A little before dark I passed a farm-house,
天快黑的時候,我走過一家農戶。
at the open door of which the farmer was sitting, eating his supper of bread and cheese.
農夫坐在敞開著的門口,正用面包和奶酪作晚餐。
I stopped and said: "Will you give me a piece of bread? for I am very hungry."
我站住說:“能給我一片面包嗎?因為我實在餓得慌。”
He cast on me a glance of surprise; but without answering, he cut a thick slice from his loaf, and gave it to me.
他驚異地看了我一眼,但二話沒說,便切了一厚片面包給我。
I imagine he did not think I was a beggar, but only an eccentric sort of lady, who had taken a fancy to his brown loaf.
我估計他并不認為我是個乞丐,而只是一位怪僻的貴婦,看中了他的黑面包了。
As soon as I was out of sight of his house, I sat down and ate it.
我一走到望不見他屋子的地方,便坐下吃了起來。
I could not hope to get a lodging under a roof, and sought it in the wood I have before alluded to.
既然我無法期望在屋檐下借宿,那就讓我到前面提到的林子里去過夜吧。
But my night was wretched, my rest broken: the ground was damp, the air cold:
但是那晚很糟糕,休息斷斷續續,地面很潮濕,空氣十分寒冷,
besides, intruders passed near me more than once, and I had again and again to change my quarters;
此外,不止一次地有外人路過,弄得我一次次換地方,
no sense of safety or tranquillity befriended me.
沒有安全感,也得不到清靜。
Towards morning it rained; the whole of the following day was wet.
臨近早晨天下雨了,第二天下了一整天。
Do not ask me, reader, to give a minute account of that day;
讀者呀,別要我把那天的情況說個仔細。
as before, I sought work; as before, I was repulsed; as before, I starved; but once did food pass my lips.
我像以前一樣尋找工作,像以前一樣遭到拒絕,像以前一樣挨餓。不過有一回食物倒是進了嘴。
At the door of a cottage I saw a little girl about to throw a mess of cold porridge into a pig trough.
在一間小茅屋門口,我看見一個小女孩正要把糊糟糟的冷粥倒進豬槽里。
"Will you give me that?" I asked.
“可以把它給我嗎?”我問。
She stared at me. "Mother!" she exclaimed, "there is a woman wants me to give her these porridge."
她瞪著我。“媽媽!”她嚷道,“有個女的要我把粥給她。”
"Well lass," replied a voice within, "give it her if she's a beggar. T pig doesn't want it."
“行呵,孩子,”里邊的一個聲音回答,“要是她是個乞丐,那就給了她吧,豬也不會要吃的。”