《鹳鸟》，1838 年
the Storks, 1838.
在一个小村庄的最后一所房子上，鹳鸟筑了一个巢，鹳鸟妈妈和她的四个孩子坐在巢里，孩子们伸长脖子，露出黑色的喙，它们的喙还没有像父母的那样变成红色。
on the last house in a little village the storks had built a nest, and the mother stork sat in it with her four young ones, who stretched out their necks and pointed their black beaks, which had not yet turned red like those of the parent birds.
不远处，在屋顶边缘，鹳鸟爸爸笔直而僵硬地站着；他不喜欢闲着，就把一条腿收起来，用另一条腿站着，一动不动，几乎就像木雕一样。
A little way off, on the edge of the roof, stood the father stork, quite upright and stiff; not liking to be quite idle, he drew up one leg, and stood on the other, so still that it seemed almost as if he were carved in wood.
“我妻子有个哨兵守卫着她的巢，这一定很壮观。他们不知道我是她的丈夫；他们会以为我是奉命站在这里的，这可真是贵族派头。” 于是他继续用一条腿站着。
“It must look very grand,” thought he, “for my wife to have a sentry guarding her nest. they do not know that I am her husband; they will think I have been manded to stand here, which is quite aristocratic;” and so he continued standing on one leg.
下面的街上有一群孩子在玩耍，当他们看到鹳鸟时，其中最大胆的一个男孩开始唱起关于鹳鸟的歌，很快其他孩子也跟着唱了起来。
In the street below were a number of children at play, and when they caught sight of the storks, one of the boldest amongst the boys began to sing a song about them, and very soon he was joined by the rest.
这是歌里的歌词，但每个孩子都只是按照自己的记忆用自己的方式唱着。
these are the words of the song, but each only sang what he could remember of them in his own way.
“鹳鸟，鹳鸟，飞走啦，别单腿站着啦，求你啦，
“Stork, stork, fly away, Stand not on one leg, I pray,
看你的妻子在巢里呀，和她的宝宝在休息呀。
See your wife is in her nest, with her little ones at rest.
他们会吊死一只，再油炸另一只；他们会射死第三只，再烤了他兄弟。”
they will hang one, And fry another; they will shoot a third, And roast his brother.”
“听听那些男孩在唱什么。” 小鹳鸟们说，“他们说我们会被吊死和烤了。”
“Just hear what those boys are singing,” said the young storks; “they say we shall be hanged and roasted.”
“别管他们说什么；你们不用听。” 妈妈说，“他们伤不了你们。”
“Never mind what they say; you need not listen,” said the mother. “they can do no harm.”
但是孩子们继续唱着歌，指着鹳鸟，嘲笑它们，只有一个叫彼得的男孩除外；他说拿动物取乐是可耻的，根本不愿和他们一起闹。
but the boys went on singing and pointing at the storks, and mocking at them, excepting one of the boys whose name was peter; he said it was a shame to make fun of animals, and would not join with them at all.
鹳鸟妈妈安慰着她的孩子们，告诉他们不要在意。“看，” 她说，“你们的爸爸单腿站着多安静啊。”
the mother stork forted her young ones, and told them not to mind. “See,” she said, “how quiet your father stands, although he is only on one leg.”
“但是我们非常害怕。” 小鹳鸟们说，然后把头缩回巢里。
“but we are very much frightened,” said the young storks, and they drew back their heads into the nests.
第二天，当孩子们一起玩耍，看到鹳鸟时，他们又唱起了那首歌 ——“他们会吊死一只，再烤了另一只。”
the next day when the children were playing together, and saw the storks, they sang the song again — “they will hang one, And roast another.”
“我们会被吊死然后烤了吗？” 小鹳鸟们问。
“Shall we be hanged and roasted?” asked the young storks.
“不，当然不会。” 妈妈说。“我会教你们飞，等你们学会了，我们就飞到草地上去，去拜访青蛙，它们会在水里向我们鞠躬，呱呱叫着，然后我们就把它们吃掉；那会很有趣。”
“No, certainly not,” said the mother. “I will teach you to fly, and when you have learnt, we will fly into the meadows, and pay a visit to the frogs, who will bow themselves to us in the water, and cry ‘croak, croak,’ and then we shall eat them up; that will be fun.”
“然后呢？” 小鹳鸟们问。
“And what next?” asked the young storks.
