《木马赢家》（The Rocking-Horse Winner）是D.H.劳伦斯较为著名的短篇小说之一，故事以现代寓言的形式，在荒诞的图景之中展露了深刻的现实批判内容，探讨了劳伦斯所关注的人与人之间的关系，从一个侧面反映了西方工业社会中金钱对健康和谐的人际关系的扭曲。

作者简介：D·H·劳伦斯（David Herbert Lawrence,1885-1930），英国文学家，诗人。为二十世纪英国最独特和最有争议的作家之一,他笔下有许多脍炙人口的名篇，其中包括《查泰莱夫人的情人》（1928），《儿子与情人》，《虹》（1915），《恋爱中的女人》（1921），以及《误入歧途的女人》等。《木马赢家》于他的晚年创作而成，在他去世后的1933年才发表。

 【原著选段】

There were a boy and two little girls. They lived in a pleasant house, with a garden, and they had discreet servants, and felt themselves superior to anyone in the neighborhood.

Although they lived in style, they felt always an anxiety in the house. There was never enough money. The mother had a small income, and the father had a small income, but not nearly enough for the social position which they had to keep up. The father went into town to some office. But though he had good prospects, these prospects never materialized. There was always the grinding sense of the shortage of money, though the style was always kept up.

 【译本】

她有一个男孩与两个小女孩，他们住在一幢舒适带花园的房子，他们拥有体贴人的仆人，觉得比街道上的任何人都高人一等。

尽管他们生活入时，但总是感到有一种焦虑。钱总是不够用。母亲有一份微薄的收入，父亲也有一份微薄的收入，但几乎不足以维持他们不得不维持的社会地位。父亲在城里任职。但尽管他有好的前景，但从未实现。尽管他们生活入时，但总觉得负担重，少钱用。

 【读书笔记】

  1. discreet：1. (言行）谨慎的, 慎重的, 考虑周到的。引申为“体贴人的”【举例】It wasn't discreet of you to ring me up at the office. 你打电话到我办公室真是太鲁莽了
  2. superior to ：优于,胜于
  3. live in style：过豪华时髦生活
  4. feel an anxiety in：为……感到焦虑。
  5. keep up：保持。【举例】Their spirits kept up well in spite of setbacks.尽管遭受挫折, 他们的热情不减。
  6. materialize：vi.具体化;成为现实【举例】I don’t think her idealistic plans will ever materialize. 我以为她那些空想的计划永远不会实现。
  7. grinding：（困难的形势）没完没了的；无休止的；无改进的