"What is it?" I asked, and the next minute I recognized the odour of the mimosa blossoms.
“这是什么东西?”我在心里发出疑问。紧接着,我就认出了这是金合欢花的气味。
I felt my way to the end of the garden,
我摸索着来到花园尽头,
knowing that the mimosa tree was near the fence, at the turn of the path.
我知道那棵金合欢树就在篱笆附近小路的拐角处。
Yes, there it was, all quivering in the warm sunshine,
不错,它就在那里,在和煦的阳光下,金合欢树轻轻摇曳,
its blossom-laden branches almost touching the long grass.
它那缀满花朵的枝桠几乎垂到了长长的草丛上。
Was there ever anything so exquisitely beautiful in the world before!
世上怎么会有如此精巧美丽的花朵!
Its delicate blossoms shrank from the slightest earthly touch;
即使是最轻微的触动,它那精致的花瓣也会立刻回缩并拢,
it seemed as if a tree of paradise had been transplanted to earth.
就像是一棵天堂之树被移植到了人间。
I made my way through a shower of petals to the great trunk and for one minute stood irresolute;
拨开繁茂的花枝,我走到了巨大的树干下面。我先是犹豫地站了一小会,
then, putting my foot in the broad space between the forked branches,
然后,我把双脚放在了树杈之间的宽阔地带,
I pulled myself up into the tree.
并且开始向上攀。
I had some difficulty in holding on, for the branches were very large and the bark hurt my hands.
保持攀登姿态相当吃力,因为树干非常粗大,树皮还磨破了我的双手。
But I had a delicious sense that I was doing something unusual and wonderful so I kept on climbing higher and higher,
可是我依然斗志昂扬,沉浸在征服困难的喜悦之中。我继续往高处爬,
until I reached a little seat which somebody had built there so long ago that it had grown part of the tree itself.
一直爬到了一个凳子上。这个小凳子是很早以前的什么人绑在这里的,如今,它已经长成了大树的一部分。
I sat there for a long, long time, feeling like a fairy on a rosy cloud.
在高高的树杈之间,我坐了很长时间,我觉得自己就像一个坐在玫瑰祥云上的仙女。
After that I spent many happy hours in my tree of paradise,
一连好几个小时,我在这棵天堂之树上展开神思遐想,
thinking fair thoughts and dreaming bright dreams.
做了一个又一个有关光明的梦。