第3章 OUR MASTER.Tuesday,18th.
My new teacher pleases me also,since this morning.While we were coming in,and when he was already seated at his post,some one of his scholars of last year every now and then peeped in at the door to salute him;they would present themselves and greet him:—
“Good morning,Signor Teacher!”“Good morning,Signor Perboni!”Some entered,touched his hand,and ran away.It was evident that they liked him,and would have liked to return to him.He responded,“Good morning,”and shook the hands which were extended to him,but he looked at no one;at every greeting his smile remained serious,with that perpendicular wrinkle on his brow,with his face turned towards the window,and staring at the roof of the house opposite;and instead of being cheered by these greetings,he seemed to suffer from them.Then he surveyed us attentively,one after the other.While he was dictating,he descended and walked among the benches,and,catching sight of a boy whose face was all red with little pimples,he stopped dictating,took the lad's face between his hands and examined it;then he asked him what was the matter with him,and laid his hand on his forehead,to feel if it was hot.Meanwhile,a boy behind him got up on the bench,and began to play the marionette.The teacher turned round suddenly;the boy resumed his seat at one dash,and remained there,with head hanging,in expectation of being punished.The master placed one hand on his head and said to him:—
“Don't do so again.”Nothing more.
Then he returned to his table and finished the dictation.When he had finished dictating,he looked at us a moment in silence;then he said,very,very slowly,with his big but kind voice:—
“Listen.We have a year to pass together;let us see that we pass it well.Study and be good.I have no family;you are my family.Last year I had still a mother:she is dead.I am left alone.I have no one but you in all the world;I have no other affection,no other thought than you:you must be my sons.I wish you well,and you must like me too.I do not wish to be obliged to punish any one.Show me that you are boys of heart:our school shall be a family,and you shall be my consolation and my pride.I do not ask you to give me a promise on your word of honor;I am sure that in your hearts you have already answered me ‘yes,’and I thank you.”
At that moment the beadle entered to announce the close of school.We all left our seats very,very quietly.The boy who had stood up on the bench approached the master,and said to him,in a trembling voice:—
“Forgive me,Signor Master.”
The master kissed him on the brow,and said,“Go,my son.”
我们的先生 十八日
从今天起，现在的先生也可爱起来了。我们进教室去的时候，先生已在位子上坐着。先生前学年教过的学生们都从门口探进头来和先生招呼：“先生早安！”“配巴尼先生早安！”大家这样说着。其中也有走进教室来和先生匆忙地握了手就出去的。可知大家都爱慕这先生，今年也想仍请他教。先生也说着：“早安！”去拉学生伸着的手，却是不去看学生的脸孔。和他们招呼的时候，虽也现出笑容，额上皱纹一蹙，脸孔就板起来，并且把脸对着窗外，注视着对面的屋顶，好像他和学生们招呼是很苦的。完了以后，先生又把我们一一地注视，叫我们默写，自己下了讲台在桌位间巡回。看见有一个面上生着红粒的学生，就把默写中止，两手托了他的头查看，又把手去摸他的额，问他有没有发热。这时先生后面有一个学生乘着先生不看见，跳上椅子玩起洋娃娃来，恰好先生回过头去，那学生就急忙坐下，俯了头预备受责，先生把手按在他的头上，只是说：“下次不要再做这种事了！”另外一点没有什么。
默写完了以后，先生又沉默了，看着我们好一会儿，用了粗大而亲切的声音这样说：
“大家听着！我们从此要同处一年，让我们好好地过这一年吧！大家要用功，要规矩。我没有一个家属，你们就是我的家属。去年以前，我还有母亲，母亲死了以后，我只有一个人了！你们以外，我没有别的家属在世界上，除了你们，我没有可爱的人！你们是我的儿子，我爱你们，请你们也欢喜我！我一个都不愿责罚你们，请将你们的真心给我看看！请你们全班成为一家，给我慰藉，给我荣耀！我现在并不是想你们用口来答应我，我确已知道你们已在心里答应我‘愿意’了。我感谢你们。”
这时校役来通知放学，我们都很静很静地离开座位。那个跳上椅子的学生，走到先生的身旁，颤抖地说：“先生！饶恕我这次！”先生用嘴去亲着他的额说：“快回去！好孩子！”