So Irene went to a drawer and got a tablecloth. 于是，艾琳走到一个抽屉旁，拿出了一张桌布。

　　Then she started to set the table for dinner. 接着便开始为晚饭摆桌子。

　　"Mistress, shut me!" called out the drawer. “小主人，关上！”抽屉喊道。

　　"Oh, bother!" cried Irene, as she slammed the drawer in so hard that she knocked down a cup. “噢，真讨厌！”艾琳大声叫道。她砰的一声使劲儿关上了抽屉，却震掉了一个茶杯。

　　"Mistress, hang me up!" cried the cup. “小主人，把我挂起来！”茶杯喊道。

　　"Oh, stay there and be quiet," Irene answered. "Very well, mistress," said the cup. “好吧，待在那儿，安静点儿。”艾琳回答道。“非常好，小主人！”茶杯说。

　　"That is better," thought Irene. "If they will only be quiet, I can do things when I have time." “这样就好多了，”艾琳想，“只要他们能够安静下来，我就有时间做自己的事情了。”

　　In the cupboard she found a little pie, white bread and butter, ripe strawberries and sweet cream. 她在橱柜里找到了一个小馅饼、白面包、黄油、熟草莓和甜奶油。

　　You may be sure she liked her dinner. 可以肯定，她的晚餐一定吃得很开心。

　　After Irene had finished eating, she piled up the dishes. 吃完饭后，艾琳把碟子堆到了一起。

　　"I can wash them by and by," she thought. But as she turned away, the dishes cried," Mistress, mistress, wash us! Please wash us!" 她想：“我可以慢慢地来洗他们。”但她刚一转身，碟子们便叫了起来：“小主人，小主人，洗我们吧！请洗我们吧！”

　　"In a minute," said Irene. "Just wait a minute." “等一会儿，就等一会儿。”艾琳说。

　　"Very well, mistress," answered the dishes. “好的，小主人。”碟子们回答说。

　　Irene lay down to take a nap. 艾琳伏下来，打了个盹儿。

　　How pleasant it was, lying there! 趴着多快活啊！

　　Not a sound was to be heard except the tick of the clock, as it said: 除了时钟的嘀嗒声，什么声音也听不到。正在这时，时钟说道：

　　"The minutes fly, one by one, Tick, tick! “时间流逝，分分秒秒，嘀嗒，嘀嗒！

　　Lazy, lazy, nothing done, Tick, tick!" “懒惰，懒惰，什么事也做不成，嘀嗒，嘀嗒！”