书城外语课外英语-晚茶故事飘香(双语版)
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第13章 生活趣味(6)

“Well,well,now,sister.”he said to her.“That’s a pretty baby.What’s the matter?”The woman said she was going to a town far away.Her family was to meet her there.They would worry about her.And her baby was hungry.Mr.Santa took a bottle of warm milk from his pushcart.

“Give this to the baby.”he said.“And don’t worry.You will be all right.Your bus leaves in a short time.”

The woman stopped crying.A little later,he put her on the bus.The baby was sleeping.The mother seemed happy.

“Merry Christmas,and I hope you get many presents.”she said to him.

“Thank you,sister.My best present is helping people like you.”he said.

Then he turned to me.“Isn’t this your bus,too?”he asked.

“Yes.”I said.

“You’ve been a good helper.”he told me.“Now I want to give you a present.”It will make you as happy as I am.

“Sit next to this lady and look after her and the baby.You will leave the bus before she does.When you get to your city,call her family.Tell them she will be along soon.Now,goodbye.”

I sat down beside the mother.Through the bus window we watched Mr.Santa.He was already helping another person.

I was happy to be on my way home.It was Christmas Eve.Already I had had two good presents.One was the fun of helping people.The other was meeting Mr.Santa.

At the end of his story,Uncle Will smiled at Nancy.

“Did you like my story?”he asked.

“Oh,yes,Uncle Will.”Nancy answered.

“I’m glad you met Mr.Santa.But I thought presents always came in packages.Yours didn’t,did they?”

“No,Nancy.”answered Uncle Will.“But some of the best ones never do.”

圣诞老人先生

“有圣诞老人吗,威尔叔叔?”南希问。

今天是圣诞节,全家都围坐在餐桌旁。

南希的哥哥迈克朝着威尔叔叔微笑。迈克九岁了,南希只有五岁。

“昨天,我就碰到过圣诞老人先生,南希。”威尔叔叔说。“我把有关他的故事讲给你们听。我的故事句句是真话。”

下面就是威尔叔叔的故事。

威尔叔叔的故事

正如你们大家所知道的,我经过长途跋涉,昨天晚上才到家。昨天早晨,我乘坐的飞机不得不降落在一个小机场。由于气候恶劣,飞机无法继续飞行。

大飞机上的每个人都急着回家过圣诞节,但没有足够的汽车将我们都运走。大多数人要在机场待很多小时。

遍地都是提包和包裹。不断地有孩子们走失。婴儿在哭叫。人们又冷又饿,大家都很不高兴。

就在这时,我听到一个友好的,温和的声音。“别着急,夫人。”那个声音说。“我们会找到你的行李的。你今晚就可以到家。样样事情最后都会顺利的。”

我转过身来,看到一个矮矮的,胖胖的人。他有一张圆圆的,可爱的脸,穿着红色毛线衣和高统靴,帽子下面露出卷曲的白发。他活脱脱就像从《圣诞前夜》那首诗中走出来的!

那个子矮小的人站在一辆所谓的手推车旁,它只是一只放在轮子上的大箱子。我发现,手推车上放着三明治的热饮料。

“给你,夫人。”那人说。“先喝了这杯热茶吧,等我去找你的行李。”

他继续走动着,分发车上食物和饮料。

我跟着他,我坐的大汽车要很长时间以后才会开走。一会儿,我就发觉我在帮那个人的忙。在我的心里,早就开始称他为圣诞老人先生了。

我们从许多人身旁走过,他对他们都有几句善心的话说。他对一个人说。“圣诞快乐,兄弟。”他又对另外的人说,“我来帮你找到你该坐的大汽车。”他还唱一些圣诞歌的片断呢。

一段时间之后,他对我说,“看到那个穿蓝大衣的孩子了吗?我想,她是走失了。给她这个糖块,告诉她就待在她现在待的地方别动。如果她继续到处跑,她母亲就找不到她了。”

我对那女孩讲了,并把糖块给了她,接着,我走回到我的圣诞老人先生身边。“此人是谁呢?”我很想知道。

我终于问他,“你是在为哪家公司工作?”

