《豌豆花》，1853 年

the pea blossom, 1853

从前，一个豆荚里有五颗豌豆，它们是绿色的，豆荚也是绿色的，所以它们就认为整个世界肯定也都是绿色的，这是个很自然的结论。

there were once five peas in one shell, they were green, the shell was green, and so they believed that the whole world must be green also, which was a very natural conclusion.

豆荚长大了，豌豆也长大了，它们适应着各自的位置，整整齐齐地排成一排。

the shell grew, and the peas grew, they acmodated themselves to their position, and sat all in a row.

阳光从外面照进来，温暖着豆荚，雨水把它冲洗得清澈透明；白天阳光明媚，天气温和宜人，夜晚则漆黑一片，通常都是如此；而坐在里面的豌豆们长得越来越大，它们沉思的时候也变得越发有想法了，因为它们觉得肯定还有别的事情等着它们去做。

the sun shone without and warmed the shell, and the rain made it clear and transparent; it was mild and agreeable in broad daylight, and dark at night, as it generally is; and the peas as they sat there grew bigger and bigger, and more thoughtful as they mused, for they felt there must be something else for them to do.

“我们要永远坐在这儿吗？”

“Are we to sit here forever?”

其中一颗豌豆问道；“坐这么久，我们会不会变硬啊？在我看来，外面肯定有别的东西，我对此深信不疑。”

asked one; “shall we not bee hard by sitting so long? It seems to me there must be something outside, and I feel sure of it.”

随着几周时间过去，豌豆变黄了，豆荚也变黄了。

And as weeks passed by, the peas became yellow, and the shell became yellow.

“我猜整个世界都在变黄吧。” 它们说道 —— 也许它们说得没错。

“All the world is turning yellow, I suppose,” said they, — and perhaps they were right.

突然，它们感觉豆荚被拉了一下；豆荚被扯掉了，被人拿在手里，然后和其他装满豌豆的豆荚一起被塞进了一件夹克的口袋里。

Suddenly they felt a pull at the shell; it was torn off, and held in human hands, then slipped into the pocket of a jacket in pany with other full pods.

“现在我们很快就要被打开了。” 其中一颗豌豆说 —— 这正是它们全都盼望的事。

“Now we shall soon be opened,” said one, — just what they all wanted.

“我想知道我们当中谁会走得最远。” 五颗豌豆里最小的那颗说；“现在我们很快就能知道了。”

“I should like to know which of us will travel furthest,” said the smallest of the five; “we shall soon see now.”

“该发生的总会发生。” 最大的那颗豌豆说。

“what is to happen will happen,” said the largest pea.

“啪” 的一声，豆荚裂开了，五颗豌豆滚落到明媚的阳光下。

“crack” went the shell as it burst, and the five peas rolled out into the bright sunshine.

它们就躺在一个孩子的手里。

there they lay in a child’s hand.

一个小男孩紧紧地握着它们，说这些豌豆用来做他的豌豆枪再好不过了。

A little boy was holding them tightly, and said they were fine peas for his pea-shooter.

他立刻把一颗豌豆放进去，然后射了出去。

And immediately he put one in and shot it out.

“现在我要飞向广阔的世界了，” 它说；“有本事就来抓我呀；” 一转眼它就不见了。

“Now I am flying out into the wide world,” said he; “catch me if you can;” and he was gone in a moment.

“我呀，” 第二颗豌豆说，“打算直接飞到太阳那儿去，太阳可是个显眼的大家伙，正合我意；” 说完它就飞走了。

“I,” said the second, “intend to fly straight to the sun, that is a shell that lets itself be seen, and it will suit me exactly;” and away he went.

“不管落到哪儿，我们都要睡一觉，” 接下来的两颗豌豆说，“我们还是会继续往前滚的；” 它们确实先掉到了地上，在被放进豌豆枪之前还滚了一会儿；但最后还是被放进去了。

“we will go to sleep wherever we find ourselves,” said the two next, “we shall still be rolling onwards;” and they did certainly fall on the floor, and roll about before they got into the pea-shooter; but they were put in for all that.

“我们会比其他豌豆走得更远。” 它们说。

“we shall go farther than the others,” said they.

“该发生的总会发生。” 最后一颗豌豆被从豌豆枪里射出去的时候大声说道；它一边说一边飞起来，撞到了阁楼窗户下的一块旧木板上，然后掉进了一个小裂缝里，裂缝里几乎填满了苔藓和松软的泥土。

“what is to happen will happen,” exclaimed the last, as he was shot out of the pea-shooter; and as he spoke he flew up against an old board under a garret-window, and fell into a little crevice, which was almost filled up with moss and soft earth.

苔藓把它围了起来，它就躺在那儿，成了名副其实的俘虏，但上帝并没有忽略它。

the moss closed itself round him, and there he lay, a captive indeed, but not unnoticed by God.

“该发生的总会发生。” 它自言自语道。

“what is to happen will happen,” said he to himself.

在小阁楼里住着一个穷苦的女人，她出去打扫炉灶、把木头劈成小块，做着诸如此类的苦活儿，因为她身强力壮又勤劳能干。

within the little garret lived a poor woman, who went to clean stoves, chop wood into small pieces and perform such-like hard work, for she was strong and industrious.

然而她始终很穷，在阁楼的家里躺着她唯一的女儿，还没完全长大，而且身体非常虚弱。

Yet she remained always poor, and at home in the garret lay her only daughter, not quite grown up, and very delicate and weak.

她已经卧床整整一年了，看上去好像是既活不成也死不了。