'Ah!' said Polly, with emotion, 'I knew his legs must be too short.'[qh]

“啊！”波利激动地说道，“我知道他的腿一定太短了。”[qh]

His legs is short,' returned Jemima; 'especially behind; but they'll get longer, Polly, every day.'[qh]

“他的腿确实是短，”杰迈玛答道，“特别是从后面看；但它们会一天天长起来的，波利。”[qh]

It was a slow, prospective kind of consolation; but the cheerfulness and good nature with which it was administered, gave it a value it did not intrinsically possess. After a moment's silence, Polly asked, in a more sprightly manner:[qh]

这个安慰是一种指望于未来的、过程缓慢的安慰；但是给予这个安慰时愉快的口吻与善良的心意使它具有一种它本来并不含有的价值。在片刻的沉默之后，波利用一种比较轻松愉快的语气问道：[qh]

'And where's Father, Jemima dear?' - for by that patriarchal appellation, Mr Toodle was generally known in the family.[qh]

“爸爸在哪里呢，亲爱的杰迈玛？”因为在家里通常都是用这个家族的称呼来指图德尔先生的。[qh]

'There again!' said Jemima. 'What a pity! Father took his dinner with him this morning, and isn't coming home till night.But he's always talking of you, Polly, and telling the children about you; and is the peaceablest, patientest, best-temperedest soul in the world, as he always was and will be!'[qh]

“哎呀，你看！”杰迈玛说道，“又是真可惜！爸爸今天早上把晚饭带着走的，要到夜里才回来。不过他经常谈起你，波利，还经常把关于你的一些事情讲给孩子们听；他是世界上最和气、最耐性、脾气最好的人。他过去一直是这样，将来也将会是这样的！”[qh]

'Thankee, Jemima,' cried the simple Polly; delighted by the speech, and disappointed by the absence.[qh]

“谢谢你，杰迈玛，”纯朴的波利喊道；这番话使她高兴，可是人不在又使她失望。[qh]

'Oh you needn't thank me, Polly,' said her sister, giving her a sounding kiss upon the cheek, and then dancing little Paul cheerfully. 'I say the same of you sometimes, and think it too.'[qh]

“啊，你不用谢我，波利，”她的妹妹在她的脸颊上使劲地吻了一下，说道，一边兴高采烈地舞弄着小保罗。“我有时也这样说到你，心里也是这样想的。”

注释： prospective adj. 未来的；预期的 n. 预期；展望
词组：
prospective study 前瞻研究；预期研究；远景调查
prospective market 未来的市场
prospective customer 潜在顾客
prospective buyer 准买家
prospective student 未来学生；欲申请的学生
prospective earnings 预期收益
prospective oil 石油储量
例句：
1. The company has dowered the prospective bride.
我们公司把嫁妆送给了这位前途无量的新娘。
2. "I've got a prospective backer."
“我找到了一个有希望的支持者。”

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