(单词翻译:单击)
"That was an unpleasant dream," said he; "but 'twas droll enough altogether.
“这真是一个丑恶的梦！”他说，“但是也够滑稽。
I fancied that I was the lieutenant over there: and yet the thing was not very much to my taste after all.
我觉得我曾经变成了楼上的中尉，但这并不是一件很痛快的事情。
I missed my good old mother and the dear little ones; who almost tear me to pieces for sheer love."
我想念我的老婆和孩子们，他们这时正准备着大批的吻，要把我亲个半死。”
He seated himself once more and nodded: the dream continued to haunt him, for he still had the shoes on his feet.
他又坐下来，点点头。这梦并不马上在他的思想中消逝，因为他脚上仍然穿着那双套鞋。
A falling star shone in the dark firmament.
这时天上有一颗流星滑落下来了。
"There falls another star," said he: "but what does it matter; there are always enough left.
“它落下来了！”他说。“但是落也落不完的，多着呢。
I should not much mind examining the little glimmering things somewhat nearer, especially the moon;
我倒想更仔细地瞧瞧这些东西，特别是这一轮月亮，
for that would not slip so easily through a man's fingers.
因为它不会从手里滑走的。
When we die -- so at least says the student, for whom my wife does the washing --
我的女人经常替一位大学生洗衣服，那位大学生常常说，
we shall fly about as light as a feather from one such a star to the other.
我们死了以后，就从这颗星飞到那颗星。
That's, of course, not true: but it would be pretty enough if it were so.
这话并不可靠，不过，假如真是这样，那倒也很妙。
If I could but once take a leap up there, my body might stay here on the steps for what I care."
如果我能飞到那儿去，即使我的躯壳躺在楼梯上，我也不在乎。”
Behold -- there are certain things in the world to which one ought never to give utterance except with the greatest caution;
在这世界上，有些话我们说出来的时候，必须万分谨慎，
but doubly careful must one be when we have the Shoes of Fortune on our feet.
尤其是当我们穿上了幸运的套鞋的时候。
Now just listen to what happened to the watchman.
请听听发生在守夜人身上的故事吧。
As to ourselves, we all know the speed produced by the employment of steam;
就我们人说来，我们差不多都知道蒸汽输送东西是多么迅速；
we have experienced it either on railroads, or in boats when crossing the sea;
这种事我们已经在铁道上或在海上的轮船中试验过。
but such a flight is like the travelling of a sloth in comparison with the velocity with which light moves.
但是跟光线的速度比起来，这不过只等于树懒的动作或蜗牛的爬行罢了。
It flies nineteen million times faster than the best race-horse; and yet electricity is quicker still.
光比最快的骏马还要快1900万倍，而电的速度要更快。
Death is an electric shock which our heart receives; the freed soul soars upwards on the wings of electricity.
死不过是我们心中所受到的一种触电，被解放了的灵魂，骑在电的翅膀上，就可以远走高飞。
The sun's light wants eight minutes and some seconds to perform a journey of more than twenty million of our Danish miles;
阳光只须八分和几秒钟就可以走完将近两亿里的路程。
borne by electricity, the soul wants even some minutes less to accomplish the same flight.
灵魂骑上电力，要走同样的路程，只须几秒钟就够了。
