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"It's like a real party!" cried Ermengarde.
“它像个地道的宴会！”埃芒加德喊道。
"It's like a queen's table," sighed Becky.
“它像是皇后的餐桌，”贝基惊叹道。
Then Ermengarde had a sudden brilliant thought.
这时埃芒加德突然有个精采的想法。
"I'll tell you what, Sara," she said. "Pretend you are a princess now and this is a royal feast."
“我来告诉你吧，萨拉，”她说。“假装你现在是个公主，而这就是一次皇家宴会。”
"But it's your feast," said Sara; "you must be the princess, and we will be your maids of honor."
“可这是你办的宴会啊，”萨拉说，“你才该是公主，我们来做你的侍从官。”
"Oh, I can't," said Ermengarde. "I'm too fat, and I don't know how. You be her."
“哎呀，我不行，”埃芒加德说。“我太胖了，而且不知道怎样做公主。你做公主吧。”
"Well, if you want me to," said Sara.
“好吧，如果你要我做的话，”萨拉说。
But suddenly she thought of something else and ran to the rusty grate.
可是她突然想到了别的什么，就奔向那生锈的壁炉。
"There is a lot of paper and rubbish stuffed in here!" she exclaimed.
“这儿塞着好多纸和垃圾！”她喊道。
"If we light it, there will be a bright blaze for a few minutes, and we shall feel as if it was a real fire."
“如果我们把它点着，就有了光明的火焰，虽然只能持续几分钟，我们却能觉得像是真正的炉火了。”
She struck a match and lighted it up with a great specious glow which illuminated the room.
她划了一根火柴，把它点着，一大片看来很像样的光辉便照亮了房间。
"By the time it stops blazing," Sara said, "we shall forget about its not being real."
“等它停止燃烧了，”萨拉说，“我们要忘掉它不是真的炉火。”
She stood in the dancing glow and smiled.
她站在跳跃着的火光中微笑。
"Doesn't it look real?" she said. "Now we will begin the party."
“看上去不就像真的一样吗？”她说，“现在我们来开始宴会吧。”
She led the way to the table. She waved her hand graciously to Ermengarde and Becky. She was in the midst of her dream.
她领她们走到桌旁，然后文雅地向埃芒加德和贝基挥手示意。她正沉浸在她的梦幻之中。
"Advance, fair damsels," she said in her happy dream-voice,
“上前来吧，美丽的闺女们，”她用沉浸在幸福的梦幻之中的口气说，
"and be seated at the banquet table. My noble father, the king, who is absent on a long journey, has commanded me to feast you."
“请在宴会桌前就座。我尊贵的父亲，国王陛下，出远门去了，不能出席，命我来宴请你们。”
She turned her head slightly toward the corner of the room.
她微微转过头向着房间的一角。
"What, ho, there, minstrels! Strike up with your viols and bassoons. Princesses,"
“怎么样，嗬！听着，歌手们！弹起你们的六弦琴，吹起你们的巴松管。公主们，”
she explained rapidly to Ermengarde and Becky, "always had minstrels to play at their feasts.
她赶快向埃芒加德和贝基作解释，“总是有歌手们在她们的宴会上演出的。
Pretend there is a minstrel gallery up there in the corner. Now we will begin."
假装他们的演出台就在那个角落里。现在我们就要开始了。”
They had barely had time to take their pieces of cake into their hands—
她们刚刚把蛋糕拿在手中——
not one of them had time to do more, when—
没有人来得及做别的事——
they all three sprang to their feet and turned pale faces toward the door—listening—listening.
三个人就都一跃而起，掉转苍白的脸朝着门口——听着——听着。
