第6章 丑小鸭 The Ugly Duckling(9/9)

首发：~第6章 丑小鸭 The Ugly Duckling

然后这只小鸟觉得自己的翅膀很有力，当他把翅膀在身体两侧拍打时，就高高地飞到了空中。

then the young bird felt that his wings were strong, as he flapped them against his sides, and rose high into the air

它们带着他向前飞，直到他发现自己来到一个大花园里，他都还没太搞清楚这是怎么回事。

they bore him onwards, until he found himself in a large garden, before he well knew how it had happened

苹果树开满了花，芬芳的接骨木树把它们长长的绿色树枝垂到环绕着平坦草坪的溪流上。

the apple - trees were in full blossom, and the fragrant elders bent their long green branches down to the stream which wound round a smooth lawn

在早春的清新气息中，一切看起来都很美丽。

everything looked beautiful, in the freshness of early spring

从附近的灌木丛里游出三只美丽的白天鹅，它们抖动着羽毛，轻盈地在平静的水面上游着。

from a thicket close by came three beautiful white swans, rustling their feathers, and swimming lightly over the smooth water

小鸭子想起了那些可爱的鸟儿，感到比以往更加莫名的难过。

the duckling remembered the lovely birds, and felt more strangely unhappy than ever

“我要飞向那些高贵的鸟儿，” 他叫道，“它们会杀了我，因为我太丑了，还竟敢靠近它们；但没关系：

“i will fly to those royal birds,” he exclaimed, “and they will kill me, because i am so ugly, and dare to approach them; but it does not matter:

被它们杀死总比被鸭子啄、被母鸡打、被那个喂养家禽的女仆推来推去，或者在冬天饿死要好。

better be killed by them than pecked by the ducks, beaten by the hens, pushed about by the maiden who feeds the poultry, or starved with hunger in the winter”

然后他飞到水上，朝着美丽的天鹅游去。

then he flew to the water, and swam towards the beautiful swans

它们一看到这个陌生人，就张开翅膀冲过去迎接他。

the moment they espied the stranger, they rushed to meet him with outstretched wings

“杀了我吧，” 这只可怜的鸟说；他把头低向水面，等待死亡。

“kill me,” said the poor bird; and he bent his head down to the surface of the water, and awaited death

但是他在下面清澈的溪水中看到了什么呢？他自己的倒影；不再是一只又黑又灰、丑陋难看的鸟，而是一只优雅美丽的天鹅。

but what did he see in the clear stream below his own image; no longer a dark, gray bird, ugly and disagreeable to look at, but a graceful and beautiful swan

对一只鸟来说，如果是从天鹅蛋里孵出来的，出生在农家院子里的鸭窝里也没什么关系。

to be born in a duck’s nest, in a farmyard, is of no consequence to a bird, if it is hatched from a swan’s egg

他现在为自己曾经遭受的悲伤和苦难感到高兴，因为这让他能更好地享受周围所有的快乐和幸福；因为大天鹅们围着这个新来的游着，用它们的嘴轻触他的脖子表示欢迎。

he now felt glad at having suffered sorrow and trouble, because it enabled him to enjoy so much better all the pleasure and happiness around him; for the great swans swam round the new - er, and stroked his neck with their beaks, as a wele

不久，一些小孩子走进花园，把面包和蛋糕扔到水里。

into the garden presently came some little children, and threw bread and cake into the water

“看，” 最小的孩子叫道，“有一只新的天鹅；” 其他孩子都很高兴，跑向他们的父亲和母亲，一边跳舞一边拍手，欢快地喊道：“又有一只天鹅来了；来了一只新的。”

“see,” cried the youngest, “there is a new one;” and the rest were delighted, and ran to their father and mother, dancing and clapping their hands, and shouting joyously, “there is another swan e; a new one has arrived”

然后他们把更多的面包和蛋糕扔到水里，说：“这只新的是所有天鹅中最美丽的；他是那么年轻漂亮。” 老天鹅们在他面前低下头。

then they threw more bread and cake into the water, and said, “the new one is the most beautiful of all; he is so young and pretty” and the old swans bowed their heads before him

然后他感到非常羞愧，把头藏在翅膀下面；因为他不知道该做什么，他是如此的幸福，但一点也不骄傲。

then he felt quite ashamed, and hid his head under his wing; for he did not know what to do, he was so happy, and yet not at all proud

他曾因为丑陋而被迫害和鄙视，现在却听到他们说他是所有鸟儿中最美丽的。

he had been persecuted and despised for his ugliness, and now he heard them say he was the most beautiful of all the birds

连接骨木树都在他面前把树枝垂到水里，阳光温暖而明亮地照耀着。

even the elder - tree bent down its bows into the water before him, and the sun shone warm and bright

然后他抖动羽毛，弯曲细长的脖子，从心底欢快地叫着：“当我还是一只丑小鸭的时候，我从未梦想过会有这样的幸福。”

then he rustled his feathers, curved his slender neck, and cried joyfully, from the depths of his heart, “i never dreamed of such happiness as this, while i was an ugly duckling”