小学英语安徒生童话系列（七）theDarning_Needle织补针阅读素材.docx

theDarning-NeedlebyHansChristianAndersen（1846）theREwasonceadarning-needlewhothoughtherselfsofinethatshefanciedshemustbefitforembroidery. “Holdmetight，”shewouldsaytothefingers，whentheytookherup， “dontletmefall；ifyoudoIshallneverbefoundagain，Iamsoveryfine.”“Thatisyouropinion，isit？”saidthefingers，astheyseizedherroundthebody.“See，Iamcomingwithatrain，”saidthedarning-needle，drawingalongthreadafterher；buttherewasnoknotinthethread.thefingersthenplacedthepointoftheneedleagainstthecooksslipper.Therewasacrackintheupperleather，whichhadtobesewntogether.“Whatcoarsework！”saidthedarning-needle， “Ishallnevergetthrough.Ishallbreak！Iambreaking！”andsureenoughshebroke. “DidInotsayso？”saidthedarning-needle， “IknowIamtoofineforsuchworkasthat.”“Thisneedleisquiteuselessforsewingnow，”saidthefingers；buttheystillhelditfast，andthecookdroppedsomesealing-waxontheneedle，andfastenedherhandkerchiefwithitinfront.“SonowIamabreast-pin，”saidthedarning-needle； “IknewverywellIshouldcometohonorsomeday：meritissuretorise；”andshelaughed，quietlytoherself，forofcoursenooneeversawadarning-needlelaugh.Andthereshesatasproudlyasifshewereinastatecoach，andlookedallaroundher. “MayIbeallowedtoaskifyouaremadeofgold？”sheinquiredofherneighbor，apin； “youhaveaveryprettyappearance，andacurioushead，althoughyouarerathersmall.Youmusttakepainstogrow，foritisnoteveryonewhohassealing-waxdroppeduponhim；”andasshespoke，thedarning-needledrewherselfupsoproudlythatshefelloutofthehandkerchiefrightintothesink，whichthecookwascleaning. “NowIamgoingonajourney，”saidtheneedle，asshefloatedawaywiththedirtywater， “IdohopeIshallnotbelost.”Butshereallywaslostinagutter. “Iamtoofineforthisworld，”saidthedarning-needle，asshelayinthegutter； “butIknowwhoIam，andthatisalwayssomecomfort.”Sothedarning-needlekeptupherproudbehavior，anddidnotlosehergoodhumor.Thentherefloatedoverherallsortsofthings，chipsandstraws，andpiecesofoldnewspaper. “Seehowtheysail，”saidthedarning-needle； “theydonotknowwhatisunderthem.Iamhere，andhereIshallstick.See，theregoesachip，thinkingofnothingintheworldbuthimselfonlyachip.Theresastrawgoingbynow；howheturnsandtwistsabout！Dontbethinkingtoomuchofyourself，oryoumaychancetorunagainstastone.Thereswimsapieceofnewspaper；whatiswrittenuponithasbeenforgottenlongago，andyetitgivesitselfairs.Isitherepatientlyandquietly.IknowwhoIam，soIshallnotmove.”Onedaysomethinglyingclosetothedarning-needleglitteredsosplendidlythatshethoughtitwasadiamond；yetitwasonlyapieceofbrokenbottle.Thedarning-needlespoketoit，becauseitsparkled，andrepresentedherselfasabreast-pin. “Isupposeyouarereallyadiamond？”