搭邮车来的十二位
IT was bitterly cold， the sky glitteredglitter vi.闪闪发光， 闪烁， 闪光n.闪光 with stars， and not a breeze stirred. “Bump”—an old pot was thrown at a neighbors door， and “bang， bang，” went the guns， for they were greeting the New Year. It was New Years Eve， and the church clock was striking twelve.
那是一个酷冷而明星满天的夜晚，万物无声。“嘣！”瓦罐撞碎在大门上，接着是“梆！”响声迎来了新年。这是大年除夕，教堂的时钟正敲响十二下。
“Tantarara， tantarara，” sounded the horn， and the mailcoach came lumbering up. The clumsyclumsy adj.笨拙的 vehiclevehicle n.交通工具， 车辆， 媒介物， 传达手段 stopped at the gate of the town. All the places had been taken， for there were twelve passengers in the coach.
“哒得，哒得！”邮车来了。笨拙的大邮车在城门外面停了下来，车上坐无虚席，共有十二名乘客。
“Hurrah！ hurrah！” cried the people in the town. for in every house the New Year was being welcomed. And as the clock struck， they stood up， the full glasses in their hands， to drink success to the new comer. “A happy New Year，” was the cry， “A pretty wife， plenty of money， and no sorrow or care.”
“好啊！好啊！”家家户户都在叫喊，大伙儿都在庆祝新年的到来。此时斟满快乐了酒的玻璃杯，正被举起为新年祝酒干杯：“祝你新年！”他们都这么说，“娶个漂亮的妻子，发大财！万事吉祥如意！”
The wish passed round， and the glasses clashed together till they rang again. While before the towngate the mail coach stopped with the twelve strange passengers. And who were these strangers？ Each of them had his passport and his luggageluggage n.行李， 皮箱 with him. They even brought presents for me， and for you， and for all the people in the town. Who were they？ what did they want？ and what did they bring with them？
大家互相祝福。杯子一直在碰撞，发出叮叮当当的声音，而邮车载着那些异邦来的客人，那十二位旅客还在城门那里停着。他们都是些什么人？他们随身带着护照和行李，是的，还有给你、给我、给城里每一位的赠礼。这些异邦人都是谁？他们要干什么，他们带来了什么？
“Goodmorning，” they cried to the sentry at the towngate.
“早安！”他们对看守城门的人大声说道。
“Goodmorning，” replied the sentrysentry n.岗哨， for the clock had struck twelve. “Your name and profession？” asked the sentry of the one who alighted first from the carriage.
“早安！”他说道，这时时钟已经过了十二点。“您的名字？您的职业？”守卫问第一个下车的那位。
“See for yourself in the passport，” he replied. “I am myself.” And a famous fellow he looked， arrayedarray vt.部署， 穿着， 排列n.排列， 编队， 军队， 衣服， 大批 in bearskin and fur boots. “I am the man on whom many persons fix their hopes. Come to me tomorrow， and Ill give you a New Years present. I throw shillings and pence among the people. I give balls， no less than thirtyone. Indeed， that is the highest number I can spare for balls. My ships are often frozen in， but in my offices it is warm and comfortable. My name is JANUARY. Im a merchant， and I generally bring my accounts with me.”
“你自己看护照吧！”那位先生说道。“我就是我！”他看起来很有派头，身穿熊皮大衣，脸蹬高统皮靴。“我就是被很多人寄以许许多多希望的那个人。天亮以后来看我，想要新年礼物的话！我会大把大把地撒铜板银币，散发礼物的。是的，我举行舞会，多达三十一场，——这是最多的了，再多的夜晚我可没有了。虽然我的船经常被冰冻住，可是我的办公室里还是蛮暖和的。我是商人，名字叫一月。我身边只有账单。”
Then the second alighted. He seemed a merry fellow. He was a director of a theatre， a manager of masked balls， and a leader of all the amusementsamusement n.娱乐， 消遣， 娱乐活动 we can imagine. His luggage consisted of a great caskcask n.桶， 木桶vt.装入桶中.
