THE DADDY LONG-LEGS AND THE FLY
“長腿”與蒼蠅
一
Once Mr. Daddy Long-legs,
Dressed in brown and gray,
Walked about upon the sands
Upon a summer's day:
And there among the pebbles,
When the wind was rather cold,
He met with Mr. Floppy Fly,
All dressed in blue and gold;
And, as it was too soon to dine,
They drank some periwinkle-wine,
And played an hour or two, or more,
At battlecock and shuttledore.
有位先生叫“長腿”，
穿著打扮得棕又灰，
夏季里的某一天，
沙灘上走著來又回：
那時微風兒有些涼，
在鵝卵石間他遇上，
一位先生叫蒼蠅，
打扮得碧藍又金黃。
吃飯的時間已不夠，
他們只喝了長春花酒，
一起玩了幾小時，
板球游戲真有趣。
二
Said Mr. Daddy Long-legs
To Mr. Floppy Fly,
"Why do you never come to court?
I wish you 'd tell me why.
All gold and shine, in dress so fine,
You'd quite delight the court.
Why do you never go at all?
I really think you ought.
And, if you went, you'd see such sights!
Such rugs and jugs and candle-lights!
And, more than all, the king and queen,—
One in red, and one in green."
“長腿”先生正奇怪，
向蒼蠅先生問起來：
“你為啥從不來宮廷玩兒？
我很想問一個明白。
大伙兒衣著光鮮又耀眼，
你會使他們都笑開顏。
為啥從不去那兒走一遭？
這世面你真該去見一見。
在那里你會遇上這場面！
有地毯、水壺、燭光耀眼！
皇帝、皇后都能見到——
一個穿紅衣，一個穿綠袍。”
三
"O Mr. Daddy Long-legs!"
Said Mr. Floppy Fly,
"It's true I never go to court;
And I will tell you why.
If I had six long legs like yours,
At once I'd go to court;
But, oh! I can't, because my legs
Are so extremely short.
And I'm afraid the king and queen
(One in red, and one in green)
Would say aloud, 'You are not fit,
You Fly, to come to court a bit!'"
“哦，‘長腿’先生呀！”
蒼蠅先生答，
“我果真沒去過宮廷；
讓我告訴你為了啥。
如果我六條腿有你長，
我立馬去宮廷不彷徨；
可惜，哦！我的短腿呀，
不能長成你那樣。
我怕皇帝、皇后會大聲叫：
（一個穿紅衣，一個穿綠袍）
‘滾出去，你這個蒼蠅，
你怎么夠資格來宮廷！’”
四
"Oh, Mr. Daddy Long-legs!"
Said Mr. Floppy Fly,
"I wish you 'd sing one little song,
One mumbian melody.
You used to sing so awful well
In former days gone by;
But now you never sing at all:
I wish you'd tell me why:
For, if you would, the silvery sound
Would please the shrimps and cockles round,
And all the crabs would gladly come
To hear you sing, 'Ah, Hum di Hum!'"
“哦，‘長腿’先生行行好！”
蒼蠅先生又說道，
“請為我唱一首小曲兒，
哼上首優美的曲調。
你曾經唱得多歡快，
那樣的日子已不再；
如今你再不展歌喉，
我真想弄一個明白：
當初你美妙的嗓音
招來了蝦和貝成群，
蟹兒們也爬來聽你哼，
‘啊，嗡嗡，嘀嘀，嗡！’”
五
Said Mr. Daddy Long-legs,
"I can never sing again;
And, if you wish, I'll tell you why,
Although it gives me pain.
For years I cannot hum a bit,
Or sing the smallest song;
And this the dreadful reason is,—
My legs are grown too long!
My six long legs, all here and there,
Oppress my bosom with despair;
And, if I stand or lie or sit,
I cannot sing one single bit!"
“長腿”先生回答道：
“我如今歌已唱不了；
提起這原因我就痛心，
你若愛聽我便相告。
多年來我一聲都沒哼響，
也未將一支小曲兒唱；
這可怕的原因竟然是——
無奈我的腿太長！
我六條長腿橫七豎八，
要人命地將我胸口壓；
坐、臥、站立我都不能，
更別提將一支小曲兒哼！”
六
So Mr. Daddy Long-legs
And Mr. Floppy Fly
Sat down in silence by the sea,
And gazed upon the sky.
They said, "This is a dreadful thing!
The world has all gone wrong,
Since one has legs too short by half,
The other much too long.
One never more can go to court,
Because his legs have grown too short;
The other cannot sing a song,
Because his legs have grown too long!"
于是“長腿”先生不再講，
蒼蠅先生也不再響，
倆人默默地坐海邊，
一起朝著天空望。
他們說：“這事兒真的太糟糕！
這世界已經亂了套，
一個為短腿正沮喪，
一個卻為長腿在煩惱。
一個再不能去宮廷玩，
因為他的腿太短；
另一個再不能把歌唱，
因為他的腿太長！”
七
Then Mr. Daddy Long-legs
And Mr. Floppy Fly
Rushed downward to the foamy sea
With one sponge-taneous cry:
And there they found a little boat,
Whose sails were pink and gray;
And off they sailed among the waves,
Far and far away:
They sailed across the silent main,
And reached the great Gromboolian Plain;
And there they play forevermore
At battlecock and shuttledore.
“長腿”、蒼蠅倆先生，
于是大喊了一聲，
倆人齊齊沖下海，
海里波濤正翻騰：
他倆找到艘小船，
張著又粉又灰的帆；
船兒穿越了波濤，
漸漸遠去不再返：
他倆穿過寂靜的海面，
咕嚕布嚕草原便在眼前；
從此他倆不分離，
一塊玩板球游戲。