shesaid.“Whyyes，somethingofthekind，”hereplied；andsoeachbelievedtheothertobeveryvaluable，andthentheybegantotalkabouttheworld，andtheconceitedpeopleinit.“Ihavebeeninaladyswork-box，”saidthedarning-needle， “andthisladywasthecook.Shehadoneachhandfivefingers，andanythingsoconceitedasthesefivefingersIhaveneverseen；andyettheywereonlyemployedtotakemeoutoftheboxandtoputmebackagain.”“Weretheynothigh-born？”“High-born！”saidthedarning-needle， “noindeed，butsohaughty.Theywerefivebrothers，allbornfingers；theykeptveryproudlytogether，thoughtheywereofdifferentlengths.Theonewhostoodfirstintherankwasnamedthethumb，hewasshortandthick，andhadonlyonejointinhisback，andcouldthereforemakebutonebow；buthesaidthatifhewerecutofffromamanshand，thatmanwouldbeunfitforasoldier.Sweet-tooth，hisneighbor，dippedhimselfintosweetorsour，pointedtothesunandmoon，andformedtheletterswhenthefingerswrote.Longman，themiddlefinger，lookedovertheheadsofalltheothers.Gold-band，thenextfinger，woreagoldencircleroundhiswaist.AndlittlePlaymandidnothingatall，andseemedproudofit.Theywereboasters，andboasterstheywillremain；andthereforeIleftthem.”“Andnowwesithereandglitter，”saidthepieceofbrokenbottle.Atthesamemomentmorewaterstreamedintothegutter，sothatitoverflowed，andthepieceofbottlewascarriedaway.“Soheispromoted，”saidthedarning-needle， “whileIremainhere；Iamtoofine，butthatismypride，andwhatdoIcare？”Andsoshesatthereinherpride，andhadmanysuchthoughtsasthese，“IcouldalmostfancythatIcamefromasunbeam，Iamsofine.Itseemsasifthesunbeamswerealwayslookingformeunderthewater.Ah！Iamsofinethatevenmymothercannotfindme.HadIstillmyoldeye，whichwasbrokenoff，IbelieveIshouldweep；butno，Iwouldnotdothat，itisnotgenteeltocry.”Onedayacoupleofstreetboyswerepaddlinginthegutter，fortheysometimesfoundoldnails，farthings，andothertreasures.Itwasdirtywork，buttheytookGREatpleasureinit. “Hallo！”criedone，asheprickedhimselfwiththedarning-needle， “heresafellowforyou.”“Iamnotafellow，Iamayounglady，”saidthedarning-needle；butnooneheardher.thesealing-waxhadcomeoff，andshewasquiteblack；butblackmakesapersonlookslender，soshethoughtherselfevenfinerthanbefore.“Herecomesanegg-shellsailingalong，”saidoneoftheboys；sotheystuckthedarning-needleintotheegg-shell.