LESSON 11 A mother's love
第十一课 母爱
A Mother's Love!—how sweet the name!
母爱！——多么甜蜜的称呼！
What is a Mother's Love?—
什么是母爱？——
A noble, pure, and tender flame,
仿佛一簇高贵，纯真，温柔的火焰
Enkindled from above,
在不断的向上燃烧
To bless a heart of earthly mould—
为俗世中不同的人的心加以祝福——

The warmest love that can grow cold;—
最温暖的爱可以融化冰雪——
This is a Mother's Love.
那是母爱。
To bring a helpless babe to light,
将无助的婴儿带向光明
Then, while it lies forlorn,
然后，当他们被抛弃了，
To gaze upon that dearest sight,
用最珍视的目光注视他们
And feel herself new-born;
会感觉到她自己得到新生；
In its existence lose her own,
在生活中迷失了自己，
And live and breathe in it alone;—
独自一人生活且呼吸着；——
This is a Mother's Love.
这是母爱。
In weakness in her arms to bear,
用她们柔弱的臂膀去承担，
To cherish on her breast,
用她的乳房抚育着，
Feed it from Love's own fountain there,
用那自己爱的源泉喂养着，
And lull it there to rest;
并且哄他入睡去休息；
Then while it slumbers watch its breath,
然后当他安眠时会看着他的呼吸；
As if to guard from instant death;—
就好像是警惕着死亡突然的降临
This is a Mother's Love.
这就是母爱
To mark its growth from day to day,
它留下的痕迹一天天的发展起来
Its opening charms admire,
它开始迷人的赞赏
Catch from its eye the earliest ray of intellectual fire;
从他眼里捕捉最早的关于智慧的火花
To smile and listen while it talks,
当它讲话时微笑着聆听
And lend a finger when it walks;—
在他学步时伸出一只手指；——
This is a Mother's Love.
这就是母爱。
And can a Mother's Love grow cold—
怎样母爱会变得冷淡——
Can she forget her boy?
她会忘记他的孩子吗？
His pleading innocence behold,
他的请求瞧上去是那么的天真无邪，
Nor weep for grief—for joy?
也不是为了悲伤而哭泣——是因为高兴吗？