“Just such a large tree, covered with flowers, stands out there; it grew in the corner of an humble little yard; under this tree sat two old people one afternoon in the beautiful sunshine. he was an old, old sailor, and she his old wife; they had already great-grandchildren, and were soon to celebrate their golden wedding, but they could not remember the date, and the elder-tree mother was sitting in the tree and looked as pleased as this one here.

“‘我很清楚金婚是哪天舉行，’她說；但他們沒聽到 —— 他們在談論過去的日子。

“‘I know very well when the golden wedding is to take place,’ she said; but they did not hear it — they were talking of bygone days.

“‘嗯，你還記得嗎？’老水手說，‘當我們還很小，經常跑來跑去玩耍的時候 —— 就是在我們現在所在的這個院子裡 —— 我們常常把小樹枝插在地裡，弄成一個小花園。’

“‘well, do you remember?’ said the old sailor, ‘when we were quite small and used to run about and play — it was in the very same yard where we now are — we used to put little branches into the ground and make a garden.’

“‘記得呀，’老太太說，‘我記得很清楚；我們過去常常給那些樹枝澆水，其中有一根接骨木樹枝，它生根了，長大成了我們現在作為老人坐在下面的這棵大樹。’

“‘Yes,’ said the old woman, ‘I remember it very well; we used to water the branches, and one of them, an elder-tree branch, took root, and grew and became the large tree under which we are now sitting as old people.’

“‘沒錯，你說得對，’他說；‘在那邊的角落裡曾放著一個大水缸；我常在裡面放我自己刻的小船 —— 它航行得可好了；但很快我就得去別的地方航行了。’

“‘certainly, you are in right,’ he said; ‘and in yonder corner stood a large water-tub; there I used to sail my boat, which I had cut out myself — it s