderful，and they ate every bit of it．
‘It's the best chicken I've ever tasted，’said Bob， smiling round at his family， who， with their mouths full，all agreed．
And then，the most exciting moment of the day！Belinda put a clean plate in front of each person， and they all turned to look at Mrs Cratchit as she came in from the kitchen．Her face was hot from her morning's work， but she was smiling happily as she carried in-the Christmas pudding， in its little circle of blue fire！
Oh，it was a wonderful pudding！They were all delighted with it．
‘It's your greatest success in all the years that we've been married，my dear！’said Bob．
‘Well，I did wonder how much fruit to put in it，’said his wife，‘but， yes， it's a good one！’And she laughed just like a young girl．
Nobody said that it was a very small pudding for a large family．Nobody even thought it．No Cratchit ever said or thought things like that．
At last，when they had finished their meal，the children cleared the table and washed the plates．Then they all sat round the fire， eating apples and oranges．There was a large bowl of fruit and sugar and hot water and something a little stronger，but only three people could drink at the same time， because the family only owned two glasses and a cup．But this did not worry the Cratchits at all．Now Bob lifted his glass and said，‘A merry Christmas to us all， my dears！ God bless us！’
The family repeated his wish，and Tiny Tim said，last of all，‘God bless us every one！’He sat very close to his father， on a small chair．Bob held his son's thin little hand in this own．The boy had a special place in his father's heart．
‘Spirit，’said Scrooge，with an interest that he had never felt before，‘ tell me if Tiny Tim will live．’
‘In the future I see an empty chair by the fire， with a crutch beside it．If these shadows do not change， the child will die．’
‘No，no！’said Scrooge．‘Oh no，kind spirit！Say that he will live！’
‘If his life does not change soon， he will die before next Christmas．What does that matter？There are too many people in the world，so it's a good thing if some of them die．’
Scrooge was ashamed and sad to hear his own words spoken by the spirit．But he lifted his head when he heard his name．
‘Mr Scrooge！’said Bob．‘Let's drink to Mr Scrooge， whose money has paid for this meal！’
‘His money！’said Mrs Cratchit angrily．‘What can we buy with his fifteen shillings a week？ Why should we drink to the health of a hateful，hard，unfeeling，mean old man like Scrooge？’
‘My dear，’said Bob gently，‘remember it's Christmas．’
