LESSON 8 WORK 勞動

Eliza Cook (b.1817, d.1889) was born at London.In 1837 she commenced contributing to periodicals.In 1840 the f irst collection of her poems was made.In 1849 she became editor of “Eliza Cook’s Journal.”

1.Work, work, my boy, be not afraid;

Look labor boldly in the face;

Take up the hammer or the spade,

And blush not for your humble place.

2.There’s glory in the shuttle’s song;

There’s triumph in the anvil’s stroke;

There’s merit in the brave and strong

Who dig the mine or fell the oak.

3.The wind disturbs the sleeping lake,

And bids it ripple pure and fresh;

It moves the green boughs till they make

Grand music in their leafy mesh^[1].

4.And so the active breath of life

Should stir our dull and sluggard wills;

For are we not created rife^[2]

With health, that stagnant^[3] torpor^[4] kills?

5.I doubt if he who lolls^[5] his head

Where idleness and plenty meet,

Enjoys his pillow or his bread

As those who earn the meals they eat.

6.And man is never half so blest

As when the busy day is spent

So as to make his evening rest

A holiday of glad content.

【中文閱讀】

伊麗莎·庫克（1817—1889）出生于英國倫敦。1837年，開始投身雜志出版事業。1840年，她的第一本詩集問世。1849年，她開始編輯出版《伊麗莎·庫克》雜志。

1.干活，干活，我的孩子，不要害怕，

勇敢地面對勞動。

拿起你的錘子或鐵鏟，

不要為你卑微的地位而羞愧。

2.梭子來回歡唱的音樂中帶著榮光，

鐵砧反復敲擊的過程中述說著勝利，

那些挖煤的、砍樹的工人啊，

汗水中正蘊藏著勇敢和強健的價值。

3.微風拂過沉睡的湖面，

撩動一圈圈漾開的漣漪。

它吹醒嫩綠的芽蕾，直到

滿地綠意奏出一曲盛大的旋律。

4.這正是生活。那律動的氣息，

打破我們呆板、懶散的意志。

生活，是由我們健康的身體創造的，

而健康，就是呆滯和麻木的大敵。

5.我不相信，當懶散和富足相遇時，

會有人懶洋洋地垂頭猶豫；

我也不相信，當別人都在享受自力更生的樂趣時，

會有人躊躇于睡懶覺或發奮努力。

6.當一個人度過了忙碌的一天，

然后心滿意足地，如慶祝節日一樣，

舒舒服服地在晚上做個好夢——

這世上最幸福的事，莫過于此。

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【注釋】

[1] Mesh, network.

[2] Rife, abounding.

[3] Stagnant, inactive.

[4] Torpor, laziness, stupidity.

[5] Lolls, reclines, leans.