Lesson 8　The White Kitten　第8课　小白猫

stroke beggar streaks needful counsel

My little white kitten's asleep on my knee；

As white as the snow or the lilies is she；

She wakes up with a pur

When I stroke her soft fur：

Was there ever another white kitten like her?

My little white kitten now wants to go out

And frolic, with no one to watch her about；

"Little kitten，"I say，

"Just an hour you may stay，

And be careful in choosing your places to play."

But night has come down, when I hear a loud"mew；"

I open the door, and my kitten comes through；

My white kitten！ah me！

Can it really be she-

This ill-looking, beggar-like cat that I see?

What ugly, gray streaks on her side and her back！

Her nose, once as pink as a rosebud, is black！

Oh, I very well know，

Though she does not say so，

She has been where white kittens ought never to go.

If little good children intend to do right，

If little white kittens would keep themselves white，

It is needful that they

Should this counsel obey，

And be careful in choosing their places to play.

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小白猫在我的腿上熟睡了，

就像雪花或百合花一样白净；

轻轻地它醒了，

抚摸着它柔软的皮毛，

还会有像它一样的小白猫吗？

我的小白猫这会儿在想着外边的世界，

它是想去嬉戏吧，没有人可以陪它；

“小猫，”我说，

“你可以待一个小时，

小心选择你要玩的地方。”

夜晚来临，这时我听到“喵”叫声，

打开门，我可爱的小猫回来了；

我的小白猫，天哪！

真的是它吗？

这看起来病怏怏，像流浪猫似的家伙？

多么丑陋，它的背部和周身都是灰色的条纹！

它的鼻子，曾经像玫瑰花瓣的鼻子，成了黑色！

哦，我很明白，

尽管它不这样说，

它应该一直是小白猫不会变。

如果想做个好孩子，

假如小白猫会保持自己的白色，

它很有必要

服从这个劝告，

要小心选择玩耍的地方。