Only in that single house, which stood opposite that in which the learned foreigner lived, it was quite still;

只有在那位外国学者住所对面的一间房子里，一切是沉寂的。

and yet some one lived there, for there stood flowers in the balcony—they grew so well in the sun's heat!

但是那里面却住着一个人，因为阳台上有好几棵花。这些花儿在太阳光中长得非常美丽。

and that they could not do unless they were watered—and someone must water them—there must be somebody there.

如果没有人浇水，它们决不会长得这样好的；所以一定有什么人在那儿为它们浇水，因此一定有人住在那儿。

The door opposite was also opened late in the evening, but it was dark within, at least in the front room;further in there was heard the sound of music.

天黑的时候，那儿的门也打开了，但是里面却很黑暗，至少在前屋是如此。更朝里一点有音乐飘出来。

The learned foreigner thought it quite marvellous, but now—it might be that he only imagined it—

这位外国学者认为这音乐很美妙，不过这可能只是他的幻想，

for he found everything marvellous out there, in the warm lands, if there had only been no sun.

因为他发现在这些热带的国家里面，什么东西都是顶美丽的——如果没有太阳的话。

The stranger's landlord said that he didn't know who had taken the house opposite, one saw no person about,

这位外国人的房东说，他不知道谁租了对面的房子——那里从来没有任何人出现过；

and as to the music, it appeared to him to be extremely tiresome.

至于那音乐，他觉得单调之至。

"It is as if someone sat there, and practised a piece that he could not master—always the same piece. 'I shall master it!' says he;

他说：“好像有某个人坐在那儿，老是练习他弹不好的一个调子——一个不变的调子。他似乎在说：‘我终究要学会它。’

but yet he cannot master it, however long he plays."

但是不管他弹多久，他老是学不会。”

One night the stranger awoke—he slept with the doors of the balcony open—the curtain before it was raised by the wind,

这个外国人有天晚上醒来了。他是睡在敞开的阳台门口的。风把它前面的帘子掀开，

and he thought that a strange lustre came from the opposite neighbor's house;

于是他就幻想自己看见一道奇异的光从对面的阳台上射来。

all the flowers shone like flames, in the most beautiful colors,

所有的花都亮起来了，很像色彩鲜艳的火焰。

and in the midst of the flowers stood a slender, graceful maiden

在这些花儿中间立着一位美丽苗条的姑娘。

—it was as if she also shone; the light really hurt his eyes.

她也似乎射出一道光来。这的确刺伤他的眼睛。

He now opened them quite wide—yes, he was quite awake; with one spring he was on the floor;

不过这是因为他从睡梦中惊醒时把眼睛睁得太大了的缘故。他一翻身就跳到地上来了。

he crept gently behind the curtain,but the maiden was gone; the flowers shone no longer, but there they stood, fresh and blooming as ever;

他轻轻地走到帘子后面去，但是那个姑娘却不见了，光也没有了，花儿也不再闪亮，只是立在那儿，像平时一样地好看。

the door was ajar, and, far within, the music sounded so soft and delightful, one could really melt away in sweet thoughts from it.

那扇门还是半掩着，从里面飘出一阵音乐声——那么柔和，那么美妙，使人一听到它就沉浸到甜美的幻想中去。

Yet it was like a piece of enchantment.

这真好像是一个幻境。