I’m Just a Baby!

翻譯：范 婕

I’m Just a Baby!

我還只是個寶寶！

翻譯：范 婕

小的時候盼望著快快長大，長大了卻又開始懷念童年的時光。學業(yè)重的時候，你是不是特想喊一句“我還只是個寶寶”？來看一下這個寶寶的故事吧，看完保準你哭笑不得，哈哈！

Marty Mckay was already five years old, but he was still the baby of the family.

“Can I have some tea, too?” Marty asked his mother.

“No, Marty. You’re too young to drink tea.”

“But, why?” Marty asked.

“Because your fingers are too tiny to hold the cup. And the tea is too hot for you, baby.”

“I’m not a baby,” Marty said. “I’m five-and-a-half!”

Marty went out to the1)yard. His brother Ralph was playing basketball.

“Can I play, too?” Marty asked.

Ralph2)bounced the ball up and down and then threw it in the basket.“No, Marty. You’re too young to play basketball.”

“But, why?” Marty asked.

“Because the basket is too high for you to reach. And the ball is too big for your tiny baby hands,” Ralph said.

“I’m not a baby,” Marty said. “I’m five and three quarters!”

Marty went into the kitchen. His sister Jane was getting ready to ride her bicycle to the candy store.

“Can I go to the store?” Marty asked Jane. He could feel the wind in his hair and the candy on his tongue.

“No, you’re too young to go to the store.”

“But, why?” Marty asked.

“Because the store is too far for you to ride to. And your baby bike is too slow.”

“I’m not a baby,” Marty said. “I’m nearly six!”

“Six?” Jane laughed. “You just turned five!”

Marty sat on the grass and watched his sister ride away on her bike. He started to cry. Marty’s father heard a tiny cry and went to find out what was wrong.

“Why are you crying?” Marty’s father asked.

“Because I’m too tiny to do anything. I wish I weren’t the youngest one.”“Be careful what you wish for,” his father said.

Just then, Marty’s mother came out to bring Marty’s dad his tea.

She3)patted her4)belly and smiled.

“We’re going to have another baby,” his mother said.

“And that means you’re going to be a big brother,” his father said.“But, I...I’m too tiny to be a big brother,” Marty said. “I’m just a baby!”

馬蒂·麥凱已經(jīng)五歲了，可家里人仍把他當作小寶寶看待。

“我可以也喝杯茶嗎？”馬蒂問他的媽媽。

“不能，馬蒂。你還太小，不能喝茶。”

“但是，為什么啊？”馬蒂問。

“因為你的手指太小了，握不住茶杯。而且茶對你來說太燙了，寶貝。”

“我已經(jīng)不是個寶寶了，”馬蒂說。“我已經(jīng)五歲半了！”

馬蒂來到了院子里。他的哥哥拉爾夫正在打籃球。

“我能和你一起打籃球嗎？”馬蒂問。

拉爾夫上下拍著球，然后把球投進了籃框。“不能，馬蒂。你還太小，不能打籃球。”

“但是，為什么啊？”馬蒂問。

“因為籃框太高，你夠不著。而且你的手太小，抓不住籃球，”拉爾夫說道。

“我已經(jīng)不是個寶寶了，”馬蒂說。“我已經(jīng)五歲零九個月了！”

馬蒂來到了廚房。他的姐姐簡正準備騎車去糖果店。

“我能一起去商店嗎？”馬蒂問簡。他已經(jīng)能感受到騎車時吹進發(fā)間的涼風，以及糖果在舌尖融化的甜蜜。

“不行，你還太小，不能去商店。”

“但是，為什么啊？”馬蒂問。

“因為商店太遠了，你騎不了那么遠。而且你的小童車太慢了。”

“我已經(jīng)不是個寶寶了，”馬蒂說。“我已經(jīng)快六歲了！”

“六歲？”簡笑道。“你才剛滿五歲呢！”

馬蒂坐在草地上，眼巴巴地看著姐姐騎車遠去的背影。他開始抽泣。馬蒂的爸爸聽到了一陣細小的哭聲，于是便走過來看看發(fā)生了什么事。

“你怎么哭了？”馬蒂的爸爸問。

“因為我太小了，什么事都做不了。我真希望自己不是家里最小的。”

“說出這句話，你可要小心咯，”爸爸說。

就在這時，馬蒂的媽媽給爸爸端來了茶。她微笑著輕輕地拍了拍肚子。

“我們家里馬上要迎接另一個寶寶啦，”媽媽說。

“這就意味著，你要當哥哥了，”爸爸說。

“但是，我……我還太小了，不能當哥哥，”馬蒂說。“我還只是個寶寶！”

1) yard [jɑ?d] n. 院子

2) bounce [ba?ns] v. 使彈起

3) pat [p?t] v. 輕拍

4) belly ['bel?] n. 肚子，腹部

too…to…

大家在讀本文的過程中應(yīng)該會發(fā)現(xiàn)“too…to…”這一句式出現(xiàn)了很多次。那么讓我們趁熱打鐵，一起來學習一下吧！

“too…to…”表達否定的含義，意為“太……而不能……”，其基本結(jié)構(gòu)是“主語（人/物）+謂語動詞+too+形容詞/副+to do”。如：

1) The hat is too large to wear. 這帽子太大，沒法兒戴。

2) She is too young to do the work. 她年紀太小，還做不了這份工作。

但如果“too”前面有表達否定的詞，這個句式就失去了否定的含義。如：

1) It is never too old to learn. 活到老，學到老。

2) Chinese is not too easy to learn. 中文并不好學。