“Whitewalls，andIamblackmyself，”saidthedarning-needle， “thatlookswell；nowIcanbeseen，butIhopeIshallnotbesea-sick，orIshallbreakagain.”Shewasnotsea-sick，andshedidnotbreak. “Itisagoodthingagainstsea-sicknesstohaveasteelstomach，andnottoforgetonesownimportance.Nowmysea-sicknesshaspast：delicatepeoplecanbearaGREatdeal.”Crackwenttheegg-shell，asawaggonpassedoverit. “Goodheavens，howitcrushes！”saidthedarning-needle. “Ishallbesicknow.Iambreaking！”butshedidnotbreak，thoughthewaggonwentoverherasshelayatfulllength；andthereletherlie.从前有一根织补衣服的针。作为一根织补针来说，她倒还算细巧，因此她就想像自己是一根绣花针。“请你们注意你们现在拿着的这东西吧！”她对那几个取她出来的手指说。“你们不要把我失掉！我一落到地上去，你们就决不会找到我的，因为我是那么细呀！”“细就细好了，”手指说。它们把她拦腰紧紧地捏住。“你们看，我还带着随从啦！”她说。她后面拖着一根长线，不过线上并没有打结。手指正把这根针钉着女厨子的一只拖鞋，因为拖鞋的皮面裂开了，需要缝一下。“这是一件庸俗的工作，”织补针说。“我怎么也不愿钻进去。我要折断！我要折断了！”於是她真的折断了。“我不是说过吗？”织补针说，“我是非常细的呀！”手指想：她现在没有甚么用了。不过它们仍然不愿意放弃她，因为女厨子在针头上滴了一点封蜡，同时把她别在一块手帕上。“现在我成为一根领针（註：领针（brystnaal）是一种装饰*？，穿西装时插在领带上；针头上一般镶有一颗珍珠。）了！”织补针说。“我早就知道我会得到光荣的：一个不平凡的人总会得到一个不平凡的地位！”於是她心里笑了当一根织补针在笑的时候，人们是没有办法看到她的外部表情的。她别在那儿，显得很骄傲，好像她是坐在轿车里，左顾右盼似的。“请准许我问一声：您是金子做的吗？”她问她旁边的一根别针。“你有一张非常好看的面孔，一个自己的头脑只是小了一点。你得使它再长大一点才成，因为封蜡并不会滴到每根针头上的呀。”织补针很骄傲地挺起身子，结果弄得自己从手帕上落下来了，一直落到厨子正在沖洗的污水沟里去了。“现在我要去旅行了，”织补针说。“我只希望我不要迷了路！”不过她却迷了路。“就这个世界说来，我是太细了，”她来到了排水沟的时候说。“不过我知道我的身份，而这也算是一点小小的安慰！”所以织补针继续保持着她骄傲的态度，同时也不失掉她得意的心情。许多不同的东西在她身上浮过去了：菜屑啦，草叶啦，旧报纸碎片啦。“请看它们游得多么快！”织补针说。“它们不知道它们下面还有一件甚么东西！我就在这儿，我坚定地坐在这儿！看吧，一根棍子浮过来了，它以为世界上除了棍子以外再也没有甚么别的东西。它就是这样一个傢伙！一根草浮过来了。你看它扭着腰肢和转动的那副样儿！不要以为自己了不起吧，你很容易撞到一块石头上去呀！一张破报纸游过来了！它上面印着的东西早已被人家忘记了，但是它仍然铺张开来，神气十足。我有耐心地、静静地坐在这儿。我知道我是谁，我永远保持住我的本来面目！”有一天她旁边躺着一件甚么东西。这东西射出美丽的光彩。织补针认为它是一颗金刚钻。不过事实上它是一个瓶子的碎片。因为它发出亮光，所以织补针就跟它讲话，把自己介绍成为一根领针。“我想你是一颗钻石吧？”她说。“嗯，对啦，是这类东西。”於是双方就相信自己都是价值很高的物件。他们开始谈论，说世上的人一般都是觉得自己非常了不起。“我曾经在一位小姐的匣子里住过，”织补针说，“这位小姐是一个厨子。她每只手上有五个指头。我从来没有看到像这五个指头那样骄傲的东西，不过他们的作用只是拿着我，把我从匣子里取出来和放进去罢了。”“他们也能射出光彩来吗？”瓶子的碎片问。“光彩！”织补针说，“甚么也没有，不过自以为了不起罢了。他们是五个兄弟，都属於手指这个家族。他们互相标榜，虽然他们是长短不齐：最前面的一个是”笨摸“（註：”笨摸“、”餂罐“、”长人“、”金火“和”比尔玩朋友“，是丹麦孩子对五个指头所起的绰号。大拇指摸东西不灵活，所以叫做”笨摸“；二指常常代替吞头伸到果酱罐里去餂东西吃，所以叫”餂罐“；四指因为戴戒指，所以看起来像有一道金火；小指叫做”比尔玩朋友“，因为它甚么用也没有。），又短又肥。他走在最前列，他的背上只有一个节，因此他只能同时鞠一个躬；不过他说，假如他从一个人身上砍掉的话，这人就不够资格服兵役了。第二个指头叫做”餂罐“，他伸到酸东西和甜东西里面去，他指着太阳和月亮；当大家在写字的时候，他握着笔。第三个指头是”长人“，他伸在别人的头上看东西。第四个指头是”金火“，他腰间围着一条金带子。最小的那个是”比尔玩朋友“，他甚么事也不做，而自己还因此感到骄傲呢。他们甚么也不做，只是吹牛，因此我才到排水沟里来了！”“这要算是升级！”瓶子的碎片说。这时有更多的水沖进排水沟里来了，漫得遍地都是，结果把瓶子的碎片沖走了。“瞧，他倒是升级了！”织补针说。“但是我还坐在这儿，我是那么细。不过我也正因此感到骄傲，而且也很光荣！”於是她骄傲地坐在