We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they were made or only just happened. Jim allowed they were made, but I allowed they happened. I judged it would have taken too long to make so many. Jim said the moon couldn’t laid them; well, that looked kind of reasonable, so I didn’t say nothing against it, because I’ve seen a frog lay most as many, so of course it could be done. We used to watch the stars that fell, too, and see them streak down. Jim allowed they’d got spoiled and was hove out of the nest.

我們頭頂就是天空，布滿了閃閃的星星。我們常常躺(在木筏上)，看著夜空中的星星，并且討論它們是造出來的還是偶然冒出來的。吉姆說他認為星星是造出來的，但我認為星星是偶然冒出來的。我想如果要造那么多星星，得花費相當長的時間。吉姆說月亮可以把它們生出來，而這個說法似乎很有道理，所以我就不再反駁他了，因為我曾見過青蛙一次下的仔兒，也差不多有這么多，所以月亮當然也能下出那么多的星星來。我們還常常看那些掉下來的星星，看著它們劃出一道亮光落下去。吉姆認為它們是變壞了，所以才被趕出了自己的窩。

選自《哈克貝里芬歷險記》

詞匯表達

Speckle vt.點綴

區別Speckle n.褐斑

Freckle n.雀斑 Ann’s face and back are covered with freckles.

Allow vt.允許;讓某人得到

You are not allowed to smoke here. 這里不許吸煙。

How much holiday are you allowed? 你有多少天假?

Reasonable adj.合理的;通情達理的

You are fortunate to have such a reasonable father. 你有這樣一位通情達理的父親，真是幸運。

Frog n.蛙

frog style蛙泳

Streak v.快速移動;閃現

On a clear night scores of meteors [’mi?ti?r] streak the sky. 在晴朗的夜晚, 好幾十顆流星劃破長空。

Spoil v.寵壞;溺愛;破壞

The child was spoilt by his grandfather. 這個孩子被他的爺爺寵壞了。