《陀螺与球》，1844 年
the top and ball, 1844
一个陀螺和一个小球一起放在一个盒子里，和其他玩具放在一起，陀螺对球说：“我们住在同一个盒子里，我们结婚好吗？”
A whipping top and a little ball lay together in a box, among other toys, and the top said to the ball, “Shall we be married, as we live in the simple box?”
但是这个球，穿着摩洛哥皮革做的外衣，自视甚高，就像其他年轻小姐一样，甚至都不屑于回答。
but the ball, which wore a dress of morocco leather, and thought as much of herself as any other young lady, would not even condescend to reply.
第二天，这些玩具所属的小男孩来了，他把陀螺涂成了红黄相间的颜色，还在中间钉了一颗铜头钉，这样当陀螺旋转起来的时候，看起来非常漂亮。
the next day came the little boy to whom the playthings belonged, and he painted the top red and yellow, and drove a brass-headed nail into the middle, so that while the top was spinning round it looked splendid.
“看看我。” 陀螺对球说。
“Look at me,” said the top to the ball.
“你现在怎么说？
我们彼此订婚好吗？
我们会很般配的；你能弹起来，我能跳舞。
没有人会比我们更幸福的。”
“what do you say now?
Shall we be engaged to each other?
we should suit so well; you spring, and I dance.
No one could be happier than we should be.”
“真的吗！你这么认为？
也许你不知道我的父亲和母亲是摩洛哥拖鞋，而且我的身体里有一块西班牙软木塞。”
“Indeed! do you think so?
perhaps you do not know that my father and mother were morocco slippers, and that I have a Spanish cork in my body.”
“是的；但我是用桃花心木做的。” 陀螺说。
“Yes; but I am made of mahogany,” said the top.
“是少校亲自车制我的。
他自己有一台车床，对他来说这是一项很大的消遣。”
“the major himself turned me.
he has a turning lathe of his own, and it is a great amusement to him.”
“我能相信吗？”
球问道。
“can I believe it?”
asked the ball.
“如果我没说实话，就让我再也转不起来吧。” 陀螺说。
“may I never be whipped again,” said the top, “if I am not telling you the truth.”
“你确实很会为自己说话。” 球说；“但我不能接受你的求婚。
我差不多已经和一只燕子订婚了。”
“You certainly know how to speak for yourself very well,” said the ball; “but I cannot accept your proposal.
I am almost engaged to a swallow.
每次我飞到空中，他就会把头探出鸟巢，问：‘你愿意吗？’而我已经在心里默默地回答‘愿意’了，这就跟已经订了一半婚差不多啦；不过我保证永远不会忘记你。”
Every time I fly up in the air, he puts his head out of the nest, and says, ‘will you?’ and I have said, ‘Yes,’ to myself silently, and that is as good as being half engaged; but I will promise never to forget you.”
“这对我可没什么好处。” 陀螺说；之后它们就再也没和对方说过话。
“much good that will be to me,” said the top; and they spoke to each other no more.
第二天，小男孩把球拿了出去。
Next day the ball was taken out by the boy.
陀螺看到它像鸟儿一样高高地飞在空中，直到完全看不见了。
the top saw it flying high in the air, like a bird, till it would go quite out of sight.
每次它落回地面再弹起时，都会比之前跳得更高，要么是因为它渴望向上飞，要么是因为它身体里有块西班牙软木塞的缘故。
Each time it came back, as it touched the earth, it gave a higher leap than before, either because it longed to fly upwards, or from having a Spanish cork in its body.
但第九次它飞到空中后，就再也没回来。
but the ninth time it rose in the air, it remained away, and did not return.
小男孩到处找它，但都徒劳无功，因为根本找不到；它不见了。
the boy searched everywhere for it, but he searched in vain, for it could not be found; it was gone.
“我很清楚她在哪儿。” 陀螺叹着气说；“她在燕子窝里，已经和燕子结婚了。”
“I know very well where she is,” sighed the top; “she is in the swallow’s nest, and has married the swallow.”
陀螺越想这事，就越想念球。
the more the top thought of this, the more he longed for the ball.
