斑点蛙是如何让自己变漂亮的？

作者: Charlotte B. Herr
插画: Frances Beem

正文

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Marian, and she had a doll called Big Mary. Marian loved Big Mary, and meant to be very good to her. But sometimes she was not.
曾几何时,有个小女孩叫玛丽安,她有个洋娃娃叫大玛丽.玛丽安爱大玛丽,并且对她非常好.但是有时候却并不是这样.
Santa Claus had brought Big Mary one snowy Christmas night, and he had brought also a great many pretty clothes for her to wear. There were three dresses, a warm red one for winter, and a white one, very thin, for summer, and still another, of beautiful blue silk with lace on it, for best.
圣诞老人不仅给大玛丽带来了一个下雪的圣诞夜,还给带她来了许多漂亮的衣服.共有三件衣服,第一件是暖红色的,用于在冬天穿;第二件是白色的,非常薄,用于在夏天穿;最后一件非常漂亮,是蓝色丝绸的,上面带有蕾丝花边,用于在最合适的时候穿.
Then, also, there were little skirts, and tiny stockings, and pretty little shoes with shiny buckles and real heels, and there was a pink parasol, and, best of all, a dear little muff, made of soft white fur, to keep Big Mary"s hands warm in cold weather.
然后,还有一些小裙子,小长筒袜,漂亮的小鞋子,这些小鞋子上面有亮晶晶的带扣和真实的鞋跟,以及一把粉红色的阳伞,最重要的是,还有一个柔软的由白色皮毛制成的可爱暖手套,可以使大玛丽的手在寒冷的天气里保持暖和.
At first little Marian loved to dress Big Mary in all these pretty things, and she would put on first the warm red dress, and then the thin white one, and then the one of blue silk with the beautiful lace. And she would raise the big parasol and put it over Big Mary"s head. But she hardly ever gave Big Mary the little white muff to hold, because that was for very, very best. Little Marian"s own mamma had said so.
起初,小玛丽安喜欢给大玛丽穿所有这些漂亮的东西,大玛丽第一次会穿上暖和的红色连衣裙,接下来会穿上单薄的白色连衣裙,再接下来会穿带有漂亮花边的蓝色丝绸连衣裙.小玛丽安会还会为大玛丽撑起遮阳伞,让它遮住大玛丽的头.但是她几乎从未给大玛丽戴上那件白色的暖手套,因为那是在非常非常特殊的时刻用的.小玛丽安自己的妈妈这么说过.
But when Marian"s birthday came, grandma gave her a doll"s trunk, and after that the days were not so pleasant for Big Mary. It was so much fun to pack the trunk that little Marian often took off all the clothes Big Mary had on to put them away in the trunk. Many a time poor Big Mary had to sit for hours all undressed, and she would shiver and shake, until at last one time when little Marian had left her lying all night on the floor without any clothes on, she took a dreadful cold and became very ill.
但是,当玛丽安的生日到来时,她的祖母给了她一个洋娃娃的行李箱,从那以后,大玛丽的日子就不那么愉快了.整理行李箱真是太有趣了,小玛丽安经常脱下大玛丽穿的所有衣服,然后把它们放在行李箱里.可怜的大玛丽有许多次必须光着身子坐好几个小时,因此会不停地颤抖,直到最后一次,小玛丽安让大玛丽光着身子在地板上躺了一夜,大玛丽因此得了一场可怕的感冒,病得非常严重.
Then little Marian was very sorry for what she had done, and she put Big Mary to bed and sent for Dr. Prince. When the doctor came he looked at Big Mary"s tongue, and felt her pulse. And then he shook his head and looked very grave. He said that Big Mary must take some medicine every day, and must sit out in the fresh air, and always wear her best clothes all the time; for she was a very sick doll indeed.
过后,小玛丽安为自己的所作所为感到非常抱歉,于是她把大玛丽送上床,并且请来了普林斯医生.医生来时,他看了看大玛丽的舌头,感受了下她的脉搏.然后摇了摇头,看上去很严肃.他说大玛丽必须每天吃点药,然后坐在新鲜的空气中,并且要始终穿着最好的衣服.因为她确实是个病得很重的娃娃.
So little Marian dressed Big Mary in the blue silk trimmed with lace, because that was her very best dress, and she raised the pink parasol and put it over her head and she gave Big Mary the white muff to hold, because that was for very, very best. Then she carried Big Mary out to the gray rock in the back yard where the nasturtiums grow, to sit in the fresh air all day long.
因此,小玛丽安为大玛丽穿上带蕾丝花边的蓝色丝绸,因为那是大玛丽最好的衣服,她还举起粉红色的遮阳伞,让它罩在大玛丽的头上,她还给将大玛丽带上白色的暖手套,因为这是最好最好的时刻.然后,她把大玛丽带到长满金莲花后院的一块灰色岩石边,让她能够整日呼吸到新鲜的空气.
Now little Miss Freckle Frog lived under the big rock. She was ugly, as all frogs are, but she loved pretty things, perhaps because she was not pretty herself. But although she was not pretty, she was a kind-hearted little body, and all her friends liked her.
现在,小斑点蛙小姐住在大石头下.她像所有青蛙一样丑陋,但是她喜欢漂亮的东西,也许是因为她自己不漂亮.但是尽管她不漂亮,但她是一个善良的小生命,她的所有朋友都喜欢她.