‘Well，Bob， I'll drink to his health only because of you and because it's Christmas．Long life to Mr Scrooge！A merry Christmas and a happy new year to him！ He'll be very merry and very happy，I'm sure！’
When the children heard Scrooge's name，a dark shadow came over their happiness for a while，and they were quiet and a little sad．But five minutes later they were talking，and laughing，and telling stories，ten times merrier than before．They were not a good-looking or a well-dressed family， but they were happy and grateful and loved each other．As they disappeared in the light of the spirit's torch，Scrooge could not take his eyes off them， especially Tiny Tim．
By this time it was getting dark，and snowing heavily．The spirit took Scrooge into many houses，where fires were burning cheerfully，and food was cooking，and people were merrily welcoming their friends and families into their homes．The ghost was delighted to see all this excitement，and made sure that he lifted his torch over every poor family，to give them more fun，and better food，and greater happiness．
Then the spirit took Scrooge away from the busy capital，to a wild，lonely place in the country，where no trees grew．Here they visited a small stone house， a long way from any town or village， where an old man and woman were singing Christmas carols，with their children and grandchildren．The spirit did not stay long here， but told Scrooge to hold his robe again．
‘Where are we going？ Not up in the air， surely！’And Scrooge，terribly frightened，looked down as they flew over the land and then over the sea．It was stormy， windy weather， and the waves crashed violently underneath them．
The spirit took Scrooge to a lighthouse built on a lonely rock， several miles from land．A light was kept burning at the top， in order to warn sailors to keep away from the dangerous rocks．Two men lived here in this cold， unfriendly place， far away from their families，but the spirit smiled to see them shake hands，wish each other a merry Christmas，and sing a carol together in front of their fire．
Again the spirit and Scrooge flew on，and together they landed on a ship in the middle of the sea．Here every man， although many miles from home，had a kind word for his friend， or thought warmly of his family，because it was Christmas．
It was a great surprise to Scrooge，while listening to the noise of the wind and waves，to hear a happy laugh．He recognized it as his nephew's，and found himself，with the smiling spirit beside him，in his nephew's bright，warm sitting-room．
