美国语文

出版时间：2012-1  出版社：天津社会科学院出版社  作者：威廉·H·麦加菲  页数：358  

内容概要

　　《美国语文4(英汉双语全译版)》从19世纪中期至20世纪中叶，一直被广泛用作美国学校的语文教材，据称有10000多所美国学校拿它当作教材。到了21世纪，西方一些私立学校（Private
School)和家庭学校（Homeschool）仍用它作为教材，足见这套书的价值与影响力。据估计，这套书从问世至1960年，至少发行了1.22亿册；1961年后，在西方每年销量仍达30000册以上。应该说，没有哪一套个人主编的教材能超过此发行量了！此套读本的英文原版共分七级，包括启蒙读本和第1-6级。考虑到启蒙读本与第一级篇幅都较少，难易程度也很接近，于是我们将之合并为第1册，其余2-6级与英文原版相同。这样国内出版的这套读本共包括6册。第1册从字母表开始，主要侧重于字母的发音与书写、简单的单词与句型，同时强调英文书写，课文后面附有不少书法练习，让孩子们不仅将英语说得像外国人，而且写得也跟外文书法一样，这是国内英语教学所缺少的一个环节。从第2册开始，均是比较正式的课文，每一课包括词汇和课文，对一些生词有英文解释，让学生学会通过简单英文理解生词，养成用英语理解和思维的习惯。第5册和第6册的课文前增加了作者简介与相关背景知识，内容丰富而有一定深度。此套书为在原版本基础上重新修订精装版，后两册字号较之前有所放大，并且修正了原有的错误之处，以方便学生阅读。

作者简介

　　威廉?H?麦加菲，美国著名教育家。1800年出生于宾夕法尼亚州，1826年毕业于华盛顿大学杰斐逊学院。在数十年教育生涯中，他曾担任过迈阿密大学语言学教授，俄亥俄大学校长。自1845年开始任弗吉尼亚大学道德哲学教授。他还帮助组建了俄亥俄州公立学校体系。
　　早在19世纪初期，麦加菲就意识到，应该给那些孤独的垦荒者和欧洲移民的后代提供普遍的教育，于是他利用自己作为演讲家与教育工作者的天赋，开始为孩子们编写系列教材。这套教材共7册，从学龄前至第6年级。他前后花费了20多年的时间才完成全套教材的编写。这套教材面世后就被美国很多学校选为课本。在75年间销量高达1.22亿，直到今天仍以各种版本流行于西方，被美国《出版周刊》评为“人类出版史上第三大畅销书”，对美国青年的心灵塑造与道德培养产生了史无前例的影响。

书籍目录

LESSON 1 PERSEVERANCE 坚持不懈
LESSON 2 TRY， TRY AGAIN 试一次，再试一次
LESSON 3 WHY THE SEA IS SALT 海水为什么是咸的
LESSON 4 WHY THE SEA IS SALT（CONCLUDED） 海水为什么是咸的（结束篇）
LESSON 5 POPPING CORN 爆米花
LESSON 6 SMILES 微 笑
LESSON 7 LAZY NED 懒人奈德
LESSON 8 THE MONKEY 猴 子
LESSON 9 MEDDLESOME MATTY 爱捣乱的玛蒂
LESSON 10 THE GOOD SON 好孩子
LESSON 11 TOMORROW 明 天
LESSON 12 WHERE THERE IS A WILL THERE IS A WAY 有志者事竟成
LESSON 13 PICCOLA 皮克拉
LESSON 14 TRUE MANLINESS 真正的男子汉
LESSON 15 TRUE MANLINESS（CONCLUDED） 真正的男子汉（结束篇）
LESSON 16 THE BROWN THRUSH 棕色画眉鸟
LESSON 17 A SHIP IN A STORM 暴风雨中的船
LESSON 18 THE SAILOR'S CONSOLATION 水手的慰藉
LESSON 19 TWO WAYS OF TELLING A STORY 两种方式讲述同一个故事
LESSON 20 FREAKS OF THE FROST 霜之奇想
LESSON 21 WASTE NOT， WANT NOT 不浪费，不愁缺
LESSON 22 JEANNETTE AND JO 珍妮特和乔
LESSON 23 THE LION 狮 子
LESSON 24 STRAWBERRIES 草 莓
LESSON 25 HARRY'S RICHES 哈里的财富
LESSON 26 IN TIME'S SWING 在时间的秋千上
LESSON 27 HARRY AND HIS DOG 哈利与他的狗
LESSON 28 THE VOICE OF THE GRASS 小草之声
LESSON 29 THE EAGLE 鹰
LESSON 30 THE OLD EAGLE TREE 老鹰树
LESSON 31 ALPINE SONG 阿尔卑斯之歌
LESSON 32 CIRCUMSTANCES ALTER CASES 环境不同，处理各异
LESSON 33 THE NOBLEST REVENGE 最高尚的复仇
LESSON 34 EVENING HYMN 夜晚圣歌
LESSON 35 HOW MARGERY WONDERED 好奇的玛芝莉
LESSON 36 THE CHILD'S WORLD 孩子的世界
LESSON 37 SUSIE'S COMPOSITION 苏西的作文
LESSON 38 THE SUMMER SHOWER 夏季的雨
LESSON 39 CONSEQUENCES OF IDLENESS 懒惰的后果
LESSON 40 ADVANTAGES OF INDUSTRY 勤奋的益处
LESSON 41 THE FOUNTAIN 喷 泉
LESSON 42 COFFEE 咖 啡
LESSON 43 THE WINTER KING 冬天之王
LESSON 44 THE NETTLE 荨 麻
LESSON 45 THE TEMPEST 暴风雨
LESSON 46 THE CREATOR 造物主
LESSON 47 THE HORSE 马