Every day when Big Mary sat in the sunshine, Freckle Frog crept out from under the rock, and hid in the grass, and watched her. She thought Big Mary was wonderful, but she thought that the blue silk dress and the pink parasol were more wonderful still, and the little soft muff,—that was the most wonderful of all! And poor little Freckle Frog wished that she had a blue silk dress with lace, and a pink parasol like Big Mary. But most of all she wished that she had a little soft muff.
每天,当大玛丽坐在阳光下时,斑点蛙就从岩石下面爬出来,藏在草丛中,看着她.她认为大玛丽很棒,但她认为那件蓝色丝绸连衣裙和粉红色的阳伞则更棒,至于那件柔软的暖手套,那是最棒的!可怜的小斑点蛙希望她也有一件蓝色的蕾丝丝制连衣裙,以及一件像大玛丽的粉色阳伞那样的阳伞.但最重要的是,她希望自己也有一个柔软的暖手套.
Now it happened, too, that it was just about the time for Mr. Robin Redbreast to give his big party in the orchard, and little Freckle Frog had been invited, and more than that, her own cousin, Billy Bullfrog, had promised to sing, and of course she wished to look just as nice as she could.
现在是时候了,罗宾知更鸟先生即将在果园里举行他的大派对了,小斑点蛙亦受到了邀请,除此之外,她的堂兄比利牛蛙还答应知更鸟先生要唱歌,她希望自己在派对上看起来尽可能的好看.
So early one fine day, she went to see the Morning Glory Ladies who live near the back porch and always wear such beautiful dresses, and she said to them:"Oh, dear Morning Glory Ladies, your dresses are always so beautiful! But have you seen Big Mary"s blue silk trimmed with lace? It is more beautiful still, the loveliest dress in the whole world! Would you mind making me one like that to wear to Robin Redbreast"s party? My cousin, Billy Bullfrog, is to sing, and I wish so very much to look just as nice as I can. I am not one bit pretty like Big Mary, but clothes always help a great deal, you know. Would you mind lending me one for the party?"
于是,在一个晴天的早上,斑点蛙去看望了牵牛花女士,她们住在后廊附近,总是穿着非常漂亮的衣服,她对她们说:"哦,亲爱的牵牛花女士们,你们的裙子总是那么漂亮!但是你们见过大玛丽那件蕾丝丝制连衣裙吗?然而它更漂亮,它是全世界最漂亮的裙子!您愿意让我穿成那个样子去罗宾知更鸟的派对么?我的堂兄比利牛蛙还会在那个派对唱歌,我希望自己能尽可能的看起来好看些.我不像大玛丽那样漂亮,但是穿衣打扮总是有很大帮助的.你们介意借给我一件你们的衣服去参加派对吗?"

