At length, he opened the Bible, and began to read.

待大家安顿坐好，他打开《圣经》开始朗读。

The child who was seated beside him made some little disturbance, upon which Mr. Sherman paused and told it to be still.

坐在他身边的孩子闹出些许响动，谢尔曼先生停下来，告诉孩子保持安静，

Again he proceeded; but again he paused to reprimand the little offender,

然后继续诵读经文。那孩子仍然坐立不安，父亲只得再度停下，责备这位不懂事的小家伙，

whose playful disposition would scarcely permit it to be still.

但生性爱动的孩子很难保持安静。

And this time he gently tapped its ear.

做父亲的他，只是轻轻地拍打一下孩子的耳朵，

The blow, if blow it might be called, caught the attention of his aged mother,

如果不妨称为“拍打”的话。法官的老母亲看到这些，

who now, with some effort, rose from the seat, and tottered across the room.

她费力地从座位上站起，蹒跚地走到桌子对面，

At length she reached the chair of Mr. Sherman, and, in a moment,

来到谢尔曼先生身边，站立片刻；

most unexpectedly to him, she gave him a blow on the ear with all the force she could summon.

他万万没有想到的是，母亲用尽全身力气，狠狠地给了他一记响亮的耳光。

"There," said she, "you strike your child, and I will strike mine."

“既然，”她说，“你可以打你的孩子，我也可以打我的孩子。”

For a moment, the blood was seen mounting to the face of Mr. Sherman;

片刻工夫，血从谢尔曼先生脸上渗出，

but it was only for a moment, when all was calm and mild as usual.

全家人很快恢复了往常的宁静平和，

He paused; he raised his spectacles; he cast his eye upon his mother;

他只是略作停息，再度戴好眼镜，

again it fell upon the book from which he had been reading.

看了看母亲，然后拿起书从先前暂停地方，

Not a word escaped him; but again he calmly pursued the service,

一字不漏地开始重新朗读。谢尔曼先生再度冷静地完成了职责，

and soon after sought in prayer an ability to set an example before his household which would be worthy of their imitation.

在祷告中寻求一种为家庭竖立榜样的能力，一种值得孩子们模仿的能力。

Such a victory was worth more than the proudest one ever achieved on the field of battle.

的确，就战场上自豪胜利者而言，这种内在美德实在超过军人的威武尊严。