LESSON 8

THE WHITE KITTEN

小白猫

stroke beggar streaks needful

counsel

1. My little white kitten’s asleep on my knee; As white as the snow or the lilies is she;

She wakes up with a pur

When I stroke her soft fur:

Was there ever another white kitten like her?

2. My little white kitten now wants to go out And frolic, with no one to watch her about;

“Little kitten,” I say,

“Just an hour you may stay,

And be careful in choosing your places to play.”

3. But night has come down, when I hear a loud “mew;”

I open the door, and my kitten comes through;

My white kitten! ah me!

Can it really be she—

This ill-looking, beggar-like cat that I see?

4. What ugly, gray streaks on her side and her back!

Her nose, once as pink as a rosebud, is black!

Oh, I very well know,

Though she does not say so,

She has been where white kittens ought never to go. 5. If little good children intend to do right,

If little white kittens would keep themselves white, It is needful that they

Should this counsel obey,

And be careful in choosing their places to play.

【中文阅读】

1. 小猫在我的膝盖上睡着了，

她身上的毛洁白如雪，

像百合花一样纯洁；

当我轻抚她的软发时，

带着咕噜咕噜的声音她醒来了，

其他小白猫能像她这样吗？

2. 我的小白猫现在要出去嬉闹，

却没有人能守护她；

“小猫咪呀，”我说，

“你只能玩一个小时，

好好选个玩耍之地哟。”

3. 夜晚来临，我听到“喵喵”的叫声，

我打开门，小白猫进来了；

我的小白猫呀！哎呀呀！

这难道真的是她吗？

一只相貌丑陋、乞丐一样的小猫！

4. 背部和身上全是灰色条痕！

玫瑰花蕾般的粉红小鼻也染成了黑色！

哦，我好像明白了，

虽然她并没有说，

她肯定去了一个不该去的地方。

5. 如果小孩们能正确行事，

如果小白猫能保持洁白，

也就不必有这么多的规矩要遵守，也要仔细选择玩耍的地方哟。