《织补针》，1846 年

the darning-Needle, 1846

从前有一根织补针，它想象自己是如此精致，以至于最后它认为自己是一根缝纫针。

there was once upon a time a darning needle, that imagined itself so fine, that at last it fancied it was a sewing-needle.

“现在，注意了，把我紧紧握住！” 织补针对着正要把它拿出来的手指说道。

“Now, pay attention, and hold me firmly!” said the darning-needle to the fingers that were taking it out.

“别让我掉下去！如果我掉到地上，肯定就再也找不到了，我是如此纤细。”

“do not let me fall! If I fall on the ground, I shall certainly never be found again, so fine am I.”

“差不多就是那样吧。” 手指回答道，说着，它们抓住了针的针身。

“pretty well as to that,” answered the fingers; and so saying, they took hold of it by the body.

“看，我后面还拖着一串东西呢！” 织补针说着，身后拖着一根长长的线，但线头上没有打结。

“Look, I e with a train!” said the darning-needle, drawing a long thread after it, but there was no knot to the thread.

手指把针对准了厨娘的一双旧鞋子。鞋面的皮子破了，现在要把它缝起来。

the fingers directed the needle against an old pair of shoes belonging to the cook. the upper-leather was torn, and it was now to be sewed together.

“那是粗活。” 针说，“我可干不了。我会折断的！我会折断的！” 结果它真的折断了。

“that is vulgar work,” said the needle; “I can never get through it. I shall break! I shall break!” And it really did break.

“我不是说过了吗？” 针说，“我太娇弱了。”

“did I not say so?” said the needle; “I am too delicate.”

“现在它一点儿用也没有了。” 手指说，不过它们还得捏着它；厨娘在它上面滴了些封蜡，然后用它把自己的围巾别在一起。

“Now it’s good for nothing,” said the fingers, but they were obliged to hold it still; the cook dropped sealing-wax upon it, and pinned her neckerchief together with it.

“嗯，现在我是一枚胸针了。” 织补针说，“我就知道我会得到荣耀的：一个人要是有本事，肯定会有出息的！” 同时它心里暗自发笑；因为谁也看不到织补针什么时候在笑。

“well, now I am a breast-pin,” said the darning-needle. “I was sure I should be raised to honor: if one is something, one is sure to get on!” and at the same time it laughed inwardly; for one can never see when a darning-needle laughs.

于是它现在就那样骄傲地坐着，仿佛坐在一辆豪华马车里，向四周张望着。

So there it sat now as proudly as in a state-carriage, and looked around on every side.

“我可否冒昧地问一下，您是金子做的吗？”

“may I take the liberty to inquire if you are of gold?”

“你外表光鲜亮丽，还有自己的针头，不过就是小了点。你得努力长大才行，因为不是谁都能被滴上封蜡的！” 织补针问它旁边的一枚别针。

asked the needle of a pin that was its neighbor. “You have a splendid exterior, and a head of your own, but it is small, however. You must do what you can to grow, for it is not every one that is bedropped with sealing-wax!”

然后织补针把身子挺得高高的，结果从围巾上掉了下来，径直掉进了洗碗池里，而厨娘当时正在冲洗那个洗碗池。

And then the darning-needle drew itself up so high that it fell out of the kerchief, and tumbled right into the sink, which the cook was at that moment rinsing out.

“现在我们要去旅行啦。” 针说，“但愿我不会迷路！” 可它真的迷路了。

“Now we are going on our travels,” said the needle. “If only I do not get lost!” but it really did get lost.

“我在这个世界上太娇弱了！” 针躺在洗碗池里说，“不过我知道我是谁，这总归是一种安慰。” 织补针依然保持着它那骄傲的神态，好心情一点儿也没丢。

“I am too delicate for this world!” said the needle, as it lay in the sink, “but I know who I am, and that is always a consolation;” and the darning-needle maintained its proud demeanor, and lost none of its good-humor.

各种各样的东西从它上面漂过 —— 刨花、稻草和旧报纸的碎片。

And all sorts of things swam over it — shavings, straws, and scraps of old newspapers.

“看看它们漂过去的样子。” 针说，“它们不知道自己下面藏着什么呢！我牢牢地扎在这儿：我就坐在这儿。看！有一片刨花漂过去了：它心里除了自己什么都不想 —— 就想着一片刨花！有一根稻草在漂；它怎么转来转去，怎么打转转呀！除了自己，也想想别的事儿吧，不然说不定会撞到石头上呢！有一小片报纸在漂。上面写的东西早就被人忘了，可它还铺展开来，好像自己有多重要似的！我就耐心地、静静地坐在这儿：我知道我是谁，而且我终究还是会留存下来的！”

“only look how they sail by,” said the needle. “they do not know what is hidden below them! I stick fast here: here I sit. Look! there goes a shaving: it thinks of nothing in the world but of itself — but of a shaving! there drifts a straw; and how it tacks about, how it turns round! think of something else besides yourself, or else perhaps you’ll run against a stone! there swims a bit of a newspaper. what’s written there is long ago forgotten, and yet out it spreads itself, as if it were mighty important! I sit here patient and still: I know who I am, and that I shall remain after all!”

有一天，有个东西紧挨着针躺在那儿。

one day there lay something close beside the needle.

它闪闪发光，非常耀眼，以至于织补针以为它一定是颗钻石：但它其实只是一块碎玻璃瓶片，因为它闪闪发光，织补针便和它搭话，并向它介绍自己是一枚胸针。

It glittered so splendidly, that the needle thought it must be a diamond: but it was only a bit of a broken bottle, and because it glittered the darning-needle addressed it, and introduced itself to the other as a breast-pin.

“你无疑是一颗钻石吧？”