“Here it is beautiful in autumn！”said the little girl，and the atmosphere seemed twice as high and blue，while the wood shone with crimson，green，and gold.The hounds were running off，flocks of wild fowl flew screaming over the barrows，while the bramble bushes twined round the old stones.The darkblue sea was covered with whitesailed ships，and in the barns sat old women，girls，and children picking hops into a large tub.The young ones sang songs，and the old people told fairy tales about goblinsgoblin n.顽皮的丑小鬼，小妖精and sorcerers.It could not be more pleasant anywhere.
“秋天在这儿是多么美丽啊！”小姑娘说。于是天空显得比以前加倍的高阔，加倍的蔚蓝；树林染上最华美的红色、黄色和绿色。猎犬在追逐着；整群的雁儿在远古的土坟上飞过，发出凄凉的叫声；荆棘丛在古墓碑上纠做一团。海是深蓝色的，上面点缀着一些白帆。老太婆、少女和小孩坐在打麦场上，把蛇麻的果穗摘下来扔进一只大桶里。这时年轻人唱着山歌，老年人讲着关于小鬼和妖精的童话。什么地方也没有这儿好。
“Here its agreeable in winter！”said the little girl，and all the trees were covered with hoarfrost，so that they looked like white coral.The snow creaked under ones feet，as if one had new boots on.One shooting star after another traversed the sky.In the room the Christmas tree was lit，and there were song and merriment.In the peasants cottage(cottage n.村舍，小别墅)the violin sounded，and games were played for apple quarters；even the poorest child said，“It is beautiful in winter！”
“冬天在这儿是多么美丽啊！”小姑娘说。于是所有的树上全盖满了白霜，看起来像白珊瑚。雪在人们的脚下发出清脆的声音，好像人们全穿上了新靴子。陨星一个接着一个从天上滑下来。在屋子里，圣诞节树上的灯都亮起来了。这儿有礼品，有快乐。在乡下，农人的屋子里奏起了小提琴，人们在玩着抢苹果的游戏；就是最穷苦的孩子也说“冬天是美丽的！”
And indeed it was beautiful！And the little girl showed everything to the boy，and the eldertree continued to breathe forth sweet perfume，while the red flag with the white cross was streaming in the wind.It was the flag under which the old sailor had served.The boy became a youth.He was to go out into the wide world，far away to the countries where the coffee grows.But at parting the little girl took an elderblossom from her breast and gave it to him as a keepsake(keepsake n.纪念品).He placed it in his prayerbook，and when he opened it in distant lands it was always at the place where the flower of remembrance was lying，and the more he looked at it the fresher it became，so that he could almost smell the fragrance of the woods at home.He distinctly saw the little girl，with her bright blue eyes，peeping out from behind the petals，and heard her whispering，“Here it is beautiful in spring，in summer，in autumn，and in winter.”and hundreds of pictures passed through his mind.
是的，那是美丽的。小姑娘把每样东西都指给这个孩子看；接骨木树永远在发出香气；绘有白十字架的红旗永远在飘动着——住在水手区的那个老水手就是在这个旗帜下出外去航海的。这个小孩子成了一个年轻人，他得走到广大的世界里去，远远地走到生长咖啡的那些热带的国度里去。在别离的时候，小姑娘把她戴在胸前的那朵接骨木花取下来，送给他作为纪念。它被夹在一本《赞美诗集》里。在外国，当他一翻开这本诗集的时候，总是翻到夹着这朵纪念花的地方。他越看得久，这朵花就越显得新鲜，他好像觉得呼吸到了丹麦树林里的新鲜空气。这时他就清楚地看到，那个小姑娘正在花瓣之间睁着明朗的蓝眼睛，向外面凝望。于是她低声说：“春天、夏天、秋天和冬天在这儿是多么美丽啊！”于是成千成百的画面，就在他的脑海中浮过去了。
Thus many years rolled by.He had now become an old man，and was sitting，with his old wife，under an eldertree in full bloom.They held each other by the hand exactly as the greatgrandfather and the greatgrandmother had done outside，and，like them，they talked about bygone days and of their golden wedding.The little girl with the blue eyes and elderblossoms in her hair was sitting high up in the tree，and nodded to them，saying，“Today is the golden wedding！”And then she took two flowers out of her wreath and kissed them.They glittered at first like silver，then like gold，and when she placed them on the heads of the old people each flower became a golden crown.There they both sat like a king and queen under the sweetsmelling tree，which looked exactly like an eldertree，and he told his wife the story of the eldertree mother as it had been told him when he was a little boy.They were both of opinion(opinion n.意见，看法，主张，判断，评价)that the story contained many points like their own，and these similarities they liked best.