LESSON 48 EMULATION 竞 争
LESSON 49 THE SANDPIPER 矶 鹞
LESSON 50 THE RIGHT WAY 正确的方式
LESSON 51 THE GOLDEN RULE 黄金法则
LESSON 52 THE SNOW MAN 雪 人
LESSON 53 ROBINSON CRUSOE'S HOUSE 鲁滨逊?克鲁索的住所
LESSON 54 ROBINSON CRUSOE'S DRESS 鲁滨逊?克鲁索的衣服
LESSON 55 SOMEBODY'S DARLING 谁的亲人沉睡在这里
LESSON 56 KNOWLEDGE IS POWER 知识的力量
LESSON 57 GOOD WILL 善 意
LESSON 58 A CHINESE STORY 中国故事一则
LESSON 59 THE WAY TO BE HAPPY 幸福之道
LESSON 60 THE GIRAFFE 长颈鹿
LESSON 61 THE LOST CHILD 失踪的孩子
LESSON 62 WHICH？ 把哪个送人
LESSON 63 THE PET FAWN 小宠物鹿
LESSON 64 ANNIE'S DREAM 安妮的梦
LESSON 65 MY GHOST 我见到的鬼
LESSON 66 THE ELEPHANT 大 象
LESSON 67 DARE TO DO RIGHT 道德勇气
LESSON 68 DARE TO DO RIGHT（CONCLUDED） 道德勇气（结束篇）
LESSON 69 THE WRECK OF THE HESPERUS 赫斯珀洛斯号的残骸
LESSON 70 ANECDOTES OF BIRDS 鸟类趣闻
LESSON 71 THE RAINBOW PILGRIMAGE 彩虹之旅
LESSON 72 THE OLD OAKEN BUCKET 旧橡木桶
LESSON 73 THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT 登山宝训
LESSON 74 THE YOUNG WITNESS 小证人
LESSON 75 KING SOLOMON AND THE ANTS 所罗门王和蚂蚁
LESSON 76 RIVERMOUTH THEATER 河口剧场
LESSON 77 ALFRED THE GREAT 阿尔弗雷德大帝
LESSON 78 LIVING ON A FARM 农场生活
LESSON 79 HUGH IDLE AND MR. TOIL 休?伊德和特劳先生
LESSON 80 HUGH IDLE AND MR. TOIL（CONCLUDED） 休?伊德和特劳先生（结束篇）
LESSON 81 BURNING THE FALLOW 火 警
LESSON 82 THE DYING SOLDIERS 垂死的士兵
LESSON 83 THE ATTACK ON NYMWEGEN 袭击纳梅亨
LESSON 84 THE SEASONS 四 季
LESSON 85 BRANDYWINE FORD 白兰地酒河浅滩
LESSON 86 BRANDYWINE FORD（CNCLUDED） 白兰地酒河浅滩（结束篇）
LESSON 87 THE BEST CAPITAL 最好的资本
LESSON 88 THE INCHCAPE ROCK 印奇开普暗礁
LESSON 89 MY MOTHER'S GRAVE 母亲的坟墓
LESSON 90 A MOTHER'S GIFT-THE BIBLE 母亲的礼物——《圣经》

章节摘录

　　LESSON 1 PERSEVERANCE　　坚持不懈　　1. “Will you give my kite a lift？” said my little nephew to his sister， after trying in vain to make it fly by dragging it along the ground. Lucy very kindly took it up and threw it into the air， but， her brother neglecting to run off at the same moment， the kite fell down again.　　2. “Ah！ now， how awkward you are！” said the little fellow. “It was your fault entirely，” answered his sister. “Try again， children，” said I.　　3. Lucy once more took up the kite. But now John was in too great a hurry； he ran off so suddenly that he twitched the kite out of her hand， and it fell fl at as before. “Well， who is to blame now？” asked Lucy. “Try again，” said I.　　4. They did， and with more care； but a side wind coming suddenly， as Lucy let go the kite， it was blown against some shrubs， and the tail became entangled1 in a moment， leaving the poor kite hanging with its head downward.　　