英美著名儿童诗一百首 [49]
ugly trick possessed,
Which like a cloud before the skies
Hid all her better qualities.
Sometimes she'd lift the teapot lid,
To peep at what was in it,
Or tilt the kettle, if you did
But turn your back a minute;
In vain you told her not to touch,
Her trick of meddling grew so much.
Her Grandmamma went out one day,
And by mistake she laid
Her spectacles and snuff-box gay
Too near the little maid.
‘Ah! well,’thought she,‘I'll try them on,
As soon as Grandmamma is gone.’
Forthwith she placed upon her nose
The glasses large and wide;
And looking round, as I suppose,
The snuff-box too she spied.
‘O what a pretty box is this!
I'll open it,’said little Miss.
‘I know that Grandmamma would say
"Don't meddle with it, dear";
But then she's far enough away,
And no one else is near;
Beside, what can there be amiss
In opening such a box as this
’
So thumb and finger went to work
To move the stubborn lid,
And presently a mighty jerk
The mighty mischief did;
For all at once, ah, woeful case!
The snuff came puffing in her face.
Poor eyes, poor nose, poor mouth and chin
A dismal sight presented;
And as the snuff got further in,
Sincerely she repented;
In vain she ran about for ease,
She could do nothing else but sneeze.
She dashed the spectacles away,
To wipe her tingling eyes,
And as in twenty bits they lay,
Her Grandmamma she spies;
‘Heyday! and what's the matter now
’
Cried Grandmamma, with lifted brow
Matilda, smarting with the pain,
And tingling still and sore,
Made many a promise to refrain
From ever meddling more;
And'tis a fact, as I have heard,
She ever since has kept her word.
■ 八十七 爱瞎鼓捣的玛蒂
安·泰勒
哦，讨厌的坏习惯会损害
漂亮聪明的小孩！
玛蒂这孩子活泼可爱，
却有个坏习惯难改，
正象蓝天上一朵乌云
遮住了她的优良品性。
有时候她会掀开茶壶盖，
瞧里面有什么东西，
有时候你刚刚转身走开，
她就把水壶翻倒地；
你让她别碰东西，没效，
她可是越来越爱瞎鼓捣。
有一天她的奶奶出门去，
一时疏忽大意，
把她的眼镜和彩色鼻烟壶
忘在小姑娘那里。
孩子想："太好了！奶奶不在家，
我正好把这些东西来耍耍。"
她立刻拿起那宽大的眼镜
架上自己的鼻梁；
不出所料，她四下搜寻，
又把鼻烟壶看上。
"啊，这小壶多么可爱！"
小妞说，"我要把它打开。"
"我知道奶奶会冲我喊，
‘别碰它呀，小乖乖’；
可是这会儿她已经走远，
我身边又没旁人在；
再说，打开这么个小壶，
又算是犯了什么错误？"
于是所有的指头都使劲
去掀动紧紧的壶盖，
顽皮的动作，狠狠地一拧，
突然把盖子打开；
一下子——啊，这可惨了！
鼻烟喷得她满颊满脸了。
可怜的眼鼻嘴唇和下巴——
实在是可悲的景象；
鼻烟只管加紧刺激她，
她这才后悔懊丧；
她跑来跑去想缓解却无效；
除了打喷嚏不知道怎么好。
她把眼镜猛地扔一边，
去擦刺痛的眼睛，
眼镜成了几十块碎片，——
她见到奶奶走近；
"嗨！出了什么事故？"
奶奶喊道，眉毛直竖。
玛蒂呀，脸上还是火辣辣，
痛得好比针儿扎，
一再答应今后要听话，
不再折腾胡乱抓；
听说自从这事儿发生后，
她确实能把诺言来
Which like a cloud before the skies
Hid all her better qualities.
Sometimes she'd lift the teapot lid,
To peep at what was in it,
Or tilt the kettle, if you did
But turn your back a minute;
In vain you told her not to touch,
Her trick of meddling grew so much.
Her Grandmamma went out one day,
And by mistake she laid
Her spectacles and snuff-box gay
Too near the little maid.
‘Ah! well,’thought she,‘I'll try them on,
As soon as Grandmamma is gone.’
Forthwith she placed upon her nose
The glasses large and wide;
And looking round, as I suppose,
The snuff-box too she spied.
‘O what a pretty box is this!
I'll open it,’said little Miss.
‘I know that Grandmamma would say
"Don't meddle with it, dear";
But then she's far enough away,
And no one else is near;
Beside, what can there be amiss
In opening such a box as this
’
So thumb and finger went to work
To move the stubborn lid,
And presently a mighty jerk
The mighty mischief did;
For all at once, ah, woeful case!
The snuff came puffing in her face.
Poor eyes, poor nose, poor mouth and chin
A dismal sight presented;
And as the snuff got further in,
Sincerely she repented;
In vain she ran about for ease,
She could do nothing else but sneeze.
She dashed the spectacles away,
To wipe her tingling eyes,
And as in twenty bits they lay,
Her Grandmamma she spies;
‘Heyday! and what's the matter now
’
Cried Grandmamma, with lifted brow
Matilda, smarting with the pain,
And tingling still and sore,
Made many a promise to refrain
From ever meddling more;
And'tis a fact, as I have heard,
She ever since has kept her word.
■ 八十七 爱瞎鼓捣的玛蒂
安·泰勒
哦，讨厌的坏习惯会损害
漂亮聪明的小孩！
玛蒂这孩子活泼可爱，
却有个坏习惯难改，
正象蓝天上一朵乌云
遮住了她的优良品性。
有时候她会掀开茶壶盖，
瞧里面有什么东西，
有时候你刚刚转身走开，
她就把水壶翻倒地；
你让她别碰东西，没效，
她可是越来越爱瞎鼓捣。
有一天她的奶奶出门去，
一时疏忽大意，
把她的眼镜和彩色鼻烟壶
忘在小姑娘那里。
孩子想："太好了！奶奶不在家，
我正好把这些东西来耍耍。"
她立刻拿起那宽大的眼镜
架上自己的鼻梁；
不出所料，她四下搜寻，
又把鼻烟壶看上。
"啊，这小壶多么可爱！"
小妞说，"我要把它打开。"
"我知道奶奶会冲我喊，
‘别碰它呀，小乖乖’；
可是这会儿她已经走远，
我身边又没旁人在；
再说，打开这么个小壶，
又算是犯了什么错误？"
于是所有的指头都使劲
去掀动紧紧的壶盖，
顽皮的动作，狠狠地一拧，
突然把盖子打开；
一下子——啊，这可惨了！
鼻烟喷得她满颊满脸了。
可怜的眼鼻嘴唇和下巴——
实在是可悲的景象；
鼻烟只管加紧刺激她，
她这才后悔懊丧；
她跑来跑去想缓解却无效；
除了打喷嚏不知道怎么好。
她把眼镜猛地扔一边，
去擦刺痛的眼睛，
眼镜成了几十块碎片，——
她见到奶奶走近；
"嗨！出了什么事故？"
奶奶喊道，眉毛直竖。
玛蒂呀，脸上还是火辣辣，
痛得好比针儿扎，
一再答应今后要听话，
不再折腾胡乱抓；
听说自从这事儿发生后，
她确实能把诺言来