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The second page had a good share of self-conceit, however, and so was not greatly confused by the King's jest.
第二位侍童颇为自负，对国王的俏皮话，似乎不太在意。
He determined that he would avoid the mistake which his comrade had made.
他有心避免前面那位同伴的类似失误，开始朗读起来。
So he commenced reading the petition slowly and with great formality, emphasizing every word, and prolonging the articulation of every syllable.
他的语速迟缓，太过一本正经，所有词语无不辅以重音，逐个音节拉长拼读，
But his manner was so tedious that the King cried out, Stop! are you reciting a lesson in the elementary sounds?
他的朗读那么乏味造作，国王不禁大声呵斥，停下！你难道是小学生背诵课文？
Out of the room! But no: stay! Send me that little girl who is sitting there by the fountain.
滚出去！不，站好！先把坐在喷泉那边的小姑娘给我叫过来！
The girl thus pointed out by the King was a daughter of one of the laborers employed by the royal gardener;
国王点名的那位姑娘是宫廷花师所雇佣人的女儿，
and she had come to help her father weed the flower beds.
那天，她过来帮着父亲给宫廷花圃除草。
It chanced that, like many of the poor people in Prussia, she had received a good education.
像普鲁士不少穷人那样，她碰巧接受过良好的教育。
She was somewhat alarmed when she found herself in the King's presence,
听到国王召见自己，她多少有点心存警觉。
but took courage when the King told her that he only wanted her to read for him, as his eyes were weak.
国王告诉她，由于他眼睛无法阅读，只是让她代劳，她才稍稍鼓起了勇气。
Now, Ernestine (for this was the name of the little girl) was fond of reading aloud, and often many of the neighbors would assemble at her father's house to hear her;
欧内斯廷（小姑娘名字）喜欢高声朗读，不少邻居经常聚集在她家门口听她读书。
those who could not read themselves would come to her, also, with their letters from distant friends or children,
那些不识字的人亦总乐意找她，他们带来远方朋友或孩子的来信。
and she thus formed the habit of reading various sorts of handwriting promptly and well.
因此，她便具有阅读不同手写文体、并能迅速准确朗读的能力。