5. “There， there！” exclaimed John， “that comes of your throwing it all to one side.” “As if I could make the wind blow straight，” said Lucy. In the meantime， I went to the kite's assistance2； and having disengaged3 the long tail， I rolled it up， saying， “Come， children， there are too many trees here； let us find a more open space， and then try again.”　　6. We presently found a nice grassplot4， at one side of which I took my stand； and all things being prepared， I tossed the kite up just as little John ran off. It rose with all the dignity5 of a balloon， and promised a lofty flight； but John， delighted to find it pulling so hard at the string， stopped short to look upward and admire. The string slackened， the kite wavered， and， the wind not being very favorable， down came the kite to the grass. “O John， you should not have stopped，” said I. “However， try again.”　　7. “I won't try any more，” replied he， rather sullenly. “It is of no use， you see. The kite won't fl y， and I don't want to be plagued with it any longer.” “Oh， fie， my little man！ would you give up the sport， after all the pains we have taken both to make and to fl y the kite？ A few disappointments6 ought not to discourage7 us. Come， I have wound up your string， and now try again.”　　8. And he did try， and succeeded， for the kite was carried upward on the breeze as lightly as a feather； and when the string was all out， John stood in great delight， holding fast the stick and gazing on the kite， which now seemed like a little white speck in the blue sky. “Look， look， aunt， how high it fl ies！ and it pulls like a team of horses， so that I can hardly hold it. I wish I had a mile of string： I am sure it would go to the end of it.”　　9. After enjoying the sight as long as he pleased， little John proceeded to roll up the string slowly； and when the kite fell， he took it up with great glee8， saying that it was not at all hurt， and that it had behaved very well. “Shall we come out to-morrow， aunt， after lessons， and try again？”　　10. “I have no objection， my dear， if the weather is fine. And now， as we walk home， tell me what you have learned from your morning's sport.” “I have learned to fl y my kite properly.” “You may thank aunt for it， brother，” said Lucy， “for you would have given it up long ago， if she had not persuaded you to try again.”　　11. “Yes， dear children， I wish to teach you the value of perseverance，1 even when nothing more depends upon it than the flying of a kite. Whenever you fail in your attempts to do any good thing， let your motto2 be，-try again.”　　EXERCISES.-What is the subject of this lesson？ Why was John discouraged in his attempts to fly his kite？ What did his aunt say to him？ What may we learn from this？ What should be our motto if we expect to be successful？　　【中文阅读】　　1.“ 能不能给我的风筝助个力？”我的小侄子对他妹妹说。之前他在地上拖着风筝，试着让它飞起来，但是失败了。他的妹妹露西热心地举起风筝，将它抛向空中，可是哥哥没有在同时起跑，于是风筝又摔了下来。　　2.“ 唉呀！你怎么这么笨手笨脚的！”小家伙说。“这全都是你的错。”他妹妹反驳道。我说：“孩子们，再试一次。”　　3. 露西再一次把风筝拿了起来。但这回约翰太心急了，他起跑得过于突然，把露西拿着的风筝扯得脱了手，结果像之前一样以失败告终。“现在是谁的错了？”露西问道。“再试试。”我说。　　4. 他们又试了一次，这次更加小心了。但忽然从侧面来了一阵大风，当露 西松手放飞风筝的时候，它被吹到了一片灌木丛中，尾部一时间缠绕在了一起，可怜的风筝就头向下挂在了树丛中。　　5.“ 看吧，看吧！”约翰叫道，“这就是你把它抛向一边的结果。”“好像我能让风直着吹似的。” 露西说。与此同时，我过去帮忙捡风筝。解开了风筝的长尾巴，我一边把它收起来一边说：“来吧，孩子们，这里树丛太多，我们去找个更开阔的地方，然后再试一次吧。”　　6. 不一会儿，我们找到了一片非常不错的草地，我在草地一边站定。一切都准备就绪，我将风筝高高地向上抛起，约翰开始起跑。风筝像气球一样稳稳地飞了起来，似乎有希望可以飞得很高。但是当约翰发现它在用力地扯动风筝 线时，他大喜过望，顿时停下脚步抬头欣赏起来。线一松，风筝开始摇摆，加 上风势不太理想，它一下子掉在了草地上。“噢，约翰，刚才你不应该停下，” 我说道，“不管怎么说，再来一次吧。”　　7.“ 我不想再试了”，他回答道，“你看到了，这根本没用。风筝飞不起来，我可再也不想让它折磨我了。”“得了，我的小男子汉！之前我们费了那么大劲 做风筝、放风筝，难道你想放弃了？我们不应该被一点小小的挫折弄得灰心丧 气。来吧，我给你绕好风筝线，现在再来试一次。”　　8. 他的确又试了一次，这一次成功了，风筝像一片羽毛一样轻盈地被风吹着飞上了天空。当线都用完了，约翰站在那儿兴高采烈地凝望着风筝，手里紧紧攥着风筝杆。这时，风筝在蔚蓝的天空下看上去就像一张小小的白纸片。“姨妈，快看，快看，它飞得多高啊！感觉像有一群马在拉绳子，我都快 拽不住了。我多希望绳子有一英里那么长啊，我相信既使那么长，我的风筝 也能飞到头。”　　9. 直到他欣赏够了，小约翰才开始慢慢地收回风筝线。风筝一落地，他就满心欢喜地捡了起来，说它毫发未损，刚才的表现棒极了。“姨妈，我们明天下 课后还可以出来玩儿吗？还可以再来一次吗？”　　10.“亲爱的，只要天气好，我没有任何意见。现在我们回家。边走边告诉我，你从上午的户外活动中学到些什么。”“我学会了用正确的方法放风 筝。”“弟弟，你可得感谢姨妈，”露西说道，“要不是姨妈一再劝你再试一次，你肯定早就放弃了。”　　11.“没错，孩子们，尽管还有很多事比放风筝更需要坚持不懈的精神，但我希望能够通过这件事教给你们这种精神的意义所在。以后每当你在遇到挫折时，给自己的座右铭应该是--再试一次。”　　LESSON 3 WHY THE SEA IS SALT　　海水为什么是咸的　　Mary Howitt was born in 1804， at Coleford， England. She wrote many charming stories for children in prose and verse， and also translated many from Swedish， Danish， and German authors. This story is arranged from one in a collection named “Peter Drake's Dream， and Other Stories.” She died in 1888.　　1. There were， in very ancient times， two brothers， one of whom was rich， and the other poor. Christmas was approaching， but the poor man had nothing in the house for a Christmas dinner； so he went to his brother and asked him for a trifling  gift.　　2. The rich man was ill-natured， and when he heard his brother's request he looked very surly. But as Christmas is a time when even the worst people give gifts， he took a fi ne ham down from the chimney， where it was hanging to smoke， threw it at his brother， and bade him begone and never to let him see his face again.　　