Oh, how one ugly trick has spoiled the sweetest and the best!
哦,一個丑陋的把戲是如何毀掉了最甜美、最好的一切啊!
Matilda, though a pleasant child,
雖說瑪?shù)龠_是個討人喜歡的孩子,
One grievous fault possessed,
但她有一個嚴重的毛病,
Which, like a cloud before the skies,
就像是天空中的烏云,
Hid all her better qualities.
遮擋住了她所有的優(yōu)秀品質(zhì)。
Sometimes, she'd lift the teapot lid
有時候,她會拿起茶壺蓋,
To peep at what was in it;
偷看里面是什么,
Or tilt, the kettle, if you did but turn your back a minute.
或者將水壺斜過來,如果你轉(zhuǎn)過身一分鐘時間,
In vain you told her not to touch,
盡管你告訴她不要碰,但無濟于事,
Her trick of meddling grew so much.
她愛搗亂的毛病有增無減。
Her grandmamma went out one day,
一天她祖母外出,
And, by mistake, she laid her spectacles and snuffbox gay,
不小心把她的老花鏡和顏色鮮艷的鼻煙盒
Too near the little maid;
放得離小女孩太近了,
"Ah! well," thought she, I'll try them on,
“啊,好!”她想,“等祖母一出門,
As soon as grandmamma is gone.
我來試試它們。”
Forthwith, she placed upon her nose the glasses large and wide;
隨即,她把又大又寬的眼鏡架在了鼻梁上;
And looking round, as I suppose,
環(huán)顧四周,我猜
The snuffbox, too, she spied.
她也偷偷地看了鼻煙盒。
Oh, what a pretty box is this!
噢,這個盒子多漂亮啊!
I'll open it, said little miss.
我來把它打開,小女子說。