小公主第六章

今日单词

开始预习

shine /lightning /voyage /playroom

Sara流利地道的法语让Monsieur Dufarge赞不绝口。可Sara表现得越精彩，就越发让Miss Minchin觉得难堪。她大声斥责了在一旁围观和偷笑的其他女孩子们。其中一个看上去有些笨拙的女孩Miss St. John引起了Sara的注意，也让她第一次产生了结交朋友的想法...

- A Little Princess -

"Aume Piicess

"You can speak French, can't you?"

she said respectfully.

Sara sat next to her on the window

seat.

"I can speak it because I have

heard it all my life," she answered.

"You could speak it if you had

always heard it."

Ermengarde paused a moment,

and then added with a touch of

wonder in her voice, "You are

clever, aren't you?"

Sara looked out of the window and

thought for a few moments.

She had heard it said very often

that she was "clever,” and she

wondered if she was.

“I don't know," she said."1 can't

tell,”

Then, seeing a sad look on the

round face, she gave a little laugh

and changed the subject.

"Would you like to see Emily?"she

asked.

"Who is Emily?" Ermengarde

asked, just as Miss Minchin had

done.

"Come up to my room and see,"

said Sara, holding out her hand.

They jumped down from the

window seat together and went

upstairs.

"Is it true," Ermengarde whispered

as they went through the hall—"is

it true that you have a playroom(娱

乐室) all to yourself?"

"Yes," Sara answered.

"Papa asked Miss Minchin to let me

have one, because when I play I

make up stories and tell them to

myself.

I don't like people to hear me.”

You make up stories!" Ermengarde

said with surprise.

"Can you do that—as well as speak

French? Can you?"

“Why, anyone can make up things,"

she said. “Have you never tried?"

She put her hand on Ermengarde's.

"Let us go very quictly to the door,”

she whispered, "and then I will

open it quite suddenly; perhaps we

may catch her."

Ermengarde did not have any idea

what it meant, or whom it was she

wanted to “catch," or why she

wanted to catch her.

Whatever she meant, Ermengarde

was sure it was something exciting.

They made not the least noise until

they reached the door.

Then Sara suddenly turned the

handle, and threw it wide open.

They saw the quiet room, and a

wonderful doll sitting in a chair,

who appeared to be reading a

book.

"Oh, she got back to her seat

before we could see her!" Sara

explained.

"Of course they always do. They

are as quick as lightning."

Ermengarde looked from her to the

doll and back again.

"Can she—walk?" she asked

excitedly.

"Yes." answered Sara.

"At least I pretend she can. Have

you never pretended things?"

"No," said Ermengarde."Never.1—

tell me about it."

"Let us sit down," said Sara,"and I

will tell you. It's so easy that when

you begin you can't stop

You just go on and on doing it

always.

And it's beautiful. Emily, you must

listen.

This is Ermengarde St.John, Emily

Ermengarde, this is Emily

Would you like to hold her?"

“Oh, may I?" said Ermengarde.

"May I, really? She is beautiful!"

And Emily was put into her arms.

Miss St. John had never in her

short life dreamed of such an hour

as the one she spent with the new

pupil.

But then they heard the lunch bell

ring and had to go downstairs.

When the two girls spent time

together, Sara would sit upon the

carpet and tell her strange things.

She told stories of the voyage, and stories of India.

What interested Ermengarde the

most, however,was her idea about

the dolls who walked and talked.

They could do anything they chose

when the humans were out of the

room, but they must keep their

powers a secret.

So they would fly back to their

places "like lightning" when people

returned to the room.

Once, when she was relating the

story of the search for Emily

Ermengarde saw her face suddenly

change.

A cloud seemed to pass over it and

put out the light in her shining

eyes.

She drew her breath in so quickly

that it made a sad little sound.

“Do you have a—a pain?"

Ermengarde asked.

"Yes,” Sara answered, after a

moment's silence

"But it is not in my body."

Then she added something in a

low voice:"Do you love your father

more than anything else in all the

whole worid?"

Ermengarde's mouth fell open a

little.

“I—I hardly ever see him," she

said. "He is always in the library—

reading things."

"I love mine more than all the

world ten times over," Sara said.

That is what my pain is. He has

gone away."

“She's going to cry out loud,'

thought Ermengarde,fearfully.

Bur she did not.

"I promised him I would bear it,"

she said.

"And I will. You have to bear

things.Think what soldiers bear!

Papa is a soldier.

If there was a war he would have

to bear marching and thirstiness

and, perhaps, deep wounds.

And he would never say a word—

not one word."

Ermengarde felt that she was

beginning to like her quite a lot

She was so wonderful and different

from anyone else.

"Lavinia and Jessie are 'best

friends,'" Ermengarde said.

"I wish we could be "best friends.

Would you have me for yours?

You're clever and I'm the stupidest

child in the school, but I—oh, I do

so like you!"

"I'm glad of that," said Sara.

Yes. We will be friends,

And I'll tell you what"—her face lit

up suddenly—"I can help you with

your French lessons."