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LESSON 10 The stinging nettle
第十课 荨麻
Alfred saw a beautiful flower growing on the farther side of a deep ditch, and he ran forward to get it for his sister Mary.
艾尔弗雷德看到一朵美丽的花在深沟对岸生长，他跑上前去把它摘下来送给妹妹玛丽。
Mary begged him not to do so, lest he should tumble into the ditch. But Alfred would have his own way.
玛丽恳求他不要这样做，以免他掉进沟里。但艾尔弗雷德有自己的办法。
As he was going down the bank, his foot slipped; and he would have fallen into the ditch, had he not caught hold of some nettles that were growing near.
他下岸堤时，脚底滑了一下，就掉到沟里。他没抓住附近生长的一些荨麻。
He was not long in scrambling up the bank again, for the sharp sting of the nettles made him forget the beautiful flower.
不久，他爬上河岸，因为荨麻的尖刺使他忘记了美丽的花朵。
"There now!" said he; "talk of everything being useful!
“现在！”他说：“还说什么都有用！
I am quite sure a stinging nettle is of no use in the world.
我确信荨麻是世上的一种无用之物。
See how it has stung my fingers! They are covered with white blisters, and tingle terribly.
看看它刺伤了我的手指！它们表面覆盖着白色的水泡，刺痛得厉害。
I am quite sure grandpapa was wrong when he said that everything was useful."
我敢肯定爷爷说什么都有用的时候是错的。”
"Perhaps not," said the old gentleman, who at that moment peeped over the hedge.
“也许不是，”老先生说，他偷看了一下篱笆。
"But I shall go round by the gate, and come to you."
“但我应该走大门去找你。”
In a few minutes the old gentleman was with them, examining the smarting fingers of his grandson.
几分钟后，老先生来到他们身边，看着孙子刺痛的手指。
"Well now, grandpapa, please to tell me of what use nettles are, for I cannot think that they are of the least use whatever."
“嗯，爷爷，您能告诉我，荨麻有什么用吗，我觉得它们是最没用的东西。”
"The nettle," replied the old gentleman, "has no doubt many uses of which I am ignorant;
“荨麻，”老先生回答说，“毫无疑问，荨麻有许多我都不知道，
but I shall point out a few, which may show you that God has not formed it in vain.
但我要指明一些，这或许可以告诉你，上帝并没有徒劳地创造出荨麻。
And I shall begin with the use of which the nettle has been to you, Alfred."
我要从荨麻对你所做的事开始说，阿尔弗雷德。”
