It was evening.He stood alone in his room，and looked out upon the sea，over the meadow，over moor and coast.The moon shone bright，a mist was over the meadow，making it look like a great lake.And，indeed，it was once so，as the legend tells—and in the moonlight the eye realizes these myths.
现在是晚上。他独自站在房子里，向着大海、草地、沼泽和海滩上望。月光很明朗，草地上却笼罩着一层烟雾，好像一个大湖。像传说上所讲的，它的确曾经是一个大湖——现在在月光中这个传说得到了证实。
Then the man thought of what he had been reading in the town，that William Tell and Holger Danske never really lived，but yet live in popular story，like the lake yonder，a living evidence for such myths.Yes，Holger Danske will return again！
这人想起了他住在城里时读过的故事：威廉·退尔和丹麦人荷尔格从没有存在过。但是，同作为传说的证明的这个湖一样，他们却活在民间的传说中。是的，丹麦人荷尔格会重新归来的！
As he stood thus and thought，something beat quite strongly against the window.Was it a bird，a bat or an owl？Those are not let in，even when they knock.The window flew open of itself，and an old woman looked in at the man.
当他正立着深思的时候，窗子上有猛烈的敲击声。这是一只雀子，一只蝙蝠，还是一只猫头鹰呢？假使是这类东西，开门就没有必要。但窗子却自动地开了，一个老太婆正看着这人。
“Whats your pleasure？”said he.“Who are you？Youre looking in at the first floor window.Are you standing on a ladder？”
“什么？”他说。“你是什么人？你直直朝第二层楼上望。难不成你是站在梯子上吗？”
“You have a fourleaved shamrock in your pocket.”she replied，“Indeed，you have seven，and one of them is a sixleaved one.”
“你衣袋中有一棵长着四片叶子的苜蓿。”她说。“是的，你总共有七棵，其中有一棵还是有六片叶子的哪。”
“Who are you？”asked the man again.
“请问你是谁？”这人满腹疑惑地追问道。
“The Moorwoman.”she replied.“The Moorwoman who brews.I was at it.The bung was in the cask，but one of the little moorimps pulled it out in his mischief(mischief n.伤害，危害，故障，恶作剧，淘气，调皮的人，损害)，and flung it up into the yard，where it beat against the window；and now the beers running out of the cask，and that wont do good to anybody.”
“沼泽女人！”她回答。“酿酒的沼泽女人。我正在酿酒。酒桶已经安上了塞子，但是一个沼泽小鬼恶作剧的将塞子拔掉了，而且把它向院子里扔来，打在窗子上。现在啤酒正在从桶里往外不停地流淌，这样对什么人都没有好处。”
“Pray tell me some more！”said the man.
“请你接着讲！”这人说。
“Yes，wait a little.”answered the Moorwoman.“Ive something else to do just now.”And she was gone.
“啊，请等一等！”沼泽女人说。“此刻还有一件别的事情要我去做。”于是他就走了。
The man was going to shut the window，when the woman already stood before him again.
这人正想关上窗子，沼泽女人忽然又出现在她面前了。
“Now its done，”she said，“but I shall have half the beer to brew over again tomorrow，if the weather is suitable.Well，what have you to ask me？Ive come back，for I always keep my word，and you have seven fourleaved shamrocks in your pocket，and one of them is a sixleaved one.That inspires respect，for thats an order that grows beside the sandy way.But that every one does not find.What have you to ask me？Dont stand there like a ridiculous oaf，for I must go back again directly to my bung and my cask.”
“现在我做完了！”她说。“但是，如果明天天气晴朗，我就把另外一半啤酒留到明天再酿。唔，你有什么事要问我呢？我现在回来了，因为我是一个说话算话的人。你衣袋中有七棵带四片叶子的苜蓿，其中有一棵是六片叶子的。这让人顿起崇敬之心，因为它是长在大路旁的一种装饰品，不过这并不是每个人都能发现的。你有什么事情要问我呢？别像个呆子似的站着呀，因为我得马上去看我的塞子和桶！”
And the man asked about the Story，and inquired(inquire v.询问，问明，查究)if the Moorwoman had met it in her journeyings.
于是这人就问起童话，问她在路上是不是看到过童话。
“By the big brewingvat！”exclaimed the woman，“Havent you got stories enough？I really believe that most people have enough of them.Here are other things to take notice of，other things to examine.Even the children have gone beyond that.Give the little boy a cigar，and the little girl a new crinoline.They like that much better.To listen to stories！No，indeed，there are more important things to be done here，and other things to notice！”
“嗨，但愿上帝保佑我的大酒桶！”沼泽女人说，“你所知道的童话难道还不够多吗？我确信大多数人知道的已经够多了。你应该关心别的事情，注意别的事情才是。连小孩子也不再需要什么童话了。给男孩子一支雪茄，给女孩子一条漂漂亮亮新裙子吧：他们会更喜欢这类东西的。听什么童话！嗨，该做的事情还多着呢，更重要的事情有的是！”
“What do you mean by that？”asked the man，“And what do you know of the world？You dont see anything but frogs and WillotheWisps！”
“你这是什么意思？”这人问。“你懂得什么世上的事情？你看到的只是青蛙和鬼火！”
“Yes，beware of the WillotheWisps，”said the Moorwoman，“for theyre out—theyre let loose—thats what we must talk about！come to me in the moor，where my presence is necessary，and I will tell you all about it.But you must make haste，and come while your seven fourleaved shamrocks，for which one has six leaves，are still fresh，and the moon stands high！”And the Moorwoman was gone.
“是的，请你千万提防鬼火吧，”沼泽女人说道，“它们已经出来了！它们已经溜走了！这就是我们要讨论的一件事情！跟我一块儿到沼泽地来吧，我得在场，我可以把整个的事儿原原本本都告诉你。当你那七棵有四片叶子的苜蓿——当中有一棵是六片叶子的——还是新鲜的时候，当月亮还挂得很高的时候，请你赶快来！”于是沼泽女人就消失不见了。
It struck twelve in the town，and before the last stroke had died away，the man was out in the yard，out in the garden，and stood in the meadow.The mist had vanished，and the Moorwoman stopped her brewing.
教堂上的钟敲了12下，最后一下的声音还没停，这人已走出了屋子，来到花园中，站在草地上了。烟雾已散了。沼泽女人停止了酿酒。
“Youve been a long time coming！”said the Moorwoman，“Witches get forward faster than men，and Im glad that I belong to the witch folk！”
“你来花了这么多的时间！”沼泽女人说道。“巫婆比人走得快得多。我很高兴，我天生就是一个巫婆！”
“What have you to say to me now？”asked the man，“Is it anything about the Story？”
“你现在有什么话要告诉我呢？”这人问。“那些话跟童话有关吗？”
“Can you never get beyond asking about that？”retorted the woman.
“难道你就不能问点别的东西吗？”沼泽女人说。
“Can you tell me anything about the poetry of the future？”resumed the man.
“你是否想和我谈一谈关于未来的诗的发展趋势的问题呢？”这人又问。