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Near the wood in which she had been living lay a corn-field,
在她居住的这个树林的附近，有一块很大的麦田，
but the corn had been cut a long time;
不过田里的麦子早已经收割了。
nothing remained but the bare dry stubble standing up out of the frozen ground.
结冰的地上只留下一些光赤的麦茬儿。
It was to her like struggling through a large wood.
对她来说，在它们中间走过去，简直等于穿过一片广大的森林。
Oh! how she shivered with the cold.
啊！她冻得发抖，抖得多厉害啊！
She came at last to the door of a field-mouse, who had a little den under the corn-stubble.
最后她来到了一只田鼠的门口。这就是一棵麦茬下面的一个小洞。
There dwelt the field-mouse in warmth and comfort,
田鼠住在那里面，又温暖，又舒服。
with a whole roomful of corn, a kitchen, and a beautiful dining room.
她藏有整整一房间的麦子，她还有一间漂亮的厨房和一个饭厅。
Poor little Tiny stood before the door just like a little beggar-girl, and begged for a small piece of barley-corn,
可怜的拇指姑娘站在门前，像一个讨饭的穷苦女孩子。她请求施舍一颗大麦粒给她，
for she had been without a morsel to eat for two days.
因为她已经两天没有吃过一丁点儿东西。
"You poor little creature," said the field-mouse, who was really a good old field-mouse,
“你这个可怜的小人儿，”田鼠说，因为她本来是一个好心肠的老田鼠，
"come into my warm room and dine with me." She was very pleased with Tiny,
“到我温暖的房子里来，和我一起吃点东西吧。”因为她现在很喜欢拇指姑娘，
so she said, "You are quite welcome to stay with me all the winter, if you like;
所以她说：“你可以跟我住在一块，度过这个冬天，
but you must keep my rooms clean and neat, and tell me stories,
不过你得把我的房间弄得干净整齐，同时讲些故事给我
for I shall like to hear them very much."
因为我非常喜欢听故事。”
And Tiny did all the field-mouse asked her, and found herself very comfortable.
这个和善的老田鼠所要求的事情，拇指姑娘都一一答应了。她在那儿住得非常快乐。
"We shall have a visitor soon," said the field-mouse one day;
有一天，田鼠说：“不久我们要有一个客人来。”
"my neighbor pays me a visit once a week.
“我的这位邻居经常每个星期来看我一次，
He is better off than I am; he has large rooms, and wears a beautiful black velvet coat.
他住的比我舒服得多，他有宽敞的房间，他穿着非常美丽的黑天鹅绒袍子。
If you could only have him for a husband, you would be well provided for indeed.
只要你能够让他做你的丈夫，那么你一辈子可就享用不尽了。
But he is blind, so you must tell him some of your prettiest stories."
不过他的眼睛看不见东西。你得讲一些你所知道的、最美的故事给他听。”
But Tiny did not feel at all interested about this neighbor, for he was a mole.
拇指姑娘对于这事没有什么兴趣。她不愿意跟这位邻居结婚，因为他是一只鼹鼠。
However, he came and paid his visit dressed in his black velvet coat.
他穿着黑天鹅绒袍子来拜访了。
"He is very rich and learned, and his house is twenty times larger than mine," said the field-mouse.
田鼠说：“他很有钱和有学问，他的家也要比田鼠的大二十倍。”
He was rich and learned, no doubt, but he always spoke slightingly of the sun and the pretty flowers,
他有很高深的知识，不过他不喜欢太阳和美丽的花儿，而且他还喜欢说这些东西的坏话，
because he had never seen them.
因为他自己从来没有看见过它们。
Tiny was obliged to sing to him,
拇指姑娘得为他唱一曲歌儿。
"Lady-bird, lady-bird, fly away home," and many other pretty songs.
她唱了“鸟儿，鸟儿，飞回家去吧，”还有许多其他的歌曲。
And the mole fell in love with her because she had such a sweet voice; but he said nothing yet, for he was very cautious.
因为她的声音是那么悦耳，鼹鼠就不禁爱上她了。不过他没有表示出来，因为他是一个很谨慎的人。
