美国语文第四册 第20期：皮克拉
Poor, sweet Piccola!
可怜的，可爱的皮克拉！
Did you hear what happened to Piccola, children dear?
你们听说皮克拉出什么事了，孩子们？
T is seldom Fortune such favor grants
很少有人遭遇的这种不幸，
As fell to this little maid of France.
却发生在了这个法国小女孩身上。
T was Christmas time, and her parents poor
现在是圣诞节，她的父母都很贫穷，
Could hardly drive the wolf from the door,
不能摆脱困境，
Striving with poverty's patient pain
与贫穷的痛苦斗争着，
Only to live till summer again.
只为再次活着迎接夏天的到来。
No gift for Piccola! sad were they
没有礼物给皮克拉！他们非常悲伤
When dawned the morning of Christmas day!
随着圣诞节清晨的来临！
Their little darling no joy might stir;
他们的小宝贝不快乐；
St. Nicholas nothing would bring to her!
圣诞老人没有东西带给她！
But Piccola never doubted at all
但皮克拉深信不疑
That something beautiful must befall
漂亮的东西会
Every child upon Christmas day,
在圣诞日赠给每个孩子，
And so she slept till the dawn was gray.
所以她一直到天快亮才睡着。
And full of faith, when at last she woke,
当她最终醒来，信心满怀，
She stole to her shoe as the morning broke;
天空破晓，她偷拿来鞋子；
Such sounds of gladness filled all the air,
空气中都充满欢快的声音，
T was plain St. Nicholas had been there.
显然圣诞老人来过了。
In rushed Piccola, sweet, half wild—
匆忙的皮克拉，内心甜蜜又按捺不住——
Never was seen such a joyful child—
从来没见过这么愉快的孩子——
"See what the good saint brought!" she CRIed,
“看看圣诞老人带来了什么！”她叫着，
And mother and father must peep inside.
妈妈和爸爸都往里面看去。
Now such a story I never heard!
现在是我从未听过的故事了！
There was a little shivering bird!
有一只颤抖的小鸟！
A sparrow, that in at the window flew,
一只小麻雀，从窗子飞进来，
Had crept into Piccola's tiny shoe!
爬进了皮克拉的小鞋子！
How good poor Piccola must have been!
可怜的皮克拉一定是多么善良啊！
She CRIed, as happy as any queen,
她大声叫着，像女王一样欢乐，
While the starving sparrow she fed and warmed,
饥饿的小麻雀被她喂饱了，温暖着，
And danced with rapture, she was so charmed.
她手舞足蹈地跳起舞来，多么高兴啊。
Children, this story I tell to you
孩子们，我告诉你们的
Of Piccola sweet and her bird, is true.
关于可爱的皮克拉和她的小鸟的故事是真实的。
In the far-off land of France, they say,
据说，在遥远的法国，
Still do they live to this very day.
她们今天仍然健在。
