Really, the largest green leaf in this country is a dock-leaf;
真的，在这个国家里最大的绿叶是蒲公英的叶子； —

if one holds it before one, it is like a whole apron, and if one holds it over one’s head in rainy weather, it is almost as good as an umbrella, for it is so immensely large.
如果一个人把它举在面前，就像是一整块围裙，如果在下雨天把它举在头上，几乎和伞一样大， —

The burdock never grows alone, but where there grows one there always grow several:
蒲公英从不单独生长，但是一棵蒲公英出现时，总会有几棵一起生长； —

it is a great delight, and all this delightfulness is snails’ food.
这是一种巨大的享受，所有这种愉悦正是蜗牛的食物； —

The great white snails which persons of quality in former times made fricassees of, ate, and said, “Hem, hem!
过去贵族们用来做白蜗牛炖菜，他们吃着说，“嗯,嗯！太美味了！ —

how delicious!
” —

” for they thought it tasted so delicate–lived on dock-leaves, and therefore burdock seeds were sown.
因为他们觉得味道非常精致——白蜗牛生活在蒲公英叶子上，所以就撒下了蒲公英种子；

Now, there was an old manor-house, where they no longer ate snails, they were quite extinct;
现在，有一座古老的庄园，那里不再吃蜗牛，它们已经绝种了； —

but the burdocks were not extinct, they grew and grew all over the walks and all the beds;
但是蒲公英还没有绝种，它们在所有的小路和花坛里生长茂盛； —

they could not get the mastery over them–it was a whole forest of burdocks.
它们无法被控制住——简直就是一片蒲公英森林。 —

Here and there stood an apple and a plum-tree, or else one never would have thought that it was a garden;
这儿和那儿分别有一棵苹果树和一棵李子树，否则人们根本不会以为这是一个花园； —

all was burdocks, and there lived the two last venerable old snails.
到处都是牛蒡，而那里住着最后的两只古老的尊贵蜗牛。

They themselves knew not how old they were, but they could remember very well that there had been many more;
他们自己也不知道自己多大了，但他们能够清楚地记得过去有更多的蜗牛； —

that they were of a family from foreign lands, and that for them and theirs the whole forest was planted.
他们知道自己来自外地的一个家族，整片森林都是为了他们及他们的子孙后代而种的。 —

They had never been outside it, but they knew that there was still something more in the world, which was called the manor-house, and that there they were boiled, and then they became black, and were then placed on a silver dish;
他们从未离开过这个地方，但他们知道世界上还有其他的东西，那就是庄园，他们会在那里被煮熟，然后变黑，之后会被放在一只银盘上； —

but what happened further they knew not; or, in fact, what it was to be boiled, and to lie on a silver dish, they could not possibly imagine;
但发生了什么其他的事情他们并不知道；实际上，他们无法想象被煮熟和躺在银盘上是什么样子； —

but it was said to be delightful, and particularly genteel.
但据说那种感觉很美妙，特别有品位。 —

Neither the chafers, the toads, nor the earth-worms, whom they asked about it could give them any information–none of them had been boiled or laid on a silver dish.
他们问过甲虫、蟾蜍和蚯蚓，但没有人能告诉他们，因为它们中没有一个被煮过或躺过银盘。

The old white snails were the first persons of distinction in the world, that they knew;
这些古老的白色蜗牛是世界上第一批显要的人，他们深知这一点； —

the forest was planted for their sake, and the manor-house was there that they might be boiled and laid on a silver dish.
森林就是为了他们而种植的，庄园里有座房子，是为了把他们煮熟后放在银盘上。