3. The poor man thanked his brother for the ham， put it under his arm， and went his way. He had to pass through a great forest on his way home. When he had reached the thickest part of it， he saw an old man， with a long， white beard， hewing timber. “Good evening，” said he to him.　　4. “Good evening，” returned the old man， raising himself up from his work， and looking at him. “That is a fine ham you are carrying.” On this， the poor man told him all about it.　　5. “It is lucky for you，” said the old man， “that you have met with me. If you will take that ham into the land of the dwarfs， the entrance to which lies just under the roots of this tree， you can make a capital bargain with it； for the dwarfs are very fond of ham， and rarely get any. But mind what I say： you must not sell it for money， but demand for it the 'old hand mill 1which stands behind the door.' When you come back， I'll show you how to use it.”　　6. The poor man thanked his new friend， who showed him the door under a stone below the roots of the tree， and by this door he entered into the land of the dwarfs. No sooner had he set his foot in it， than the dwarfs swarmed about him， attracted2 by the smell of the ham. They offered him queer， old-fashioned money and gold and silver ore for it； but he refused all their tempting offers， and said that he would sell it only for the old hand mill behind the door.　　7. At this， the dwarfs held up their little old hands， and looked quite perplexed3. “We can not make a bargain， it seems，” said the poor man， “so I'll bid you all a good day.”　　8. The fragrance4 of the ham had by this time reached the remote parts of dwarf land. The dwarfs came flocking around in little troops， leaving their work of digging out precious ores， eager for the ham.　　9. “Let him have the old mill，” said some of the newcomers； “it is quite out of order， and he don't know how to use it. Let him have it， and we will have the ham.”　　10. So the bargain was made. The poor man took the old hand mill， which was a little thing not half so large as the ham， and went back to the woods. Here the old man showed him how to use it. All this had taken up a great deal of time， and it was midnight before he reached home.　　11. “Where in the world have you been？” said his wife. “Here I have been waiting and waiting， and we have no wood to make a fire， nor anything to put into the porridge pot for our Christmas supper.”　　12. The house was dark and cold； but the poor man bade his wife wait and see what would happen. He placed the little hand mill on the table， and began to turn the crank. First， out there came some grand， lighted wax candles， and a fire on the hearth， and a porridge pot boiling over it， because in his mind he said they should come first. Then he ground out a tablecloth， and dishes， and spoons， and knives and forks.　　