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.