Now they lived a very lonely and happy life;
他们过着非常孤独而幸福的生活； —

and as they had no children themselves, they had adopted a little common snail, which they brought up as their own;
由于他们自己没有孩子，他们收养了一个小普通蜗牛，把他当作自己的孩子养大； —

but the little one would not grow, for he was of a common family;
但是这个小蜗牛不长大，因为它出身普通； —

but the old ones, especially Dame Mother Snail, thought they could observe how he increased in size, and she begged father, if he could not see it, that he would at least feel the little snail’s shell;
但是老蜗牛们，尤其是母蜗牛夫人，认为他们可以观察到他的尺寸增长，她请求父亲，即使他看不见这一点，至少可以感觉一下小蜗牛的壳； —

and then he felt it, and found the good dame was right.
然后父亲摸了摸，发现好夫人是对的。

One day there was a heavy storm of rain.
有一天下起了大雨。

“Hear how it beats like a drum on the dock-leaves!
“听，它像鼓声一样敲打着蒲公英叶子！ —

” said Father Snail.
”父蜗牛说。

“There are also rain-drops!
“也有雨滴！ —

” said Mother Snail. “And now the rain pours right down the stalk!
”母蜗牛说。“现在雨水就直接滴到茎上了！ —

You will see that it will be wet here!
你会看到这里会湿的！ —

I am very happy to think that we have our good house, and the little one has his also!
我非常高兴我们有了自己的好房子，小家伙也有了自己的房子！ —

There is more done for us than for all other creatures, sure enough; but can you not see that we are folks of quality in the world?
确实，为我们做的事情比为其他生物做的多，但你能否看到我们在世界上也是有地位的人？ —

We are provided with a house from our birth, and the burdock forest is planted for our sakes!
我们从出生起就有房子住，牛蒡森林也是为了我们而种植的！ —

I should like to know how far it extends, and what there is outside!”
我想知道它有多大，外面还有什么！

“There is nothing at all, ” said Father Snail. “No place can be better than ours, and I have nothing to wish for!”
“根本没有什么，”蜗牛爸爸说。“没有比我们的地方更好的了，我没有什么可希望的！”

“Yes,” said the dame.
“是的，”蜗牛妈妈说。 —

“I would willingly go to the manorhouse, be boiled, and laid on a silver dish;
“我愿意去庄园，被煮熟，放在银盘上； —

all our forefathers have been treated so;
我们所有的祖先都受过这样的待遇； —

there is something extraordinary in it, you may be sure!”
肯定有什么特别的地方！”

“The manor-house has most likely fallen to ruin!
“庄园很可能已经荒废了！ —

” said Father Snail. “Or the burdocks have grown up over it, so that they cannot come out.
”蜗牛爸爸说。“或者牛蒡长满了，他们出不来。” —

There need not, however, be any haste about that;
然而，对此并不需要匆忙； —

but you are always in such a tremendous hurry, and the little one is beginning to be the same.
但是你总是如此急躁，而小家伙也开始学着你的样子。 —

Has he not been creeping up that stalk these three days?
他不是已经爬上那根茎了吗？ —

It gives me a headache when I look up to him!”
每次抬头看他都让我头疼！

“You must not scold him, ” said Mother Snail. “He creeps so carefully;
你不要责备他，”母蜗牛说道。“他爬得如此小心， —

he will afford us much pleasure–and we have nothing but him to live for!
他会给我们带来很多乐趣——我们的生活中只有他一个！ —

But have you not thought of it?
你没有想过吗？ —

Where shall we get a wife for him?
我们从哪里找到妻子给他呢？ —

Do you not think that there are some of our species at a great distance in the interior of the burdock forest?”
你不觉得在刺苍蝇丛林的内部有一些属于我们种类的蜗牛吗？

“Black snails, I dare say, there are enough of, ” said the old one. “Black snails without a house–but they are so common, and so conceited.
我敢说，肯定有足够多的黑蜗牛。”老蜗牛说道。“没有房子的黑蜗牛——但它们太普遍了，而且太自负了。 —

But we might give the ants a commission to look out for us;
但我们可以委托蚂蚁们帮我们找， —

they run to and fro as if they had something to do, and they certainly know of a wife for our little snail!”
它们来来回回地忙个不停，肯定知道我们小蜗牛的妻子在哪里！

“I know one, sure enough–the most charming one!
“我知道一个，确实是最迷人的！ —

” said one of the ants.
”其中一只蚂蚁说道。 —

“But I am afraid we shall hardly succeed, for she is a queen!”
“但我担心我们很难成功，因为她是一位皇后！”

