《玫瑰精靈》，1839 年

the Elf of the Rose, 1839

在一個花園中央長著一棵玫瑰樹，開滿了花朵，在最美麗的一朵玫瑰裡住著一個小精靈。

In the midst of a garden grew a rose-tree, in full blossom, and in the prettiest of all the roses lived an elf.

他是那麼小的一個小東西，人的眼睛看不見他。

he was such a little wee thing, that no human eye could see him.

在玫瑰的每一片葉子後面他都有一個睡覺的房間。

behind each leaf of the rose he had a sleeping chamber.

他長得像一個小孩子一樣完美和美麗，有一對從肩膀一直垂到腳的翅膀。

he was as well formed and as beautiful as a little child could be, and had wings that reached from his shoulders to his feet.

哦，他的房間裡有多麼甜美的香氣啊！牆壁是多麼乾淨和美麗啊！因為它們是玫瑰那泛紅的葉子。

oh, what sweet fragrance there was in his chambers! and how clean and beautiful were the walls! for they were the blushing leaves of the rose.

一整天他都在溫暖的陽光下盡情享受，從一朵花飛到另一朵花上，在飛舞的蝴蝶翅膀上跳舞。

during the whole day he enjoyed himself in the warm sunshine, flew from flower to flower, and danced on the wings of the flying butterflies.

然後他突然想量一量他要在椴樹葉上的那些路和十字路口走多少步。

then he took it into his head to measure how many steps he would have to go through the roads and cross-roads that are on the leaf of a linden-tree.

我們所說的樹葉上的葉脈，他把它們當作路；

what we call the veins on a leaf, he took for roads;

是啊，對他來說那些路非常長；因為還沒等他走完一半的路程，太陽就落山了：他開始得太晚了。天氣變得非常冷，露水落了下來，風颳了起來；所以他覺得他能做的最好的事情就是回家。

y, and very long roads they were for him; for before he had half finished his task, the sun went down: he had menced his work too late. It