介绍： 公众号：MT英语（ID:mtkouyu)
专辑：【英文原版童话故事】
朗诵：【台】Yale
编辑：Shawn

主播简介
Yale，中文名杨子逸，美国迈阿密大学硕士，曾经担任英语教科书编辑。他从小在美国长大，目前在国内的职业是广告导演和制片。他拍摄的短片《赫克特的时光机器》获2014年金鸡百花短片电影节提名。

The Elves and the Shoemaker 小精灵...

介绍： 公众号：MT英语（ID:mtkouyu)
专辑：【英文原版童话故事】
朗诵：【台】Yale
编辑：Shawn

主播简介
Yale，中文名杨子逸，美国迈阿密大学硕士，曾经担任英语教科书编辑。他从小在美国长大，目前在国内的职业是广告导演和制片。他拍摄的短片《赫克特的时光机器》获2014年金鸡百花短片电影节提名。

The Elves and the Shoemaker 小精灵和老鞋匠

There was once a shoemaker, who worked very hard and was very honest: but still he could not earn enough to live upon; and at last all he had in the world was gone, save just leather enough to make one pair of shoes.
从前有个工作非常努力诚实的鞋匠，但是他仍然赚不 到足够的钱生活，穷得只剩做一双鞋子用的皮革了。

Then he cut his leather out, all ready to make up the next day, meaning to rise early in the morning to do his work. His conscience(良心) was clear and his heart light amidst（在…当中）all his troubles. So he went peaceably(温和地) to bed, left all his cares to Heaven(天堂), and soon fell asleep（睡着了）.
晚上他把皮革裁剪好，就去睡觉了，打算第二天一早做完它们。他在床上怀着一颗纯洁而宁静的心祈求完上帝便睡着了。

In the morning after he had said his prayers(祷告者), he sat himself down to his work; when, to his great wonder（奇迹）, there stood the shoes all ready made, upon the table. The good man knew not what to say or think at such an odd（古怪的）thing happening. He looked at the workmanship（手艺，工艺）;there was not one false stitch（针脚，线迹） in the whole job; all was so neat （平滑的）and true,that it was quite a masterpiece（杰作）.
第二天早上他做完祷告,打算继续工作,但他发现.在工作台上的那双鞋子已经做好了.天啦!鞋匠惊讶得说不出话来. 他把鞋子拿起来检查了一下,做工非常棒,缝接处没有丝毫偏差，这完全就是一个杰作。

The same day a customer came in, and the shoes suited him so well that he willingly paid a price higher than usual for them; and the poor shoemaker, with the money, bought leather enough to make two pairs more.
这一天，一位顾客进来了,他非常喜欢这双鞋并用高价买下了它们. 这个贫穷的鞋匠现在有足够的钱买做两双鞋的皮革了.

In the evening he cut out（停止）the work, and went to bed early, that he might get up and begin betimes（及时） next day; but he was saved all the trouble, for when he got up in the morning the work was done ready to his hand.
晚上他把皮革裁剪好就早早地去睡觉了，以便他第二天一起来就能开工，但是他把所有的加工难点都留在第二天处理。但是他起床的时候鞋已经做好了。

Soon in came buyers, who paid him handsomely（慷慨地） for his goods, so that he bought leather enough for four pair more.
很快又有顾客买走了他的鞋子,并付给他很多钱。这下，鞋匠可以买做四双鞋子的皮革了。

He cut out the work again overnight and found it done in the morning, as before; and so it went on for some time: what was got ready in the evening was always done by day break, and the good man soon became thriving （繁荣的，蒸蒸日上的）and well off（富裕的） again.
而且和以前一样，晚上他把皮革裁剪好便停下了手头上的工作，第二天早晨他发现鞋子又已经做好了。“鞋匠前一天准备好皮革材料，第二天鞋子就做好了”这种情形持续了一段时间，鞋匠很快就富了起来。

One evening, about Christmas-time, as he and his wife were sitting over the fire chatting together, he said to her, “I should like to sit up（熬夜） and watch tonight, that we may see who it is that comes and does my work for me.”
圣诞节前的某天晚上，鞋匠和妻子坐在火炉旁边聊天，鞋匠说:“不如我们整夜不睡，看看究竟是谁在帮助我们？”

The wife liked the thought; so they left a light burning, and hid themselves in a corner of the room, behind a curtain that was hung up (挂起来)there, and watched what would happen.
他的妻子非常赞同,于是他们点了一根蜡烛，悄悄地藏在房间角落的窗帘背后想看看将会发生什么。