But the Morning Glory Ladies were angry because they had not been invited, and they would not help her.
但是牵牛花女士很生气,因为她们没有受到派对的邀请,因此不想帮助她.
Poor Little Freckle Frog felt very badly to think she had hurt their feelings. She almost cried about it. But just then Little Black Spider, who was a good friend of hers, peeped out from under a leaf and said:"I wouldn"t mind them. They are a conceited lot anyway. It is a hot day, too, and they are apt to be cross on hot days. I will spin you all the lace you want."
可怜的小斑点蛙感觉非常糟糕,她认为她伤害了她们的感情.她几乎为此哭了.但是就在那时,她的好朋友小黑蜘蛛从一片叶子下面偷偷地说道:"要是我我才不会搭理她们呢.无论她们多么漂亮,她们都是高傲的小婊砸.今天天气很热,在天气炎热的时候它们都很容易暴躁.不要管那群小婊砸借啦,你想要要啥,我给你弄."
And so he did. He wove it all that day in his web, and the next morning he brought her a long piece of the loveliest spider-lace as fine as a cobweb. Little Freckle Frog was very grateful to him.
小蜘蛛说到做到.他用了整整一天都在蛛网上进行编织,第二天早上,他给斑点蛙带来了一条长长的非常可爱的蕾丝网,织的就像他自己的蛛网那样好.小斑点蛙因此非常感谢他.

"But what shall I do for a parasol?" she asked.
"但是我要拿什么做遮阳伞呢?" 她问.
"Oh, I"ll tell you!" called a soft little voice, and when she looked up she saw a tiny white butterfly resting on a flower.
"哦,我告诉你!" 一个柔软的声音说道.当她抬起头时,她看到了一只小白蝴蝶停在花上休息.
"I know where there is the dearest little mushroom. It kept the rain off of me the other day, and it is just as soft and pink as Big Mary"s parasol."
"我知道哪里有最好看的小蘑菇.前几天它还为我遮了雨呢,它和大玛丽的遮阳伞一样是柔软的,是粉色的."
So she showed Freckle Frog where to find the mushroom, and it was very soft and pink, just as she had said, and Freckle Frog was very happy about it.
于是,小蝴蝶带着斑点蛙找到了蘑菇,正如她所说的,小蘑菇是粉色的而且非常柔软,斑点蛙对此感到非常高兴.
"Now if I only had a muff," she sighed, "I could look just as beautiful as Big Mary at the party!"
斑点蛙叹了口气:"现在,我只要有一个暖手套的话,就可以在聚会上跟大玛丽一样漂亮了!"
Just then there was a great noise in the tree near the rock and Robin Redbreast himself flew out from among the leaves, but right at her feet dropped a little white caterpillar. He was so frightened that he curled himself up into a ball and lay very still. He made Big Mary laugh, but Freckle Frog had a bright idea.
她的话音刚落,岩石附近的树上发出了巨大的声音,罗宾知更鸟从树叶间飞了出来,有一只白色毛毛虫正好掉在了斑点蛙的脚下.毛毛虫非常害怕,以至于将自己缩成了一个球,非常安静地躺着.他让大玛丽感到好笑,但斑点蛙却有了一个绝妙的主意.

"Oh what a splendid muff you would make!" she cried. "Would you mind if I wear you to the party just this once?"
"喔,你会是一个多么棒的暖手套啊!" 她激动的说,"你介意让我穿着你去参加一次派对吗?"
The poor little caterpillar uncurled himself.
"If you will promise to take care of me and not let Robin Redbreast eat me," he answered, "I shall be only too glad to be your muff."
可怜的小毛毛虫展开了自己.
他回答说:"如果你答应照顾我,不要让罗宾知更鸟把我吃了,我会很高兴成为你的暖手套的."
So Freckle Frog went to the party and wore the cobweb lace, and carried the mushroom parasol, and held the soft little white caterpillar for a muff. She even bought a sweet-pea bonnet to please the Morning Glory Ladies.
于是,斑点蛙去参加了聚会,她披着蛛网蕾丝,提着蘑菇阳伞,还拿着柔软的白色小毛毛虫作暖手套.她甚至还买了甜豆花帽来取悦牵牛花女士(应该是在派对之前??).
Then Robin Redbreast said she looked better than anybody else at his party, and Big Mary, who was well enough by that time to go also, said so, too.
罗宾知更鸟说,她比派对上的其他任何人都好看,即使那个时候亦在派对的大玛丽也这样说.

