"It is very wonderful," said Annie. "Is it nice to be a sprite?"
“太奇妙了,”安妮說,“做精靈好嗎?”
Oh, yes, we are very gay. All last night we had a fine time sparkling in the moonlight.
噢,好,我們很開心。昨天整晚我們在月光下閃耀,過得快樂極了。
I wore a long wreath full of ice pearls and diamonds. Here is a piece of it.
我戴著長長的鑲滿冰珍珠和鉆石的花環(huán)。這是其中一顆。
Before long we shall be water sprites again. I see the sun is coming this way.
我們不久就會重新變成水精靈。我看到太陽朝這邊來了。
"Shall you dread to be melted?" inquired Annie.
“你害怕融化嗎?”安妮問道。
"No, indeed," answered the sprite. "I like to change my form now and then."
“不,實(shí)際上,”小精靈回答道,“我愿意不時換換體形。”
A thought flashed across Annie's brain.
一個念頭掠過安妮的大腦。
What if she should breathe on the frost and not wait for the sun to melt it. In a moment more she had done so.
要是在霜上呼氣,不等太陽融化它會怎么樣。不一會,她果然這么做了。
Down fell a great number of the tiny mountains and castles, carrying with them a multitude of frost sprites, and all that could be seen was a drop of water on the window sill.
大量微小的山脈和城堡坍塌了,帶著大量的霜精靈,窗玻璃上只看到一滴水。
"Oh, dear! have I hurt them?" she exclaimed.
“噢,天哪!我傷到你們了嗎?”她驚叫道。
"No, no," replied a chorus of many small voices from the drop of water, we are only water sprites again.
“沒有,沒有,”水滴中很多小的聲音齊聲回答,我們又變成水精靈了。
Nothing hurts us; we merely change.
什么也不能傷害我們,我們只是變化了體形。
"But you are always pretty little things," said Annie. "I wish—"
“可是你們永遠(yuǎn)是可愛的小精靈,”安妮說,“我希望——”
Here a ring at the doorbell woke Annie.
這時門鈴聲喚醒了夢中的安妮。
She started up to find the family had returned from their visit, which all declared was a delightful one.
家人已經(jīng)做客回來了,他們都說過得很開心。
But Annie said she did not believe they had enjoyed their visit better than she had her half hour's dream.
可是安妮說她不信他們過得比她半小時的夢還快樂。