《跳高者》，1845 年

the Jumper, 1845

跳蚤、蚱蜢和跳鵝曾經想看看它們當中誰能跳得最高；它們邀請了全世界的人，以及其他任何願意來的人，來觀看這場壯觀的場面。

the Flea, the Grasshopper, and the Skipjack once wanted to see which of them could jump highest; and they invited the whole world, and whoever else would e, to see the grand sight.

於是，這三位著名的跳躍選手在房間裡相聚了。

And there the three famous jumpers were met together in the room.

“是的，我要把我的女兒嫁給跳得最高的那個，” 國王說，“因為讓這些人白跳一場可就太不厚道了。”

“Yes, I’ll give my daughter to him who jumps highest,” said the King, “for it would be mean to let these time people jump for nothing.”

跳蚤第一個站了出來。

the Flea stepped out first.

他舉止非常優雅，向四面八方鞠躬，因為他血管裡流著年輕女士的血液，而且習慣只和人類交往；這可是相當重要的一點。

he had very pretty manners, and bowed in all directions, for he had young ladies’ blood in his veins, and was accustomed to consort only with human beings; and that was of great consequence.

接著蚱蜢出場了：他確實要重得多，但身材很不錯，而且穿著與生俱來的綠色制服。

then came the Grasshopper: he was certainly much heavier, but he had a good figure, and wore the green uniform that was born with him.

此外，這個人還堅稱自己來自埃及這片土地上一個非常古老的家族，而且在那裡備受尊敬。

this person, moreover, maintained that he belonged to a very old family in the land of Egypt, and that he was highly esteemed there.

他說他剛從田野裡來，還曾被放進一個三層樓高的紙牌屋，那屋子全是用把圖案朝裡的紙牌搭成的。

he had just e from the field, he said, and had been put into a card house three stories high, and all made of picture cards with the figures turned inwards.