Now Robin Redbreast, as you must know, always had his parties just at twilight. He himself was always in better voice then, he said, and so he felt sure that Billy Bullfrog and all the other singers must be, too. Then the world was lovelier at that time than it was through the long, hot day, when sensible people like birds and frogs, and sometimes even babies and dolls, took naps and did not stir out at all. At twilight one could always depend upon the sky to grow very soft and pink, and the fairies never failed to hang the leaves with dewdrops, all to make his parties beautiful! The cherries tasted better then, too, and later still, when it began to grow dark, the katy-dids would play if any one cared to dance. So Robin Redbreast always gave beautiful parties, but even he had never given so beautiful a one before.
如你所知,罗宾知更鸟现在总是在黄昏时分举行他的派对.他说,他本人的声音在这时总是更好听,因此,他确信比利牛蛙和其他歌手也是如此.这时的世界比那漫长而炎热的白天更讨人喜华,这时,明智的人,如鸟和青蛙,有时甚至是婴儿和玩偶都会小睡片刻,因此一点也不会打扰到他们开派对.在暮色中,天空总是会变成柔软的粉红色,小精灵们总是会在树叶上悬挂露珠,所有的这些都会让他的派对变得更漂亮!这时的樱桃味道也更好,之后,天渐渐变黑,如果有人想要跳舞的话,纺织娘就会出来演奏.因此,罗宾知更鸟举行的派对总是很漂亮,但是今天的派对是最漂亮的一次.
Little Freckle Frog was very happy. Every one admired her beautiful lace, and she told them all how kind Little Black Spider had been. And by and by, when it came to be time for refreshments, she ate a whole cherry. She never had tasted one before, but as she told Mr. Sparrow, who had brought it to her, she really never had dreamed how delicious a big red cherry could be. Then, when the katy-dids began to play, she danced with her cousin, Billy Bullfrog, until it was time to go home.
小斑点蛙很高兴.每个人都赞颂她美丽的蕾丝,她告诉他们这都是善良的小蜘蛛的功劳.渐渐地,当到了吃茶点的时候,她吃了整整一颗樱桃.她以前从来没有吃过这个,在她告诉麻雀先生给她带来些尝尝之前,她从未想过原来这个大红樱桃这么好吃.然后,当纺织娘们开始弹奏的时候,她和她的表弟比利牛蛙跳起了舞,一直跳到晚上了回家.

There was only one thing that troubled her, and that was that the Morning Glory Ladies were still angry with her. For Little Freckle Frog wanted to be friendly with everybody.
现在,只有一件事困扰着她,那就是牵牛花女士们还在生她的气.对于小斑点蛙来说,她希望与所有人交好.
But at last another idea came into her head. She would give a party herself, just as beautiful a one as Robin Redbreast"s, and have it early in the morning so that the Morning Glory Ladies could come.
但是最后她想到了另一个主意(为什么是another?因为她已经给牵牛花们送了小帽子??).她将为自己举办一场派对,就像罗宾知更鸟举办的那样漂亮,但是要在清晨举行,以便牵牛花女士们能够前来.

