基本信息

书名：塑造美国的88本书：美国语文读本4（英汉双语图文版）

定价：45

ISBN：9787515316505

出版时间：2013.6

出版社：中国青年出版社

品牌：北京中青文图书有限公司

内容简介

这是一套出版以来，总销量达到1.22亿册的教科书，一套有超过10000多个美国学校使用的启蒙读本，一套培养精英的私立学校和家庭私塾偏爱的课本。它是美国最畅销的语文课本，被《时代周刊》评为“人类出版史上第三大畅销书”。与《韦氏词典》携手，它为正规英语拼写奠定了基础，在一定程度上打造了美语语法。汽车大亨福特鼎力支持的不朽经典，它不但反映了“美国梦”和美国精神，更是改变了它们的轨迹，塑造了整整五代美国人的精神世界。手握《美国语文读本》，品味美利坚。

此套读本的英文原版共分7级，包括启蒙读本和第1-6册。考虑到启蒙读本与第一级篇幅都较少，难易程度接近，于是我们将之合并为第1册。因此，国内出版的这套读本共包括6册。《美国语文读本4》介绍了一些优美的文学作品，包括散文、诗歌和名著节选等。课后还附有一些思考练习，这些练习可以帮助学生更好地理解文章，引发孩子们的思考。本书更适合高年级学生阅读。

试读章节

LESSON 5
POPPING CORN
爆米花
1. One autumn night, when the wind was high,
And the rain fell in heavy plashes,
A little boy sat by the kitchen fire,
A-popping corn in the ashes;
And his sister, a curly-haired child of three,
Sat looking on, just close to his knee.

2. Pop! pop! and the kernels, one by one,
Came out of the embers flying;
The boy held a long pine stick in his hand,
And kept it busily plying;
He stirred the corn and it snapped the more,
And faster jumped to the clean-swept floor.

3. Part of the kernels flew one way,
And a part hopped out the other;
Some flew plump into the sister’s lap,
Some under the stool of the brother;
The little girl gathered them into a heap,
And called them a flock of milk-white sheep.

【中文阅读】

1. 秋日晚上，狂风不断，
雨花四溅，
一个小男孩坐在炉火旁，
他在炉灰中爆玉米；
他的三岁妹妹，头发微卷，
坐在他膝边静静观看。

2. 爆！爆！玉米粒一个接一个爆开，
从余烬中飞出，爆开；
男孩手拿长松木棍，
不停在炉子里拨动；
他搅动玉米粒，更多的玉米粒爆开了，
很快蹦到扫得干净的地板上。

3. 一些米粒蹦向一个方向，
一些跳往其他方向；
有些飞进妹妹的腿上，
有些钻到哥哥的小凳下面，
小姑娘把它们堆成一堆，
把它们叫作奶白色的羊群。

LESSON 74
THE YOUNG WITNESS
小证人
1.A little girl nine years of age was brought into court, andoffered as a witness against a prisoner who was on trial for acrime committed in her father’s house.
2. “Now, Emily,” said the counsel for the prisoner, “I wish toknow if you understand the nature of an oath?”
3.“I don’t know what you mean,” was the simple answer.
4.“Your Honor,” said the counsel, addressing the judge, “it isevident that this witness should be rejected. She does notunderstand the nature of an oath.”
5.“Let us see,” said the judge. “Come here, my daughter.”
6.Assured by the kind tone and manner of the judge, the childstepped toward him, and looked confidingly in his face, with acalm, clear eye, and in a manner so artless and frank that it wentstraight to the heart.
7.“Did you ever take an oath?” inquired the judge.
8. The little girl stepped back with a look of horror; and thered blood rose and spread in a blush all over her face and neck, asshe answered, “No, sir.” She thought he intended to ask if she hadever used profane language.
9.“I do not mean that,” said the judge, who saw her mistake; “Imean were you ever a witness?”
10.“No, sir; I never was in court before,” was the answer.
11.He handed her the Bible open. “Do you know that book, mydaughter?”
12.She looked at it and answered, “Yes, sir; it is theBible.”
13.“Do you ever read in it?” he asked.
14.“Yes, sir; every evening.”
15.“Can you tell me what the Bible is?” inquired the judge.
16.“It is the word of the great God,” she answered.
17.“Well,” said the judge, “place your hand upon this Bible, andlisten to what I say;” and he repeated slowly and solemnly thefollowing oath: “Do you swear that in the evidence which you shallgive in this case, you will tell the truth, and nothing but thetruth; and that you will ask God to help you?”
18.“I do,” she replied.
19.“Now,” said the judge, “you have been sworn as a witness; willyou tell me what will befall you if you do not tell thetruth?”
20.“I shall be shut up in the state prison,” answered thechild.
21.“Anything else?” asked the judge.
22.“I shall never go to heaven,” she replied.
23.“How do you know this?” asked the judge again.
24.The child took the Bible, turned rapidly to the chaptercontaining the commandments, and, pointing to the one which reads,“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor,” said, “Ilearned that before I could read.”
25.“Has anyone talked with you about being a witness in courthere against this man?” inquired the judge.
26.“Yes, sir,” she replied, “my mother heard they wanted me to bea witness; and last night she called me to her room, and asked meto tell her the Ten Commandments; and then we kneeled downtogether, and she prayed that I might understand how wicked it wasto bear false witness against my neighbor, and that God would helpme, a little child, to tell the truth as it was before him.”
27.“And when I came up here with father, she kissed me, and toldme to remember the Ninth Commandment, and that God would hear everyword that I said.”
28.“Do you believe this?” asked the judge, while a tear glistenedin his eye, and his lip quivered with emotion.
29.“Yes, sir,” said the child, with a voice and manner whichshowed that her conviction of the truth was perfect.
30.“God bless you, my child,” said the judge, “you have a goodmother. The witness is competent,” he continued. “Were I on trialfor my life, and innocent of the charge against me, I would prayGod for such a witness as this. Let her be examined.”
31.She told her story with the simplicity of a child, as she was;but her voice and manner carried conviction of her truthfulness toevery heart.
32.The lawyers asked her many perplexing questions, but she didnot vary in the least from her first statement.
33. The truth, as spoken by a little child, was sublime.Falsehood and perjury had preceded her testimony; but before hertestimony, falsehood was scattered like chaff.
34.The little child, for whom a mother had prayed for strength tobe given her to speak the truth as it was before God, broke thecunning device of matured villainy to pieces, like a potter’svessel. The strength that her mother prayed for was given her; andthe sublime and terrible simplicity,—terrible to the prisoner andhis associates,—was like a revelation from God himself.

