MWRP讀物推介|世界著名故事選World Famous Stories
世界著名故事選（World Famous Stories）是「百萬英語閱讀計劃」MWRP叢書——英漢對照中級英語系列讀物第I輯之6，適合已掌握1500基本英語辭彙量（相當於初中畢業）的讀者閱讀。
百萬英語閱讀計劃是為專門為中國學生設計的英語閱讀提高計劃，讀者對象為已具有初中英語水平的讀者，通過２年、每天約15分鐘的閱讀能達到中級英語水平，掌握3000多單詞和大量的短語，熟練掌握英語的各種句子結構，並能閱讀一般英語原著。詳見：《百萬英語閱讀計劃讀者手冊》。
內容簡介
本冊讀物選自詹姆斯·鮑德溫（James Baldwin）編寫的《Fifty Famous Stories Retold》和《Thirty More Famous Stories Retold》，故事主要取材於西方著名的歷史故事、名人軼事和民間傳說，都是人們關注的傳統題材和內容。這兩部讀本為許多國家少年兒童所喜愛。20世紀前半葉，這兩本書曾以英語教材的形式流行於大江南北，書名譯為《泰西五十軼事》和《泰西三十軼事》。當時人們選用這兩本書作教材，主要原因在於文辭優美，故事引人入勝，內容具有教育意義，有助於培養少男少女們的高尚情操。許多故事在我國英語教材中都有選用。
詹姆斯·鮑德溫（James Baldwin 1841-1925）是美國教育家、作家，是美國最多產的兒童教科書作家。
文本信息
本書文本統計信息詳見下表，供選擇時參考：
說明:
1. 關於可讀性：這是根據美國Rudolf Flesch博士的統計方法計算出的Flesch Reading Ease（弗萊士易讀度），計算根據是句子的字數和100個字內音節個數等，數值在0和100之間，數目越大，文章越容易讀。
2. 1500基本辭彙外的單詞不包括由這些詞構成的合成詞 （如：schoolboy<=school +boy）和派生詞 （如：proudly <= proud + ly）。
3. 專有名詞（人名地名）或由專有名詞派生的辭彙以及感嘆詞不計入生詞。
4. 1500詞外詞數（生詞數）包含重複詞數。比如一個單詞以不同形式出現3次，則按3次統計。
5. 在1500詞外詞條數中，重複的單詞或者一個單詞的不同形式統計為1次。
6. 正文每一千字處都有字數標誌，便於讀者掌握閱讀進度。
7. 1500基本辭彙外的詞在原文部分用粗體顯示，譯文部分用深色粗體，由於翻譯的緣故，兩部分的詞性和意義並不完全對應，僅供參考。
8. 本系列讀物的前三本生詞全部標註，以後只標註兩次，出現兩次以後生詞就不再標註。
第一二章試讀
World Famous Stories
世界著名故事選
1. The Inchcape Rock
英奇凱普礁石
In the North Sea there is a great rock called the Inchcape Rock. It is twelve miles from any land, and is covered most of the time with water.
在北海，有一塊巨大的礁石，名叫英奇凱普礁石，它離陸地有１２英里，多數時間都淹沒在水中。
Many boats and ships have been wrecked on that rock, for it is so near the top of the water that no ship can sail over it without striking it.
有許多大小船都在塊礁石上失事，因為礁石離水面太近了，沒有船可以從上面駛過去而碰不到它。
Many years ago, there lived not far away a kind-hearted man who was called the Abbot of Aberbrothock.
許多年前，在離那裡不遠的地方住著一個心地善良的人，人們稱他為艾伯布洛索克修道院院長。
「It is a pity,」 he said, 「that so many brave sailors should lose their lives on that hidden rock.」
「真可惜啊，」他說，「有那麼多勇敢的水手竟然在那塊暗礁上喪命。」
So the abbot had a buoy tied to the rock. The buoy floated in the shallow water. A strong rope kept it from floating away.
於是修道院院長在那礁石上拴上一個浮標。浮標在淺水面上漂浮著，有一根堅固的繩子讓它不會漂走。
On the top of the buoy, the abbot placed a bell. When the waves rushed against it, the bell would ring out loud and clear.
在那浮標的頂上，修道院院長還放上了一隻鈴鐺。海浪衝擊浮標時，鈴鐺就會發出響亮而清晰的聲音。
Sailors, now, were no longer afraid to cross the sea at that place. When they heard the bell ringing, they knew just where the rock was, and they turned their ships around it.
現在，水手們就再也不害怕穿過那片海域了。他們聽到鈴鐺響時，就知道暗礁在什麼地方，於是就會把船隻繞開它。
One calm summer day, a ship with a black flag happened to sail not far from the Inchcape Rock. The ship belonged to a sea robber called Ralph, and all honest people were afraid of her.
一個平靜的夏日，一艘懸掛著一面黑旗的船正好航行到了英奇凱普礁石不遠的地方。這艘船屬於一個名叫拉爾夫的海盜，所有誠實的人們都害怕他。
There was very little wind that day, and the sea was as smooth as glass. The ship stood almost still.
那天風很小，大海像鏡子一樣平靜。船幾乎停住不動了。
Ralph looked out on the calm sea. He saw the buoy floating above the Inchcape Rock. It looked like a big black spot on the water. But the bell was not ringing that day. There were no waves to move it.
