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"What is that?" asked Dorothy.
多萝茜问：“轻气球？”
"A man who goes up in a balloon on circus day, so as to draw a crowd of people together and get them to pay to see the circus," he explained.
“在马戏团，一个人坐在升起来的轻气球里面，吸引一大群的观众，赶来看马戏，从而让观众购买门票。”他解释着。
"Oh," she said, "I know."
她说：“唔，原来是这样。”
"Well, one day I went up in a balloon and the ropes got twisted, so that I couldn't come down again.
“啊，有一天，我坐在升起了的轻气球里面，那绳子被弄断了，因此，我便降落不了。”
It went way up above the clouds, so far that a current of air struck it and carried it many, many miles away.
“轻气球飘荡在云上面，上空有一种气流，向那老远的地方推着它，把它带走很长一段路。
For a day and a night I traveled through the air,
我在高空中游荡了一天一夜，
and on the morning of the second day I awoke and found the balloon floating over a strange and beautiful country.
在第二天早晨，我醒来时发觉轻气球飞在异常美丽的国土上空。
"It came down gradually, and I was not hurt a bit.
“它慢慢地降落下来，我也没有受伤。
But I found myself in the midst of a strange people, who, seeing me come from the clouds, thought I was a great Wizard.
但是我发现自己落在奇异的人群中间，他们看见我从云端里下来，便认定我是一个伟大的魔术师。
Of course I let them think so, because they were afraid of me, and promised to do anything I wished them to.
当然，我也没有纠正他们，因此他们都敬畏我，而且完全听从我的命令。
"Just to amuse myself, and keep the good people busy, I ordered them to build this City, and my Palace; and they did it all willingly and well.
“为了让我自己快乐，并且为了使这些善良的人民忙碌起来，我命令他们建造这座城，以及我的宫殿，他们全都愿意而且尽力做得完美。
Then I thought, as the country was so green and beautiful, I would call it the Emerald City;
于是我想，因为这个国土覆盖着绿色，而且这样的美丽，我就叫它做翡翠城，
and to make the name fit better I put green spectacles on all the people, so that everything they saw was green."
为了使它更加名副其实，我命令所有的人戴上了绿眼镜，这样每一种东西，看起来必然都是绿的。
"But isn't everything here green?" asked Dorothy.
多萝茜问：“这里的每一种东西都是绿的吗？”
"No more than in any other city," replied Oz; "but when you wear green spectacles, why of course everything you see looks green to you.
“不，它和其它任何城市一样，”奥芝回答说；“因为你们戴上绿眼镜，你们看起来，每一种东西当然都绿的了。
The Emerald City was built a great many years ago, for I was a young man when the balloon brought me here, and I am a very old man now.
这翡翠城是在很多年以前建的，因为当轻气球把我带到这里时，我还很年轻，现在我是很老了。
But my people have worn green glasses on their eyes so long that most of them think it really is an Emerald City,
但是我的人民，在他们的眼睛上一直戴着绿眼镜，因此他们大多数人都认为，这真是一个翡翠城，
and it certainly is a beautiful place, abounding in jewels and precious metals,
理所当然也是一个美好的地方，拥有宝石和珍贵的金属，
and every good thing that is needed to make one happy.
并且还有很多好东西可用，每个人都感到很幸福。
I have been good to the people, and they like me; but ever since this Palace was built,
我善待百姓，他们也喜欢我；但是自从筑成这个宫殿以后，
I have shut myself up and would not see any of them.
我就一直待在宫里，与外界隔绝了。
"One of my greatest fears was the Witches, for while I had no magical powers at all I soon found out that the Witches were really able to do wonderful things.
“那些女巫们是我最大的忧患，因为那时候，我还根本没有魔术的能力，我立刻知道那些女巫们都是具有神奇的魔力。
There were four of them in this country, and they ruled the people who live in the North and South and East and West.
有四个女巫在这个国土上，她们管理着百姓，住在北方和南方，以及东方和西方。
Fortunately, the Witches of the North and South were good, and I knew they would do me no harm;
幸运的是，住在北方和南方的是善良的女巫，我知道她们不会伤害我；
but the Witches of the East and West were terribly wicked,
但是住在东方和西方的女巫，却是异常凶残，
and had they not thought I was more powerful than they themselves, they would surely have destroyed me.
如果她们知道我根本不具有魔力，她们必然会来杀死我。
As it was, I lived in deadly fear of them for many years;
真的很久以来，我一直非常害怕她们；
so you can imagine how pleased I was when I heard your house had fallen on the Wicked Witch of the East.
所以你们可以理解，当我听说你的屋子，掉在东方坏女巫的身上，把她压死时，我是多么快活。
When you came to me, I was willing to promise anything if you would only do away with the other Witch;
当你们来到我这里，我愿意答应任何条件，只要你们愿意去消灭另外一个坏女巫；
but, now that you have melted her, I am ashamed to say that I cannot keep my promises."
现在你溶化了她，但是，只能请你们原谅，我根本不能实践我的诺言。”
