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这时小男孩弯下腰，拉起左边的裤管，露出用以支撑双腿的金属支架。他抬头看看老板，轻声地说：“我自己也跑不快，这只小狗正好有个同病相怜的主人。”

Puppies for sale

A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign advertising the pups and set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the eyes of a little boy.“Mister," he said, "I want to buy one of your puppies." "Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck, "these puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money."

The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer."I’ve got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?" he said. "Sure," said the farmer.

Out from the doghouse ran a female dog followed by four little balls of fur.The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence.His eyes danced with delight.As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse.

Slowly another little ball appeared; this one noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up....

"I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to the smaller dog.The farmer knelt down at the boy’s side and said, "Son, you don’t want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would.

With that the little boy reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers.In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, "You see sir, I don’t run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands."

The world is full of people who need someone who understands.

参考译文

待售的小狗

一个农场主要出售几只小狗，他在院墙上贴了一张告示，在钉最后一根钉子时，有人拉他的裤子。他低头看，看到一个小男孩的双眼。“先生，”他说，“我想买一只小狗。”“好啊，”农场主说，一边擦擦颈上的汗珠，“这些小狗品种很好，值一大笔钱。”

男孩想了一会儿，点点头。然后使劲伸进口袋里，他拿出一把零钱，交给农场主。“我有39美分，可以看一下吗？”“可以，”农场主说。

一只母狗从狗棚里走出来，后面跟着四只毛茸茸的小狗。小男孩把脸靠近铁丝网栅栏来看。他的眼睛一亮，当这群小狗走进栅栏时，男孩看到够棚里还有什么东西在折腾。

慢慢地，另一只毛茸茸的小东西出现了，这只显然要小些。它滑下斜坡，笨拙地蹒跚走向其他小狗，费力地抓住...

“我就要这只，”男孩说，他指着最小的那个。农场主在男孩身边蹲下，说，“孩子，这只狗不必买，它一辈子不会像其他的小家伙那样跑了。”

这时小男孩弯下腰，拉起左边的裤管，露出用以支撑双腿的金属支架。他抬头看看老板，轻声地说：“我自己也跑不快，这只小狗正好有个同病相怜的主人。”

这个世界上，人人都需要可以理解自己的人。

词汇释义

1.Puppy n. 小狗，人，东西

We heard him playing with his puppy.
我们听到了他在玩着他的小狗。

2.nail[neil] vt. 钉，使牢固，抓住

We nailed up the windows of the old house.
我们把这座旧房子的窗户都钉死了。

3.overalls n. [美]工装裤，工作裤

The carpenter was wearing a pair of blue overalls.
那木匠穿着蓝色的工装裤。

4.ramp[ræmp] n. 暴怒，斜坡，坡道

Drive the car up the ramp.
把汽车开到斜坡。

5.hobble v. 蹒跚，跛行 n. 蹒跚

The old man hobbled along (the road) with the aid of his stick.
那老汉拄著拐杖一瘸一拐地走著。