13. He was himself astonished at his good luck， as you may believe； and his wife was almost beside herself with joy and astonishment. Well， they had a capital supper； and after it was eaten， they ground out of the mill every possible thing to make their house and themselves warm and comfortable. So they had a merry Christmas eve and morning.　　【中文阅读】　　玛丽 · 豪伊特，1804 年生于英国科尔福德。她以诗歌和散文的形式为孩 子们写下了许多动人的故事，同时还翻译了不少瑞典、丹麦和德国作家的作 品。这则故事节选自《彼特 · 德雷克之梦和其他故事》系列丛书。她于 1888 年辞世。　　1. 很久很久以前，有两个兄弟，其中一个很富有，另外一个很贫穷。圣诞 节即将来临，穷人家里没有任何吃的可以做圣诞晚餐，于是他去找他的兄弟， 希望能从他那里得到一点微不足道的小礼物。　　2. 那个富人生性恶毒，当他听说了他兄弟的请求时，他看起来异常粗暴。 但是由于在圣诞节时连最坏的人都要送出礼物，他便从烟囱里取下一块正在熏 制的上好火腿，扔给了他的兄弟，并命令他赶快滚开，再也不要让他看见。　　3. 穷人将火腿夹在胳膊下就上路了。回家路上需要穿过一大片森林，当他 到达森林最深处时，看到了一位留着长长白胡须的老人正在伐木。“晚上好，” 他对老人说。　　4. 老人从劳作中直起腰，看着他回答道：“晚上好。”“ 你拿的这块火腿看起 来很不错。”于是，穷人把有关火腿的事源源本本地告诉了老人。　　5. 老人说：“遇到我是你运气好。如果你带着火腿去矮人国，你可以用这个 跟他们大大地讨价还价一番，因为他们非常喜欢火腿，可是很难弄到。去那里 的入口就在这棵树的树根下面。但是请记住我的话：你一定不能为了钱去卖火 腿，而是要交换'门后面那台老旧的手工磨粉机'。等你回来后，我会告诉你如 何使用它。”　　6. 老人指给他看树根下的大石头，石头下面就是通向矮人国的大门，穷人 谢过了他的新朋友，顺着这个门走了进去。当他的双脚刚刚踏上矮人国的地盘， 火腿的味道把矮人们全都吸引了过来，他们蜂拥而至，把他团团围住。他们想 用很多奇异的古老钱币以及金银宝石来交换火腿，但他拒绝一切诱人的条件， 说他只想用火腿换门后的那台老式手工磨粉机。　　7. 矮人们看起来对他的这一举动感到非常困惑不解，纷纷举起他们饱经沧 桑的小手。穷人说：“看来我们没法达成一致了，祝大家都有愉快的一天。”　　8. 此时此刻，火腿的香气已经飘到了矮人国的深处，矮人们迫不及待地想 得到火腿，全都丢下手里正在挖掘的珍贵宝石，成群结队向他簇拥过来。　　9. 一些刚刚到达的矮人们说：“把那台老磨粉机给他吧，反正也不能用了， 况且他也不知道怎么用。给他吧，这样火腿就归我们了。”　　10. 交易就这么完成了。那台老旧的手工磨粉机非常小巧，还没有火腿的 一半大。穷人拿着它回到了森林里，他的那位新朋友告诉了他如何操作。整个 过程花费了很长时间，他回到家时已经是后半夜了。　　11.“ 你到底上哪儿去了？”他妻子问道，“我在家里等啊等，既没有木头 生火，也没有任何食物能下锅熬粥准备圣诞晚餐。”　　12. 屋子里又黑又冷，但穷人让他妻子再等一会儿，看看会发生什么。他 将那台小小的手工磨粉机放在桌上，开始转动手柄。首先出现的是一些华丽的 燃烧着的蜡烛、壁炉里的火焰、一锅沸腾着要流出来的粥，因为在他脑海里， 他觉得这些应该最先出现。随后他又不断地磨啊磨，出现了一块台布、一些碟 子、勺子和刀叉。　　13. 就像你想象的一样，连他自己都惊讶于他的好运气；他的妻子又高兴 又吃惊，几乎不能自已。于是，他们享用了一顿丰盛的晚餐。用餐完毕，他们 又磨出了能使他们的屋子和他们自己感到温暖舒适的各种物品。这样一来，他 们度过了一个非常美妙的圣诞前夜和圣诞节清晨。　　LESSON 4 WHY THE SEA IS SALT(CONCLUDED)　　海水为什么是咸的（结束篇）　　1. When the people went by the house to church， the next day， they could hardly believe their eyes. There was glass in the windows instead of a wooden shutter， and the poor man and his wife， dressed in nice new clothes， were seen devoutly1 kneeling in the church.　　2. “There is something very strange in all this，” said everyone. “Something very strange indeed，” said the rich man， when three days afterwards he received an invitation from his once poor brother to a grand feast. And what a feast it was！ The table was covered with a cloth as white as snow， and the dishes were all of silver or gold. The rich man could not， in his great house， and with all his wealth， set out such a table.　　