When Scrooge's nephew laughed，everybody who was with him wanted to laugh too．He had that kind of laugh．And at the moment， his very pretty wife and several of his friends were laughing with him．
‘He said that Christmas was humbug！Ha ha ha！’cried Scrooge's nephew．
‘That's very bad of him，Fred！’said his wife．
‘He's a strange old man，’said Scrooge's nephew，‘but I'm sorry for him．His money is no use to him，you see．He isn't at all happy or comfortable，although he's rich．It's sad to think of him sitting alone in his cold room．And so I'm going to invite him every Christmas．He can be cross and miserable if be likes，but I'll go on inviting him and one day perhaps he'll think better of Christmas！’
After tea，the cheerful little group sang songs，and played music．Scrooge recognized the song that his little sister used to sing， and remembered sadly what the ghost of Christmas Past had shown him．Later the friends played guessing games，and Scrooge joined in the games with delight．Nobody except the spirit could hear him，but he often guessed the right answer．
‘It's time to go now，’said the ghost，smiling at the old man's childish excitement．
‘No，spirit，please，let me stay a little longer．Look， they're playing a new game！’
It was a game called Yes and No，in which Scrooge's nephew had to think of something，and the others had to ask questions to discover what it was．The only possible answers were Yes or No．Scrooge heard that Fred was thinking of a living animal，a wild animal，sometimes an angry animal， which lived in London and walked in the streets．Every time he answered a question，Fred could not stop himself laughing．At last，his wife's dark， pretty sister started laughing too．
‘I know what it is，Fred！I know！’she cried out．‘It's your uncle Scro-o-o-o-oge！’
Everyone laughed until they cried．What a wonderful game！ What a clever idea of Fred's！But at last Fred dried his eyes， and said，‘We've been very merry because of him， so I think we should drink to his health．Here's to Uncle Scrooge！A merry Christmas and a happy new year to the old man！Uncle Scrooge！’
‘To Uncle Scrooge！’they all cried，cheerfully lifting their glasses．
Uncle Scrooge wanted to thank them，but the spirit hurried him away．The ghost seemed much older now： his brown hair had become grey．
‘Are spirits' lives so short？’asked Scrooge．
‘My life in this world ends at midnight tonight．Listen！It's a quarter to midnight now！’
The church clock was striking the three quarters．
‘Excuse me for asking，spirit，’said Scrooge，‘but what are those strange things near your foot？’
