《幸福的家庭》，1848 年
the hy family, 1848
说真的，这个国家最大的绿叶是牛蒡叶；如果把它举在身前，就像一条完整的围裙；要是在下雨天把它举在头顶，几乎就和雨伞一样好用，因为它实在是太大了。
really, the largef in thi dock-leaf; if one holds it before one, it ipron, and if one holds it over one’iny weather, it in umbrella, for it irge.
牛蒡从不单独生长，只要有一棵长出来，附近总会长出好几棵：这可真是一大乐事，而所有这些让人愉悦的牛蒡都是蜗牛的食物。
the burdock never grows alone, but where there growyl: it it delight, and all this delightfulneils’ food.
过去有身份的人会把大白蜗牛做成烩肉来吃，还会边吃边说：“嗯，嗯！真好吃！” 因为他们觉得味道很鲜美 —— 这些蜗牛就以牛蒡叶为食，所以人们才会播种牛蒡籽。
the great white snails which perlity in former timend said, “hem, hem! how delicious!” for they thought it tate — lived on dock leaves, and therefore burdock seeds were sown.
从前有一座古老的庄园，在那儿人们已经不再吃蜗牛了，蜗牛已经绝迹；但牛蒡并没有绝迹，它们在小径上、花坛里疯长；人们根本没法控制它们 —— 那简直就是一片牛蒡的森林。
now, there wanor-house, where they no longer ate snails, they were quite extinct; but the burdocks were not extinct, they grew and grew all over the walks and all the beds; they could not get the mastery over them — it was a whole forest of burdocks.
这儿那儿还零星地立着几棵苹果树和李树，不然的话，谁也不会想到这曾经是个花园；到处都是牛蒡，而那两只最后剩下的、令人尊敬的老蜗牛就住在这儿。
here and there nd a plumb-tree, or else one never would have thought that it wall wand there lived the two lable old snails.
它们自己都不知道自己有多大年纪了，但它们清楚地记得曾经有过很多同类；它们来自异国他乡的一个家族，这片整片森林都是为它们以及它们的同类而种的。
they themselves knew not how old they were, but they could remember very well that there had been many more; that they were of a family from foreign landt for them and theirs the whole forented.
它们从来没出过这片林子，但它们知道世界上还有别的东西，有一种叫庄园的地方，在那儿它们会被煮熟，然后变黑，接着被放在银盘子里；但再往后会发生什么它们就不知道了；或者说，实际上被煮熟然后放在银盘子里到底是怎么回事，它们根本想象不出来；但据说那是很美妙的，而且特别高雅。
they had never been outside it, but they knew that there was still something more in the world, which wanor-hout there they were boiled, and then they became black, and were then placed on a silver dippened further they knew not; or, in fact, what it wand to lie on a silver dish, they could not pogine; but it was said to be delightful, and particularly genteel.
它们问过金龟子、蟾蜍和蚯蚓，可它们谁也没法给它们提供任何信息 —— 它们当中没有一个被煮过或者被放在银盘子里过。
neither the chaferdrth-wormsked about it could give them any information, — none of them had been boiled or laid on a silver dish.
这两只老白蜗牛觉得自己是世界上第一批有身份的家伙；这片森林是为它们种的，那个庄园存在也是为了能把它们煮熟然后放在银盘子里。
the old white snails were the first persons of distinction in the world, that they knew; the forented for their nor-hout they might be boiled and laid on a silver dish.
现在它们过着非常孤独却又幸福的生活；由于它们自己没有孩子，就收养了一只普通的小蜗牛，把它当作亲生的来抚养；但这只小蜗牛就是长不大，因为它出身普通家庭；不过那两只老蜗牛，尤其是蜗牛妈妈，觉得自己能看出它在长大，她还求蜗牛爸爸，如果他看不出来的话，至少去摸摸小蜗牛的壳；于是他就摸了摸，发现蜗牛妈妈说得没错。
now they lived a very lonely and hy life; and ad no children themd adopted a little mon snail, which they brought up as their own; but the little one would not grow, for he wamily; but the old oneme mother snail, thought they could observe how he increand ther, if he could not t he would at least feel the little nd then he felt it, and found the good dame was right.
有一天，下了一场倾盆大雨。
one day there was a heavy in.
“听听这雨打在牛蒡叶上，像敲鼓一样！” 蜗牛爸爸说。
“hear how it beat drum on the dock leavether snail.
“还有雨滴呢！” 蜗牛妈妈说，“现在雨水正顺着茎杆往下淌呢！你会看到这儿要湿透了！想到我们有自己的好房子，小家伙也有他的房子，我就很高兴！确实，为我们做的比为其他所有动物做的都多；可你难道没看出来我们是世上有身份的人吗？
“there are also rain-drops!” il; “and now the rain pours right down the stalk! you will see that it will be wet here! i am very hy to think that we have our good house, and the little one has his also! there is more done for ull other creatures, sure enough; but can you not re folklity in the world?
我们从出生起就有房子住，牛蒡林也是为我们种的！我倒想知道它延伸到多远，外面又有什么！”
we are provided with a house from our birth, and the burdock forented for our sakes! i should like to know how far it extendt there is outside!”
“什么都没有。” 蜗牛爸爸说，“没有哪个地方能比我们这儿更好，我没什么可奢求的了！”
“there ill,” il. “no place can be better than ourve nothing to wish for!”
