“你会下蛋吗？”

“can you lay eggs”

她问道。

she asked

“不会。”

“no”

“那就请你闭上嘴。”

“then have the goodness to hold your tongue”

“你能弓起背，咕噜咕噜叫，或者迸出火星吗？”

“can you raise your back, or purr, or throw out sparks”

雄猫说道。

said the tom cat

“不会。”

“no”

“那么当明智的人在说话的时候，你没有权利发表意见。”

“then you have no right to express an opinion when sensible people are speaking”

于是小鸭子坐在角落里，情绪非常低落，直到阳光和新鲜空气从敞开的门进入房间，然后他开始非常渴望到水里去游泳，忍不住告诉了母鸡。

so the duckling sat in a corner, feeling very low spirited, till the sunshine and the fresh air came into the room through the open door, and then he began to feel such a great longing for a swim on the water, that he could not help telling the hen

“多么荒谬的想法。” 母鸡说。

“what an absurd idea,” said the hen

“你无事可做，所以才有这些愚蠢的幻想。

you have nothing else to do, therefore you have foolish fancies

如果你能咕噜咕噜叫或者下蛋，这些幻想就会消失。”

if you could purr or lay eggs, they would pass away”

“但是在水里游来游去是多么令人愉快啊，” 小鸭子说，“当你潜到水底时，感觉水没过头顶是多么清爽啊。”

“but it is so delightful to swim about on the water,” said the duckling, “and so refreshing to feel it close over your head, while you dive down to the bottom”

“确实令人愉快！” 母鸡说，“你一定是疯了！问问猫吧，他是我所知道的最聪明的动物，问问他他想不想在水里游来游去，或者潜到水下，因为我不想说出我自己的看法；

“delightful, indeed!” said the hen, “why you must be crazy! ask the cat, he is the cleverest animal i know, ask him how he would like to swim about on the water, or to dive under it, for i will not speak of my own opinion;

问问我们的女主人，那个老妇人 —— 世界上没有人比她更聪明了。

ask our mistress, the old woman — there is no one in the world more clever than she is

你觉得她会想游泳，或者让水没过她的头顶吗？”

do you think she would like to swim, or to let the water close over her head”

“你不理解我。” 小鸭子说。

“you don’t understand me,” said the duckling

“我们不理解你？我想知道，谁能理解你呢？

“we don’t understand you who can understand you, i wonder

你认为自己比猫或者老妇人更聪明吗？

do you consider yourself more clever than the cat, or the old woman

我就不说我自己了。别胡思乱想了，孩子，感谢你的好运，你被收留在这里。

i will say nothing of myself don’t imagine such nonsense, child, and thank your good fortune that you have been received here

你不是待在一个温暖的房间里，处在一个能让你学到东西的环境里吗？

are you not in a warm room, and in society from which you may learn something

但是你是个话痨，和你在一起不太愉快。

but you are a chatterer, and your pany is not very agreeable

相信我，我这么说是为你好。

believe me, i speak only for your own good

我可能会告诉你一些不好听的实话，但这是我对你友好的证明。

i may tell you unpleasant truths, but that is a proof of my friendship

因此，我建议你，下蛋，并且尽快学会咕噜咕噜叫。”

i advise you, therefore, to lay eggs, and learn to purr as quickly as possible”

“我想我必须再次到外面的世界去了。” 小鸭子说。

“i believe i must go out into the world again,” said the duckling

“是的，去吧。” 母鸡说。

“yes, do,” said the hen