我明白了，他于是抓抓头上的假发，笑着说。

It can easily be seen that I only thought I heard the tiny voice say the words! Well, well--to work once more.

这声音一准是我听错了。我还是干我的活吧，

He struck a most solemn blow upon the piece of wood.

他在那段木头上狠狠地砍下去。

Oh, oh! You hurt! cried the same far-away little voice.

唉哟！你把我砍痛了！还是那很细的声音埋怨着叫起来。

Mastro Cherry grew dumb, his eyes popped out of his head, his mouth opened wide, and his tongue hung down on his chin.

这一回樱桃师傅当真愣住了，眼睛吓得鼓了出来，嘴巴张得老大，舌头拖到下巴，活像喷水池里一个妖怪的石头像。

As soon as he regained the use of his senses, he said, trembling and stuttering from fright:

等到他重新能够说话，他吓得哆哆嗦嗦、结结巴巴地说了起来：

Where did that voice come from, when there is no one around?

这个细声细气叫‘唉哟’的声音，它到底是打哪儿来的呢？……屋子里可是一个人也没有。

Might it be that this piece of wood has learned to weep and cry like a child?

难道是这段木头，是它学会了像小娃娃那样又哭又叫吗？

I can hardly believe it.

这我可怎么也不相信。

Here it is--a piece of common firewood, good only to burn in the stove, the same as any other.

瞧，就是这么一段木头。它跟别的木头一模一样，拿来生炉子的。扔到火里，倒可以烧开一锅豆子……那么，不是木头又是什么呢。

Yet--might someone be hidden in it? If so, the worse for him. I'll fix him!

难道是木头里躲着个人吗，要真躲着人，那他就活该倒霉，我这就来跟他算账！

With these words, he grabbed the log with both hands and started to knock it about unmercifully.

他这么说着，双手抓住这段可怜的木头，毫不客气地摔打它。

He threw it to the floor, against the walls of the room, and even up to the ceiling.

他把它扔到地上，往房间的墙上撞，甚至扔到天花板上。

He listened for the tiny voice to moan and cry.

他停下来竖起耳朵细细地听，看有没有那种细细的呻吟和哭声。

He waited two minutes--nothing; five minutes--nothing; ten minutes--nothing.

他听了两分钟，没有，听了五分钟，没有，听了十分钟，也没有！

Oh, I see, he said, trying bravely to laugh and ruffling up his wig with his hand.

我明白了，他一面苦笑着说，一面抓头上的假发。

It can easily be seen I only imagined I heard the tiny voice! Well, well--to work once more!

那细声细气地叫‘唉哟’的声音，一准是我自己听错了！我还是干我的活吧，

The poor fellow was scared half to death, so he tried to sing a gay song in order to gain courage.

这个可怜的家伙吓得半死，于是试着伊伊唔唔地哼支小调壮壮胆。

He set aside the hatchet and picked up the plane to make the wood smooth and even, but as he drew it to and fro, he heard the same tiny voice.

这一回他放下斧子，拿起刨子，要把木头刨刨平，可他一来一去地刚那么一刨，他又听见那个很小很小的声音。

This time it giggled as it spoke: Stop it! Oh, stop it! Ha, ha, ha! You tickle my stomach.

这一次它嘻嘻笑着说：快住手！你弄得我浑身怪痒痒的！

This time poor Mastro Cherry fell as if shot.

可怜的樱桃师傅这一回活像着了雷打，扑通一声倒了下来。

When he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting on the floor.

等他重新张开眼睛，只见自己坐在地上。

His face had changed; fright had turned even the tip of his nose from red to deepest purple.

他脸都变了色，一向红得发紫的鼻尖，这会儿都吓得发青了。