《亚麻》，1849 年
the Flax, 1849
亚麻花开得正盛；它长着小巧可爱的蓝色花朵，娇嫩得如同飞蛾的翅膀，甚至更甚。
the flax was in full bloom; it had pretty little blue flowers as delicate as the wings of a moth, or even more so.
阳光照耀着它，雨水滋润着它；这对亚麻来说，就如同小孩子被母亲洗净后再亲吻一样有益。
the sun shone, and the showers watered it; and this was just as good for the flax as it is for little children to be washed and then kissed by their mother.
它们（孩子）因此看起来漂亮多了，亚麻也是如此。
they look much prettier for it, and so did the flax.
“人们都说我看起来美极了，” 亚麻说，“还说我又细又长，能织成一块漂亮的亚麻布。我多幸运呀；这让我太开心了，知道自己能派上用场，真是一件让人愉快的事。阳光让我多么振奋，雨水又是多么甘甜、多么清新；我的幸福满得要溢出来了，世上没人能比我更幸福。”
“people say that I look exceedingly well,” said the flax, “and that I am so fine and long that I shall make a beautiful piece of linen. how fortunate I am; it makes me so happy, it is such a pleasant thing to know that something can be made of me. how the sunshine cheers me, and how sweet and refreshing is the rain; my happiness overpowers me, no one in the world can feel happier than I am.”
“啊，是啊，毫无疑问，” 蕨草说，“但你还不像我这么了解这个世界呢，因为我的茎是多节的；” 然后它就非常哀伤地唱了起来 ——
“咔嚓，噼啪，嘶啦，
巴塞 卢啦：
歌已唱完。”
“Ah, yes, no doubt,” said the fern, “but you do not know the world yet as well as I do, for my sticks are knotty;” and then it sung quite mournfully —
“Snip, snap, snurre,
basse lurre:
the song is ended.”
“不，还没唱完呢，” 亚麻说，“明天太阳还会照耀，或者雨水还会落下。我感觉自己在生长。我感觉自己正盛开着。我是万物中最幸福的。”
“No, it is not ended,” said the flax. “to-morrow the sun will shine, or the rain descend. I feel that I am growing. I feel that I am in the full blossom. I am the happiest of all creatures.”
嗯，有一天，来了一些人，他们抓住亚麻，把它连根拔起；这可真疼啊；然后又把它放在水里，好像要把它淹死似的；接着，又把它放在火边，好像要把它烤了似的；这一切都太可怕了。
well, one day some people came, who took hold of the flax, and pulled it up by the roots; this was painful; then it was laid in water as if they intended to drown it; and, after that, placed near a fire as if it were to be roasted; all this was very shocking.
“我们不能指望永远都幸福，” 亚麻说，“经历过好坏两方面的事，我们才能变得明智。”
“we cannot expect to be happy always,” said the flax; “by experiencing evil as well as good, we bee wise.”
而亚麻肯定要遭遇不少磨难。
And certainly there was plenty of evil in store for the flax.
它被浸泡、烘烤、折断、梳理；说实在的，它都几乎不知道自己遭受了些什么。
It was steeped, and roasted, and broken, and bed; indeed, it scarcely knew what was done to it.
最后，它被放到了纺车上。
At last it was put on the spinning wheel.
“呼呼，呼呼”，纺车转得飞快，亚麻都来不及细想。
“whirr, whirr,” went the wheel so quickly that the flax could not collect its thoughts.
“嗯，我曾经非常幸福，” 它在痛苦之中这样想着，“必须对过去感到满足；” 它就一直保持着满足的心态，直到被放到织布机上，变成了一块漂亮的白色亚麻布。
“well, I have been very happy,” he thought in the midst of his pain, “and must be contented with the past;” and contented he remained till he was put on the loom, and became a beautiful piece of white linen.
所有的亚麻，甚至连最后一根茎杆都被用来织成了这一块布。
All the flax, even to the last stalk, was used in making this one piece.
“嗯，这太奇妙了；我真不敢相信自己会如此受到命运的眷顾。蕨草唱的那首
‘咔嚓，噼啪，嘶啦，
巴塞 卢啦。’
并没有错。
“well, this is quite wonderful; I could not have believed that I should be the so favored by fortune. the fern was not wrong with its song of
‘Snip, snap, snurre,
basse lurre.’
但我确定这首歌还没唱完呢；它才刚刚开始。多么奇妙啊，经历了那么多苦难之后，我终于派上了用场；我是世界上最幸运的家伙 —— 如此结实又精美；而且多么白啊，还那么长！这和仅仅做一棵开花的植物可大不一样了。
but the song is not ended yet, I am sure; it is only just beginning. how wonderful it is, that after all I have suffered, I am made something of at last; I am the luckiest person in the world — so strong and fine; and how white, and what a length! this is something different to being a mere plant and bearing flowers.
那时我没人关注，除非下雨否则也没有水喝；现在，我有人照看、有人照料。
then I had no attention, nor any water unless it rained; now, I am watched and taken care of.
每天早晨女仆都会把我翻个面，每天晚上我还能从洒水壶里享受一场淋浴。
Every morning the maid turns me over, and I have a shower-bath from the watering-pot every evening.
是的，而且牧师的妻子也注意到了我，还说我是整个教区里最好的一块亚麻布。
Yes, and the clergyman’s wife noticed me, and said I was the best piece of linen in the whole parish.
我现在已经幸福得不能再幸福了。
I cannot be happier than I am now.”
过了一段时间，亚麻布被拿进屋里，放在剪刀下，被剪成了碎片，然后又用针缝缝补补。
After some time, the linen was taken into the house, placed under the scissors, and cut and torn into pieces, and then pricked with needles.
这当然让人不太舒服；但最后它被做成了十二件那种人们不太愿意提及名字的衣物，然而每个人都应该穿一件。
this certainly was not pleasant; but at last it was made into twelve garments of that kind which people do not like to name, and yet everybody should wear one.