‘Oh man， look here！’said the spirit sadly，and brought out from under his robe two ghostly figures， a boy and a girl．They were thin and poorly dressed， with cold， mean eyes and dry，yellow skin， and their faces showed only a frightening and murderous hate．Scrooge had never seen anything so terrible or so sad．
‘These miserable children are Man's，’said the spirit．‘The boy is Crime．The girl is Need．They will destroy Man if nothing is done about them．’
‘Can't anyone help them？’cried Scrooge．
‘Are there no prisons？’said the spirit，turning on Scrooge for the last time with his own words．‘Are there on workhouses？’
The clock struck twelve．Scrooge looked，but could no longer see the ghost or the children．He was alone again．
3．三幽灵中的第二位
当斯克罗吉醒来的时候，他立刻发现教堂的钟就要敲响1点钟了。他肯定第二个幽灵不久就要来看望他了。这次他想做好准备，所以他自己把他床周围的帘子都拉开了，躺在那儿等着。1点钟时，幽灵没有来，但一束强光从上面照在了斯克罗吉的床上。他害怕极了。几分钟之后，他以为光是从隔壁的房间照过来的，所以他起身下床来到了门口。当他的手摸到门时，一个奇怪的声音叫他的名字并让他进去，他听从了。
尽管他认出这是他自己的房间，但它现在看上去已完全不同。墙壁被鲜亮的绿叶所覆盖，壁炉里燃烧着熊熊的火焰。地板上摆着大堆的上好的圣诞食品——味道浓郁的巧克力蛋糕、热乎乎松软的面包、五颜六色的苹果和桔子、一盘盘的黄油、炖好的鸡、一盒盒的巧克力和糖果。坐在这些东西旁边的是一个身材高大、面带笑容的幽灵，它高兴地对斯克罗吉高声喊，“请进！请进，伙计！我是今日圣诞鬼魂！看着我！”
自从第一个鬼魂的来访，斯克罗吉对自己就没了把握。所以尽管幽灵的眼睛明亮且充满善意，但斯克罗吉还是不敢正视它的脸，但他能看见幽灵身穿一件绿色长袍，它长长的棕色头发随意地散落在背上，它面带热情友好的笑容。光是从他强有力的右手握着的火把里发出的。
“幽灵，”斯克罗吉轻柔地说，“你想带我去哪儿就去哪儿。昨天晚上我接受了教训，而且这教训现在正在生效。如果今晚你也有什么让我借鉴的话，请让我向你领教。”
“拽着我的长袍！”幽灵说，斯克罗吉从命了。
食品、房间、炉火都消失了。是圣诞早晨，他们正站在冰天雪地的户外。虽然天空灰蒙蒙的，街上也很脏，但当人们拿着他们的圣诞晚餐匆匆赶往面包房准备烤制的时候，他们看上去都出奇的欢喜。幽灵似乎对穷人特别感兴趣。它和斯克罗吉一同站在面包房的门口，当晚餐从它面前经过时它把火把照在上面。有时当他看见人们相互拥挤或发脾气时，他把火把举在他们的头上，他们立刻就会变得温顺或停止争吵，“因为今天是圣诞节，”他们彼此告诫着。
“你的火把是作什么用的，幽灵？”斯克罗吉问。
“它能给人们今天的晚餐带来特殊的味道，”幽灵回答说。
“你为什么大多把它用在穷人身上？”斯克罗吉问。
“因为穷人最需要它，”幽灵回答说。
他们继续前行，穿过伦敦，来到了斯克罗吉雇员居住的狭小住处。在这儿幽灵笑了，把他的火把高高地举过房门。屋里，鲍勃·克拉奇蒂的妻子和二女儿贝琳达身穿她们平日的服装，但看起来干净漂亮，她们正往桌子上摆圣诞晚餐用的盘子。鲍勃的儿子彼得正帮着烧土豆，两个再小点的克拉奇蒂，一男一女，正高兴地来回跑着。这时大女儿玛莎下班回来了。
“玛莎回来了，妈妈！”两个小克拉奇蒂高兴地喊着。“晚饭我们能吃到一只真的很大的鸡了，玛莎！”实际上它不过是一只很小的鸡，但对这些兴奋的孩子们来说它似乎很大。
“我亲爱的，你这么晚才回来！”克拉奇蒂太太边说边吻了女儿好几下。
“我们昨天非常忙，妈妈！”女孩回答说。“所以我们直到今天早晨都没有干完！”
“哎！既然你回来了就没关系了。愿上帝保佑你！亲爱的，来坐到火边来！”
“不，不！爸爸回来了！”两个小克拉奇蒂嚷道。“藏起来，玛莎，藏起来！”
所以玛莎藏了起来，鲍勃身穿他的薄大衣戴着白色的长围巾走了进来，怀里抱着小蒂姆。可怜的小蒂姆啊！自从他降生就没行走过。尽管他借助于一个木拐杖能够拖着身躯和他那瘦骨嶙峋的腿往前走，但他毕竟太弱了，一个人走不了多远。
“怎么了，玛莎呢？”鲍勃高声喊道，并朝四周看了看。
“还没回来呢？”克拉奇蒂太太说。
“还没回来！”鲍勃重复了一遍，他欢快的笑容不见了。“圣诞节了，还没回来！”
但是玛莎不想让父亲为她多担心一分钟，所以她从门后跑出来，吻了父亲，这时两个小克拉奇蒂在给小蒂姆看那只已经烧熟了的鸡。
当全家人坐好准备吃饭时斯克罗吉和幽灵看着。这是一顿粗茶淡饭，但对他们来说它似乎是很丰盛的，他们把它吃了个精光。
“这是我曾经吃到过的最好吃的鸡。”鲍勃说，并对全家人都笑了笑，每个人的嘴里都塞满了吃的，他们都表示同意。
接着是这一天最激动人心的时刻！贝琳达在每个人面前放了一个干净盘子，当克拉奇蒂太太从厨房出来时，大家都转过身看着她。由于从一大早就开始忙，她的脸发热，但当她把带着蓝火圈的圣诞布丁拿进来时，她幸福地笑了。
噢，多好的布丁啊！他们看到它都很高兴。
“亲爱的，这是我们结婚这么多年来你做的最成功的一件事！”鲍勃说。
“哎，我的确不知道里面该放多少水果，”他妻子说，“不过，是的，它很不错！”她像一个小姑娘似地乐了。
没有人说这布丁太小，尤其对这么个大家庭来说。没有人这么想过。
最后，当他们吃完饭后，孩子们收拾好桌子并把碗洗干净了，他们团团围坐在炉火旁吃着苹果和桔子。有一大碗水果、糖、热水和略含酒精的东西，但只有三个人可以同时喝，因为他们家只有两个玻璃杯和一个茶杯，但克拉奇蒂一家并没因此而犯愁。鲍勃现在举起杯子说，“祝我们大家圣诞快乐，亲爱的！上帝保佑我们！”
