My "best" room， however， my withdrawing room， always ready for company， on whose carpet the sun rarely fell， was the pine wood behind my house.  Thither in summer days， when distinguished guests came， I took them， and a priceless domestic swept the floor and dusted the furniture and kept the things in order.

　　If one guest came he sometimes partook of my frugal meal， and it was no interruption to conversation to be stirring a hasty-pudding，or watching the rising and maturing of a loaf of bread in the ashes，in the meanwhile.  But if twenty came and sat in my house there was nothing said about dinner， though there might be bread enough for two， more than if eating were a forsaken habit； but we naturally practised abstinence； and this was never felt to be an offence against hospitality， but the most proper and considerate course. The waste and decay of physical life， which so often needs repair，seemed miraculously retarded in such a case， and the vital vigor stood its ground.  I could entertain thus a thousand as well as twenty； and if any ever went away disappointed or hungry from my house when they found me at home， they may depend upon it that I sympathized with them at least.  So easy is it， though many housekeepers doubt it， to establish new and better customs in the place of the old.  You need not rest your reputation on the dinners you give.  For my own part， I was never so effectually deterred from frequenting a man's house， by any kind of Cerberus whatever， as by the parade one made about dining me， which I took to be a very polite and roundabout hint never to trouble him so again.  I think I shall never revisit those scenes.  I should be proud to have for the motto of my cabin those lines of Spenser which one of my visitors inscribed on a yellow walnut leaf for a card：――

　　"Arrived there， the little house they fill，Ne looke for entertainment where none was；Rest is their feast， and all things at their will：The noblest mind the best contentment has."

　　When Winslow， afterward governor of the Plymouth Colony， went with a companion on a visit of ceremony to Massasoit on foot through the woods， and arrived tired and hungry at his lodge， they were well received by the king， but nothing was said about eating that day. When the night arrived， to quote their own words ―― "He laid us on the bed with himself and his wife， they at the one end and we at the other， it being only planks laid a foot from the ground and a thin mat upon them.  Two more of his chief men， for want of room， pressed by and upon us； so that we were worse weary of our lodging than of our journey."  At one o'clock the next day Massasoit "brought two fishes that he had shot，" about thrice as big as a bream.  "These being boiled， there were at least forty looked for a share in them；the most eat of them.  This meal only we had in two nights and a day； and had not one of us bought a partridge， we had taken our journey fasting."  Fearing that they would be light-headed for want of food and also sleep， owing to "the savages' barbarous singing，（for they use to sing themselves asleep，）" and that they might get home while they had strength to travel， they departed.  As for lodging， it is true they were but poorly entertained， though what they found an inconvenience was no doubt intended for an honor； but as far as eating was concerned， I do not see how the Indians could have done better.  They had nothing to eat themselves， and they were wiser than to think that apologies could supply the place of food to their guests； so they drew their belts tighter and said nothing about it.  Another time when Winslow visited them， it being a season of plenty with them， there was no deficiency in this respect.

　　我的“最好的”房間，當然是我退隱的那間，它是隨時準備招侍客人的，但太陽卻很難得照到地毯上，它便是我屋后的松林。在夏天里，來了尊貴的賓客時，我就帶他們上那兒去，有一個可貴的管家已打掃好地板，抹拭好家具，一切都井然有序了。如果只來了一個客人，有時要分享我的菲薄的飯食；一邊說話一邊煮一個玉米糊，或者注意火上在脹大、烤熟的面包，是不，130.會打斷談話的。可是一來來了二十個人的話，坐在屋里，關于吃飯問題就不好提了，雖然我所有的面包還夠兩個人吃，可是吃飯好像成了一個大家都已戒掉了的習慣；大家都節欲了；然而這不算失禮，反倒被認為是最合適的，是考慮周到的辦法。肉體生命的敗壞，向來是急求補救的，現在卻被拖宕了，而生命的活力居然還能持續下去。像這樣，要招待的人如果不止二十個，而是一千個人的話，我也可以辦到；如果來訪者看到我在家，卻餓了肚子失望地回去，他們可以肯定，我至少總是同情他們的。許多管家盡管對此懷疑，但是建立起新規矩和好習慣來代替舊的是容易的。你的名譽并不靠你請客。至于我自己，哪怕看管地獄之門的三個頭的怪犬也嚇不住我，可是有人要請我作客，大擺筵席，那穩可以嚇得我退避三舍，我認為這大約是客氣地兜圈子暗示我以后不必再去麻煩他了。

　　我想我從此不會再去這些地方了。我引以為驕做的是，有一個訪客在一張代替名片的黃色胡桃葉上寫下了這幾行斯賓塞的詩，大可拿來做我的陋室銘，“到了這里，他們填充著的小房屋，不尋求那些本來就沒有的娛樂；休息好比宴席，一切聽其自然，最高貴的心靈，最能知足自滿。”

　　當后來擔任普利茅斯墾殖區總督的溫斯羅跟一個伴侶去正式訪問瑪薩索特時，他步行經過了森林，又疲倦又饑餓地到了他的棚屋，這位酋長很恭敬地招待了他們。可是這一天沒有提到飲食。夜來了以后，用他們自己的話吧，――“他把我們招待到他自己和他夫人的床上，他們在一頭，我們在另一頭，這床是離地一英尺的木板架成的，上面只鋪了一條薄薄的席子。他手下的兩個頭目，因為房屋不夠，就擠在我們身旁，因此我們不樂意于住所，尤甚我們不樂意于旅途。”第二天一點鐘，瑪薩索特“拿出了兩條他打來的魚”，三倍于鯉魚的大小：“魚燒好之后，至少有四十個人分而食之。總算大多數人都吃到了。兩夜一天，我們只吃了這點；要不是我倆中間的一人買到了一只鷓鴣，我們這旅行可謂是絕食旅行了。”溫斯羅他們既缺少食物，又缺少睡眠，這是因為“那種野蠻的歌聲（他們總是唱著歌兒直唱到他們自己睡著為止）”，他們害怕這樣可能會使他們暈倒，為了要在他們還有力氣的時候，回得到家里，他們就告辭了。真的，他們在住宿方面沒有受到好的招待，雖然使他們深感不便的，倒是那種上賓之禮；至于食物呢，我看印第安人真是再聰明也沒有了。他們自己本來沒有東西吃，他們很聰明，懂得道歉代替不了糧食；所以他們束緊了褲帶，只字不提。溫斯羅后來還去過一次，那次正好是他們的食糧很豐富的季節，所以在這方面沒有匱乏。

更多 英文美文、英語美文、英文短文、英語短文，請繼續關注 英語作文大全