As soon as it was midnight（当到了午夜的时候）, there came in two little naked（裸体的） dwarfs（矮子）; and they sat themselves upon the shoemaker’s bench（工作台）, took up all the work that was cut out, and began to ply with （纠缠）their little fingers, stitching （缝合）and rapping（轻敲） and tapping（轻敲）away at sucha rate, that the shoemaker was all wonder, and could not take his eyes off them.
半夜时分，两个小小的光着身子的小精灵出现了。他们坐在工作台上捡起裁剪好的皮革飞快的做了起来,鞋匠简直不敢相信自己的眼睛。

And on they went, till the job was quite done, and the shoes stood ready for use upon the table. This was long before daybreak; and then they bustled away as quick as lightning.
它们直到全部做好才停下来把鞋放在工作台上,然后在天亮之前迅速离开了。

The next day the wife said to the shoemaker. ’These little wights（人类；生物） have made us rich, and we ought to be thankful to them, and do them a good turn if we can.
第二天早上，鞋匠的妻子对鞋匠说:“这些小精灵让我们生活这么富裕。我们应该报答他们,做一件有利于他们的事。

I am quite sorry to see them run about（到处跑）as they do; and indeed it is not very decent（得体的）, for they have nothing upon their backs to keep off（远离）the cold.

I’ll tell you what, I will make each of them a shirt, and a coat and waistcoat（背心，马甲）, and a pair of pantaloons（男士马裤） into the bargain（把...作为额外的优惠）; and do you make each of them a little pair of shoes.’
我看到他们光着身子东奔西跑感到十分抱歉，而且事实上怎么看起来也不是那么的得体。知道吗?我可以缝制一些衬衫,小背心,还有裤子,而你可以给他们做一双鞋子.”

The thought pleased the good cobbler（补鞋匠） very much; and one evening, when all the things were ready, they laid them on the table, instead of the work that they used to cut out, and then went and hid themselves, to watch what the little elves would do.
鞋匠说十分同意他妻子的想法。那天晚上，鞋匠夫妇没有把裁剪好的皮革放在工作台上，而是把做好的小礼物放在上面。然后，他们藏了起来想看看小精灵反应。

About midnight in they came, dancing and skipping, hopped （跳跃）round the room, and then went to sit down to their work as usual; but when they saw the clothes lying for them, they laughed and chuckled（咯咯的笑，轻声地笑）, and seemed mightily（非常地） delighted.
接近午夜之时，小精灵们来了。他们围着房间跳舞、蹦蹦跳跳，然后他们像往常一样坐下来准备工作。但是他们看到了鞋匠夫妇为他们准备的衣服，他们咯咯地笑了起来，看上去他们非常开心。

Then they dressed themselves in the twinkling of an eye, and danced and capered （跳跃，雀跃）and sprang （弹起，spring的过去式）about, as merry as could be; till at last they danced out at the door, and away over the **.
他们穿上了新衣服神气活现地蹦着、舞着、非常高兴，直到他们最后跳出了房子，越过了绿化带......

The good couple saw them no more; but everything went well with them from that time forward, as long as they lived.
鞋匠夫妻两再也没有见到小精灵了，但是所有的事情自那以后都慢慢变好了。

重点词汇
1.conscience    ['kɒnʃ(ə)ns] n. 道德心，良心
eg.It was his guilty conscience that made him offer to help.
他是因为心中有愧才提出帮忙的。

2.amidst   [ə'mɪdst] prep. 在…当中
eg.a light that shines amidst the darkness .
黑暗之中闪现的一道亮光。

3.workmanship    ['wɜːkmənʃɪp] n. 手艺，工艺；技巧
eg.I want a suit of workmanship and suitablefor formal meetings. 
我想要一套做工好，适合参加正式会议的西装。

4.neat    [niːt] adj. 灵巧的；整洁的；优雅的；齐整的
eg.M: One morething, keep your desk neat. It's the rule. 
还有一件事，你的办公桌要保持整洁，这是规定。

5.masterpiece   ['mɑːstəpiːs] n. 杰作；绝无仅有的
eg. The film was  built up to be a masterpiece, but I found it very disappointing
这部影片被捧为杰作，可是我觉得令人失望。

6.cut out 停止；删去
eg.The engine slowed down and finally cut out. 
发动机减慢下来，最后停了。

7.betimes    [bɪ'taɪmz] adv.及时，准时；早
eg. Thetrain arrived betimes. 
火车及时到达了。

8.handsomely   ['hænsəmli] adv. 慷慨地
eg.She entertained her guests handsomely. 
她待客很慷慨。