全家人重复着他的祝愿，最后，小蒂姆说，“愿上帝保佑我们每一个人！”他紧靠着爸爸坐在一把小椅子上。鲍勃手握着他儿子瘦小的手，这个男孩在他父亲的心目中占据着特殊的位置。
“幽灵，”斯克罗吉以他以前从未有过的热情问，“告诉我小蒂姆是否能活下去。”
“将来我会看到火旁边有一把空椅子，边上有一根拐杖。如果这些影子不变的话，他就会死去。”
“不，不！”斯克罗吉说。“噢，善良的幽灵！说他会活下去的。”
“如果他的生活近期内不能改变的话，他在明年的圣诞前就会死去。这又有什么关系呢？世界上的人太多了，所以若有一部分死了的话，岂不是件好事吗？”
斯克罗吉听到幽灵重复着他曾说过的话感到羞愧悲伤。但听见自己名字的时候，他抬起了头。
“斯克罗吉先生！”鲍勃说，“让我们为斯克罗吉先生干杯，是他付的钱使我们才能吃上今天的这顿饭。”
“他的钱？”克拉奇蒂太太生气地说。“他一星期给的15先令够我们买什么的？ 我们干嘛要祝一个像斯克罗吉那样可恨、刻薄、没有感情、吝啬的老头健康？”
“我亲爱的，”鲍勃温柔地说，“记住今天是圣诞节。”
“好吧，鲍勃，我祝他健康只是看在你的面子上，况且今天还是圣诞节。祝斯克罗吉先生长寿。祝他圣诞、新年快乐！我肯定他会很快乐和幸福的！”
当孩子们听到斯克罗吉的名字时，不悦笼罩了他们原本高兴的笑脸，他们都不出声了，并且有些沮丧。但10分钟后他们又开始有说有笑，讲故事，比先前要高兴十倍。他们一家人长相平平，穿着一般，但他们幸福，对彼此充满感激之情并且互爱。当他们在幽灵的火把的光下消失的时候，斯克罗吉的目光无法从他们的身上移开，尤其是小蒂姆。
这时天渐渐黑了，雪下得很大。幽灵带着斯克罗吉去了很多家，每家都燃烧着欢乐的火焰，烧着吃的，人们都兴高采烈地欢迎着他们的朋友和家人的到来。鬼魂看见这兴奋的场面很是高兴，凡是在穷人家它都把火把高高举起，目的是给他们带来更多的欢乐、更好的食品和更多的幸福。
然后幽灵带着斯克罗吉离开了繁忙的都市，来到了乡下一个荒凉、偏僻的地方，这里连一棵树都不长。在这里他们去了一所石头房子，它离所有的小镇和村庄都很远。房子里一个老头和一个老太太同他们的孩子们一起正唱着圣诞颂歌。幽灵没有在这久留，它让斯克罗吉再一次地抓住它的袍子。
“我们要去哪儿？当然不会是去天上吧！”斯克罗吉吓得要命，当他们飞过田野然后又飞过海洋的时候，他朝下看着。风雨交加，海浪在他们下面咆哮。幽灵带着斯克罗吉来到了一座建在一块孤零零的礁石上的灯塔上，礁石距陆地有数英里之遥。灯塔顶上有一盏灯一直亮着，为的是提醒水手们远离那些危险的岩石。在这个冰冷荒凉的地方住着两个男人，他们远离自己的家人，但当幽灵看见他们握手，彼此祝福圣诞快乐并一起在炉火前唱着颂歌时，它笑了。
幽灵和斯克罗吉继续向前飞，他们又都同时落在了大海中央的一条船上。在这儿，虽然离家甚远，但每个人都向朋友说了一句祝福的话，或者向自己的家人给以温馨的祝福，因为今天是圣诞节。
当斯克罗吉正听着风的吼叫和浪涛的汹涌时，他很吃惊地听到了笑声。他听出这是他外甥的笑声，他发现他和面带微笑的幽灵一起来到了他外甥明亮温暖的起居室。
斯克罗吉的外甥笑着，和他在一起的人也都想笑，他的笑就具备这样的感染力。此刻，他漂亮的妻子和他的几个朋友和他一起在笑。
“他说圣诞节是骗人的！哈哈哈！”斯克罗吉的外甥大声说。
“他真是太坏了，弗雷德！”他妻子说。
“他是一个怪老头，”斯克罗吉的外甥说，“但我很是为他感到难过。你知道，他的钱没有给他带来什么，他既不幸福也不舒服，虽然他有钱。想到他独自一人坐在他那冷飕飕的屋子里我心里就不是滋味，所以每个圣诞节我都将去邀请他。他爱发脾气，那就发好了，但我会继续邀请他，也许终究有一天他对圣诞节的感觉会好起来的。”
下午茶后，这几个欢快的人唱歌并演奏音乐。斯克罗吉听出了他小妹妹过去常唱的那支歌，记起了“昔日圣诞”幽灵给他看过的东西。后来朋友们进行了猜谜游戏，斯克罗吉高兴地同他们一起猜。只有幽灵能听见他说什么，但他请的答案大都正确。
“现在该走了，”鬼魂说，这个老头孩子般的兴奋劲儿使他觉得好笑。
“不，幽灵，请让我再多呆一小会儿。看，他们又要做一个新游戏！”
这个游戏的名字叫‘是与否’，在这个游戏中斯克罗吉的外甥要想点什么事情，其余的人便可以问问题以便知道他想的是什么。唯一可能的答案就是‘是和否’。斯克罗吉听见弗雷德在想一只活着的动物，一只野兽，有时是一只暴怒的动物，它生活在伦敦，走在大街上。他每回答一个问题，弗雷德就情不自禁地大笑。最后他那长得黑黑的漂亮妻妹也开始笑了起来。
“弗雷德，我知道它是什么！我知道！”她大声喊道。“它是你舅舅斯克罗——吉！”
大家都笑得流出了眼泪。多么精彩的游戏啊！弗雷德的主意多妙啊！但最后弗雷德擦干了眼睛说道，“我们刚才很快活是因为他，所以我想我们应该为他的健康干杯。这一杯是祝斯克罗吉舅舅的！祝他老人家圣诞快乐、新年幸福！斯克罗吉舅舅！”
“祝福斯克罗吉舅舅！”他们异口同声地喊道，高兴地举起了洒杯。
斯克罗吉舅舅想感谢他们，但幽灵催他立刻离开。鬼魂现在看上去老了许多：它棕色的头发变成了灰白色。
“幽灵的生命如此短暂吗？”斯克罗吉问。
“我的生命在今天午夜时结束。听着，现在离午夜只差一刻钟了！”
教堂的钟正在敲响三刻的时晨。
“幽灵，请问，”斯克罗吉说，“你脚边是什么东西？”
“噢！伙计，看这个！”幽灵悲伤地说，并从他的长袍下掏出两个鬼魂似的塑像，一个男孩一个女孩。他们骨瘦如柴，破衣烂衫，目光冷漠犀利，皮肤干燥发黄，他们的脸上充满了可怕的、凶狠的仇恨表情。斯克罗吉从未见到过如此可怕、糟糕的场面。
“这些悲惨的孩子属于人类，”幽灵说。“男孩叫‘罪恶’，女孩叫‘需要’。如果不为他们做点什么的话，他们将毁掉人类。”
“难道就没有人能帮助他们吗？”斯克罗吉高声问道。
“难道没有看守所吗？”幽灵说着斯克罗吉自己曾说过的话，并最后一次把脸转向他。“难道没有济贫院吗？”
钟敲响了12点。斯克罗吉看着，但他再也看不到幽灵和孩子们了。又剩下他一人了。