，因為根本找不到；它不見了。

the boy searched everywhere for it, but he searched in vain, for it could not be found; it was gone.

“我很清楚她在哪兒。” 陀螺嘆著氣說；“她在燕子窩裡，已經和燕子結婚了。”

“I know very well where she is,” sighed the top; “she is in the swallow’s nest, and has married the swallow.”

陀螺越想這事，就越想念球。

the more the top thought of this, the more he longed for the ball.

他的愛愈發濃烈，恰恰是因為得不到她；而她竟然被別人贏得了，這才是最糟糕的。

his love increased the more, just because he could not get her; and that she should have been won by another, was the worst of all.

陀螺仍然不停地旋轉並嗡嗡作響，但他一直在想著球；他越想她，在他的想象中她就顯得越美麗。

the top still twirled about and hummed, but he continued to think of the ball; and the more he thought of her, the more beautiful she seemed to her fancy.

就這樣，幾年過去了，他的愛變得相當久遠。

thus several years passed by, and his love became quite old.

陀螺也不再年輕了；但有一天，他看起來比以往任何時候都更英俊，因為他全身都鍍上了金。

the top, also, was no longer young; but there came a day when he looked handsomer than ever; for he was gilded all over.

現在他成了一個金色的陀螺，不停地旋轉、舞動，嗡嗡聲也很大，確實值得一看；但有一天他跳得太高了，然後他也不見了。

he was now a golden top, and whirled and danced about till he hummed quite loud, and was something worth looking at; but one day he leaped too high, and then he, also, was gone.

他們到處找，甚至連地窖都找了，但哪兒都找不到他。

they searched everywhere, even in the cellar, but he was nowhere to be found.

他能在哪兒呢？

where could he be?

他跳進了垃圾桶，那裡堆滿了各種各樣的垃圾：捲心菜梗、灰塵，還有從屋頂簷槽滴