One morning when I arrived in the sittingroom as usual for my lesson，I saw that Mr Murd stone had a thin stick in his hand. I could not take my eyes off it.
一天早上，我像往常一样来到客厅学功课，看见摩德斯通先生手上拿着一根细木棍，我的眼睛直钩钩地盯着它不放。
"You must be very careful today, David," he said with his unpleasant smile, holding the stick in both hands. I knew what would happen then. A terrible fear took hold of me, and all that I had learnt disappeared immediately from my memory, so that I could not answer any of my mother's questions. Mr Murdstone got up from his chair.
“你今天要非常小心，大卫，”他冷笑道，双手握着那根木棍。我知道接下来要发生什么。一阵强烈的恐惧占据了我的心头，把我所学会的东西从我的记忆中一扫而光，以致于母亲问我的问题我一个都回答不上来。摩德斯通先生从座位上站起来。
"Well David，"he said heavily, "I think you've worried your mother enough today. We'll go upstairs, boy. Come，"and he picked up the stick. I heard my mother crying as we went upstairs. "Please，Mr Murdstone!"I cried. "Don't beat me!I've tried to learn，really I have, sir!"
“好了，大卫，”他严厉地说，“我想你今天够难为你母亲的了，我们上楼吧，孩子，来吧。”他拿起木棍。我们俩上楼时我听见母亲在哭泣。“求您了，摩德斯通先生！”我哭道，“别打我！学习我尽了努力，我真的尽了努力，先生！”