THORNTON W. BURGESS 桑顿·W·伯吉斯

　　The very last sentence in this story says 这个故事的最后一句话是：

　　"Why, oh, why, do people want to destroy such beautiful things?" “为什么？噢，为什么人类要毁掉这么美丽的东西？”

　　What do you suppose the beautiful things are? 猜一猜那些美丽的东西是什么？

　　PETER AND HUMMER VISIT THE COLUMBINE 彼得和蜂鸟看望耧斗菜

　　Peter Rabbit had spent a happy night frisking about in the Old Pasture. 兔子彼得在老牧场里蹦来跳去，度过了一个快乐的夜晚。

　　Just as he was ready to start for his home in the Briar Patch, 兔子彼得在老牧场里蹦来跳去，度过了一个快乐的夜晚。

　　early in the morning, he heard a humming sound. 听到了一阵嗡嗡的声音。

　　Peter looked up, frightened. He was afraid it was his enemy, Redtail the Hawk. 彼得害怕地抬头往上看。他害怕是他的敌人——红尾巴鹰出现了。

　　But no, it was only his friend, Hummer the Hummingbird, 但不是，原来是他的朋友蜂鸟——发出嗡嗡声的小鸟。

　　who now swooped down so close to Peter's head that the rabbit ducked. 蜂鸟突然俯冲下来，离彼得的头非常得近，他不得不赶紧躲开。

　　"What are you trying to do?" he cried angrily. “你想干什么啊？”他生气地喊道。

　　"Just trying to show my happiness," answered Hummer. “就是让你看一下我有多高兴。”蜂鸟回答说，

　　"Isn't spring a beautiful time of year? “难道春天不是一年中最美好的时光吗？

　　I always love to visit the Old Pasture when the columbine is in bloom." 当耧斗菜开花的时候，我总喜欢去游览老牧场。“

　　Peter pricked up his long ears. "Columbine? Columbine?" he said. 彼得竖起他的长耳朵。“耧斗菜？耧斗菜？”他说，

　　"I suppose that is a flower. “我猜那是一种花。

　　You never seem to be much interested in anything but flowers."  你好像只对花感兴趣。”

　　Z-z-zoom-z-z-zoom-came Hummer close to one of Peter's long ears. 嗡嗡嗡——嗡嗡嗡——蜂鸟靠近彼得的一只长耳朵。

　　"Of course the columbine is a flower!" he cried. “耧斗菜当然是一种花！”蜂鸟叫道，

　　"It is one of the most beautiful of all spring flowers. “它是春天最漂亮的花之一。

　　Only a few moments ago I found the first one I have seen this year." 就在几分钟之前，我已发现了今年的第一朵耧斗菜花。”

　　"Of course I know the columbine!" Peter cried.  “我当然知道耧斗菜了！”彼得喊道，

　　"It is so long since I saw it last spring that for a few minutes I could not remember it. “自从去年春天见过它，已经很长时间没见了，所以我一下子没想起来。

　　But I remember it now, and I know just where it is." 但是现在我想起来了，我知道它在哪儿。”

　　With a quick hop Peter started up one of the paths that led to the other end of the Old Pasture. 彼得迅速地一跳，向通往老牧场另一端的路上走去。

　　Lipperty-lipperty-lip he ran, while Hummer darted on ahead. 他一蹦一跳地跑着，蜂鸟也向前冲去。

　　In a few minutes Peter came to a long, low pile of rocks. 几分钟后，彼得来到了一堆又长又低的岩石前。

　　He hopped up on one of the rocks, and looked all about. 他跳上了一块岩石，四处张望。

　　There, close beside him, were several nodding blossoms. 他的不远处有几朵低垂的花。

　　On the outside, these love1y flowers were scarlet, but inside they were yellow. 这些美丽的花外红内黄，

　　Their slender stems had beautiful light-green leaves. 细长的茎上长着漂亮的淡绿色叶子。

　　Hummer darted from flower to flower, sticking his long bill into each, 蜂鸟在花丛里飞来飞去，把长长的喙插入每一朵花里。

　　and Peter knew that these blossoms were as sweet as they were beautiful. 彼得知道这些花不仅美丽而且很甜。

　　A little briar bush was growing right near where Peter had found the columbine. 一片小荆棘丛正好长在彼得发现的耧斗菜附近。

　　Here he could sit and be safe, and at the same time look at the nodding blossoms. 他可以在这里坐下，很安全，同时还能观赏那些低垂的花朵。

　　From time to time he dozed off. 他时不时地打个瞌睡，

　　Between little naps he watched the lovely columbine blossoms. 在小憩之余观赏可爱的耧斗菜花。