“上帝保佑你健健康康!”她说道,这是她对他的祝福语。她很如此地可爱!她是一位女歌唱家,不在舞台上,而是在树林里;不在集市商棚间,而是走在清新、碧绿的树林中,为自己的快乐高兴而歌唱。
“Now comes the young lady,” said those in the carriage. And out stepped a young dame, delicate, proud, and pretty. It was Mistress JUNE, in whose service people become lazy and fond of sleeping for hours. She gives a feast on the longest day of the year, that there may be time for her guests to partake ofpartake of v.吃光, 带有 the numerous dishes at her table. Indeed, she keeps her own carriage. But still she travelled by the mail, with the rest, because she wished to show that she was not highminded. But she was not without a protector. Her younger brother, JULY, was with her.
“夫人来了,年轻夫人!”车里面喊道。于是夫人下来了,年轻、漂亮,高傲貌美。她生来就是没精打采的,一眼便可看出。她在一年当中最长的一天举行宴会,这样人们便有足够长的时间,在她的餐桌上吞食那许多道佳肴。她拥有自己的私车,但还是和其他人一起搭邮车来了。她想这样表示一下她并不是傲慢的。可她并不是独自一人旅行,她有她的弟弟七月跟着。
He was a plump young fellow, clad in summer garments and wearing a straw hat. He had but very little luggage with him, because it was so cumbersomecumbersome adj.讨厌的, 麻烦的, 笨重的 in the great heat, He had, however, swimmingtrousers with him, which are nothing to carry.
他身材魁梧,穿着夏装,戴着一顶巴拿马帽。他带的行李很少,天气热带行李笨重很不方便。他只带着沐浴帽和游泳裤,等于说什么都没带。
Then came the mother herself, in crinolinecrinoline n.裙衬, 带衬的裙, 四周鼓出的裙, Madame AUGUST, a wholesale dealer in fruit, proprietress of a large number of fish ponds and a land cultivatorcultivator n.耕者, 耕田机, 栽培者. She was fat and heated, yet she could use her hands well, and would herself carry out beer to the laborers in the field. “In the sweat of the face shalt thou eat bread,” said she, “it is written in the Bible.” After work, came the recreations, dancing and playing in the greenwood, and the “harvest homes”. She was a thorough housewife.
接着妈妈来了,八月夫人,水果批发商,大桶大桶的水果。她有许多许多的鱼笼,还经营妇女穿的有衬架支撑的裙子。她体胖而热心,她什么事情都参加干,自己搬了啤酒桶给在田地里工作的人。“你必须汗流满面才能糊口,”她说道,“这是写在《圣经》上的。”这之后,大家才能举行林间舞会,才能举行庆丰收宴会!她是位彻底的家庭主妇。
After her a man came out of the coach, who is a painter. He is the great master of colors, and is named SEPTEMBER. The forest, on his arrival, had to change its colors when he wished it. And how beautiful are the colors he chooses! The woods glow with hues of red and gold and brown. This great master painter could whistle like a blackbird. He was quick in his work, and soon entwinedentwine v.(使)缠住, (使)盘绕 the tendrils of the hop plant around his beer jug. This was an ornament to the jug, and he has a great love for ornament. There he stood with his color pot in his hand, and that was the whole of his luggage.
接着下来另一位先生,职业是画家,色彩大师,他就是九月。他的到来,这树林知道,叶子是要变颜色的,而且只要他愿意,可以变得很漂亮。树林不时地红色、金色、褐色。大师像山鸟一样吹着口哨。他是一个聪颖的画家,他把墨绿色的葎草缠在自己的啤酒杯上,很好看。他很有装点布置的眼光。现在他提着自己的颜料罐,这也是他所有的行李了。
A landowner followed, who in the month for sowing seed attended to the ploughing and was fond of field sports. Squire OCTOBER brought his dog and his gun with him, and had nuts in his game bag. “Crack, crack.” He had a great deal of luggage, even an English plough. He spoke of farming, but what he said could scarcely be heard for the coughing and gasping of his neighbor.
