Charlotte's Web
by E.B.White
11级对外汉语2班 少玲、王玉
About the author and
the book
The excerpt of
chapter1
Appreciate the
sentences
About the author
E.B. White was born in Mount Vernon, New York.
He graduated from Cornell University in 1921,
then travelled about trying many sorts of jobs,
and finally joined the New Yorker magazine. He
kept animals on his farm in Maine, and some of
these creatures crept into his stories and books.
In 1970 Mr. White received the Laura Ingalls
Wilders Adward, given every five years for
distinguished services to children's literature by
the American Library Association.
Maybe you don’t know who he is, and aren’t acquainted with
Charlotte’s Web. But maybe you know Stuart Little (精灵鼠小
弟) which is based on the book of the same name by the
author. He still has a fairy tale called The Trumpet of The
Swan(《吹小号的天鹅》)
About the book
In the barn of Zuckerman’s house, there lived a group
of animals happily. One pig Wilbur and a spider
Charlotte established the most sincere friendship.
However, One of the most ugly news broke the quiet of
the barn: Wilbur‘s future destiny would become bacon
and ham. As a pig, Wilbur seemed to accept the fate of
losing his life helplessly. While seemingly insignificant
Charlotte said, “I will save you.” Therefore, Charlotte
wore some words which was considered as a miracle on
her web and turned Wilbur’s life around thoroughly, and
then finally let Wilbur won the special prize in the
bazaar and enjoyed a destiny with a future.
Unfortunately, at the same time, The spider Charlotte's
life was coming to an end….
‘Where’s Papa going with that axe?’
Fern
said Fern to her mother as they
Mrs. Arable were setting the table for
breakfast.
Mr. Arable
‘Out to the hoghouse,’ replied Mrs.
Arable. ‘Some pigs were born last
night.’
‘I don’t see why he needs an axe, ’continued Fern, who
was only eight.
‘Well’ said her mother, ‘one
of the pig is a runt. It’s very
small and weak, and it will
never amount to anything. So
your father has decided to do
away with it.’
‘Do away with it?’ shrieked Fern.
‘You mean kill it? Just because
it’s smaller than the others?’
Mrs. Arable put a pitcher of
cream on the table. ’Don’t yell,
Fern!’ she said. ‘Your father is
right. The pig would probably
die anyway.’
Fern pushed a chair out of the way, and ran outdoors. The
grass was wet and the earth smelled of springtime. Fern’s
sneakers were sopping by the time she caught up with her
father.
‘Please don’t kill it!’ she sobbed. ‘It’s unfair.’
Mr. Arable stopped walking.
‘Fern,’ he said gently, ’you will have to learn to control yourself.’
‘Control myself?’ yelled Fern. ‘This is a matter of life and
death, and you talk about controlling myself.’ Tears ran
down her cheeks and she took hold of the axe and tried to
pull it out of her father’s hand.
‘Fern,’ said Mr. Arable, ‘I know more about raising a litter of
pigs than you do. A weakling makes trouble. Now run along!’
‘But it’s unfair,’ cried Fern. ‘The pig couldn’t help being born
small, could it? If I had been very small at birth, would you
have killed me?’
Mr Arable smiled. ‘Certainly not,’ he said, looking down at
his daughter with love. ‘But this is different. A little girl is
one thing, a little runty pig is another.’
‘I see no difference,’ replied Fern, still hanging on to the
axe. ‘This is the most terrible case of injustice I ever heard
of.’
A queer look came over John Arable’s
face. He seemed almost ready to cry
himself.
‘All right,’ he said. ‘You go back to the
house and I will bring the runt when I
come in. I’ll let you raise it on a bottle,
like a baby. Then you’ll see what trouble
a pig can be.’
When Mr. Arable returned to the house
half an hour later, he carried a carton
under his arm. Fern was upstairs changing her sneakers. The
kitchen table was set for breakfast, and the room smelt of
coffee, bacon, damp plaster, and wood-smoke from the
stove.
‘Put it one her chair!’ said Mrs. Arable. Mr. Arable set the
carton down at Fern’s place. Then he walked to the sink
and washed his hands and dried them on the roller towel.
Fern came slowly down the stairs. Her eyes were red from
crying. As she approached her chair, the carton wobbled,
and there was a scratching noise. Fern looked at her
father. Then she lifted the lid of the carton. There, inside,
looking up at her, was the newborn pig. It was a white one.
The morning light shone through its
ears, turning them pink.
‘He’s yours.’ said Mr. Arable. ‘Saved
From an untimely death. And may the
good Lord forgive me for this
foolishness.’
№.1 - It's very small and weak, and it will
never amount to anything.
【译文】它长得又小又弱，没有任何可留下来的价值了。
【短语笔记】amount to
【双语释义】 (1)To add up in number or
quantity: 总共，合计：数字或数量加在一起：
【例】The purchases amounted to 50 dollars.（买东
西总共花了50美元。）
(2)To add up in import or effect: 等同，接近：重
要性或效果相当于：
【例】That plan will never amount to anything.（那
个计划无关紧要。）
(3)To be equivalent or tantamount: 等于，如同：
【例】accusations that amount to an indictment（等
同于是起诉的控告）
№.2 - "But it's unfair," cried Fern. "The pig couldn't
help being born small, could it? If I had been very small
at birth, would you have killed me?"
【译文】"可是这不公平，"芬哭叫着。"这头猪愿意让自己生
下来就小吗，它愿意吗？如果我生下来时也很瘦小，你就会
杀死我吗？"
【评注】This sentence touches the most sensitive nerve
of us as humans. Every life has its right--by a little girl
speak to the world of adults. Also let us can’t help
signing: why do people look at something and straight
away make a judgement? We may have heard the phrase
'never judge a book by its cover' but it's not so easy to
do!
【短语笔记】couldn't help doing - 禁不住…；不得不…
【例】I couldn't help wondering, can we be friends with
ex? （我不禁纳闷，我们可以和旧情人做朋友吗？）
№.3 - Fern couldn't take her eyes
off the tiny pig.
【评注】Reading Charlotte’s Web, the
biggest feeling is that the depth of the
heart pure, real and clear. You can see,
hear, smell, taste and touch
【短语笔记】not take one's eyes off 始终注视着，目不转睛地注视着
【例】I couldn't keep my eyes off her
amazing hairdo.（我目不转睛地盯着她令
人惊喜的发型。）
Thank you.
Edith
Myra