新概念英语青少年版第四册第59课:Television Day:

Lesson 59 Television Day:Edward Lear
第59课 电视日:爱德华.李尔
Do you remember the poem,"The Owl and the Pussy-Cat"?
你还记得"猫头鹰与猫咪"这首诗吗?
Today we are going to learn something about the man who wrote it.
今天我们将熟悉一下这首诗作者的一些情况.
He was born in 1812 and he died in 1888.
他生于1812年,死于1888年.
He was the youngest in a family of 21 children.
他家有21个孩子,他最小.
His father was very rich,
他父亲很富,
but lost all his money before Edward grew up.
但在爱德华还未成年就潦倒了.
When this happened,Edward's favourite sister,Ann,
爱德华最喜欢的姐姐安
said she would look after her brother.
在这时提出将由她扶养弟弟.
She said she could teach him to draw, write and play the piano.
她说她可教他绘画、写字和弹钢琴.
She said she had to look after him because his health was so poor.
她讲她应该照顾他因为他身体这么弱.
Edward owed a lot to Ann.
爱德华的成就在很大程度上归功于安.
When he grew up,he became a well-known artist.
他长大后成了著名画家.
He travelled to many parts of the world and drew pictures.
他到过世界上许多地方去作画,
For a time during his life he worked as an artist for Lord Derby.
有一个时期还当过德贝勋爵的画师.
He often entertained Lord Derby's grandchildren with his beautiful "nonsense" poems.
他经常用他美丽的'"胡话"诗歌逗乐德贝勋爵的孙儿女.
The children loved Mr Lear and his poems.
孩子们爱李尔先生,也爱他的诗歌.
Though the poems are very amusing,
虽然他的诗歌很有趣,
Edward Lear was often ill and unhappy.
但爱德华.李尔却多病、忧郁.
He never married and he led a lonely life
他一直未婚,过着孤独的生活,
even though he became quite famous and people every-where wanted to meet him.
即使他出了名,到处人们都想见到他一面.
Here are a few lines he wrote about himself
这儿有几行描写他自己的诗句:
How pleasant to know Mr Lear who had written such volumes of stuff!
认识李尔先生又该多高兴他写下了这么多的诗句.
Some think him ill-tempered and queer
有些人觉得他易发火,脾气怪,
But a few think him pleasant enough.
可少数人却说他很讨人喜欢