美國語文第四冊 第20期：皮克拉
Poor, sweet Piccola!
可憐的，可愛的皮克拉！
Did you hear what happened to Piccola, children dear?
你們聽說皮克拉出什么事了，孩子們？
T is seldom Fortune such favor grants
很少有人遭遇的這種不幸，
As fell to this little maid of France.
卻發(fā)生在了這個法國小女孩身上。
T was Christmas time, and her parents poor
現在是圣誕節(jié)，她的父母都很貧窮，
Could hardly drive the wolf from the door,
不能擺脫困境，
Striving with poverty's patient pain
與貧窮的痛苦斗爭著，
Only to live till summer again.
只為再次活著迎接夏天的到來。
No gift for Piccola! sad were they
沒有禮物給皮克拉！他們非常悲傷
When dawned the morning of Christmas day!
隨著圣誕節(jié)清晨的來臨！
Their little darling no joy might stir;
他們的小寶貝不快樂；
St. Nicholas nothing would bring to her!
圣誕老人沒有東西帶給她！
But Piccola never doubted at all
但皮克拉深信不疑
That something beautiful must befall
漂亮的東西會
Every child upon Christmas day,
在圣誕日贈給每個孩子，
And so she slept till the dawn was gray.
所以她一直到天快亮才睡著。
And full of faith, when at last she woke,
當她最終醒來，信心滿懷，
She stole to her shoe as the morning broke;
天空破曉，她偷拿來鞋子；
Such sounds of gladness filled all the air,
空氣中都充滿歡快的聲音，
T was plain St. Nicholas had been there.
顯然圣誕老人來過了。
In rushed Piccola, sweet, half wild—
匆忙的皮克拉，內心甜蜜又按捺不住——
Never was seen such a joyful child—
從來沒見過這么愉快的孩子——
"See what the good saint brought!" she CRIed,
“看看圣誕老人帶來了什么！”她叫著，
And mother and father must peep inside.
媽媽和爸爸都往里面看去。
Now such a story I never heard!
現在是我從未聽過的故事了！
There was a little shivering bird!
有一只顫抖的小鳥！
A sparrow, that in at the window flew,
一只小麻雀，從窗子飛進來，
Had crept into Piccola's tiny shoe!
爬進了皮克拉的小鞋子！
How good poor Piccola must have been!
可憐的皮克拉一定是多么善良??！
She CRIed, as happy as any queen,
她大聲叫著，像女王一樣歡樂，
While the starving sparrow she fed and warmed,
饑餓的小麻雀被她喂飽了，溫暖著，
And danced with rapture, she was so charmed.
她手舞足蹈地跳起舞來，多么高興啊。
Children, this story I tell to you
孩子們，我告訴你們的
Of Piccola sweet and her bird, is true.
關于可愛的皮克拉和她的小鳥的故事是真實的。
In the far-off land of France, they say,
據說，在遙遠的法國，
Still do they live to this very day.
她們今天仍然健在。
