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A bright, merry boy, with laughing face,
一個陽光、快樂的男孩，臉上綻開笑顏，
Whose every motion was full of grace,
他的舉手投足都風度翩翩，
Who knew no trouble and feared no care,
他不識困難，無憂無慮，
Was the light of our household—the youngest there.
是我們家中的光明所在。
He was too young, this little elf,
他太年輕，這個小精靈，
With troublesome questions to vex himself;
不會讓費解的問題把自己折磨，
But for many days a thought would rise,
但很多天來，一個想法出現，
And bring a shade to his dancing eyes.
給他躍動的眼睛蒙上一層陰影。
He went to one whom he thought more wise than any other beneath the skies;
他去找他認為比天底下任何人都更具智慧的人請教；
"Mother,"—O word that makes the home!
“媽媽，”——哦，這個詞切中要害，
"Tell me, when will to-morrow come?"
“告訴我，明天什么時候到來？”
"It is almost night," the mother said,
“現在已經是夜里了，”媽媽說，
And time for my boy to be in bed;
該是我兒子上床睡覺的時間了
When you wake up and it's day again,
當你醒來時，就是白天了，
It will be to-morrow, my darling, then.
那時就是明天了，我的寶貝。
The little boy slept through all the night,
小男孩整夜熟睡，
But woke with the first red streak of light;
但隨著早晨的第一縷陽光醒來；
He pressed a kiss to his mother's brow,
他親吻媽媽的額頭，
And whispered, "Is it to-morrow now?"
輕聲問道：“現在是‘明天’了嗎？”
No, little Eddie, this is today:
不，小艾迪，這是‘今天’；
To-morrow is always one night away.
明天總是要過一個晚上。
He pondered a while, but joys came fast,
他思考了一會兒，但很快高興了起來。
And this vexing question quickly passed.
這個費解的問題很快過去了。
But it came again with the shades of night;
但它隨著夜幕的降臨又卷土重來；
"Will it be to-morrow when it is light?"
“等天亮了是不是就是明天了？”
From years to come he seemed care to borrow,
他似乎想要從未來的年月里借記時間，
He tried so hard to catch tomorrow.
他試圖努力抓住明天。
You can not catch it, my little Ted;
你是抓不住它的，我的小泰德
Enjoy to-day, the mother said;
享受今天，媽媽說道；
Some wait for to-morrow through many a year
有些人在一年中的每天等待明天
It is always coming, but never is here.
它總是即將到來，但永遠無法到達。
