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One night there flew over the city a little Swallow.
夜里，有一只小燕子从城市上空飞过。
His friends had gone away to Egypt six weeks before, but he had stayed behind, for he was in love with the most beautiful Reed.
他的朋友六周之前就已经飞往埃及了，但他却落在了最后，只因他爱上了一株很美的芦苇。
He had met her early in the spring as he was flying down the river after a big yellow moth,
他与她相识于春天，当他沿着河流正追逐一只黄色蝴蝶时，
and had been so attracted by her slender waist that he had stopped to talk to her.
他被她苗条的身材吸引了，于是停下来和她聊天。
“Shall I love you?” said the Swallow, who liked to come to the point at once, and the Reed made him a low bow.
“我能爱你吗？”燕子直截了当地问道。芦苇向他点点头，
So he flew round and round her, touching the water with his wings, and making silver ripples.
燕子围着她飞啊飞，他的翅膀轻触着水面，泛起银色的涟漪。
This was his courtship, and it lasted all through the summer.
这是他表达爱的方式，他就这样持续了整个夏天。
“It is a ridiculous attachment,” twittered the other Swallows;
“爱上她实在太可笑了”，其余的燕子异口同声地说。
“she has no money, and far too many relations”;and indeed the river was quite full of Reeds.
“她一贫如洗，而且家族庞大。”河里确实满是芦苇。
Then, when the autumn came they all flew away.
秋天来临，其他的燕子都飞走了。
After they had gone he felt lonely, and began to tire of his lady-love.
朋友们走后，燕子感觉到很孤单，渐渐地对芦苇也感到了厌倦。
“She has no conversation,” he said, “and I am afraid that she is a coquette, for she is always flirting with the wind.”
“她什么话都不说”，燕子说：“我担心她是个玩弄感情的人，她总是随风摇摆。”
And certainly, whenever the wind blew, the Reed made the most graceful curtseys.
事实的确如此，一起风，芦苇就前后摇摆。
“I admit that she is domestic,” he continued, “but I love travelling, and my wife, consequently, should love travelling also.”
“她一直待在家里”，燕子继续说：”但是我爱旅行，我的妻子也应该如此。”
“Will you come away with me?” he said finally to her; but the Reed shook her head, she was so attached to her home.
“你愿意和我一起离开吗？”他最后问她，但是芦苇摇摇头，因为她太爱自己的家了。