拉爾夫眺望著平靜的大海，看到了漂浮在英奇凱普礁石上的浮標。它在海面上看上去像一個大黑點，但是那隻鈴鐺那天沒有響，因為沒有海浪去搖動它。
「Boys!」 cried Ralph, 「put out the boat, and row me to the Inchcape Rock. We will play a trick on the old abbot.」
「夥計們！」拉爾夫喊道，「把小船放下來，把我划到英奇凱普礁石。我們要跟那個老院長開個玩笑。」
The boat was put out. The strong men soon rowed it to the Inchcape Rock. Then the robber broke the rope that held the buoy. He cut the ropes of the bell. It fell into the water.
小船被放了下來。身強體壯的水手們很快就把船划到了英奇凱普礁石。然後，這位海盜割斷了系在浮標的繩子。他又砍斷了拴住那隻鈴鐺的繩子，鈴鐺沉入水中。
「The next ship that comes this way will hit the rock,」 said Ralph.
「下一艘來這裡的船會觸礁的，」拉爾夫說。
Soon a gentle wind blew up, and the black ship sailed away. The sea robber laughed as he looked back.
不一會兒，一陣微風吹起，這艘黑色的船駛走了。海盜一邊回頭看，一邊哈哈大笑。
For many days, Ralph searched the seas, and he robbed many ships. At last he happened to sail back toward the place where he had started.
拉爾夫在海上尋找了許多天，搶劫了許多船隻。最後，他碰巧又駛回出發的地方。
The wind had blown hard all day. The waves were high. The ship was moving quickly. But in the evening the wind died away, and a thick fog came on.
風猛烈地颳了一整天，海浪特別高。船航行速度非常快。但是到了傍晚，風停了下來，又起了濃霧。
Ralph could not see where the ship was going. 「I wish the fog would clear away!」 he said.
拉爾夫看不清船在朝哪兒走。「要是霧能散去就好啦！」他說。
「I thought I heard the noise of waves,」 said the pilot. 「We must be near the shore.」
「我想我聽見了海浪的聲音，」領航員說，「我們一定靠近海岸了。」
「I cannot tell,」 said Ralph, 「but I think we are not far from the Inchcape Rock. I wish we could hear the bell.」
「我分辨不清，」拉爾夫說，「但我想我們離英奇凱普礁石不遠了。如果我們能聽到鈴鐺聲該多好啊。」
The next moment there was a great crash. 「It is the Inchcape Rock!」 the sailors cried, as the ship turned over to one side, and began to sink.
接著是一陣巨大的碰撞聲。「是英奇凱普礁石！」水手們大叫起來，這時船向一側傾斜，開始往下沉。
「Oh, how unfortunate I am!」 cried Ralph. 「This is the result of the joke that I played on the good abbot!」
「唉，我真不幸啊！」拉爾夫叫道，「這就是我和善良的院長開玩笑的後果！」
2. The Indian Girl
印第安女孩
There was once a very brave man whose name was John Smith. He came to North America many years ago, when there were great woods everywhere, and many wild beasts and Indians. Many stories are told of his adventures, some of them true and some of them not. Here is one of them:
從前，有一位非常勇敢的男子名叫約翰?史密斯。他是許多年前來到北美的，當時那裡到處都是大森林，還有許多野獸和印第安人。許多故事都講述了他的冒險經歷，其中有些說真實的，有些不是。下面是其中一個故事：
One day when Smith was in the woods, some Indians caught him. They led him to their king, and in a short time they were ready to kill him.
有一天，史密斯在樹林中的時候，有幾個印第安人抓住了他。他們把他帶到自己的國王那裡去，不久就準備把他殺掉。
A large stone was brought in, and Smith was made to lie down with his head on it. Then two tall Indians with big sticks in their hands came forward. The king and all his great men stood around to see. The Indians raised their sticks. In another moment they would fall on Smith』s head.
他們搬來一塊大石頭，逼史密斯躺下，把頭放在石頭上。然後，另一個高個子印第安人手裡拿著大棍子走向前來。國王和他所有的要員都站在周圍觀看。印第安人舉起手中的棍子。轉瞬間，棍子就要落在史密斯的頭上去。
But just then a little Indian girl rushed in. She was the daughter of the king, and her name was Pocahontas. She ran and threw herself between Smith and the raised sticks. She held Smith』s head with her arms. She put her own head upon his.
但就在這時，一個印第安小女孩衝進來。她是國王的女兒，名叫波卡洪塔斯。她跑過去，衝到史密斯和舉起的棍子之間。她把史密斯的頭抱在懷裡，用自己的頭護著他的頭。
「Oh, father!」 she cried, 「don』t kill this man. I am sure he has done you no harm, and we ought to be his friends.」
「啊，父王！」她喊道，「不要殺害這個人。我感保證他沒有傷害過你，我們應該做他的朋友才對。」
The men with the sticks could not strike, for they did not want to hurt the child. At first, the king did not know what to do. Then he spoke to some of his soldiers, and they lifted Smith from the ground. They untied the ropes from his wrists and feet, and set him free.
拿著棍子的人沒法打了，因為他們不想傷到這個孩子。一開始，國王不知道如何做才好，後來，他跟一些士兵說了話，然後他們把史密斯從地上扶起來。他們把他的手腕和腳上的繩子鬆開，把他放了。
The next day the king sent Smith home, and several Indians went with him to protect him from harm.
第二天，國王把史密斯送回家，有幾個印第安人護送他，讓他免遭傷害。
After that, as long as she lived, Pocahontas was the friend of the white men, and she did a great many things to help them.
此事以後，波卡洪塔斯一生都是白人的好朋友，幫助他們做了許多事。
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