介绍： Once upon a time in a summer long ago, the wheat fields were golden, the oats were green, and the hay was stacked high in the meadows.
很久很久以前，在一个盛夏，麦田一片金黄，燕麦青翠欲滴，草地上高高堆着干草垛。
A magnificent old manor house stood surrounded by woods and ponds. The reeds had grown so high tha...

介绍： Once upon a time in a summer long ago, the wheat fields were golden, the oats were green, and the hay was stacked high in the meadows.
很久很久以前，在一个盛夏，麦田一片金黄，燕麦青翠欲滴，草地上高高堆着干草垛。
A magnificent old manor house stood surrounded by woods and ponds. The reeds had grown so high that summer that they nearly hid the water from view.
一座气派古老的庄园坐落于此，四周环绕着树林与池塘。那年夏天芦苇长得格外茂盛，几乎把水面完全遮掩。
Hidden in the reeds, a mother duck had made her nest, safe from weasel and the wild fox. She sat on her eggs, getting rather bored, for they took their time to hatch.
芦苇丛深处，鸭妈妈搭好了窝，这里能躲开黄鼠狼和野狐狸。她整日趴在蛋上孵卵，日子十分乏味，这些蛋迟迟不肯破壳。
Finally she felt a tap tap tap, and cracks started to appear in the smooth shells. With a pop and a peep peep, a bunch of golden ducklings appeared.
终于，蛋壳上传来哒哒的轻响，光滑的外壳裂开一道道细纹。随着噼啪几声，一群金灿灿的小鸭叽叽叽地钻了出来。
Their mother gave a delighted quack as she counted each fluffy gold head.
鸭妈妈开心地嘎嘎叫着，数着一个个毛茸茸的小脑袋。
But wait — the largest egg in the nest, her secret pride, was still there. Never before could she remember laying such a huge and splendid egg. How much longer would it take?
等等，窝里那颗最大、她最引以为傲的蛋还没有动静。她从没下过这么硕大饱满的蛋，到底还要等多久呢？
Suddenly there was a tap, and a crack, and a pop. The ducklings and their mother excitedly awaited the arrival of their final sibling. But they quacked with horror at the baby bird who emerged.
忽然又是一阵敲击、开裂，随即啪的一声。鸭妈妈和小鸭们满心期待，等着最后一位小家伙出世。可等小家伙钻出来，所有人都惊恐地嘎嘎大叫。
For he was big and gray and ugly. He had huge feet and a broad beak, and looked nothing like his brothers and sisters.
因为它长得又大又灰，模样丑陋。脚掌宽大，嘴巴扁阔，和兄弟姐妹长得一点都不一样。
The next day the weather was perfectly splendid, and the ducklings went for their first swim. One by one they plunged into the water, bobbing along in a golden line.
第二天晴空万里，小鸭们迎来第一次下水。它们一只只扎进水里，排成一条金灿灿的队伍漂在水面。
Even the big gray duckling could swim despite his ungainly size. He held himself upright in a graceful style.
这只灰乎乎的大家伙虽然身形笨拙，水性却一点不差。它在水中身姿挺拔，游得十分优雅。
Mother duck quacked with delight. “See how nicely he uses those big feet? He is my very own son after all. Now follow me closely and watch out for the cat.”
鸭妈妈欣慰地嘎嘎叫道：“你们看它脚掌划水多利落，它终究是我的孩子。紧紧跟着我，小心野猫。”
The duck family waddled on their way into the yard. The sight of the big gray duckling caused an immediate commotion.
鸭群摇摇摆摆走进院子，这只灰小鸭一出现，立刻引来一阵骚动。
“How strange he is,” the other ducks said. “Look at his huge feet and his dull gray feathers. We won’t stand for such an ugly fellow in our yard.” And a handsome drake flew over and nipped him in the neck.
其他鸭子议论道：“它长得真古怪，你瞧这大脚板、灰扑扑的羽毛，我们院子容不下这么丑的家伙。”一只雄鸭飞过来，狠狠啄了它的脖子。
“Leave him alone! He’s not doing any harm,” quacked mother duck. “He’s too big and strange,” the handsome drake replied, “and therefore he needs a good whacking.”
鸭妈妈连忙大喊：“别欺负它，它没惹任何人！”雄鸭回嘴：“它个头怪异，就该好好教训一顿。”
An elderly mallard peered down her beak at mother duck’s brood. “Your other children are very pretty,” she said, “but not that one. He’s the wrong shape. It’s a pity you can’t hatch him again.” 
一只年老的野鸭伸长脖子打量一窝小鸭。“其他小鸭都漂漂亮亮，唯独这只身形畸形，真可惜不能重新孵一次。”
Mother duck was sad. She knew he was big and gray and ugly, but he was still her little duckling.
鸭妈妈心里难过。她清楚孩子又丑又笨重，可它终究是自己的宝贝。
Alas, life only got worse for the poor ugly duckling. Every day he was pecked and pushed and jeered and joshed by the ducks and even the chickens. “He’s too big! He’s too ugly!” they clucked.
可惜丑小鸭的日子一天比一天难熬，鸭子、小鸡天天啄它、推搡、嘲笑、挤兑它。大家不停聒噪：“它太大了！太丑了！”
Gobbler the turkey was the worst. He puffed up like a ship under full sail, and gobbled and gobbled at him until he was red in the face.
最过分的是火鸡戈布勒。它把全身羽毛炸开，像张满风帆的大船，冲着丑小鸭咯咯怒吼，脸涨得通红。
One day the poor ugly duckling could take it no more. He ran far away from home until he ended up at a swamp where only wild ducks lived.
