暗礁上的钟

类别：寓言

海盗恶作剧拆掉了暗礁上警示船只的钟，最终自己在浓雾中触礁沉没、自食其果。

时长 57 秒 · 语速 168 wpm

字幕原文

In the North Sea, 在北海，

there is a rock hidden just under the water. 有一块暗礁就藏在水面之下。

Many ships were wrecked on it. 很多船都在那里触过礁。

So a kind abbot, the head of a nearby church, 于是，附近教堂一位好心的修道院长，

fixed a bell to the rock. 在礁石上固定了一口钟。

When the waves moved, the bell rang, 海浪一拍打，钟声就会响起，

and sailors knew where the danger was. 水手们也就知道危险在哪儿了。

They blessed the abbot's name. 大家都很感激这位院长。

One calm day, a pirate called Ralph the Rover sailed past. 在一个风平浪静的日子，一个叫“流浪者”拉尔夫的海盗驾船经过。

"Let's play a joke on the old abbot," he said. 他说：“咱们来跟那个老院长开个玩笑吧。”

He rowed out and cut the bell loose. 他划船过去，割断绳子把钟弄掉了。

It sank with a soft bubbling sound. 伴着咕噜咕噜的气泡声，钟沉入了海底。

"The next ship that comes this way won't thank him," he laughed. 他大笑着说：“下一艘路过这儿的船可不会谢他了。”

Months later, Ralph was sailing home, rich from robbing other ships. 几个月后，拉尔夫打劫其他船只发了大财，正驾船往回赶。

That night, a thick fog came down. 那天夜里，海上起了大雾。

He couldn't see a thing. 他什么也看不清。

"We must be near the rock," he said. 他说：“我们肯定离那块礁石不远了。”

"I wish I could hear that bell." “要是现在能听见那口钟响就好了。”

A moment later, there was a terrible crash. 片刻之后，只听轰隆一声可怕的巨响。

As the water rushed in, Ralph finally understood his own joke. 海水猛灌了进来，拉尔夫这时才算真正懂了自己那个玩笑的代价。