大家好,hello,今天这一节,我们讲的是关于[the mother duck 鸭子妈妈]、[the queen 鸭女王]、还有 [an ugly duckling 丑小鸭]的故事。

在上一节课里, 鸭子妈妈决定还是多花几天时间孵蛋,终于把最大的那个蛋给孵化出来。通过下池塘测试,她发现这只丑小鸭会游泳,所以肯定不是小火鸡,放心了,决定把所有孩子介绍给农场的邻居们。
地点:the farmyard 农家院子。
《THE UGLY DUCKLING》
我们带着问题听下面的故事,第一个问题:为什么 the mother duck 对那只老母鸭说 your grace?
第二个问题: 为什么有一只鸭子要把the ugly duckling 赶出去?
我们来听故事。
- When they reached the farmyard 当他们进到农家院子里时,
- there was a great disturbance 这里正发生激烈的争吵,
- two families 两个家庭
- were fighting for an eel’s head 在争夺一个鳗鱼头,
- which, after all, was carried off by the cat 这东西,归根到底,还是那只猫丢下的.
- “See, children 你们看,孩子们,
- that is the way of the world 这就是我们这个真实的世界,” said the mother duck 鸭妈妈说,
- whetting her beak 她磨了磨自己的喙,
- for she would have liked the eel’s head herself 因为她自己其实也蛮想要那个鳗鱼头的.
- “Come, now 跟我来吧, use your legs 抬腿走路,
- and let me see how well you can behave 让我看看谁最帅.
- You must bow your heads prettily to that old duck yonder 记得低头,优雅地对远处那个鸭婆婆,鞠躬;
- she is the highest born of them all 她可是她们之中血统最高的,
- and has Spanish blood 她还有西班牙血脉呢,
- therefore 所以,
- she is well off 她也很有钱.
- Don’t you see 你们看到没?
- she has a red flag tied to her leg 她的腿上绑着个红色的旗子,
- which is something very grand 那可是了不得的东西,
- and a great honor for a duck 对咱们鸭子来说,那是一种巨大的荣耀;
- it shows that every one is anxious not to lose her 它表示,所有人都很小心,害怕失去她,
- as she can be recognized both by man and beast 因为她可以被人类接受,也可以被兽类接受.
- Come now 跟我来, don’t turn your toes 别缩手缩脚的,
- a well-bred duckling 一只良种小鸭
- spreads his feet wide apart 会把他的脚掌充分打开,
- just like his father and mother 就象他的爹妈,
- in this way 就这样;
- now 现在 bend your neck 低下脖子,
- and say ‘quack .’”说 呱呱
- The ducklings did as they were bid 小鸭子们按照妈妈的指示做了,
- but the other duck stared 但是鸭群中有一只鸭子,一直在盯着他们看,
- and said 它说道,
- “Look 快看, here comes another brood 这里来了一个新种,
- as if there were not enough of us already 好像我们这里的品种还不够多似的!
- and what a queer looking object one of them is 大伙儿快瞧,他们中还有一个长得怪模怪样的家伙;
- we don’t want him here 我们不欢迎它,”
- and then one flew out 这时候,有一只鸭子飞了出来
- and bit him in the neck 在丑小鸭的脖子上狠狠地啄了一下.

- “Let him alone 你离他远点,” said the mother 鸭妈妈说;
- “he is not doing any harm 他又没招你惹你.”
- “Yes, but he is so big and ugly 它是没有招惹我,可你瞧他这样,又大有丑,”
- said the spiteful duck 那只凶鸭子说,
- “and therefore 因此 he must be turned out 他必须得走.”
- “The others are very pretty children 其他都是很漂亮的孩子,”
- said the old duck with the rag on her leg 那只腿上绑着布条的老鸭子说,
- “all but that one 就只有一只;
- I wish his mother 我希望他的母亲 could improve him a little 把他打扮得漂亮一点.”
- “That is impossible, your grace 那是不可能的,陛下,”
- replied the mother 妈妈回答;
- “he is not pretty 他是不漂亮;
- but he has a very good disposition 但是他性格顶好,
- and swims as well 并且游泳也是有模有样的,
- or even better than the others 甚至比其他鸭子还游得好.
- I think 我觉得 he will grow up pretty 他长大后就会变得漂亮了,
- and perhaps be smaller 另外,说不定。。。会变小一些;
- he has remained too long in the egg 他在蛋里呆的时间太长了,
- and therefore 因此
- his figure is not properly formed 他的个子发育得不是很正常;”
- and then she stroked his neck 然后她摸了摸儿子的脖子
- and smoothed the feathers 理了理儿子的羽毛,
- saying 说道,
- “It is a drake 他是一只公鸭,
- and therefore not of so much consequence 所以长相并不是那么要紧.
- I think 我认为 he will grow up strong 他会长得很强壮,
- and able to take care of himself 并且可以照顾自己.”
《THE UGLY DUCKLING》《丑小鸭》第三集:鸭妈妈为儿子争辩
今天英语课开始提到的两个问题,我们现在来讨论一下。Question 1:
为什么 the mother duck 对那只老母鸭说 your grace?.
And my answer is:
因为那只老母鸭是这个鸭子社会里的女王,血统最高,英语里,叫女王为 your grace。
Question 2:
为什么有一只鸭子坚持要把the ugly duckling 赶出去?,
my answer is:
因为 the ugly duckling 长得与众不同,而且很丑,任何一个社会,总有一些成员不喜欢那些与众不同的同伴。人类社会也是一样。
Question from 上一节课:
为什么 the duck mother 相信丑小鸭就是她自己的孩子?,
答案是:
因为 the duck mother 看到丑小鸭可以游泳。