“是啊。” 蜗牛妈妈说，“我倒很想去庄园，被煮熟，然后放在银盘子里；我们所有的先辈都是这么被对待的；里面肯定有什么特别的地方，你放心吧！”
“yeme. “i would willingly go to the manor-hound laid on a ll our forefatherted so; there iordinary in it, you may be sure!”
“庄园很可能已经破败不堪了！” 蜗牛爸爸说，“或者牛蒡已经在它上面长得密密麻麻的，以至于人们都出不来了。不过，这事也不用着急；可你总是那么急匆匆的，小家伙也开始这样了。他这三天不是一直在顺着那根茎往上爬吗？我抬头看他的时候头都疼！”
“the manor-house hallen to ruin!” il. “or the burdocks have grown up over it, nnot e out. there need not, however, be any hat; but you are alway tremendound the little one is beginning to be the s he not been creeping up that stalk they headache when i look up to him!”
“你可别骂他。” 蜗牛妈妈说，“他爬得那么小心；他会给我们带来很多乐趣 —— 我们活着就为了他呀！可你没想过这个问题吗？—— 我们上哪儿给他找个媳妇呢？”
“you must not id mother snail; “he creeps so carefully; he will afford uve nothing but him to live for! but have you not thought of it? — where wife for him?
你不觉得在牛蒡林深处很远的地方还有我们的同类吗？
do you not think that there are some of our t distance in the interior of the burdock forest?”
“我敢说，黑蜗牛肯定是有的，” 老蜗牛说 ——“没有房子的黑蜗牛 —— 但它们太普通了，还很自负。不过我们可以委托蚂蚁帮我们找找看；它们跑来跑去的，好像有什么要紧事要做，它们肯定知道能给我们小蜗牛找个媳妇的！”
“black y, there are enough of,” said the old one— “black houre nd so conceited. but we might give the ants a mission to look out for und fro ad something toto do, and they certainly know of a wife for our little snail!”
“我确实知道一个 —— 最迷人的一个！” 一只蚂蚁说；“但我担心我们很难成功，因为她是个蚁后！”
“i know one, sure enough — the most charming one!” ntid we rdly sueed, for queen!”
“那没关系！” 老两口说；“她有房子吗？”
“that iid the old folk house?”
“她有一座宫殿！” 蚂蚁说 ——“最漂亮的蚁宫，有七百条通道！”
“ce!” nt— “the finece, with ssages!”
“谢谢你！” 蜗牛妈妈说；“我们的儿子可不会去蚁丘；如果你就知道这个，那我们就把这事委托给白蚋了。它们不论雨天还是晴天，都飞得很远；它们对这片森林里里外外都很熟悉。”
“i thank you!” il; “our son shall not go into an ant-hill; if you limit know nothing better than that, we shall give the mission to the white gnatnd wide, in rain and sunshine; they know the whole forest here, both within and without.”
“我们给他找了个媳妇，” 蚋说；“离这儿一百步远的地方，有一只小蜗牛坐在她的房子里，在一棵醋栗丛上；她很孤单，也到了该结婚的年龄了。就只有一百步远！”
“we have a wife for him,” t hundred human paces from here there il in her hou gooseberry bush; she ind old enough to be married. it i hundred human paces!”
“好吧，那就让她到他这儿来！” 老两口说；“他有一整片牛蒡林，她只有一丛灌木！”
“well, then, let her e to him!” said the old one whole forest of burdock bush!”
于是它们就去把小蜗牛小姐接来了。
and nd fetched little miss snail.
她过了整整一个星期才到；但这恰恰是最好的地方，因为这样就能看出她和它们是同类了。
it was a whole week before she arrived; but therein was just the very best of it, for one could thume species.
然后就举行了婚礼。
and then the marriage wated.
六条蚯蚓尽可能地发出光亮。
six earth-worms they could.
在其他方面，一切都进行得非常安静，因为老两口受不了吵闹和欢乐的场面；不过蜗牛妈妈发表了一篇精彩的演说。
in other respects the whole went off very quietly, for the old folkr noise and merriment; but old dame brilliant speech.
蜗牛爸爸说不出话来，他太激动了；于是他们把整片牛蒡林作为嫁妆和遗产送给了它们，还说 —— 他们一直都这么说 —— 这是世界上最好的地方；如果它们诚实正派地生活，繁衍后代，它们和它们的子孙总有一天会来到庄园，被煮得黑乎乎的，然后放在银盘子里。
father snail could not ffected; and ve them and inheritance, the whole forend t they had alwayt it was the best in the world; if they lived honestly and decently, and increased and multiplied, they and their children would once in the course of time e to the manor-houck, and laid on silver dishes.
讲完这番话后，老两口就缩进壳里，再也没出来过。
after thide, the old ones crept into their nd never more came out.
它们睡去了；年轻的小两口在森林里当家作主，生了很多后代，但它们从来没有被煮过，也从来没有被放在银盘子里；于是它们由此推断庄园已经破败不堪了，世上所有的人都灭绝了；因为没有人反驳它们，所以，当然就是这样了。
they slept; the young couple governed in the fore multitude of progeny, but they were never boiled, and never came on the silver dishes; so from this they concluded that the manor-houllen to ruinll the men in the world were extinct; and adicted them, so, of cours so.
雨水敲打着牛蒡叶，为它们奏响鼓乐；阳光照耀着，为牛蒡林增添色彩；它们很幸福，整个家族都很幸福；因为它们确实如此。
and the rain beat on the dock-leaves to make drum-muke, and the sun shone in order to give the burdock forest a color for their nd they were very hy, and the whole family was hy; for they, indeed were so.