LESSON 19 HOW TO TELL BAD NEWS 如何傳達噩耗

Mr.H.and the Steward.

Mr.H.Ha! Steward, how are you, my old boy? How do things go on at home?

Steward.Bad enough, your honor; the magpie’s dead.

H.Poor Mag! So he’s gone.How came he to die?

S.Overeat himself, sir.

H.Did he? A greedy dog; why, what did he get he liked so well?

S.Horsefl esh, sir; he died of eating horsefl esh.

H.How came he to get so much horsefl esh?

S.All your father’s horses, sir.

H.What! are they dead, too?

S.Ay, sir; they died of overwork.

H.And why were they overworked, pray?

S.To carry water, sir.

H.To carry water! and what were they carrying water for?

S.Sure, sir, to put out the fi re.

H.Fire! what fi re?

S.O, sir, your father’s house is burned to the ground.

H.My father’s house burned down! and how came it set on fi re?

S.I think, sir, it must have been the torches.

H.Torches! what torches?

S.At your mother’s funeral.

H.My mother dead!

S.Ah, poor lady! she never looked up, after it.

H.After what?

S.The loss of your father.

H.My father gone, too?

S.Yes, poor gentleman! he took to his bed as soon as he heard of it.

H.Heard of what?

S.The bad news, sir, and please your honor.

H.What! more miseries! more bad news!

S.Yes, sir; your bank has failed, and your credit is lost, and you are not worth a shilling in the world.I made bold, sir, to wait on you about it, for I thought you would like to hear the news.

【中文閱讀】

（H先生與管家）

H先生：哈！我的管家，老伙計，最近好嗎？家里一切都還好嗎？

管家：太糟糕了，我尊貴的主人，家里那只叫麥格的狗死了。

H先生：可憐的麥格，它死了！它怎么死的？

管家：它吃撐了，先生。

H先生：吃撐了？這條貪吃的狗。究竟怎么回事，它到底吃了什么？

管家：馬肉，先生。它吃了太多的馬肉。

H先生：馬肉？哪來這么多馬肉？

管家：全是您父親的馬，先生。

H先生：什么！我父親的馬全死了？

管家：是的，先生，那些馬是干活累死的。

H先生：它們為什么干那么多活兒？快說呀！

管家：它們要運水，先生。

H先生：運水？它們為什么要運水？

管家：先生，因為失火了。

H先生：失火！哪兒失火了？

管家：唉，先生，您父親的房子被燒毀了。

H先生：我父親的房子燒毀了！可它怎么會著火呢？

管家：先生，我想一定是那些火把引起了火災。

H先生：火把！什么火把？

管家：您母親葬禮上的火把。

H先生：我的母親去世了！

管家：唉，可憐的夫人，自從那件事發生以后，她就悲傷得抬不起頭來。

H先生：從哪件事發生后？

管家：您父親去世后。

H先生：天哪，我的父親也去世了？

管家：是的，可憐的先生。自從他聽說那個消息以后，他再沒能從他的床上起來。

H先生：究竟聽到了什么消息？

管家：噩耗，先生，請您節哀。

H先生：我的天哪！還有更多的壞消息？比這更嚴重的噩耗？

管家：是的，先生。您的銀行破產了，您的信用被清空了，您現在已經身無分文了。先生，我冒昧等您回來，就是為了告訴您這些，我想您需要有人告訴您這些壞消息的。