3. “Where did you get all these things？” exclaimed he. His brother told him all about the bargain he had made with the dwarfs， and putting the mill on the table， ground out boots and shoes， coats and cloaks， stockings， gowns， and blankets， and bade his wife give them to the poor people that had gathered about the house to get a sight of the grand feast the poor brother had made for the rich one.　　4. The rich man was very envious of his brother's good fortune， and wanted to borrow the mill， intending-for he was not an honest man- never to return it again. His brother would not lend it， for the old man with the white beard had told him never to sell or lend it to anyone.　　5. Some years went on， and， at last， the possessor of the mill built himself a grand castle on a rock by the sea， facing the west. Its windows， reflecting2 the golden sunset， could be seen far out from the shore. It became a noted landmark3 for sailors. Strangers from foreign parts often came to see this castle and the wonderful mill of which the most extraordinary1 tales were told.　　6. At length， a great foreign merchant came， and when he had seen the mill， inquired whether it would grind salt. Being told that it would， he wanted to buy it； for he traded in salt， and thought that if he owned it he could supply all his customers without taking long and dangerous voyages. 7. The man would not sell it， of course. He was so rich now that he did not want to use it for himself； but every Christmas he ground out food and clothes and coal for the poor， and nice presents for the little children. So he rejected all the offers of the rich merchant. The merchant， however， determined to have it； he bribed one of the man's servants to let him go into the castle at night， and he stole the mill and sailed away with it in triumph.　　8. He had scarcely got out to sea， before he determined to set the mill to work. “Now， mill， grind salt，” said he； “grind salt with all your might！- salt， salt， and nothing but salt！” The mill began to grind and the sailors to fill the sacks； but these were soon full， and in spite of all that could be done， it began to fill the ship.　　9. The dishonest merchant was now very much frightened. What was to be done？ The mill would not stop grinding； and at last the ship was overloaded， and down it went， making a great whirlpool2 where it sank. The ship soon went to pieces； but the mill stands on the bottom of the sea， and keeps grinding out “salt， salt， nothing but salt！” That is the reason， say the peasants3 of Denmark and Norway， why the sea is salt.　　