就这样，许多年过去了；他现在成了一个老头儿，跟他年老的妻子坐在一棵开满了花的树下。他们两人互相握着手，正如以前住在水手区的高祖母和高祖父一样。也像这对老祖宗一样，谈着他们过去的日子，谈着金婚。这位有一双蓝眼睛的、头上戴着接骨木花的小姑娘，坐在树上，向这对老夫妇点着头，说：“今天是你们金婚的日子啦！”于是她从她的花环上取下两朵花，把它们吻了一下；它们便射出光来，起先像银子，然后像金子。当她把它们戴到这对老夫妇的头上时，每朵花就变成了一个金色的王冠。他们两人像国王和王后坐在那株散发着香气的树下。这树的样子完全像一棵接骨木树。他对他年老的妻子讲着关于接骨木树妈妈的故事，他把他儿时从别人那儿听到的全都讲出来。他们觉得这故事有许多地方像他们自己的生活，而这相似的一部分就是这故事中他们最喜欢的一部分。
“Yes，so it is.”said the little girl in the tree.“Some call me Little Eldertree Mother，others a Dryad.But my real name is‘Remembrance’.It is I who sit in the tree which grows and grows.I can remember things and tell stories！But lets see if you have still got your flower.”
“是的，事情的确是这样！”坐在树上的那个小姑娘说。“有人把我叫做接骨木树妈妈，也有人把我叫做树神，不过我的真正的名字是‘回忆’。我就坐在树上，不停地生长；我能够回忆过去，我能讲出以往的事情。让我看看，你是不是仍然保留着你那朵花。”
And the old man opened his PrayerBook.The elderblossom was still in it，and as fresh as if it had only just been put in.Remembrance nodded，and the two old people，with the golden crowns on their heads，sat in the glowing evening sun.They closed their eyes and—and—
老头儿翻开他的《赞美诗集》。那朵接骨木花仍然夹在里面，如刚放进去一样新鲜。于是“回忆”姑娘点点头。这时头戴金色王冠的老夫妻坐在红色的斜阳里，闭起眼睛，于是——于是——
Well，now the story is ended！The little boy in bed did not know whether he had dreamt it or heard it told.The teapot stood on the table，but no eldertree was growing out of it，and the old man who had told the story was on the point of leaving the room，and he did go out.
那个躺在床上的小孩子，不晓得自己是在做梦呢，还是有人对他讲了这个童话。茶壶仍然在桌上：但是并没有接骨木树从它里面长出来。讲这童话的那个老人正在向门外走——事实上他已经走了。
“How beautiful it was！”said the little boy，“Mother，I have been to warm countries！”
“那是多么美啊！”小孩子说。“妈妈，我刚才到热带的国度里去过一趟！”
“I believe you，”said the mother，“If one takes two cups of hot eldertea it is quite natural that one gets into warm countries！”And she covered him up well，so that he might not take cold.“You have slept soundly while I was arguing with the old man whether it was a story or a fairy tale！”
“是的，我相信你去过！”妈妈回答说。“当你喝了两满杯滚热的接骨木茶的时候，你很容易就会走到热带国度里去的！”——于是她把他盖好，免得他受到寒气。“当我正在坐着跟他争论究竟那是一个故事还是一个童话的时候，你睡得香极了。”
“And what has become of the little eldertree mother？”asked the boy.
“那么接骨木树妈妈到底在什么地方呢？”小孩子问。
“She is in the teapot，”said the mother，“and there she may remain.”
“她在茶壶里面，”妈妈回答说，“而且她可能会一直在那里！”
