Chapter 23 Anne Comes to Grief in an Affair of Honor (Excerpt)

第二十三章危險游戲(節選)

《綠山墻的安妮》是北美小學生的必讀書之一。

加拿大女作家露西·莫德·蒙哥馬利以清晰流暢、生動幽默的筆觸,講述了純真善良、熱愛生活的女主人公小安妮·雪莉(Anne Shirley)的故事。她自幼失去父母,十一歲時被人領養,但她個性鮮明,富于幻想,而且自尊自強,憑借自己的刻苦勤奮,不但得到領養人的喜愛,也贏得老師和同學的敬重和友誼。

該書問世至今被翻譯成50多種文字,持續發行5000多萬冊,是一本世界公認的文學經典。如今,這本書仍以電視劇、電影和音樂劇等多種藝術形式在全世界范圍內廣為傳播。

A week after the tea at the 1)manse Diana Barry gave a party.

They had a very good time and nothing 2)untoward happened until after tea, when they found themselves in the Barry garden, a little tired of all their games and 3)ripe for any 4)enticing form of mischief which might present itself. This presently took the form of “daring.”

Daring was the fashionable amusement among the Avonlea small 5)fry just then. It had begun among the boys, but soon spread to the girls, and all the silly things that were done in Avonlea that summer, because the doers thereof were “dared” to do them would fill a book by themselves.

First of all Carrie Sloane dared Ruby Gillis to climb to a certain point in the huge old willow tree before the front door; which Ruby Gillis, 6)albeit in mortal dread of the fat green 7)caterpillars with which said tree was 8)infested and with the fear of her mother before her eyes if she should tear her new muslin dress, 9)nimbly did, to the 10)discomfiture of the aforesaid Carrie Sloane.

Then Josie Pye dared Jane Andrews to hop on her left leg around the garden without stopping once or putting her right foot to the ground; which Jane Andrews gamely tried to do, but gave out at the third corner and had to confess herself defeated.

Josie’s triumph being rather more pronounced than good taste permitted, Anne Shirley dared her to walk along the top of the board fence which bounded the garden to the east. Now, to “walk” board fences requires more skill and steadiness of head and heel than one might suppose who has never tried it. But Josie Pye, if deficient in some qualities that make for popularity, had at least a natural and inborn gift, duly cultivated, for walking board fences. Josie walked the Barry fence with an airy unconcern which seemed to imply that a little thing like that wasn’t worth a “dare.”

Reluctant admiration greeted her exploit, for most of the other girls could appreciate it, having suffered many things themselves in their efforts to walk fences. Josie descended from her perch, flushed with victory, and darted a defiant glance at Anne.

Anne tossed her red braids.

“I don’t think it’s such a very wonderful thing to walk a little, low, board fence,” she said. “I knew a girl in Marysville who could walk the 11)ridgepole of a roof.”

“I don’t believe it,” said Josie flatly. “I don’t believe anybody could walk a ridgepole. YOU couldn’t, anyhow.”

“Couldn’t I?” cried Anne 12)rashly.

“Then I dare you to do it,” said Josie defiantly. “I dare you to climb up there and walk the ridgepole of Mrs. Barry’s kitchen roof.”