【中文阅读】
1. 一个九岁大的小女孩被带上法庭，作为证人将要指证一个在他父亲的房间行窃的嫌疑犯。
2.“来，艾米丽，”嫌疑犯的辩护律师说，“我希望了解你是否知道誓言的本质。”
3.“我不知道您的意思。”艾米丽简单地回答。
4.“尊敬的法官大人，”辩护律师对法官说，“很显然不能用这个证人。她都不明白誓言的本质。”
5.“让我想想，”法官说，“过来，小姑娘。”
6.法官和善的语气和表情让小女孩很安心，她走向法官，信任地看着他的脸，眼神平静、纯洁，毫无掩饰，让人一眼就能看透她的心灵。
7.“你发过誓吗？”法官问。
8.小姑娘害怕地向后退了一步，血液涌上来，脸和脖子都涨红了，她回答道：“没有，先生。”她以为法官在问她有没有说过亵渎神的话。
9.“我不是这个意思，”法官发现她误解了，接着说，“我是问你有没有做过证人？”
10. 她回答：“没有，先生，我从来没有出过庭。”
11. 法官递给小女孩一本打开的《圣经》，问：“你知道这本书吗，小姑娘？”
12. 她看了看说：“我知道，先生，这是《圣经》。”
13. 他问：“你读过吗？”
14.“是的，先生，每天晚上都读。”
15.“你能告诉我《圣经》是什么吗？”法官问。
16.“这是上帝说的话。”她回答。
17.“好的，”法官说，“把你的手放在这本《圣经》上，听我说。”于是他缓慢而严肃地重复了如下的誓言：“你是否发誓你在为本案提供证据时，只讲实话，绝不欺骗。你会请求上帝来帮助你吗？”
18.“我发誓。”她回答。
19.“好的，”法官说，“你已经发誓作为一名证人。你能告诉我，如果不说实话的话你会有什么后果吗？”
20.“我会被关在监狱里。”小女孩说。
21.“还有呢？”法官问。
22.“我将永远不能去天堂了。”她回答。
23.“你怎么知道这些的？”法官接着问。
24.孩子拿过《圣经》，迅速翻到“十诫”那一章，指着其中的一节，上面写着：“你们不应该做伪证，陷害你们的邻居。”孩子说，“我认字以前就知道。”
25.“有人曾经和你说过，你要在法庭上作证揭发这个人吗？”法官问。
26.“是的，先生，”她回答说，“我母亲听说他们希望我出庭作证之后，昨天晚上把我叫到她的房间，让我告诉他‘十诫’是什么，然后我们一起跪下来，她祷告说希望我知道作伪证陷害邻居是邪恶的，她祈祷上帝保佑我，一个幼小的孩童，能够像在上帝面前一样讲实话。”
27.“我和父亲一起来这里的时候，母亲亲吻了我，她告诉我要谨记第九诫的内容，她说我说的每个字上帝都会听到的。”
28.“你相信这些吗？”法官问，他的眼里闪烁着泪花，嘴唇激动地颤抖着。
29.“我相信，先生。”她的声音和神态都显示她确信无疑。
30.“上帝保佑你，我的孩子，”法官说，“你有一个好母亲。你可以胜任证人的工作，”他继续说，“如果无辜面临审判，我也会祈祷上帝给我派来这样的一个证人。你们可以询问她了。”
31.她用一个孩子的方式简单叙述了她看到的经过，因为她就是个孩子，但她的声音和态度令每个人从心里对她说的话没有丝毫疑问。
32.律师问了很多复杂的问题，但她的陈述始终是一致的。
33.正如这个孩子所说，真理是神圣的。在她作证人之前有人说谎和做伪证，可是在她的证言面前，一切虚假都像谷壳般破碎。
34.这个小孩子，她的母亲曾为她祷告，使她拥有讲真话的力量，就像面对上帝一样，这把某些成年人编造的狡猾的谎言击成碎片，仿佛打破陶器。她母亲向神祷告祈求力量，而她那崇高却可怕的简洁话语——对罪犯和同伙来说是可怕的——就像来自上帝的启示一样。