"See that dear little thing!" said Mary, pointing to a poor little lamb in the corner that was bleating piteously. "Where can its mother be?" “看，可爱的小羊!”玛丽指着角落里一只叫声可怜的小羊说道。“它的妈妈会在哪儿呢?”

　　"Oh, shell turn up," answered Peter. "She probably hasn't been shorn yet." “哦，她会来的，”彼得回答。“她可能还没剪羊毛。”

　　But the afternoon wore on, the last sheep was shorn, and still the lamb was motherless. 但是已经越来越晚了，最后一只羊也已经剪完了，而羊妈妈依然没有出现。

　　At last Uncle Samuel came along. 最后塞缪尔叔叔出现了。

　　"Time to go home, children; step lively, now. We must get back by six o'clock." “孩子们，该回家了，快点，我们必须在六点以前回去。”

　　Mary seized his hand. "Oh, Uncle, couldn't we do something about this poor little lamb? 玛丽抓住叔叔的手。“叔叔，我们不能为这只可怜的小羊羔做点什么吗?”

　　I think its mother is lost, and it will starve. 我想它的妈妈丢了，它会饿死的。

　　Every single sheep has its lamb, and this little one is left. 每只羊都找到了自己的羔羊，而这只小羊的妈妈没有出现。

　　Couldn't we take him home with us?" 难道我们不能把它带回家吗?”

　　"Well, we'll have to ask Mother, Mary. “我们得问问你妈妈，玛丽。”

　　Perhaps she will allow you to take it. I'll catch it for you." 也许她会同意的，我帮你带回去。”

　　Uncle Samuel climbed into the pen, walked slowly up behind the lamb, and took it in his arms. 塞缪尔叔叔爬进羊圈，跟在小羊身后，然后抱起小羊。

　　It lay there quietly and only bleated once or twice as he carried it to the tent. 小羊静静地躺在那，当把它带到帐篷时，小羊只叫了一两次。

　　Mary's mother and Aunt Betsy were packing up the plates and cups, and the little that was left of the lunch. 玛丽的母亲和贝琪阿姨正在收拾盘子和杯子，还有剩下的午饭。

　　"What have you there, Samuel?" exclaimed Aunt Betsy. “你在那儿干什么，塞缪尔?”贝琪阿姨惊叫道。

　　"A lamb that Mary wants to take home, if her mother will allow her." “如果玛妈妈允许，玛丽想把这只小羊带回家。”

　　"Oh, please, please, Mother, let me keep it," begged Mary. “哦，求你了，求你了，妈妈，让我留着吧。”

　　"I'll take all the care of it, and feed it every day. It hasn't any mother." “我会照顾它，每天喂它，它没有妈妈。”

　　"It would be a good thing for Mary, if she would look after it herself," said Grandfather. “如果玛丽能自己照顾它，这对她来说是件好事，”爷爷说。

　　Mary was too happy to speak, but she squeezed her mother's hand hard. 玛丽高兴得说不出话来，紧紧地握着妈妈的手。

　　Grandfather lifted the lamb carefully into the cart, and they started for home. 爷爷小心翼翼地把小羊抬上车，他们就动身回家去了。

　　All the way back Mary planned how she would take care of the lamb and bring it up to be a big sheep. 一路上，玛丽计划着如何照顾羊羔，把它养大。

　　Next year it would be shorn, and perhaps Mother could spare enough wool from it so that Mary could knit mittens for Father. 第二年，它的羊毛就会被剪掉，也许妈妈可以得到足够的羊毛，这样玛丽就能给爸爸织一双连指手套了。