终于有一天，丑小鸭再也忍受不住，远远逃离了家，跑到一处只有野鸭栖息的沼泽。
“You’re an ugly fellow,” the wild ducks told him, “but you can stay here so long as you don’t marry any of us.”
野鸭对它说：“你长得很难看，不过你可以留下来，前提是不许和我们当中任何一只婚配。”
But the poor ugly duckling wasn’t thinking of marriage. He just wanted to hide away in the reeds where no one could see him and mock him.
丑小鸭根本没想成家，它只想躲进芦苇深处，不再被人看见、受人嘲讽。
One day a pair of travelling geese stopped by.“Hello friend,” they honked. “You’re so ugly that we rather like you. Why don’t you become travelling birds like us?” 
一天，两只迁徙大雁路过此地。“你好呀朋友，” 大雁鸣叫着，“你丑得特别，我们反倒喜欢你。不如和我们一起四处游历？”
They told him of a wonderful marsh nearby full of charming lady geese. “They’ll adore you,” the kind geese promised.
它们告诉丑小鸭，不远处有一片美丽湿地，有许多温柔的雌雁。“它们一定会喜欢你。”善良的大雁承诺道。
But just as the three birds took flight, there was a terrible bang bang of gunshots ringing in the air.
可就在三只鸟儿准备起飞时，空中传来砰砰刺耳的枪声。
The duckling’s new friends dropped down dead into the rushes, and the waters ran red with their blood.
丑小鸭刚结识的朋友直直摔进芦苇丛，鲜血染红了水面。
Immediately hunters and gun dogs came splashing through the swamp. The poor ugly duckling was terrified, but there was no time to hide in the reeds.
猎人和猎犬立刻蹚着泥水冲来，可怜的丑小鸭吓得魂飞魄散，根本来不及躲藏。
One dog bared sharp fangs right at him and opened his wide jaws. But just as he was about to bite the duckling, he suddenly turned and ran off.
一只猎犬亮出尖牙，张大嘴巴朝它扑来，可就在下口的瞬间，猎犬忽然扭头跑开了。
“I’m so ugly that even a dog won’t eat me,” the poor duckling thought. He didn’t know whether to be glad or sad.
可怜的丑小鸭暗自伤心：原来我丑到连猎狗都不屑吃我。它不知该难过还是庆幸。
Winter arrived, bitterly cold. The water froze, and one night the duckling got stuck in the ice.
寒冬来临，天寒地冻。水面全部结冰，一天夜里，丑小鸭冻在冰面上一动不动。
He sat there until morning. Morning came, and a farmer caught sight of him. He broke the ice with his wooden shoe and carried the duckling home to warm him by the fireside.
它一直熬到到天亮。清晨，一位农夫发现了它，他用木鞋敲碎冰块，把丑小鸭带回家，放在炉火旁取暖。
But the duckling was terrified. He fluttered into the milk pail, splashing it all over the room, and landed in the butter tub.
可丑小鸭受惊过度，慌乱扑腾撞翻奶桶，牛奶洒了一地，又一头栽进黄油盆里。
The farmer’s wife was furious and chased him out into the cold. Back in the swamp, he spent a long and lonely winter struggling to survive.
农妇勃然大怒，把它赶出家门，丢回冰天雪地。它独自回到沼泽，熬过漫长孤寂、苦苦求生的冬天。
At last the snows melted away and the lark began to sing. It was spring. The duckling unfolded his wings. They were bigger and stronger than before, and carried him high into the air.
冰雪消融，云雀放声歌唱，春天终于来了。丑小鸭舒展翅膀，羽翼比从前宽大有力，带着它飞向高空。
Before long he found himself by a lovely lake surrounded by lilac and apple blossom. Three magnificent swans, white and graceful, swam there.
不多时，它飞到一片美丽湖畔，四周丁香盛放，苹果花如云似雪。湖面游着三只高贵优雅、通体雪白的天鹅。
Their beauty filled the ugly duckling with despair. “I’m so drab and gray. They will peck me to death,” he thought. “Though perhaps it’s better to be killed by these majestic birds than scorned and starved.”
它们的美丽让丑小鸭满心自卑绝望。“我一身灰败难看，它们一定会啄死我。可就算死在高贵的天鹅手里，也好过终日受辱、忍饥挨饿。”
He bowed his head in misery. But as he did so, he suddenly saw his reflection in the water and got a shock. His ugly feathers were now snowy white, his neck was curved and slender — he had grown into a swan.
它悲伤地低下头，却无意间看见水中倒影，瞬间大吃一惊。曾经灰丑的羽毛变得雪白无瑕，脖颈修长优美——它长成了一只天鹅。
The other swans glided over to him. Instead of biting him, they stroked him with their beaks.
其余天鹅缓缓游向它，没有攻击，反倒用喙温柔轻抚它。
Nearby children shouted with joy at the sight of him. “There’s a new swan!” they cried, and threw him some crumbs.
岸边的孩子们看见它，开心地欢呼起来。“快看，新来的天鹅！” 孩子们一边喊，一边抛来面包屑。
“Once I was an ugly duckling,” he said, “and now I am the most beautiful of birds.” 
它心中感慨：曾经我是人人嫌弃的丑小鸭，如今我是飞鸟中最美的存在。
But because he knew what it was like to be shunned and bullied, he was never cruel to another creature, and became the noblest of swans that ever lived.
正因亲身尝过被排挤、被欺凌的滋味，它一生温柔和善，从不伤害任何生灵，成为世间最高贵的天鹅。