經典雙語美文推薦：祖父的蜜蜂

A long time before I was born, my Grandma and grandpa moved into the house on Beechwood Avenue. They had a young family-of 4 little girls .The little girls Slept in the attic in a big feather bed.It was cold there on winter night. Grandma put hot bricks underd the covers at the foot of the bed to keep the little girls warm.

早在我出生以前,奶奶和爺爺搬到碧奇烏大道住。他們膝下養有四個小女兒。女孩們睡在閣樓的一張大羽毛床上。那裡冬夜酷寒。奶奶得在床腳下墊熱磚給女兒們取暖。

During the Great Depression,work was Hard to find,so Grandpa did whatever jobs he could.He dug ditches during the week and on Weekend he and Grandma dug a garden to grow some of their own food.

大蕭條時期,工作很難找,爺爺什麼苦工都做。在平時他挖溝渠,周末和奶奶在花園裡挖挖鋤鋤,種點自己的糧食。

The house on Beechwood Avenue had a big Front yard with shade trees and fruite trees.In the middle of the yard was a water pump where the four little girls pumped water for cooking ,cleaning and watering the garden.On one side of the yard,Grandma and Grandpa planted tomatoes,beans,squash,cucumbers,peppers and strawberries to feed their growing family. They planted Roses geraniums lilacs and irises on the other Side of the yard,around the statue of the Blessed Mother.

碧奇烏大道的房子有個大前院,院子裡種著濃蔭遮蔽的大樹和果樹。院中央的是個水泵,小女孩們就在這裡泵水用來做飯、打掃衛生、灌溉花園。奶奶和爺爺在院子的一邊種上番茄、豆子、南瓜、黃瓜、辣椒和草莓,供應這個大家庭的吃用。在另一邊,他們圍著聖母的雕像種了玫瑰、天笠葵、丁香和蝴蝶花。

Eveqbody worked to keep the garden growing.All summer long,the family ate food from the garden and enjoyed the beautiful flowers.Grandma put up strawberry jam,tomatoes,beans,peppers,pears and peaches in canning jam.They were good to eat through the long winter.

人人都辛勤地耕種花園,使它曰漸豐實。整個夏天,我們一家人吃著花園種出的食物,欣賞著花園裡的美麗花朵。奶奶還把做好的草莓醬、番茄、豆子、辣椒、梨子和桃子裝進罐子裡,使它們的美味能保持一整個漫長的冬天。

The family grew up,and before too many years had passed,the grandchildren came to visit. Grandma and Grandpa still planted their garden every spring.Everyone still enjoyed the good food from the garden and always took some home.

多年過去,孩子們長大,孫子孫女們也來到了世上。奶奶和爺爺仍然每年春天都耕種花園。人人都能分享花園種出的好東西,也總能帶上一些回家裡。 　

Grandchilden grow up,and grandparents grow older.It became harder for Grandma and Grandpa to keep up the garden. So they made it a little smaller.There was still plenty to eat from the garden and lovely flowers to enjoy.

孫子孫女們長大了,爺爺、奶奶年邁古稀。維護花園花去他們更多的精力,所以他們縮小了些花園的面積。但裡面種出來的食物還足夠吃,花朵也還招人喜愛。

Then one sunmmer when Grandpa was eighty-nine years old,all he could do was watch from his lawn chair as the vegetables grew and the roses bloomed.Summer slowly faded,and Grandpa died before it was time to bring in the harvest.

等到爺爺八十九歲的那個夏天,他只能坐在草地的椅子上,看蔬菜長大,玫瑰開花。夏曰漸漸消逝,爺爺在豐收前就去世了。

It was a lonely Winter for Grandma. She sat near the window,looking out at the yard and wondering if she could plant the garden in the spring.It would be hard to care for it by herself. When spring came,she planted only a little garden.

對奶奶來說,這是個寂寞的冬天。她坐在窗邊,望著外邊的院子,考慮著來年春天還要不要耕種花園。只靠她自己來打理太難了些。當春天來到時,她只稍微種了一點。 　　

One sunny day in the early summer, Grandma heard a commotion in the front yard and looked out the window to see a frightening sight a gigantic swarm of bees filled the air between two tall trees. There was thousands of bees in the air,so many that the swarm reached the tree-tops!The buzzingsound was tremendous.Grandma watched as the bees made their way into a hole up in one of the trees.Before long,everyone of those bees had disappeard into its new home.

初夏的一天,陽光燦爛,奶奶聽到前院傳來一陣騷動聲,她看出窗外,看到可怕的一幕。兩棵大樹上滿滿綴著大團大團的蜜蜂。空中還飛舞著成千上萬隻,多不勝數的蜂群一直排到樹梢上!嗡嗡聲不絕於耳。奶奶看見這些蜜蜂先後鑽進一棵樹上高高的樹洞中。很快,所有的蜜蜂都搬進新家,消失了。

Grandma wondered what in the world she Could do.Should she hair someone to get rid of bees?That would cost more than she could afford.She decided to wait and think it over.

奶奶不禁發愁起來。她是否該請人清走這些蜜蜂呢?但是她根本支付不起費用。於是她決定等一等,再想想辦法。

During the next few days,the bees were busy mading their own business.Grandma could always see a few bees buzzing in and out around the opening high in the tree.Before long,she decided the bees won’t bother anyone,so she went about her business and didn't give them any other thought.

隨後幾天,蜜蜂忙碌個不停。奶奶總能看到有一些蜂兒從高高的樹洞裡嗡嗡地飛進飛出。不久,她看出蜜蜂並無妨礙,於是自顧自地幹活,不再理會它們。

That summer,Grandma's little garden grew and grew.The neighborns would stop to admire the huge crop of vegetables and puzzle over their own gardens weren't doing well.No matter,because Grandma had enough give some away.Of course,everyone who came to visit was treated to a meal of good things from the garden.

那年夏天,奶奶的小花園碩果纍纍。鄰居們都駐足羨慕裡面生長豐盛的蔬菜,納罕怎么自己花園的長勢就沒有這么喜人。沒關係,因為奶奶有好多可以送人。登門來訪的人當然都有花園裡的美昧來招待。

One day,Grandma's brother Frank visited from Arizona.As Granndma made Frank a delicious lunch of squash pan cakes and home made apple sauce,she told him the story about the swam of bees.

一天,奶奶的弟弟法蘭克從亞利桑那州前來拜訪。奶奶給他做了一頓香噴噴的午飯,有南瓜餅,有自製的蘋果醬,她還把蜜蜂的故事告訴了法蘭克。

Frank said，"in Arizona, the famers often hired beekeepers to set up beehives near their fields.The bees pollinated the crops and helped them to grow."

法蘭克說:"在亞利桑那,農夫們常常僱請養蜂人在農田附近搭蜂箱。蜜蜂授粉有助於莊稼成長。"

That was when Grandma realized that her bees had helped with her garden all summer..

奶奶才意識到,原來是這些蜜蜂在夏季助成了花園的豐收。

"So that's why my little garden had such a big crop!"she exclaimed.

"所以我的小花園才有了大豐收!"她大聲地說道。

From that Time on,Grandma always believed that since Grandpa couldn't be there to help her that summer,he had sent the bees to take his place and make Grandma's little garden grow and grow… 

從那時開始,奶奶便相信是因為爺爺那年夏天沒能親自幫她,才派了蜜蜂到這裡,讓奶奶的小花園欣欣向榮。