接着下来的是一位地主。他心中想着在未来的一个月耕作播种,想着耕田整地。他还喜欢田猎,他随身带有狗,有枪,袋子里有干果,嘎嘎轧轧!他带的东西真多得可怕,还有一把英国犁,他谈论着农业经济,但是因为下来了一位咳喘的人,几乎都没有听到他在说什么。
It was NOVEMBER, who coughed violently as he got out. He had a cold, which caused him to use his pockethandkerchief continually. And yet he said he was obliged to accompany servant girls to their new places, and initiateinitiate vt.开始, 发动, 传授v.开始, 发起 them into their winter service. He said he thought his cold would never leave him when he went out woodcutting, for he was a master sawyer, and had to supply wood to the whole parishparish n.教区. He spent his evenings preparing wooden soles for skates, for he knew, he said, that in a few weeks these shoes would be wanted for the amusement of skating.
来人是十一月,他剧烈地咳嗽着。 他伤风了,导致他不得不一直用手帕遮口。可是他还得跟着姑娘们转,他说道,不过他一去砍柴火,伤风便会好的。因为他是他们那个行会的锯木大师傅他得为整个教区提供柴禾。他还要利用数个晚上雕刻滑冰靴,他知道,不用几个星期人们便用得着这种有趣的鞋具了。
At length the last passenger made her appearance,—old Mother DECEMBER, with her firestool. The dame was very old, but her eyes glistenedglisten v.闪光 like two stars. She carried on her arm a flowerpot, in which a little firtree was growing. “This tree I shall guard and cherish,” she said, “that it may grow large by Christmas Eve, and reach from the ground to the ceiling, to be covered and adorned with flaming candles, golden apples, and little figures. The firestool will be as warm as a stove, and I shall then bring a story book out of my pocket, and read aloud till all the children in the room are quite quiet. Then the little figures on the tree will become lively, and the little waxen angel at the top spread out his wings of goldleaf, and fly down from his green perch. He will kiss every one in the room, great and small. Yes, even the poor children who stand in the passage, or out in the street singing a carolcarol n.欢乐的歌, 颂歌, (尤指)圣诞节颂歌v.歌颂, 欢唱 about the ‘Star of Bethlehem.’”
接着最后一位亮相了,她是一位手捧火钵的老妈妈。她觉得很冷,但是她的一双眼睛却像两颗星星似的闪闪发光。她胳膊上挎着一个花盆,盆里长有一小棵云杉树。“我要好好地照料它,要小心地保护它。这样它到圣诞节的时候,便会长得大大的,从地上一直伸到天花板,上面挂满了火烛、金苹果和各式各样的人物剪纸。火钵儿暖得像火炉,然后我从口袋里掏出童话书,高声地读,于是屋子里的所有孩子都安静了下来。不过,树上的玩具娃娃可不安分了。树梢上的小蜡天使扇着金翼从上面飞下来,亲吻着屋里大大小小的人,是的,包括那些站在窗外或走在大街上唱着伯利恒天上一颗星的圣诞欢歌的穷苦孩子。”
“Well, now the coach may drive away,” said the sentry, “We have the whole twelve. Let the horses be put up.”
“好了,马车可以走了!”守卫说道,“十二位都全了。让下一辆旅车上前来!”
“First, let all the twelve come to me,” said the captain on duty, “one after another. The passports I will keep here. Each of them is available for one month. When that has passed, I shall write the behavior of each on his passport. Mr. JANUARY, have the goodness to come here.” And Mr. January stepped forward.
“先让十二位进去!”值班的上尉说道。“一个一个来。护照由我管着,人人都一样,一个月有效。在一个月后,我会把各人的表现记在护照上。请吧,一月先生,到这边来。” 于是他进去了。
When a year has passed, I think I shall be able to tell you what the twelve passengers have brought to you, to me, and to all of us. Now I do not know, and probably even they dont know themselves, for we live in strange times.
等一年过后,我会告诉你这十二位带了些什么给你、给我和我们大家。现在我还不知道,他自己肯定也不知道,因为我们生活在一个奇妙的时代里。