《木偶奇遇记》开篇：英文原著带中文翻译

“A king!” my little readers will say immediately.

「国王！」我的小读者们一定会马上这么说。

No, children, you are mistaken. Once upon a time there was a piece of wood.

不，孩子们，你们弄错了。从前有一块木头。

It was not an expensive piece of wood. Far from it. Just a common block of firewood, one of those thick, solid logs that are put on the fire in winter to make cold rooms cozy and warm.

那不是什么值钱的木头，差得远呢。只是一块普通的柴火，冬天里放进炉子，让寒冷的屋子变得舒适温暖的那种粗壮结实的木柴。

I do not know how this really happened, yet the fact remains that one fine day this piece of wood found itself in the shop of an old carpenter. His real name was Mastro Antonio, but everyone called him Mastro Cherry, for the tip of his nose was so round and red and shiny that it looked like a ripe cherry.

我不知道这事究竟是怎么发生的，可事实就是，有一天，这块木头落到了一位老木匠的铺子里。他本名叫安东尼奥师傅，可大家都叫他樱桃师傅，因为他的鼻尖圆圆的，红红的，亮亮的，活像一颗熟透的樱桃。

As soon as he saw that piece of wood, Mastro Cherry was filled with joy. Rubbing his hands together happily, he mumbled half to himself:

樱桃师傅一看见那块木头，就满心欢喜。他高兴地搓着双手，半是自言自语地嘟囔道：

“This has come in the nick of time. I shall use it to make the leg of a table.”

「来得正是时候。我就用它做一条桌腿吧。」

He grasped the hatchet quickly to peel off the bark and shape the wood. But as he was about to give it the first blow, he stood still with arm uplifted, for he had heard a wee, little voice say in a beseeching tone:

他赶紧抓起斧子，要削去树皮，把木头修整成形。可就在他正要砍下第一斧的时候，他却举起手臂，停住不动了，因为他听见一个细细小小的声音，用恳求的语气说：

“Please be careful! Do not hit me so hard!”

「请小心点！别砍我这么重！」

What a look of surprise shone on Mastro Cherry’s face! His funny face became still funnier.

樱桃师傅脸上那惊讶的神情啊！他那张滑稽的脸显得更滑稽了。

He turned frightened eyes about the room to find out where that wee, little voice had come from and he saw no one! He looked under the bench—no one! He peeped inside the closet—no one! He searched among the shavings—no one! He opened the door to look up and down the street—and still no one!

他惊恐地转动眼睛，在屋里四处张望，想弄清那个细细小小的声音是从哪儿来的，可他谁也没看见！他往凳子底下看，没人！他往柜子里瞧，没人！他在刨花堆里翻找，没人！他打开门，朝街上上上下下张望，还是没人！

“Oh, I see!” he then said, laughing and scratching his Wig. “It can easily be seen that I only thought I heard the tiny voice say the words! Well, well—to work once more.”

「哦，我明白了！」他这才说着，一边笑，一边挠了挠假发。「很明显，我只是以为自己听见那个细小的声音说了那些话！好吧，好吧，再干起来。」

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

他朝那块木头极其郑重地砍了一斧。

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

「哎哟，哎哟！你砍痛我了！」那个同样远远传来的细小声音叫道。

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

樱桃师傅愣住了，眼珠凸出，嘴巴张得大大的，舌头一直垂到下巴上。

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

他一恢复神志，就吓得浑身发抖，结结巴巴地说：

“Where did that voice come from, when there is no one around? Might it be that this piece of wood has learned to weep and cry like a child? I can hardly believe it. Here it is—a piece of common firewood, good only to burn in the stove, the same as any other. Yet—might someone be hidden in it? If so, the worse for him. I’ll fix him!”

「周围一个人也没有，那声音是从哪儿来的呢？难道这块木头学会了像孩子一样哭泣叫喊？我简直不敢相信。瞧，就是一块普通柴火，只配扔进炉子里烧，跟别的柴火没什么两样。可是，会不会有人藏在里面？要是这样，那他就更倒霉了。我来收拾他！」

With these words, he grabbed the log with both hands and started to knock it about unmercifully. He threw it to the floor, against the walls of the room, and even up to the ceiling.

说着，他双手抓起那根木头，毫不留情地乱敲乱打起来。他把它扔到地板上，撞向屋里的墙壁，甚至抛到天花板上。

He listened for the tiny voice to moan and cry. He waited two minutes—nothing; five minutes—nothing; ten minutes—nothing.

他侧耳细听，等那个细小的声音呻吟哭泣。他等了两分钟，没有动静；五分钟，没有动静；十分钟，没有动静。

“Oh, I see,” he said, trying bravely to laugh and ruffling up his wig with his hand. “It can easily be seen I only imagined I heard the tiny voice! Well, well—to work once more!”

「哦，我明白了，」他说着，一边竭力壮起胆子笑，一边用手把假发揉乱。「很明显，我只是想象自己听见了那个细小的声音！好吧，好吧，再干起来！」

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

这可怜的家伙吓得半死，于是试着唱一支欢快的歌来给自己壮胆。

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. This time it giggled as it spoke:

他放下斧子，拿起刨子，要把木头刨得光滑平整，可他来回一推一拉，又听见了那个细小的声音。这一次，它一边说一边咯咯地笑：

“Stop it! Oh, stop it! Ha, ha, ha! You tickle my stomach.”

「别弄了！哦，别弄了！哈哈哈！你挠得我肚子痒。」

This time poor Mastro Cherry fell as if shot. When he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting on the floor.

这一次，可怜的樱桃师傅像中枪一样倒了下去。等他睁开眼睛，发现自己正坐在地板上。