“我不为任何公司工作。”他答。“我只是自己在高兴。每年的这个时候我都过一个假期。我花两个星期的时间为旅行者提供帮助。临近圣诞节时,有很多人需要帮助。”

恰在这时,他发现一位妇女在哭。她抱着个婴孩。

“啊,啊,嗯,大妹子。”他对她说。“这个婴儿长得真好看。出什么事了?”

那妇女说,她要到离此地很远的一个小城镇去,她的亲属在那里接她。他们会为她担忧的,而且,她的孩子也饿了。

圣诞老人先生从手推车上拿出一瓶热牛奶。

“把这个给孩子。”他说。“别着急,你一切都会很好的。你坐的大汽车一会儿就开。”

那妇女不哭了。过了一会儿,他送她上了汽车。孩子已安然入睡,那位母亲看上去很高兴。

她对他说,“圣诞快乐,希望你得到很多礼物。”

他说,“谢谢你,大妹子。我能得到的最好的礼物就是有机会帮助像你这样的人。”

然后,他转向我。“这不也是你要坐的汽车吗?”他问。

我说:“是的。”

“你是一位很好的助手,”他对我说,“现在,我要送你一件礼物。它将使你同我一样感到高兴。”

“请坐在这位女士旁边,照顾好她和孩子。你在她之前下车,你到达你要去的城市后,请给她的亲属打个电话,告诉他们,她很快就到。那么,再见了!”

我在那位母亲旁边坐下。透过车窗,我们望着圣诞老人先生。他已经在帮助别的人了。

在回家的路上,我心情很愉快,那是圣诞前夜。我已经收到了两件好礼物,一件是帮助别人的乐趣,另一件是遇见圣诞老人先生。

故事结束时,威尔叔叔对着南希微笑。

他问,“你喜欢我的故事吗?”“哦,喜欢,威尔叔叔。”南希答。“我很高兴你碰到了圣诞老人。不过,我以为礼物总是包在纸包里送来的,你的礼物没有纸包,对吧?”

“没有,南希。”威尔叔叔答。“可是,某些最好的礼物绝不会包在纸包里送来。”

Can I Help You Madam

A woman in blue jeans stood at the window of an expensive shop.Though she hesitated for a moment,she finally went in and asked to see a dress that was in the window.The assistant who served her did not like the way she was dressed.Glancing at her scornfully,he told her that the dress was sold.The woman walked out of the shop angrily and decided to punish the assistant next day.She returned to the shop the following morning dressed in a fur coat,with a handbag in one hand and a long umbrella in the other.After seeking out the rude assistant she asked for the same dress.Not realizing who she was,the assistant was eager to serve her this time.With great difficulty,he climbed into the shop window to get the dress.As soon as she saw it,the woman said she did not like it.She enjoyed herself making the assistant bring almost everything in the window before finally buying the dress she had first asked for.

夫人,您要买什么

一个穿着蓝色牛仔裤的妇女站在一家豪华商店的橱窗前。她犹豫了一下,但终于还是走进了商店,要店员给她看一看橱窗里的一件衣服。接待她的店员不喜欢她的这身打扮。他轻蔑地看了她一眼,告诉她,这件衣服已卖出去了。这位妇女生气地走出了商店,决定第二天要惩罚他一下。第二天早晨,她又去那个商店,穿一件皮大衣,一手拎着皮包,一手拿了把长柄伞。找到那位态度不好的店员后,她便问他要昨天的那件衣服。这个店员没有认出她是谁,这次很殷勤地接待了她。他费了好大的劲爬上橱窗去拿那件衣服,可她刚一看就说不喜欢。她得意地让店员几乎把橱窗里的每样东西都取来看看,最后才买了她第一次要的那件衣服。