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The Story of the Easter Rabbit
复活节兔子的故事
Once upon a time, many years ago, the winter had been long and cold.
很久很久、许多年以前，冬天漫长而寒冷。
"What makes Spring so late?" asked all the children. "Let us go to the woods and see if she has come."
“是什么让春天来得这么晚？”孩子们问，“我们去森林看看她到了没有。”
But when they came to the woods, they could find no birds or wild flowers. The cold north wind still roared through the branches of the trees.
但当他们到森林时，却找不到鸟儿或野花。寒冷的北风依然呼啸着穿过树枝。
The chidren were sad because Spring had not come, and they went home.
孩子们很伤心，因为春天还没来，于是他们回家了。
But Spring did come at last, and the north wind no longer roared through the branches of the trees. The birds began building their nests, the wild flowers were peeping out of the ground, and tiny new leaves were on the trees.
但是春天终于来了，北风不再呼啸着穿过树枝。鸟儿开始筑巢，野花从地里探出头来，树上又长出了嫩叶。
"Where are the children?" asked Spring.
“孩子们在哪里？”春问道。
"They always come to play with the birds and flowers and animals."
“他们总来与鸟儿、野花和动物玩。”
"They came a few weeks ago," said the chickadee. "They saw that you were not here, and so they went home."
“他们几星期前来过，”山雀说，“他们看到你不在就回家了。”
"Aren't they coming back soon?" asked the wild flowers. "Our pretty colors will not last many days longer."
“他们会很快回来吗？”野花问，“我们的漂亮颜色不会持续太久。”
The rabbits and squirrels said, "We love the children.We like to peep out from our holes and watch them."
兔子和松鼠说：“我们喜欢孩子，喜欢从洞里探出头来看他们”。
"Perhaps the children do not know we are here," said Spring. "Robin, will you tell them?"
“也许孩子们不知道我们在这儿，”春说。“知更鸟，你能告诉他们吗?”
"I am too busy building a nest for my little ones," said the robin. "Send the fox. She has finished making her home."
“我正忙着为孩子们搭窝呢。”知更鸟说，“让狐狸去，她建完家了。”
"Will you go, Red Fox?" asked Spring.
“你去吗，红狐狸？”春问道。
"Don't send me," said the fox. "The people will think I have come to kill their chickens."
“不要派我，”狐狸说，“人们会认为我是来杀鸡的。”
"That is true," said Spring. "We cannot send you. Black Bear, couldn't you go?"
“没错，”春说，“我们不能派你。黑熊，你能去吗？”
"I am so big," said the bear, "and I look fierce that I would frighten the children. Besides, I am thin and hungry after my long winter's sleep. I must hunt for food so that I will be fat again."
“我太大了，”熊说，“我看起来很凶，会吓着孩子们的。而且在漫长的冬眠后，我又瘦又饿，必须寻找食物，这样我才能再胖起来。”
"What shall we do?" said Spring.
“我们要怎么办？”春说。
"Why not send the rabbit?" said the bear. "Children all love rabbits."
“为什么不派兔子去呢？”熊说，“孩子们都喜欢兔子。”
The rabbit was proud to hear that all the children loved him, and he promised to go.
兔子听到所有孩子都爱它，很骄傲，它答应去了。
Then he remembered the dogs. "Oh!" he cried. "I nearly forgot about the dogs. Perhaps you should send someone else."
然后它想起了狗。它叫道：“噢，我几乎忘了那些狗。也许你应该派别人去。”
"You can go tonight when all the dogs are asleep," said Spring. "You will be safe if you are careful."
“你可以今晚去，那时所有的狗都睡着了，”春天说。“如果你小心点儿，会很安全。”
"All right," said the bunny. "I'll go."
“好吧，”兔子说。“我去。”
The animals made a basket of straw and sticks and covered the bottom with soft grass.
动物们用稻草和木棍做了一个篮子，并用柔软的草盖住篮底。
Then each bird brought an egg from her nest, until the basket was nearly full.
然后，每只鸟都从她的巢里取出一颗蛋，直到篮子几乎装满了。
There were blue eggs and spotted eggs, green eggs and pink eggs.
有蓝色的蛋、带斑点的蛋、绿色的蛋和粉红色的蛋。
The animals and birds trimmed the basket with wild flowers and tied it on the bunny's back.
动物和鸟儿用野花装饰了篮子，把它绑在兔子的背上。
When evening came, the rabbit crept quietly into the town. He was very careful not to make a sound.
夜幕降临时，兔子悄悄溜进了城里。它非常小心，不发出声音。
At first he felt afraid. But when he saw that the dogs were really asleep, he became brave. How strange and quiet it seemed when everyone was in bed!
起初它感到害怕。但当它看到狗真的睡着了时，就变得勇敢起来。人们都卧床休息时，是多么奇怪和安静啊!
Bunny went to the first house where a child lived. He made a little nest of soft green grass and put into it one pretty egg and one wild flower. Then he put the nest on the doorstep and hopped along to the next house, and the next, and the next.
兔子去了第一个有孩子住的房子。它用柔软的绿草做了一个小窝，放进去一颗漂亮的蛋和一朵野花。然后，它把窝放在门阶上，跳到了下一间房子，然后去了下一间，下一间。
He left a nest for every child in the town.
它为镇上的每个孩子都留了一个窝。
Before morning he finished all his work, and he hopped back to the woods, a happy little bunny.
天亮之前，它完成了所有工作，然后跳回了森林，真是一只快乐的小兔子。
"Why, Spring is here! Spring is here!" cried the children on Easter morning when they saw the pretty nests.
“哎呀！春天到了！春天到了！”复活节早上，孩子们看到漂亮的鸟巢后就叫了起来。
One little child said, "I was awake very early, and I saw a rabbit with a basket, running along the street."
一个小孩说：“我很早就醒了，看见一只兔子手拿篮子，沿着街道跑。”
"Someone must have sent him to tell us that Spring has come," said another child.
“一定是有人派它来告诉我们春天来了。”另一个孩子说。
So off they ran to the woods, shouting with joy. "Spring is here at last !" they cried. "The Easter Rabbit came to tell us that Spring has come."
于是他们跑到森林里，高兴得大叫起来。“春天终于来了！”他们叫喊着，“复活节兔子来告诉我们春天来了。”