“然后，” 妈妈回答，“这个国家的所有鹳鸟都会聚集在一起，进行秋季演习，所以对每一只鹳鸟来说，知道如何正确飞行是非常重要的。如果它们不会飞，将军会用它的喙刺穿它们，然后杀死它们。所以你们必须努力学习，以便在训练开始的时候做好准备。”
“then,” replied the mother, “all the storks in the country will assemble together, and go through their autumn manoeuvres, so that it is very important for every one to know how to fly properly. If they do not, the general will thrust them through with his beak, and kill them. therefore you must take pains and learn, so as to be ready when the drilling begins.”
“那么我们最终可能还是会像那些男孩说的那样被杀死；听！他们又在唱歌了。”
“then we may be killed after all, as the boys say; and hark! they are singing again.”
“听我的，别听他们的。” 鹳鸟妈妈说。“大检阅结束后，我们就飞往离这儿很远的温暖国家，那里有高山和森林。去埃及，在那里我们会看到用石头建造的三角形房子，房顶尖尖的，几乎触到云端。它们被叫做金字塔，比一只鹳能想象到的还要古老。在那个国家，有一条河会泛滥，然后退去，只留下一片泥泞。在那里我们可以四处走走，尽情吃青蛙。”
“Listen to me, and not to them,” said the mother stork. “After the great review is over, we shall fly away to warm countries far from hence, where there are mountains and forests. to Egypt, where we shall see three-cornered houses built of stone, with pointed tops that reach nearly to the clouds. they are called pyramids, and are older than a stork could imagine; and in that country, there is a river that overflows its banks, and then goes back, leaving nothing but mire; there we can walk about, and eat frogs in abundance.”
“哦，哦 ——！” 小鹳鸟们叫道。
“oh, o — h!” cried the young storks.
“是的，那是个令人愉快的地方。在那儿整天除了吃什么都不用做。而当我们在外面过得这么舒服的时候，这个国家的树上将一片绿叶都没有，天气会非常寒冷，云彩都会冻住，像小白布条一样飘落到地上。” 鹳鸟妈妈说的是雪，但她没法用别的方式解释。
“Yes, it is a delightful place; there is nothing to do all day long but eat, and while we are so well off out there, in this country there will not be a single green leaf on the trees, and the weather will be so cold that the clouds will freeze, and fall on the earth in little white rags.” the stork meant snow, but she could not explain it in any other way.
“那些调皮的男孩会冻僵然后碎成一块一块的吗？” 小鹳鸟们问。
“will the naughty boys freeze and fall in pieces?” asked the young storks.
“不，他们不会冻僵然后碎成一块一块的。” 鹳鸟妈妈说，“但是他们会非常冷，不得不整天坐在黑暗、阴沉的房间里。而我们将在有盛开的花朵和温暖阳光的外国飞翔。”
“No, they will not freeze and fall into pieces,” said the mother, “but they will be very cold, and be obliged to sit all day in a dark, gloomy room, while we shall be flying about in foreign lands, where there are blooming flowers and warm sunshine.”
时间流逝，小鹳鸟们长得非常大了，他们可以在巢里站直身子，环顾四周。
time passed on, and the young storks grew so large that they could stand upright in the nest and look about them.
爸爸每天给他们带来漂亮的青蛙、小蛇和各种他能找到的鹳鸟美食。然后，看他为了逗他们开心而表演的把戏是多么有趣啊。他会把头完全绕到尾巴上，用喙咔哒作响，就好像那是一个拨浪鼓一样。然后他会给他们讲所有关于沼泽和湿地的故事。
the father brought them, every day, beautiful frogs, little snakes, and all kinds of stork-dainties that he could find. And then, how funny it was to see the tricks he would perform to amuse them. he would lay his head quite round over his tail, and clatter with his beak, as if it had been a rattle; and then he would tell them stories all about the marshes and fens.
“来吧，” 有一天妈妈说，“现在你们必须学会飞了。” 于是四只小鹳鸟都不得不来到屋顶上。哦，一开始他们摇摇晃晃的，不得不挥动翅膀保持平衡，不然就会摔到下面的地上。
“e,” said the mother one day, “Now you must learn to fly.” And all the four young ones were obliged to e out on the top of the roof. oh, how they tottered at first, and were obliged to balance themselves with their wings, or they would have fallen to the ground below.
