《蕎麥》，1842 年

the buckwheat, 1842

常常在一場猛烈的雷暴雨過後，一片蕎麥地會顯得黑乎乎的，像是被燒焦了一樣，彷彿有一股火焰從上面掠過。

Very often, after a violent thunder-storm, a field of buckwheat appears blackened and singed, as if a flame of fire had passed over it.

鄉下人說這種情形是閃電造成的；但我要給你們講講麻雀是怎麼說的，而麻雀是從一棵長在蕎麥地附近的老柳樹那兒聽來的，那棵柳樹現在還在那兒呢。

the country people say that this appearance is caused by lightning; but I will tell you what the sparrow says, and the sparrow heard it from an old willow-tree which grew near a field of buckwheat, and is there still.

它是一棵高大可敬的樹，儘管因為年久有些殘缺了。

It is a large venerable tree, though a little crippled by age.

樹幹已經裂開了，裂縫裡長出了草和荊棘。

the trunk has been split, and out of the crevice grass and brambles grow.

樹稍微向前彎著，樹枝垂下來一直碰到地面，就像綠色的頭髮一樣。

the tree bends for-ward slightly, and the branches hang quite down to the ground just like green hair.

周圍的田裡種著穀物，不僅有黑麥和大麥，還有燕麥 —— 漂亮的燕麥，成熟的時候，看起來就像許多小金絲雀棲息在樹枝上。

corn grows in the surrounding fields, not only rye and barley, but oats,-pretty oats that, when ripe, look like a number of little golden canary-birds sitting on a bough.

穀物們都面帶微笑的樣子，顆粒最飽滿、最豐碩的麥穗都低垂著頭，彷彿懷著虔誠的謙卑。

the corn has a smiling look and the heaviest and richest ears bend their heads low as if in pious humility.

從前也有一片蕎麥地，這片地正好在那棵老柳樹的對面。

once there was also a field of buckwheat, and this field was exactly opposite to old willow-tree.

蕎麥不像其他穀物那樣低頭，而是驕傲而僵硬地把腦袋挺在莖稈上。

the buckwhe