So that very evening, before she went home, she told Big Mary all about it, and Big Mary promised to help all she could. Robin Redbreast said that he would surely come, and so did Billy Bullfrog and all the rest. Freckle Frog invited Little Black Spider, too, and even the little white caterpillar. "And you needn"t be a muff this time," she said, "but just eat cherries, and have a good time."
于是,在那天晚上,在她回家之前,她把这件事告诉了大玛丽,大玛丽答应尽一切可能帮助她.罗宾知更鸟也说,他一定会来的,比利牛蛙和其他所有人也都答应会来.斑点蛙也邀请了小黑蜘蛛,甚至是小白毛毛虫.她说:"这次你不必装作暖手套了,只不过吃些樱桃,尽情的玩."
Then, early the next morning, before any one else was up, she went to invite the Morning Glory Ladies, for they are always good-natured then, and never frown and scowl at people until the sun is hot.
于是,第二天一大早,在其他人都还没来之前,她就去邀请了牵牛花女士们,因为那时她们总是很好说话,在太阳变得炎热之前她们永远不会对别人皱眉和发脾气.
"Please, dear Morning Glory Ladies," said Freckle Frog, "will you come to my party? I want you more than any one else."
"亲爱的牵牛花女士,"斑点蛙说,"你们会来参加我的派对吗?我最希望你们来参加了."
Then the Morning Glory Ladies fluttered with joy, for they loved parties, and they smiled and answered her: "Yes, indeed, we shall come, Little Freckle Frog, and wear our best dresses, too."
然后,牵牛花女士们欢欣鼓舞,因为她们喜欢派对,她们微笑着回答道:"好的,一定去,小斑点蛙,我们会来的,而且会穿着最好的衣服."
Then at last Freckle Frog was perfectly happy, and she laughed to herself and said:"It really doesn"t matter about my being pretty any more, for every one likes me now!"
最后,小斑点蛙变得非常开心,并对自己笑着说:"我再也不用变得更漂亮了,因为现在每个人都喜欢我!"
单词注释
Santa Claus: /snt kl:z/; [N]圣诞老人;be apt to: [v]倾向于;be cross: [vi]发脾气,生气;bonnet: /bnt/; [n]<机>阀盖;帽子;buckle: /bkl/; [n]带扣,搭钩;<尤指鞋的>扣形饰物;bullfrog: /blfrɡ/; [n]<脊椎>牛蛙;butterfly: /btfla/; [n]蝴蝶;caterpillar: /ktpl(r)/; [n]<无脊椎>毛虫;cherry: /teri/; [n]樱桃,车厘子;cobweb: /kbweb/; [n]蜘蛛网;圈套;conceited: /knsitd/; [a]自负的;狂想的;逞能的;creep: /krip/; [vi]爬行;蔓延;dewdrop: /djudrp/; [n]露珠,露滴;fairy: /feri/; [n]仙女,小精灵;flutter: /flt(r)/; [v]<鸟或昆虫>鼓翼,飞来飞去;<心脏等>怦怦乱跳;freckle: /frekl/; [n]斑点;斑点;[vt]使生斑点;fresh air: [n]新鲜空气;fur: /f(r)/; [n]毛皮;good-natured: /ɡd netd/; [a]脾气好的,和蔼的;heel: /hil/; [n]脚后跟;鞋跟;hid: /hd/; [v]隐藏;遮蔽<hide的过去式>;hurt one"s feelings: [vi]伤害某人的感情;katy-did: /"ketdd/; [n]螽斯(zhōng sī),纺织娘;kind-hearted: /kand hɑtd/; [a]好心肠的,仁慈的;lace: /les/; [n]花边;鞋带;饰带;morning glory: [n]<园艺>牵牛花;昙花一现的人或物;muff: /mf/; [n]暖手筒;保暖套;mushroom: /mrum/; [n]蘑菇nasturtium: /nstm/; [n]旱金莲orchard: /td/; [n]果园;果树林;parasol: /prsl/; [n]英式遮阳伞;pea: /pi/; [n]豌豆;porch: /pt/; [n]门廊;走廊;redbreast: /redbrest/; [n]知更鸟;refreshment: /rfremnt/; [n]英式茶点;起提神作用的东西;精力恢复;robin: /rbn/; [n]知更鸟;scowl: /skal/; [v]怒视<某人或某物>;sensible: /sensbl/; [a]明智的;通情达理的;合乎情理的;shiver: /v(r)/; [v]颤抖,哆嗦;silk: /slk/; [n]蚕丝,丝绸;丝织物;[a]丝绸的,丝制的;[vi]<玉米>处于长须的阶段中;sparrow: /spr/; [n]麻雀;stir: /st(r)/; [v]搅拌; [ex]本文中指知更鸟的聚会不被打扰;stockings: /s"tkz/; [n]长袜,球袜;丝袜;trim: /trm/; [v]切除<不规则或不需要的部分>,修剪;削减<开支费用等>;修饰; [ex]本文中的大玛丽有一件被花边修饰的(trimmed)丝织物;twilight: /twalat/; [n]黄昏,暮色;朦胧状态;[a]虚幻的;模糊的,朦胧的;