“看着我，” 妈妈说，“你们必须这样昂起头，这样放好你们的脚。一，二，一，二 —— 就是这样。现在你们在这个世界上就能照顾好自己了。”
“Look at me,” said the mother, “you must hold your heads in this way, and place your feet so. once, twice, once, twice — that is it. Now you will be able to take care of yourselves in the world.”
然后她飞到离他们一小段距离的地方，小鹳鸟们一跃而起去追她，但是他们扑通一声掉了下来，因为他们的身体还太重。
then she flew a little distance from them, and the young ones made a spring to follow her; but down they fell plump, for their bodies were still too heavy.
“我不想飞。” 一只小鹳鸟说，爬回了巢里。“我不在乎去温暖的国家。”
“I don’t want to fly,” said one of the young storks, creeping back into the nest. “I don’t care about going to warm countries.”
“你想在冬天来的时候留在这里挨冻吗？” 妈妈说，“或者等那些男孩来把你吊死或者烤了你？—— 那好吧，我去叫他们来。”
“would you like to stay here and freeze when the winter es?” said the mother, “or till the boys es to hang you, or to roast you? — well then, I’ll call them.”
“哦，不，不。” 小鹳鸟说，和其他小鹳鸟一起跳到屋顶上。现在他们都很专心，到了第三天他们就能飞一小段距离了。
“oh no, no,” said the young stork, jumping out on the roof with the others; and now they were all attentive, and by the third day could fly a little.
然后他们开始想象自己能翱翔，于是他们试着这样做，靠翅膀支撑着，但他们很快就发现自己在往下掉，不得不尽快拍打翅膀。
then they began to fancy they could soar, so they tried to do so, resting on their wings, but they soon found themselves falling, and had to flap their wings as quickly as possible.
男孩们又来到街上，唱着他们的歌：——“鹳鸟，鹳鸟，飞走啦。”
the boys came again in the street singing their song: — “Stork, stork, fly away.”
“我们飞下去把他们的眼睛啄出来好吗？” 小鹳鸟们问。
“Shall we fly down, and pick their eyes out?” asked the young storks.
“不；别理他们。” 妈妈说。“听我说；那更重要。现在。一、二、三。现在向右边。一、二、三。现在向左边，绕着烟囱飞。好了，非常好。最后那一下拍打翅膀非常轻松优美，我允许你们明天和我一起飞到沼泽地去。那里会有很多非常出色的鹳鸟和它们的家人，我希望你们向他们展示我的孩子们是在场的所有鹳鸟中教养最好的。你们必须骄傲地大摇大摆走着 —— 这会很好看，也会让你们受到尊重。”
“No; leave them alone,” said the mother. “Listen to me; that is much more important. Now then. one-two-three. Now to the right. one-two-three. Now to the left, round the chimney. there now, that was very good. that last flap of the wings was so easy and graceful, that I shall give you permission to fly with me to-morrow to the marshes. there will be a number of very superior storks there with their families, and I expect you to show them that my children are the best brought up of any who may be present. You must strut about proudly — it will look well and make you respected.”
“但是我们不能惩罚那些调皮的男孩吗？” 小鹳鸟们问。
“but may we not punish those naughty boys?” asked the young storks.
“不；让他们爱怎么叫就怎么叫吧。你们现在可以从他们那里飞走，高高地飞到云层里，等他们冻僵的时候，你们就会在有金字塔的地方了，那时他们那里树上没有一片绿叶，也没有一个苹果可吃。”
“No; let them scream away as much as they like. You can fly from them now up high amid the clouds, and will be in the land of the pyramids when they are freezing, and have not a green leaf on the trees or an apple to eat.”
“我们会报仇的。” 小鹳鸟们互相低声说着，又加入了练习。
“we will revenge ourselves,” whispered the young storks to each other, as they again joined the exercising.
在所有在街上唱着嘲笑鹳鸟的歌的男孩中，没有一个像第一个开始唱的那个男孩那么坚决要继续唱下去。
of all the boys in the street who sang the mocking song about the storks, not one was so determined to go on with it as he who first began it.
