(The Monthly Story.)
(每月故事。)

Saturday, 29th.
星期六，29日。

I will not be a cowardly soldier, no; but I should be much more willing to go to school if the master would tell us a story every day, like the one he told us this morning. —
我不会假装成为一个胆怯的士兵，但如果老师每天都像今天早上告诉我们的那个故事一样告诉我们一个故事，我会更愿意去上学。 —

“Every month,” said he, “I shall tell you one; —
“每个月，”他说，“我会告诉你们一个故事； —

I shall give it to you in writing, and it will always be the tale of a fine and noble deed performed by a[18] boy. —
我会以书面形式给你们，它总是一个关于一个男孩做出了出色和高尚行为的故事。 —

This one is called The Little Patriot of Padua. Here it is. —
这个故事叫做帕多瓦的小爱国者。就在这里。 —

A French steamer set out from Barcelona, a city in Spain, for Genoa; —
一艘法国的轮船从西班牙的巴塞罗那启航前往热那亚； —

there were on board Frenchmen, Italians, Spaniards, and Swiss. Among the rest was a lad of eleven, poorly clad, and alone, who always held himself aloof, like a wild animal, and stared at all with gloomy eyes. —
船上有法国人，意大利人，西班牙人和瑞士人。在其中有一个十一岁的男孩，穿着破旧，孤身一人，总是独来独往，就像一只野兽一样，用忧郁的眼睛盯着所有人。 —

He had good reasons for looking at every one with forbidding eyes. —
他有看着每个人都带着严肃眼神的充分理由。 —

Two years previous to this time his parents, peasants in the neighborhood of Padua, had sold him to a company of mountebanks, who, after they had taught him how to perform tricks, by dint of blows and kicks and starving, had carried him all over France and Spain, beating him continually and never giving him enough to eat. —
在此前两年的时间里，他的父母，是帕多瓦附近的农民，将他卖给了一群演艺团，他们教他表演把戏后，不惜降打骂，饿着他，在法国和西班牙各地游荡，不停地殴打他，从不给他足够的食物。 —

On his arrival in Barcelona, being no longer able to endure ill treatment and hunger, and being reduced to a pitiable condition, he had fled from his slave-master and had betaken himself for protection to the Italian consul, who, moved with compassion, had placed him on board of this steamer, and had given him a letter to the treasurer of Genoa, who was to send the boy back to his parents—to the parents who had sold him like a beast. —
他在抵达巴塞罗那时，再也无法忍受虐待和饥饿，身体状况岌岌可危，于是逃脱了奴隶主，寻求保护，找到了意大利领事，领事被他的悲情所感动，将他送上了这艘轮船，并给了一封信给热那亚的财务官，要求他送这个男孩回到他那些像畜生一样把他卖掉的父母那里。 —

The poor lad was lacerated and weak. He had been assigned to the second-class cabin. —
这个可怜的少年身心受伤，虚弱无力，被分配到了二等舱。 —

Every one stared at him; some questioned him, but he made no reply, and seemed to hate and despise every one, to such an extent had privation and affliction saddened and irritated him. —
每个人都盯着他看；有些人询问他，但他不回答，似乎憎恨并鄙视每一个人，饥饿和痛苦使他感到悲伤和愤怒。 —

Nevertheless, three travellers, by dint of persisting in their questions, succeeded in making him unloose his tongue; —
然而，三个旅行者通过坚持询问成功地让他开了口； —

and in a few rough words, a mixture of Venetian, French, and Spanish, he related his story. —
他用几句粗鲁的话，混合着威尼斯语，法语和西班牙语，讲述了他的故事。 —

