LESSON 21“I PITY THEM.” “我同情他们”
1.A poor man once undertook to emigrate[1] from Castine, Me., to Illinois.When he was attempting to cross a river in New York, his horse broke through the rotten timbers of the bridge, and was drowned.He had but this one animal to convey all his property and his family to his new home.
2.His wife and children were almost miraculously[2] saved from sharing the fate of the horse; but the loss of this poor animal was enough.By its aid the family, it may be said, had lived and moved; now they were left helpless in a land of strangers, without the ability[3] to go on or return, without money or a single friend to whom to appeal.The case was a hard one.
3.There were a great many who “passed by on the other side.” Some even laughed at the predicament[4] in which the man was placed; but by degrees a group of people began to collect, all of whom pitied him.
4.Some pitied him a great deal, and some did not pity him very much, because, they said, he might have known better than to try to cross an unsafe bridge, and should have made his horse swim the river.Pity, however, seemed rather to predominate[5].Some pitied the man, and some the horse; all pitied the poor, sick mother and her six helpless children.
5.Among this pitying party was a rough son of the West, who knew what it was to migrate some hundreds of miles over new roads to locate[6] a destitute[7] family on a prairie.Seeing the man’s forlorn situation, and looking around on the bystanders, he said, “All of you seem to pity these poor people very much, but I would beg leave to ask each of you how much.”
6.“There, stranger,” continued he, holding up a ten-dollar bill, “there is the amount of my pity; and if others will do as I do, you may soon get another pony.God bless you.” It is needless to state the eff ect that this active charity produced.In a short time the happy emigrant arrived at his destination[8], and he is now a thriving[9] farmer, and a neighbor to him who was his “friend in need, and a friend indeed.”
【中文阅读】
1.从前，一个穷人带着全家老小从美国缅因州卡斯廷镇迁往伊利诺伊州。当他们途经纽约州，正打算从桥上穿过一条河流时，他家里的马撞断桥上腐朽的栏杆，不幸掉进河里淹死了——这匹马是他用来承载所有家产和家人的唯一运输工具。
2.这个穷人的妻小近乎奇迹般地从失去马匹的绝望深渊中恢复过来了，但这匹可怜动物的死给他们造成了巨大损失。或许可以这么说，无论居住或者搬迁，马对这个处于迁徙状态中的家庭来说，毕竟举足轻重。如今，他们身处一片举目无亲、孤立无援的土地上求告无门，进退两难，缺少盘缠但无人可以求助，他们的处境的确非常糟糕。
3.那时，还有大批移民逆向涌来。有些人对这个家庭所处的困境幸灾乐祸，但渐渐的，另一些人，那些同情他们处境的人，开始聚集起来。
4.在这些人当中，有些人对他们的困境感同身受，也有些人虽然同情他们，却觉得男主人应该事先考虑到这些，不该试图从这座摇摇欲坠的桥上穿过，而应该让那匹马从河上游过去。然而，同情的情绪在人群中蔓延开来。有些人同情这个穷人，有些人为那匹马叹息，而那位穷苦病弱的母亲和她六个无助的孩子让所有人都心生怜悯。
5.人群中有一个从西部来的男人，性格相当直率。他清楚从数百英里以外的地方迁徙而来，并试图在大草原上找到栖身地，对一个贫困家庭而言，有多困难。目睹这个穷人的窘迫，他环视着周围的旁观者，说道：“大家看起来都很同情这个可怜的家庭。请原谅我冒昧地问一句：你们有多同情他们？”
6.“请看这里，我们原本素昧平生，”他拿出一张十美元的钞票，“这是我对他们的同情。如果有人愿意像我一样，我马上送你一匹小马驹，愿上帝保佑你！”不用说，当时募捐场面相当火爆。因为不久以后，这个新迁来的家庭迅速定居下来，男主人很快成为一个家业蒸蒸日上的农民，而他也收获了一个“患难中见真情”的邻居，那个在他艰难时帮他伸手募捐的朋友。
【注释】
[1] Emigrate, to remove from one country or state to another for the purpose of residence, to migrate.
[2] Miraculously, as if by miracle, wonderfully.
[3] Ability, power, capability.
[4] Predicament, condition, plight.
[5] Predominate, to prevail, to rule.
[6] Locate, to place.
[7] Destitute, needy, poor.
[8] Destination, end of a journey.
[9] Thriving, prosperous through industry, economy, and good management.