中英文本

Two An All-Weather Friend
第二课 患难之交
A great many women would never have lasted as long as Sarath Wilding did.
许多女人都不会像萨拉怀尔丁那样那么有耐力。
She had been widowed twice, left at the altar once, and even abandoned in a crowd of aborigines.
她两次守寡，一次在教堂婚礼上被遗弃，甚至被抛弃在一帮土著居民当中。
Now she lives alone on the north end of a barren island in Ireland.
现在她独自一人生活在爱尔兰一座黄岛的最北边。
And perhaps it was because she was no longer waiting for a knight in shining armor that she truly had a heart of gold.
也许是因为她不在等待一个像中世纪骑士般彬彬有礼的男子的出现，她才真的有了一颗金子般的心。
she was a far cry from the women in town, but only one child knew this.
她和城里的女人有很大的差别，但只有一个孩子知道这一点。
That was Emily, the daughter of Mrs. Wilding's maid.
那就是艾米丽，怀尔丁夫人佣人的女儿。

Emily had spent a good deal of time at the home on the island before she first met Mrs. Wilding.
首次见到怀尔丁夫人之前，艾米丽在岛上的家中已经生活了很长一段时间。
She kept to herself mostly and even Emily's mother had only really talked to her a handful of times.
她一般不与人交往，就连艾米丽的母亲也只和她说过很少几次话。
There was a heap of tales about Mrs. Wilding.
关于怀尔丁夫人的传说有一大堆。
So when Emily first met her, she was a bit scared.
因此当艾米丽第一次见到她的时候，她是有点害怕的。
When a gust of wind blew Mrs. Wilding's dress Emily even screamed.
一阵狂风吹起了怀尔丁夫人的裙子。艾米丽尖叫了起来。
The wind made Mrs. Wilding look like a terrible witch.
因为那阵风使怀尔丁夫人看起来像个可怕的巫婆。
"Aye now, come there lass.
“好了，小姑娘，到这边来。
You know there isn't a grain of truth to the tales they tell about me in town!" said Mrs.Wilding as she comforted Emily.
你知道城里那些关于我的传闻没有一点可信的东西！”怀尔丁夫人安慰艾米丽说。
"But I can tell you a host of stories about them that are true!"
“但我可以告诉你许多关于他们的真实故事！”
And with that, Emily was won over.
听到这话艾米丽被怀尔丁夫人说服了。
Her fit of fear passed and Mrs. Wilding became like a grandmother to her.
她心中的阵阵恐惧也消失了。
Soon she spent many hours with Mrs.Wilding.
很快他就和怀尔丁夫人呆了好几个小时。
Minutes became like drops in the ocean, as their relationship grew deeper and deeper.
随着她们的关系越来越深，分秒的时间成了沧海一粟。
When Emily was older and Mrs. Wilding became sick, Emily returend to take care of Mrs. Wilding.
当艾米丽长大成人，怀尔丁夫人生病之后，艾米丽回来照顾起了怀尔丁夫人。
"Ah, so you aren't a fair-weather friend then!" said Mrs. Wilding when Emily returned.
“啊，这么说你不是个酒肉朋友咯！”艾米丽回来时怀尔丁夫人说。
"No ma'am. I'm an all weather friend!"
“不是，夫人，我是一个患难之交！”

重点讲解

1.a crowd of 许多；一大群

例句:The heathen temple was torn down by a crowd of religions fanatics.
异教徒的神殿被一群宗教狂热分子拆除了。

2.a fit of 突发一阵，阵发

例句:She went off in a fit of pique.
她一赌气就走了。

3.a great deal of 许多，大量

例句:A great deal of whiskey is made in Scotland.
很多威士忌酒在苏格兰酿造。

4.a great many 许多

例句:You might find a great many helpful suggestions.
你会得到许多有益的启迪。

5.a handful of 一把；少数，少量

例句:They constitute but a handful of the number.
他们只不过是其中的一小撮。

6.a heap of 一大堆

例句:The tower collapsed in a heap of ruin.
这座塔倒塌了, 成为一堆废墟。