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It had snowed a little that day, but the weather was not very cold.
那天下了小雪，但天氣并不是很冷。
So Gretchen set her shoes together and then sat down near them; for she was going to watch until Rupert came by.
于是格雷琴把鞋子放在了一起，接著坐在鞋子的旁邊，因為她想一直看著魯伯特的到來。
All over the city the bells were ringing, and so sweetly did they sing to little Gretchen that they sang her to sleep that Christmas Eve.
鐘聲響遍了整座城市，它們向小格雷琴吟唱起甜美的夜曲。唱著唱著，小女孩在這個平安夜里進入了夢鄉。
In another part of the great city, that night, a little American girl named Margaret started out with a basketful of toys to help Santa Claus.
那天晚上，在這個大城市的另一個地方，一個名叫瑪格麗特的美國小姑娘拿著一籃子的玩具出發了，她要去給圣誕老人幫忙。
Her father was with her, and they were so happy that they sang Christmas songs as they went along the street.
她的父親跟她在一起，他們非常高興，沿著街道一邊走一邊唱著圣誕歌曲。
They happened to pass in front of the boarding-house just after Gretchen had gone to sleep by her empty shoes.
他們碰巧經過了這間寄宿小屋的前面，這時候，格雷琴剛好在自己的空鞋子旁睡著了。
When Margaret and her father saw them, they stopped in surprise.
瑪格麗特和她的父親看到了空鞋子，他們驚訝地停了下來。
They had been in lands across the sea;
他們去過一些海外的國家，
so they knew that the little girl was waiting for Santa Claus or his helper, Rupert, to come with gifts.
他們知道這位小姑娘是在等圣誕老人或他的幫手魯伯特來送禮物。
What can we give her? whispered Margaret's father, as he looked into the basketful of toys. But Margaret knew.
“我們能給她什么呢？”瑪格麗特的父親小聲說。他一邊說著，一邊看了看那一籃子的玩具，但瑪格麗特知道。
She took from the basket a baby doll — one that looked as if it wanted to be loved — and laid it gently beside the wooden shoes.
她從籃子里拿出了一個嬰兒娃娃——就是那個看起來好像需要人疼愛的娃娃，她把它輕輕地放在了木鞋旁。
When Gretchen woke up, she did not see Margaret and her father, for they had gone.
格雷琴醒來的時候，沒有看到瑪格麗特和她的父親，他們已經走了。
But, oh! what a wonderful thing she did see!
但是，她看到了多么神奇的一件禮物啊！
There, beside the shoes, was the dearest Christmas gift that ever came to a homesick little girl in a strange country.
對于這個處在異國他鄉、無比思念故土的小女孩來說，最珍貴的圣誕禮物就在鞋子旁邊。