EXERCISES.-How did the poor man fi nd the way to the land of the dwarfs？ Do you think the old man would have told him if the poor man had not been so polite？ How did the poor man treat his rich brother in return for his unkindness？ How was the greed of the dishonest merchant punished？ What is meant by “strangers from foreign parts”？ Where are Denmark and Norway？ 【中文阅读】　　1. 第二天，当人们去教堂路过他家时，他们简直不敢相信自己的眼睛。他家窗户上不再是木头窗板，而是装上了玻璃。人们看到那个穷人和他妻子穿着体面的新衣服跪在教堂祈祷。 2. 每个人都说：“这其中肯定发生了非常奇怪的事。”“的确有奇怪的事发生，”有钱人说道。之后第三天，他接到了那位曾经一贫如洗的兄弟发来的请柬，邀请他去享用一顿盛宴。那是怎样的一个盛宴啊！餐桌上铺着雪白雪白的桌布，餐具不是金的就是银的。即便是在有钱人的大房子里，倾其所有，也准备不出这样一张餐桌。　　3.“ 你是从哪里弄到这些东西的？”他大叫道。他兄弟源源本本地告诉了他和矮人们做的交易的事，并把磨粉机放在桌子上转，转出了靴子和鞋子，衣服和披风，还有长袜、女士长袍和毯子。穷人让妻子把这些东西分给那些围观的穷人们，他们聚集在房子周围，想来看看穷兄弟为有钱人准备的大餐。　　4. 有钱人非常嫉妒他兄弟的好运气，想要借走磨粉机--由于他是一个不 讲诚信的人，他根本没打算归还。他的兄弟没有答应，因为白胡子老者曾经告诫他不要把磨粉机借给或卖给任何人。　　5. 许多年过去了，磨粉机的拥有者终于为他自己建造了一座很大的城堡。它坐落在紧临海边的岩石上，朝向西方。每当夕阳西下的时候，窗户上便会反射上金色的余晖，从距离海边很远的地方就能看到，这也就成了水手们眼中的显著标志物。通常有很多外乡的陌生人慕名而来，就是想看看这座城堡以及这台出现在最不同寻常的传说故事中的磨粉机。　　6. 终于有一天，一位外国富商来到这里。当他看到磨粉机时，询问它是否能够用来出盐。得到肯定答复后，他想要买下它。因为他从事的是盐业贸易，想着如果拥有了这台机器，他不用冒着危险远渡涉水就能为顾客供应食盐了。　　7. 磨粉机的所有者当然不会卖掉它。他现在家境富裕，根本不想为了自己的利益去使用它了，而是在每年圣诞节时用它为穷人们磨出衣服和煤火，为小孩子们磨出漂亮的礼物。因此，他拒绝了富商的一切出价。但富商一心想得到 磨粉机，于是他贿赂了富人身边的一名侍从，在夜间放他进入了城堡。他真的偷到了磨粉机，带着胜利的喜悦乘船离去。　　8. 他坐的船刚到海上，他就打算开始让磨粉机工作了。“磨粉机，现在出盐，”他说，“开足马力出盐喽！--盐、盐、除了盐还是盐！”磨粉机开始不停地出盐，水手们则把盐都装进了麻袋；这些袋子不一会儿就全装满了，尽管所有能做的都做了，但盐还是把整艘船全装满了。　　9. 这个不诚实的富商现在开始感觉非常害怕了。还能做些什么呢？磨粉机不停地出盐，最后船变得极度超重，整个翻了过去，船沉没时掀起了巨大的旋 涡。不一会儿，船身四分五裂，但磨粉机留在了深深的海底，还在不停地出着 盐。“盐、盐、除了盐还是盐”，丹麦和挪威的农民常说，海水为什么是咸的， 这就是原因所在。　　……

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　　这套书不仅影响了美国的教育事业，也影响了美国的伦理道德。诚如历史学家孔玛格所言：“它们为美国儿童提供了当今明显缺乏的东西，即普遍的引喻知识、普遍的经验和自制意识。”　　―― 选自《大美百科全书》

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　　现有《美国语文读本》配套MP3朗读文件免费下载。　　详情请见美国语文博客  http://blog.sina.com.cn/homeschoolnow　　影响美国学生近一个世纪的教科书，一套塑造美国精神与文明的语文读本！这套由美国著名教育家、俄亥俄大学校长威廉·H·麦加菲花费20多年时间倾心主编，至1920年累计销量便高达1.22亿册，是美国最畅销的语文课本，被《时代周刊》评为“人类出版史上第三大畅销书”。

用户评论 (总计20条)

•   给儿子买的，希望小孩在学习双语的基础上，了解美国的一些文化，教材质量非常棒，中英对照版，也是小孩英语启蒙最好教材，循序渐进非常适合。
•   这套书快买全了，挺好的，是美国语文版本中最好的。
•   标准的美国英语教材。
•   孩子四年级，水平略高，读5册有点难，这本正好
•   不错，非常佩服美国孩子的阅读量，我们孩子的教育是深而窄，他们是广而泛，在这个学科之间越来越没有明显界限的时代，知识面的宽窄也是具有非常重要的意义。
•   孩子英语的课外读本。
•   书到货很快，打开发现内容非常不错，适合刚刚开始写英语作文的小学生。给女儿好些同学也推荐了，都觉得不错
•   跟中国语文不同，但他更实用，更能让学生变得成熟！
•   很适合学习英语
•   当课外读物很不错，大人孩子一起学习
•   不错，初三用难易适中。
•   建议增加适用对象方面的推荐！
•   值得青少年阅读，很不错赞一个！
•   文章选的不错,字大小也还适合.
•   印刷很好 速度很快。期待下一次再买。
•   很厚的書 有中英註釋 內容很豐富
•   既复习了旧知，又学到了新知，一举两得。值得好好读。
•   书内容不错，就是封皮有点脏
•   似乎不错，还没仔细看
•   英文内容原味，中文翻译的不行