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LESSON 25 The pet lamb
第二十五课 小羊
One little thing after another had been sold, to buy food and clothing for the family. At last nothing was left that could be sold but the pet lamb.
为了给家人置办衣物和食物，家里的小东西接二连三地变卖了，到了最后只剩下那只宠物羊。
But the mother's heart felt sad at the thought of parting with Daisy; for the children loved it very much.
但是一想到要与孩子们喜欢的黛西离别，母亲就难过不已。
At last she had to make up her mind to sell the lamb.
最后她不得不做出决定把小羔羊卖掉。
She could not ask one of the children to go for the butcher.
她是万万不能让孩子们陪她去屠夫那儿的。
So she went herself, with a heavy heart, and bargained for the sale of Daisy.
她只能带着一颗沉重的心只身前往,并且跟屠夫讨价还价。
While the children were all playing with the lamb, the butcher and his boy came to the door. "Good morning, Mrs. Grant!" he said, in a loud voice.
当孩子们跟羊玩的不亦乐乎时，屠夫和他的儿子来到门口，“早上好,格兰特太太!”他大声说。
"You see I am here for the lamb."
“我来取小羊了。”
"For what, mother?" asked one of the children, running to her side, and looking up into her face in alarm.
“他说什么,妈妈?”一个孩子跑到她的身边仰着小脸焦急的看着她。
"Go away, dear," said Mrs. Grant, gently pushing the child aside.
“别插嘴,亲爱的,”格兰特太太说,轻轻推开了孩子。
"That's my lamb now, Charlie!" said the butcher's boy, in a playful tone, going up to Daisy with a rope in his hand.
“现在这羊已经是我的,查理!”屠夫的儿子挑衅的说,手里拿着一根绳子朝黛西走去。
"No, it is not your lamb. It is our lamb!" said the little boy, placing himself in front of it.
“不,这不是你的羊，这是我们的羊!”小男孩边说边挡在小羊跟前。
But the lad, pushing him aside, threw a rope round Daisy's neck, and began to drag the little creature away.
但屠夫的儿子把他推到一边并往黛西的脖子套了一根绳子试图把这可怜的小东西拖走。
The poor lamb bleated very sadly. The cry of grief which fell upon the mother's ears was too much for her, and her heart sank within her.
可怜的羔羊低声地地呜咽，悲伤的叫声源源不断地传进母亲耳朵里,她的心随着叫声不断沉了下去。
In a moment after, the children were all around her, pleading with tearful eyes, and voices choked with sobs, for their little pet.
过了一会儿,孩子们围在她身边,含着泪哽咽地恳求着妈妈不要卖掉小羊。
"Pray tell your boy to stop a moment," she said in husky tones to the butcher.
“求您让他待会再牵走，行吗？”她沙哑着声音说。
The boy, at a word from his master, stopped dragging the lamb, and the little creature ceased its bleating.
听到制止后，男孩很顺从地放开了手,小家伙也停止它的叫声。
"My dear children," began the mother, in a voice that shook, "I am very poor now, and cannot earn money as your father did when he was alive.
“我亲爱的孩子,”母亲颤抖地说道,“我现在很穷,不能像你死去的父亲一样挣很多钱。
The kind butcher has given me money for Daisy; and with this money I will buy you bread to eat."
这位屠夫已经给了我卖黛西的钱;用这钱我可以给你们买面包吃。”
"No!no!no!" the children cried; "we don't want you to sell Daisy! We won't have our dear little lamb sold! It is our lamb, and you must not sell it, mother. We will rather go without bread than have the lamb sold!"
“不! 不! 不要!”孩子们喊道,“你别卖黛西!我们不想小羊被卖掉!这是我们的羊,你不能卖掉它,妈妈！我们宁愿没有面包也不想失去黛西!”
It was in vain that Mrs. Grant tried to make her children see that she could not help selling the lamb. The more she talked, the stronger did they plead for Daisy.
格兰特太太本来想让她的孩子们明白卖羊已成定局,但是她说的越多,孩子们恳求就越厉害。
At last she handed back the silver, saying, "I cannot sell it just now, sir.
最后她把钱还给屠夫,“目前我还是不能卖掉它,先生。
Wait until another time. I must try to keep up a little longer."
等下次吧，我必须还要留着黛西一段时间。”
The butcher, who had been watching all that went on, was touched in his heart; and when Mrs. Grant offered to return the money, he said, "I'll take neither the lamb nor the money, Mrs. Grant."
屠夫为眼前的所见所闻而感动,当格兰特太太还钱时他说,“钱和羊我都不要了,格兰特太太。
Though I am a butcher, I have no harder heart than other men.
虽然我只是一个屠夫,但我不跟其他人一样没有同情心。
I'll not rob the children of their pet.
我不会抢他们的宠物的。
I'll buy Daisy from you, and give it back to the children.
我从你这儿买了羊,再送还给孩子们。
"Come, Joe, you must not take that lamb. It shall never be killed by me."
来吧,乔,你带不走小羊了，我也不会再杀它了。”
And as he spoke, his voice shook, and he dashed his hand quickly across his eyes.
在他说话的时候,他的声音哽咽着,但他很快就用手抹了一下眼睛。
Daisy was at once set free; and as the children gathered round and stroked the pet, their little hearts were filled with joy.
黛西自由了,孩子们都围着、抚摸着小羊,他们的内心充满了喜悦。
By the kind help of some friends, the poor mother never again found herself so hard pressed as when she tried to sell the children's pet lamb.
通过一些好心朋友的帮助,可怜的妈妈发现自己再也不像卖羊时那么窘迫了。
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