These three travellers were not Italians, but they understood him; —
这三个旅行者并不是意大利人，但他们能听懂他； —

and partly out of compassion, partly because they were excited[19] with wine, they gave him soldi, jesting with him and urging him on to tell them other things; —
他们有些醉意，一部分是出于同情，一部分是出于兴奋，给了他几个小钱，跟他开玩笑，督促他继续讲其他事情； —

and as several ladies entered the saloon at the moment, they gave him some more money for the purpose of making a show, and cried: —
同时，几位女士进入大厅，在这时给了他更多钱，目的是为了炫耀，大声说道： —

‘Take this! Take this, too!’ as they made the money rattle on the table.
“拿着这个！再拿这个!”当他们让钱在桌子上发出叮当声的时候。

“The boy pocketed it all, thanking them in a low voice, with his surly mien, but with a look that was for the first time smiling and affectionate. —
男孩把所有的钱都装进口袋，用低声感谢他们，脸上依旧板着，但眼神却第一次是笑容和亲切的。 —

Then he climbed into his berth, drew the curtain, and lay quiet, thinking over his affairs. —
然后他爬上铺位，拉上帘子，静静躺着，思考着自己的事情。 —

With this money he would be able to purchase some good food on board, after having suffered for lack of bread for two years; —
有这笔钱，他终于可以在船上买到一些好吃的食物了，两年来由于缺乏面包而受苦。 —

he could buy a jacket as soon as he landed in Genoa, after having gone about clad in rags for two years; —
他一落地热那亚就能买一件夹克，这样他在穿着破烂衣服两年后终于有了新衣服。 —

and he could also, by carrying it home, insure for himself from his father and mother a more humane reception than would have fallen to his lot if he had arrived with empty pockets. —
而且带回家这个夹克，也能保证他从父母那里得到比带空口袋来时更人道的招待。 —

This money was a little fortune for him; —
对他来说，这笔钱是一笔小财富； —

and he was taking comfort out of this thought behind the curtain of his berth, while the three travellers chatted away, as they sat round the dining-table in the second-class saloon. —
他在自己的卧铺后面的窗帘后面想着这一点，而另外三个旅行者则在二等舱餐厅的餐桌旁边聊天。 —

They were drinking and discussing their travels and the countries which they had seen; —
他们在喝酒，讨论他们的旅行和所见过的国家； —

and from one topic to another they began to discuss Italy. One of them began to complain of the inns, another of the railways, and then, growing warmer, they all began to speak evil of everything. —
从一个话题到另一个话题，他们开始讨论意大利。其中一个开始抱怨旅馆，另一个抱怨铁路，然后，变得越发激烈，他们开始对一切恶言相向。 —

One would have preferred a trip in Lapland; —
有人更喜欢在拉普兰旅行； —

another declared that he had found nothing but swindlers and brigands in Italy; —
另一个宣称他在意大利只遇到骗子和土匪； —

the third said that Italian officials do not know how to read.
第三个说意大利官员不懂得阅读。

“‘It’s an ignorant nation,’ repeated the first. ‘A filthy nation,’ added the second. —
第一个再次重复道：“这是一个无知的民族。”第二个补充说：“肮脏的民族。” —

‘Ro—’ exclaimed[20] the third, meaning to say ‘robbers’; —
第三个突然喊出：“土——”意图说“土匪”； —

but he was not allowed to finish the word: —
但他还没来得及说完这个词： —

a tempest of soldi and half-lire descended upon their heads and shoulders, and leaped upon the table and the floor with a demoniacal noise. —
一阵银币和铜板的暴风雨突然袭击了他们的头和肩膀，跳到桌子和地板上，发出一阵恶魔般的声音。 —

All three sprang up in a rage, looked up, and received another handful of coppers in their faces.
三人愤怒地跳起来，抬头看去，又被另一把赛铜币扔到了脸上。

“‘Take back your soldi!’ said the lad, disdainfully, thrusting his head between the curtains of his berth; —
“把你们的硬币拿回去！”男孩不屑地伸着头从铺位的窗帘间挤了进去； —

‘I do not accept alms from those who insult my country.’”
“我不接受那些侮辱我的国家的人的施舍。”