there was something extraordinary， something solemn about the whole class. But what surprised me most was to see at the back of the room， on the benches which were usually empty， some people from the village sitting， as silent as we were： old Hauser with his three-cornered hat， the ex-mayor， the ex-postman， and others besides. They all seemed depressed； and Hauser had brought an old spelling-book with gnawed edges， which he held wide-open on his knee， with his great spectacles askew.

　　我跨过凳子，马上坐到座位上。我从惊慌中稍稍定下神来，这才注意到，我们的老师穿着他那件漂亮的绿色常礼服，领口系着折迭得很精致的领结，头上戴着那顶刺绣的黑绸小圆帽，这套装束，只有在上头派人来学校视察或学校发奖时他才穿戴的。此外，整个教室也有一种不同寻常的庄严的气氛。但是，最使我吃惊的是，看到教室面，那些平常空着的凳子上，坐着一些跟我们一样默不作声的村里的人，有头戴三角帽的奥泽尔老人，有前任镇长，有以前的邮递员，另外还有其他人。所有这些人都显得很忧伤；奥泽尔老人还带了一本边角都已破损的旧识字课本，摊放在膝头上，课本上横放着他那副大眼镜。

　　While I was wondering at all this， Monsieur Hamel had mounted his platform， and in the same gentle and serious voice with which he had welcomed me， he said to us：

　　“My children， this is the last time that I shall teach you. Orders have come from Berlin to teach nothing but German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new teacher arrives to-morrow. This is the last class in French， so I beg you to be very attentive.”

　　正当我对这一切感到惊诧莫名时，阿麦尔先生在椅子上坐下，用刚才对我说话的那种既温和又庄重的声音，对我们说道：“孩子们，我这是最后一次给你们上课了。柏林来了命令，阿尔萨斯和洛林两省的学校只准教德语……新的老师明天就到。今天是你们最后一堂法语课，所以我请你们一定专心听讲。”

　　Those few words overwhelmed me. Ah！ the villains！ that was what they had posted at the mayor’s office.

　　这几句话使我惊呆了。啊！这些坏蛋，他们贴在村政府布告栏上的就是这个消息。

　　My last class in French！

　　And I barely knew how to write！ So I should never learn！ I must stop short where I was！ How angry I was with myself because of the time I had wasted， the lessons I had missed， running about after nests， or sliding on the Saar！