《一滴水》，1848 年
the drop of water, 1848
放大镜是什么，你肯定知道 —— 就是那种圆圆的镜片，能把一切东西放大一百倍，比实际的要大得多。
what a magnifying glass is, you surely know — such a round sort of spectacle-glass that makes everything full a hundred times larger than it really is.
当人把它举到眼前，去看池塘里的一滴水时，就能看到上千种奇怪的生物。
when one holds it before the eye, and looks at a drop of water out of the pond, then one sees above a thousand strange creatures.
那看起来几乎就像满满一盘虾在彼此间蹦来跳去，而且它们非常贪婪，会撕扯彼此的胳膊、腿、尾巴和身体两侧，但它们还是以自己的方式过得挺开心。
It looks almost like a whole plateful of shrimps springing about among each other, and they are so ravenous, they tear one another’s arms and legs, tails and sides, and yet they are glad and pleased in their way.
从前有个老头儿，大家都叫他 “爬来爬去”，因为那就是他的名字。
Now, there was once an old man, who was called by every body creep-and-crawl; for that was his name.
他总是能把任何事情都做到最好，要是做不好，他就会求助于巫术。
he would always make the best out of everything, and when he could not make anything out of it he resorted to witchcraft.
有一天，他坐着把放大镜举到眼前，去看从沟渠里的一个小水塘里取出来的一滴水。
Now, one day he sat and held his magnifying glass before his eye, and looked at a drop of water that was taken out of a little pool in the ditch.
那里真是一片爬来爬去的景象！成千上万的小生物又蹦又跳，相互拉扯，相互啄咬。
what a creeping and crawling was there! all the thousands of small creatures hopped and jumped about, pulled one another, and pecked one another.
“这太可恶了！”“爬来爬去” 说，“难道就不能让它们和平安静地生活，各干各的事儿吗？”
“but this is abominable!” said creep-and-crawl, “can one not get them to live in peace and quiet, and each mind his own business?”
他想了又想，但就是得不出结论，于是只好施起魔法来。
And he thought and thought, but he could e to no conclusion, and so he was obliged to conjure.
“我得给它们上点颜色，这样它们就能更显眼些！” 他说；于是他往那滴水里倒了大概像一小滴红酒那样的东西，但那其实是从耳垂取来的被施了魔法的血 —— 花一便士能买到的最好的那种；然后所有那些奇怪的生物全身都变成了玫瑰色。
“I must give them a color, that they may be more discernible!” said he; and so he poured something like a little drop of red wine into the drop of water, but it was bewitched blood from the lobe of the ear — the very finest sort for a penny; and then all the strange creatures became rose-colored over the whole body.
看起来就像一整座全是裸体野蛮人的城镇。
It looked like a whole town of naked savages.
“你在那儿弄的啥呀？” 另一个老巫师说，他没名字，而这恰恰是最好的地方。
“what have you got there?” said another old wizard, who had no name, and that was just the best of it.
“嘿，”“爬来爬去” 说，“要是你能猜出这是啥，我就把它送给你；但要是不知道的话，要猜出来可不容易呢！”
“why,” said creep-and-crawl, “if you can guess what it is, I will make you a present of it; but it is not so easy to find out when one does not know it!”
那个没名字的巫师透过放大镜看了看。
the wizard who had no name looked through the magnifying glass.
那看上去真的就像一座完整的城镇，所有居民都没穿衣服四处乱跑！太可怕了，更可怕的是看到他们一个撞一个、推一个，互相咬，还把彼此拖来拽去。
It actually appeared like a whole town, where all the inhabitants ran about without clothes! it was terrible, but still more terrible to see how the one knocked and pushed the other, bit each other, and drew one another about.
原本在最底层的应该到最顶层，原本在最顶层的应该到最底层！—— 看那儿，现在！他的腿比我的长！—— 把它抽掉，扔掉！有一个家伙耳朵后面长了个小肿块，一个无辜的小肿块，但这让他疼，所以还得让他更疼！于是他们就去啄它，拖着他到处跑，还把他吃了，全都是因为那个小肿块。
what was undermost should be topmost, and what was topmost should be undermost! — See there, now! his leg is longer than mine! — whip it off, and away with it! there is one that has a little lump behind the ear, a little innocent lump, but it pains him, and so it shall pain him still more! And they pecked at it, and they dragged him about, and they ate him, and all on account of the little lump.
那儿坐着一个像小姑娘一样安静的家伙，她只希望能平平静静的，但还是得被拖出来，他们拖着她，拉着她，还把她给吃了！
there sat one as still as a little maid, who only wished for peace and quietness, but she must be brought out and they dragged her, and they pulled her, and they devoured her!
“这挺有意思的！” 巫师说。
“It is quite amusing!” said the wizard.
“是啊；但你觉得这是什么呀？”“爬来爬去” 问道。“你能猜出来吗！”
“Yes; but what do you think it is?” asked creep-and-crawl. “can you find it out!”
“很容易看出来，” 另一个说，“这是某个大城市，它们都长得差不多。肯定是座大城市！”
“It is very easy to see,” said the other, “it is some great city, they all resemble each other. A great city it is, that’s sure!”
“这是沟渠里的水！”“爬来爬去” 说。
“It is ditch-water!” said creep-and-crawl.