然而他只是个不超过六岁的小家伙。在小鹳鸟们看来，他至少有一百岁了，因为他比它们的爸爸和妈妈大多了。当然，不能指望鹳鸟知道孩子和大人的年龄。所以它们决定向这个男孩报仇，因为是他最先开始唱那首歌，而且还一直唱下去。小鹳鸟们非常生气，随着年龄的增长，脾气变得越来越糟。最后它们的妈妈不得不答应它们一定会报仇，但要等到它们离开的那天。
Yet he was a little fellow not more than six years old. to the young storks he appeared at least a hundred, for he was so much bigger than their father and mother. to be sure, storks cannot be expected to know how old children and grown-up people are. So they determined to have their revenge on this boy, because he began the song first and would keep on with it. the young storks were very angry, and grew worse as they grew older; so at last their mother was obliged to promise that they should be revenged, but not until the day of their departure.
“我们必须先看看，你们在大检阅中的表现如何。” 她说。“如果你们在那里表现不好，将军会用他的喙刺穿你们，你们就会像那些男孩说的那样被杀死，虽然方式不完全一样。所以我们必须等着瞧。”
“we must see first, how you acquit yourselves at the grand review,” said she. “If you get on badly there, the general will thrust his beak through you, and you will be killed, as the boys said, though not exactly in the same manner. So we must wait and see.”
“你们会看到的。” 小鹳鸟们说。然后它们非常努力，每天刻苦练习，以至于最后看到它们飞得那么轻盈、那么优美真是一种享受。秋天一到，所有的鹳鸟在冬天飞往温暖的国家之前就开始聚集在一起。然后检阅开始了。它们飞过森林和村庄，展示它们的本领，因为它们面前有一段很长的旅程。小鹳鸟们表现得非常出色，它们得到了一个荣誉标志，还有青蛙和蛇作为礼物。
“You shall see,” said the young birds, and then they took such pains and practised so well every day, that at last it was quite a pleasure to see them fly so lightly and prettily. As soon as the autumn arrived, all the storks began to assemble together before taking their departure for warm countries during the winter. then the review menced. they flew over forests and villages to show what they could do, for they had a long journey before them. the young storks performed their part so well that they received a mark of honor, with frogs and snakes as a present.
这些礼物是这件事情中最好的部分，因为他们可以吃掉青蛙和蛇，他们很快就这么做了。
these presents were the best part of the affair, for they could eat the frogs and snakes, which they very quickly did.
“现在让我们报仇吧。” 他们喊道。
“Now let us have our revenge,” they cried.
“是的，当然。” 鹳鸟妈妈喊道。“我已经想到了最好的报仇方法。我知道那个池塘，所有的小孩子都躺在那里，等着鹳鸟来把他们带给他们的父母。最漂亮的小婴儿躺在那里，做着比他们以后任何时候都要甜美的梦。所有的父母都很高兴有一个小孩子，孩子们也很高兴有一个小弟弟或小妹妹。现在我们飞到池塘边，给那些没有唱那首嘲笑鹳鸟的调皮歌的孩子们每人带一个小婴儿来。”
“Yes, certainly,” cried the mother stork. “I have thought upon the best way to be revenged. I know the pond in which all the little children lie, waiting till the storks e to take them to their parents. the prettiest little babies lie there dreaming more sweetly than they will ever dream in the time to e. All parents are glad to have a little child, and children are so pleased with a little brother or sister. Now we will fly to the pond and fetch a little baby for each of the children who did not sing that naughty song to make game of the storks.”
“但是那个调皮的男孩，是他最先开始唱那首歌的，我们要怎么对付他呢？” 小鹳鸟们喊道。
“but the naughty boy, who began the song first, what shall we do to him?” cried the young storks.
“池塘里有一个小死婴，他是做梦把自己梦死的。” 妈妈说。“我们把他带给那个调皮的男孩，他会哭的，因为我们给他带来了一个死弟弟。但是你们不要忘记那个好男孩，他说嘲笑动物是可耻的：我们也给他带一个小弟弟和小妹妹，因为他很善良。他叫彼得，从现在起你们都叫彼得。”
“there lies in the pond a little dead baby who has dreamed itself to death,” said the mother. “we will take it to the naughty boy, and he will cry because we have brought him a little dead brother. but you have not forgotten the good boy who said it was a shame to laugh at animals: we will take him a little brother and sister too, because he was good. he is called peter, and you shall all be called peter in future.”
于是他们都按照妈妈的安排做了，从那天起，直到现在，所有的鹳鸟都叫彼得。
So they all did what their mother had arranged, and from that day, even till now, all the storks have been called peter.