接下来又一个下车的，他看起来是一个很开心的家伙。他是娱乐界的头面人物，戏剧导演，化妆舞会经理人等等，只要我们都想到的，他都涉足。他是经营娱乐业的，他是一位经理，戏剧、化装舞会等等能找得到欢乐的活动他都经营。他的行李是一只大木桶。
“Well dance the bung out of the cask at carnivalcarnival n.狂欢节， 饮宴狂欢 time，” said he. “Ill prepare a merry tune for you and for myself too. Unfortunately I have not long to live—the shortest time， in fact， of my whole family—only twentyeight days. Sometimes they pop me in a day extra， but I trouble myself very little about that. Hurrah！”
“那是忏悔节时敲的，敲出来的可大大不止是猫啊，”他说道。“我要让大家，也让我自己高兴高兴。不幸的是，我将不久于人世。因为我是我们全家中寿命最短的，我只有二十八天！是的，可能会有人给我加上一天，不过那也一个样。妙啊！”
“You must not shout so，” said the sentry.
“您不能这么大声喊叫的，”守卫的人说道。
“Certainly I may shout，” retorted the man. “Im Prince Carnival， travelling under the name of FEBRUARY.”
“我正是要这么喊！”那个人说道，“我是嘉年华会的王子，用二月的名字到各处旅行。”
The third now got out. He looked a personificationpersonification n.化身 of fasting. But he carried his nose very high， for he was related to the “forty (k)nights，” and was a weather prophet. But that is not a very lucrativelucrative adj.有利的 office， and therefore he praised fasting. In his buttonhole he carried a little bunch of violets， but they were very small.
接着第三位出来了。一副斋公的模样，不过他多了一股高傲的气味。因为他与“四十骑士”是一家的，而且可以预言天气。但是那并不是什么肥差，所以他崇尚斋戒。在他的扣眼上插着一束紫罗兰，可是花束儿非常小。
“MARCH， March，” the fourth called after him， slapping him on the shoulder， ”dont you smell something？ Make haste into the guard room. Theyre drinking punch there. Thats your favorite drink. I can smell it out here already. Forward， Master March.” But it was not true. The speaker only wanted to remind him of his name， and to make an APRIL fool of him， for with that fun the fourth generally began his career. He looked very jovial， did little work， and had the more holidays. “If the world were only a little more settled，” said he， “but sometimes Im obliged to be in a good humor， and sometimes a bad one， according to circumstances. Now rain， now sunshine. Im kind of a house agent， also a manager of funeralsfuneral n.葬礼， 出殡. I can laugh or cry， according to circumstances. I have my summer wardrobe in this box here， but it would be very foolish to put it on now. Here I am. On Sundays I go out walking in shoes and white silk stockings， and a muff.”
“三月，快点下！”第四位在后面喊道，并推了第三位肩膀一下。“三月，快点下！你没闻到什么吗？我在这已经闻到一股酒的味道，那可是你最喜欢喝的，快去保卫室看看去吧！”不过那并不是真的，他不过是想骗他一下罢了，这家伙就是以愚人开始的。看上去他对愚弄人倒是很开心的。他显然不大干事，而尽是在过圣节。“我的心情时好时坏！”他说道，“下雨出太阳，搬出又搬进！我也是搬家代理，我代理殡葬，我会笑又会哭信据外部环境而变化。我箱子里有一套夏装，可是现在穿它也未免太不成体统了。我来了！周末我会到热闹场合去，穿上白丝袜子，套上皮手筒。”
After him， a lady stepped out of the coach. She called herself Miss MAY. She wore a summer dress and overshoes， Her dress was a light green， and she wore anemones in her hair. She was so scentedscented adj.洒有香水的， 有香味的，有气味的 with wildthyme， that it made the sentry sneezesneeze vi.打喷嚏n.喷嚏.
接着有一位女士从车上走下。她自称五月小姐，穿着夏装和套靴。她的长裙是山毛榉叶那种浅绿色的，头上插着一枝银莲花。此外，她身上还有一股车叶草的香味，让门卫忍不住嗅了嗅。
“Your health， and God bless you，” was her salutation to him. How pretty she was！ And such a singer！ Not a theatre singer， nor a ballad singer. No， but a singer of the woods， for she wandered through the gay green forest. And had a concertconcert n.音乐会， 一致 there for her own amusement.