他的爱愈发浓烈，恰恰是因为得不到她；而她竟然被别人赢得了，这才是最糟糕的。
his love increased the more, just because he could not get her; and that she should have been won by another, was the worst of all.
陀螺仍然不停地旋转并嗡嗡作响，但他一直在想着球；他越想她，在他的想象中她就显得越美丽。
the top still twirled about and hummed, but he continued to think of the ball; and the more he thought of her, the more beautiful she seemed to her fancy.
就这样，几年过去了，他的爱变得相当久远。
thus several years passed by, and his love became quite old.
陀螺也不再年轻了；但有一天，他看起来比以往任何时候都更英俊，因为他全身都镀上了金。
the top, also, was no longer young; but there came a day when he looked handsomer than ever; for he was gilded all over.
现在他成了一个金色的陀螺，不停地旋转、舞动，嗡嗡声也很大，确实值得一看；但有一天他跳得太高了，然后他也不见了。
he was now a golden top, and whirled and danced about till he hummed quite loud, and was something worth looking at; but one day he leaped too high, and then he, also, was gone.
他们到处找，甚至连地窖都找了，但哪儿都找不到他。
they searched everywhere, even in the cellar, but he was nowhere to be found.
他能在哪儿呢？
where could he be?
他跳进了垃圾桶，那里堆满了各种各样的垃圾：卷心菜梗、灰尘，还有从屋顶檐槽滴下来的雨水。
he had jumped into the dust-bin, where all sorts of rubbish were lying: cabbage-stalks, dust, and rain-droppings that had fallen down from the gutter under the roof.
“现在我待在一个好地方了，” 他说，“我身上的镀金很快就会在这里被冲掉的。
哦，天哪，我身边都是些什么乱七八糟的东西呀！” 然后他瞥了一眼一个奇怪的圆东西，像个烂苹果，它就躺在一根又长又没叶子的卷心菜梗旁边。
“Now I am in a nice place,” said he; “my gilding will soon be washed off here.
oh dear, what a set of rabble I have got amongst!” And then he glanced at a curious round thing like an old apple, which lay near a long, leafless cabbage-stalk.
然而，那不是苹果，而是一个旧球，它在檐槽里躺了好几年，已经被水浸透了。
It was, however, not an apple, but an old ball, which had lain for years in the gutter, and was soaked through with water.
“谢天谢地，来了一个和我同类的，我可以和它聊聊了。” 球边说边打量着这个镀金的陀螺。
“thank goodness, here es one of my own class, with whom I can talk,” said the ball, examining the gilded top.
“我是用摩洛哥皮革做的。” 她说。
“I am made of morocco,” she said.
“我是由一位年轻小姐缝起来的，我身体里有一块西班牙软木塞；但现在看看我，没人能想得到了。
我曾经和一只燕子订过婚；但我从屋顶檐槽掉落到这里，已经在这里躺了五年多了，全身都湿透了。
相信我，对一个年轻姑娘来说，这时间可够长的了。”
“I was sewn together by a young lady, and I have a Spanish cork in my body; but no one would think it, to look at me now.
I was once engaged to a swallow; but I fell in here from the gutter under the roof, and I have lain here more than five years, and have been thoroughly drenched.
believe me, it is a long time for a young maiden.”
陀螺什么也没说，但他想起了他的旧爱；她说得越多，他就越清楚这就是同一个球。
the top said nothing, but he thought of his old love; and the more she said, the more clear it bees to him that this was the same ball.
这时仆人过来清理垃圾桶了。
the servant then came to clean out the dust-bin.
“啊，” 她叫道，“这儿有个镀金的陀螺。”
“Ah,” she exclaimed, “here is a gilt top.”
于是陀螺又一次受到关注和重视，但再也没有听到关于那个小球的任何消息了。
So the top was brought again to notice and honor, but nothing more was heard of the little ball.
他对自己的旧爱只字未提；因为那份感情很快就消逝了。
he spoke not a word about his old love; for that soon died away.
当心爱的对象在排水沟里躺了五年，还被淋得湿透，在垃圾桶里再次见到她时，没人愿意再去了解她了。
when the beloved object has lain for five years in a gutter, and has been drenched through, no one cares to know her again on meeting her in a dust-bin.