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“Lots of people act well,’ answered the Miller; ‘but very few people talk well,
“很多人都做得不错，’磨坊主回答说，‘可说得好的人却寥寥无几，
which shows that talking is much the more difficult thing of the two, and much the finer thing also’;
可见在两件事中讲话更难一些，也更加迷人一些。’
and he looked sternly across the table at his little son,
他用严厉的目光望着桌子另一头的小儿子，
who felt so ashamed of himself that he hung his head down, and grew quite scarlet, and began to cry into his tea.
小儿子感到很不好意思，低下了头，涨红着脸，泪水也忍不住地掉进了茶杯中。
However, he was so young that you must excuse him.”
不过，他年纪这么小，你们还是要原谅他。”
“Is that the end of the story?” asked the Water-rat.
“故事就这么完了吗？”河鼠问。
“Certainly not,” answered the Linnet, “that is the beginning.”
“当然没有，”红雀回答说，“这只是个开头。”
“Then you are quite behind the age,” said the Water-rat.
“那么你就太落后了，”河鼠说，
“Every good story-teller nowadays starts with the end, and then goes on to the beginning, and concludes with the middle.
“当今那些故事高手们都是从结尾讲起，然后 到开头，最后才讲到中间。
That is the new method. I heard all about it the other day from a critic who was walking round the pond with a young man.
这是新方法。这些话是我那天从一位评论家那儿听来的，当时他正同一位年轻人在池塘边散步。
He spoke of the matter at great length, and I am sure he must have been right,
对这个问题他作了好一番高谈阔论，我相信他是正确的，
for he had blue spectacles and a bald head, and whenever the young man made any remark, he always answered ‘Pooh!’
因他戴着一副蓝色的眼镜，头也全秃了，而且只要年轻人一开口讲话，他就总回答说，‘呸！’
But pray go on with your story. I like the Miller immensely.
不过，还是请你把故事讲下去吧。我尤其喜欢那个磨坊主。
I have all kinds of beautiful sentiments myself, so there is a great sympathy between us.”
我自己也有各种美丽的情感，所以我与他是同病相怜。”
