?A wrong judgement

安徽 胡發高（譯）

◆語篇導讀

在日常生活中，如果我們對身邊的人或事急于下決定或判斷，很可能出現誤判而導致不好的結果。本文中的這位父親就是因為沒有完全理解女兒的想法，繼而對她的行為產生了錯誤的判斷。這個小故事告訴我們：對待任何事情都不要匆忙地下結論。

A father and his daughter were walking along the country road on a hot summer day.Suddenly his young daughter saw a young woman selling apples nearby.She asked her father to buy her an apple.The father didn't bring much money with him,but it was enough to pay for two apples.So,he went to the woman,bought two big red apples and gave them to his daughter.

His daughter held one apple in each of her hands.They walked to a tree and stood in the shade to have a rest.The father smiled and asked her if she could share the two apples with him.On hearing this,his daughter quickly took a bite from one apple.The father felt surprised.But before he could speak,his daughter also took a bite from the second apple quickly.

The father felt more surprised.He wondered why she acted in such a greedy way and what mistakes he had made in raising her daughter.His mind was lost in thoughts.He guessed that perhaps he was just thinking too much or that probably his daughter was too young to understand about sharing and giving.The smile disappeared from his face little by little.

And suddenly his daughter with an apple in her one hand said,“Father,have this one.This one is much sweeter.”The father was speechless.

He felt sorry about reaching to the judgement so quickly about a small child.His smile came back again.Now he knew why his daughter quickly took a bite from each apple.

Don't judge anything too quickly or reach a conclusion.Always spare a period of time to understand things better.

◆詞語積淀

stand in the shade站在樹蔭下

be lost in thoughts陷入沉思

little by little漸漸地

speechless/?spi:t?l?s/adj.說不出話的

judgement/?d??d?m?nt/n.判斷

a period of一段（時間）

◆典句賞析

1.On hearing this,his daughter quickly took a bite from one apple.一聽到這句話，他的女兒快速地咬了一口蘋果。

該句為簡單句。on hearing...是常見的一種簡化形式，意為“一聽到……”，on hearing this相當于as soon as引導的時間狀語從句as soon as she heard his words，強調謂語動詞的動作隨之迅速發生；take a bite from意為“從……上咬下一口”。

【即時嘗試】一聽到那個好消息，我們都高興得跳起來。___

2.But before he could speak,his daughter also took a bite from the second apple quickly.但還沒等他開口，他女兒又趕緊在第二個蘋果上咬了一口。

這是一個復合句。before he could speak是時間狀語從句，該從句中有can/could與無can/could語氣不一樣。沒有can/could，此句表示“在他開口之前”；而有can/could，此句則表示“他沒來得及開口”。

【即時嘗試】我還沒來得及阻止她，她就已經沖進辦公室了。

3.He guessed that perhaps he was just thinking too much or that probably his daughter was too young to understand about sharing and giving.他猜測，也許是他想得太多了，也可能是他的女兒還太小，不懂得分享和給予。

主句中的He guessed后面是兩個that引導的賓語從句，這兩個賓語從句又是由or連接的并列句。too...to...結構意為“太……而不能……”，該結構含有否定的概念，常可與so...that...（如此……以至……）進行同義轉換。

【即時嘗試】那時，我母親身體太虛弱，連站都站不起來。

（答案見第63頁）

譯文助讀

一個炎熱的夏日，一位父親和他的女兒正在沿著鄉間小路往前走著。突然，他的女兒看到一位年輕女士在附近賣蘋果，她讓她父親給她買一個蘋果。父親沒帶多少錢，但足夠買兩個蘋果。于是，他朝那位女士走去，給他的女兒買了兩個又大又紅的蘋果，然后將蘋果給了他女兒。

他的女兒雙手各拿一個蘋果。他們走到一棵樹下，站在樹蔭中休息。父親笑著問她是否可以和他分享這兩個蘋果。一聽到這句話，他的女兒快速地咬了一口蘋果，父親感到很驚訝。但還沒等他開口，他女兒又趕緊在第二個蘋果上咬了一口。

父親感到更加驚訝，他不知道女兒為什么會如此貪婪，也不知道他在撫養女兒時犯了什么錯誤。他陷入了沉思。他猜測，也許是他想得太多了，也很可能是他的女兒還太小，不懂得分享和給予。他臉上的笑容漸漸消失了。

突然，他的女兒拿著一個蘋果說：“爸爸，吃這個吧，這個更甜。”父親說不出話來。

這么快就對一個小孩做出判斷使他感到很抱歉。他的笑容又回來了，現在他知道為什么他的女兒如此快速地在每個蘋果上都咬了一口。

不要太快做出判斷，也不要太快地下結論。為了更好地理解事物，多花一些時間去思考吧。