“That is nothing!” said the old folks.
“这没什么！”老人们说。 —

“Has she a house?”
“她有房子吗？”

“She has a palace!” said the ant.
“她有座宫殿！”蚂蚁说道。 —

“The finest ant’s palace, with seven hundred passages!”
“最美的蚂蚁宫殿，有七百个通道！”

“I thank you!” said Mother Snail. “Our son shall not go into an ant-hill;
“谢谢你！”母蜗牛说。“我们的儿子不会去一个蚁丘； —

if you know nothing better than that, we shall give the commission to the white gnats.
如果你们知道除此之外更好的地方，我们将把任务交给白蚊。 —

They fly far and wide, in rain and sunshine;
它们在雨天和阳光下往返， —

they know the whole forest here, both within and without.”
它们非常了解这里的整个森林，内外都清楚。”

“We have a wife for him,” said the gnats.
“我们有一个妻子给他，”蚊子们说。 —

“At a hundred human paces from here there sits a little snail in her house, on a gooseberry bush;
“只需要一百步的路程，有一只小蜗牛坐在一棵茄子上的房子里； —

she is quite lonely, and old enough to be married.
她非常孤独，也够大了结婚。 —

It is only a hundred human paces!”
只有一百步！”

“Well, then, let her come to him!” said the old ones.
“那么，让她来找他！”老人们说。 —

“He has a whole forest of burdocks, she has only a bush!”
“他有整片牛蒡森林，她只有一棵灌木！”

And so they went and fetched little Miss Snail. It was a whole week before she arrived;
于是他们去找小蜗牛小姐。一周过去了，她才到达； —

but therein was just the very best of it, for one could thus see that she was of the same species.
但这正是最好的，因为这样我们可以看出她是同一物种的。

And then the marriage was celebrated.
然后婚礼开始了。 —

Six earth-worms shone as well as they could.
六只蚯蚓尽力打扮得漂亮。 —

In other respects the whole went off very quietly, for the old folks could not bear noise and merriment;
其他方面一切都很安静，因为老人们不喜欢噪音和欢乐； —

but old Dame Snail made a brilliant speech.
但老妈妈蜗牛发表了一篇精彩的演讲。 —

Father Snail could not speak, he was too much affected;
蜗牛爸爸哽咽得说不出话来； —

and so they gave them as a dowry and inheritance, the whole forest of burdocks, and said–what they had always said–that it was the best in the world;
所以他们给了他们一笔嫁妆和继承财产，整个蓟牛森林，说这是世界上最好的； —

and if they lived honestly and decently, and increased and multiplied, they and their children would once in the course of time come to the manor-house, be boiled black, and laid on silver dishes.
只要他们诚实体面地过活，繁衍生息，他们和他们的孩子们有朝一日将来到庄园，被煮成黑色，摆在银盘上。 —

After this speech was made, the old ones crept into their shells, and never more came out.
演讲结束后，老人们躲进了他们的壳里，再也没有出来。他们睡着了； —

They slept;
—

the young couple governed in the forest, and had a numerous progeny, but they were never boiled, and never came on the silver dishes;
年轻夫妇在森林中统治着，并拥有众多的后代，但他们从未被烹煮过，也不曾出现在银盘上； —

so from this they concluded that the manor-house had fallen to ruins, and that all the men in the world were extinct;
因此他们断定庄园已经荒废，世上所有的男人都已绝迹； —

and as no one contradicted them, so, of course it was so.
由于没有人反驳他们，所以，当然是这样的。 —

And the rain beat on the dock-leaves to make drum-music for their sake, and the sun shone in order to give the burdock forest a color for their sakes;
雨打在蒲草叶上为了为他们奏出鼓声，阳光照射下使牛蒡森林为他们而染上色彩； —

and they were very happy, and the whole family was happy;
他们非常幸福，整个家庭都很快乐； —

for they, indeed were so.
因为他们确实如此。