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The Story of the Easter Rabbit
復(fù)活節(jié)兔子的故事
Once upon a time, many years ago, the winter had been long and cold.
很久很久、許多年以前，冬天漫長而寒冷。
"What makes Spring so late?" asked all the children. "Let us go to the woods and see if she has come."
“是什么讓春天來得這么晚？”孩子們問，“我們?nèi)ド挚纯此搅藳]有。”
But when they came to the woods, they could find no birds or wild flowers. The cold north wind still roared through the branches of the trees.
但當(dāng)他們到森林時(shí)，卻找不到鳥兒或野花。寒冷的北風(fēng)依然呼嘯著穿過樹枝。
The chidren were sad because Spring had not come, and they went home.
孩子們很傷心，因?yàn)榇禾爝€沒來，于是他們回家了。
But Spring did come at last, and the north wind no longer roared through the branches of the trees. The birds began building their nests, the wild flowers were peeping out of the ground, and tiny new leaves were on the trees.
但是春天終于來了，北風(fēng)不再呼嘯著穿過樹枝。鳥兒開始筑巢，野花從地里探出頭來，樹上又長出了嫩葉。
"Where are the children?" asked Spring.
“孩子們?cè)谀睦铮俊贝簡柕馈?/div>
"They always come to play with the birds and flowers and animals."
“他們總來與鳥兒、野花和動(dòng)物玩。”
"They came a few weeks ago," said the chickadee. "They saw that you were not here, and so they went home."
“他們幾星期前來過，”山雀說，“他們看到你不在就回家了。”
"Aren't they coming back soon?" asked the wild flowers. "Our pretty colors will not last many days longer."
“他們會(huì)很快回來嗎？”野花問，“我們的漂亮顏色不會(huì)持續(xù)太久。”
The rabbits and squirrels said, "We love the children.We like to peep out from our holes and watch them."
兔子和松鼠說：“我們喜歡孩子，喜歡從洞里探出頭來看他們”。
"Perhaps the children do not know we are here," said Spring. "Robin, will you tell them?"
“也許孩子們不知道我們?cè)谶@兒，”春說。“知更鳥，你能告訴他們嗎?”
"I am too busy building a nest for my little ones," said the robin. "Send the fox. She has finished making her home."
“我正忙著為孩子們搭窩呢。”知更鳥說，“讓狐貍?cè)ィㄍ昙伊恕！?/div>
"Will you go, Red Fox?" asked Spring.
“你去嗎，紅狐貍？”春問道。
"Don't send me," said the fox. "The people will think I have come to kill their chickens."
“不要派我，”狐貍說，“人們會(huì)認(rèn)為我是來殺雞的。”
"That is true," said Spring. "We cannot send you. Black Bear, couldn't you go?"
“沒錯(cuò)，”春說，“我們不能派你。黑熊，你能去嗎？”
"I am so big," said the bear, "and I look fierce that I would frighten the children. Besides, I am thin and hungry after my long winter's sleep. I must hunt for food so that I will be fat again."
“我太大了，”熊說，“我看起來很兇，會(huì)嚇著孩子們的。而且在漫長的冬眠后，我又瘦又餓，必須尋找食物，這樣我才能再胖起來。”
"What shall we do?" said Spring.
“我們要怎么辦？”春說。
"Why not send the rabbit?" said the bear. "Children all love rabbits."
“為什么不派兔子去呢？”熊說，“孩子們都喜歡兔子。”
The rabbit was proud to hear that all the children loved him, and he promised to go.
兔子聽到所有孩子都愛它，很驕傲，它答應(yīng)去了。
Then he remembered the dogs. "Oh!" he cried. "I nearly forgot about the dogs. Perhaps you should send someone else."
然后它想起了狗。它叫道：“噢，我?guī)缀跬四切┕贰Ｒ苍S你應(yīng)該派別人去。”
"You can go tonight when all the dogs are asleep," said Spring. "You will be safe if you are careful."
“你可以今晚去，那時(shí)所有的狗都睡著了，”春天說。“如果你小心點(diǎn)兒，會(huì)很安全。”
"All right," said the bunny. "I'll go."
“好吧，”兔子說。“我去。”
The animals made a basket of straw and sticks and covered the bottom with soft grass.
動(dòng)物們用稻草和木棍做了一個(gè)籃子，并用柔軟的草蓋住籃底。
Then each bird brought an egg from her nest, until the basket was nearly full.
然后，每只鳥都從她的巢里取出一顆蛋，直到籃子幾乎裝滿了。
There were blue eggs and spotted eggs, green eggs and pink eggs.
有藍(lán)色的蛋、帶斑點(diǎn)的蛋、綠色的蛋和粉紅色的蛋。
The animals and birds trimmed the basket with wild flowers and tied it on the bunny's back.
動(dòng)物和鳥兒用野花裝飾了籃子，把它綁在兔子的背上。
When evening came, the rabbit crept quietly into the town. He was very careful not to make a sound.
夜幕降臨時(shí)，兔子悄悄溜進(jìn)了城里。它非常小心，不發(fā)出聲音。
At first he felt afraid. But when he saw that the dogs were really asleep, he became brave. How strange and quiet it seemed when everyone was in bed!
起初它感到害怕。但當(dāng)它看到狗真的睡著了時(shí)，就變得勇敢起來。人們都臥床休息時(shí)，是多么奇怪和安靜啊!
Bunny went to the first house where a child lived. He made a little nest of soft green grass and put into it one pretty egg and one wild flower. Then he put the nest on the doorstep and hopped along to the next house, and the next, and the next.
兔子去了第一個(gè)有孩子住的房子。它用柔軟的綠草做了一個(gè)小窩，放進(jìn)去一顆漂亮的蛋和一朵野花。然后，它把窩放在門階上，跳到了下一間房子，然后去了下一間，下一間。
He left a nest for every child in the town.
它為鎮(zhèn)上的每個(gè)孩子都留了一個(gè)窩。
Before morning he finished all his work, and he hopped back to the woods, a happy little bunny.
天亮之前，它完成了所有工作，然后跳回了森林，真是一只快樂的小兔子。
"Why, Spring is here! Spring is here!" cried the children on Easter morning when they saw the pretty nests.
“哎呀！春天到了！春天到了！”復(fù)活節(jié)早上，孩子們看到漂亮的鳥巢后就叫了起來。
One little child said, "I was awake very early, and I saw a rabbit with a basket, running along the street."
一個(gè)小孩說：“我很早就醒了，看見一只兔子手拿籃子，沿著街道跑。”
"Someone must have sent him to tell us that Spring has come," said another child.
“一定是有人派它來告訴我們春天來了。”另一個(gè)孩子說。
So off they ran to the woods, shouting with joy. "Spring is here at last !" they cried. "The Easter Rabbit came to tell us that Spring has come."
于是他們跑到森林里，高興得大叫起來。“春天終于來了！”他們叫喊著，“復(fù)活節(jié)兔子來告訴我們春天來了。”
