一

Once Mr. Daddy Long-legs,

Dressed in brown and gray,

Walked about upon the sands

Upon a summer's day:

And there among the pebbles,

When the wind was rather cold,

He met with Mr. Floppy Fly,

All dressed in blue and gold;

And, as it was too soon to dine,

They drank some periwinkle-wine,

And played an hour or two, or more,

At battlecock and shuttledore.

有位先生叫“长腿”，

穿着打扮得棕又灰，

夏季里的某一天，

沙滩上走着来又回：

那时微风儿有些凉，

在鹅卵石间他遇上，

一位先生叫苍蝇，

打扮得碧蓝又金黄。

吃饭的时间已不够，

他们只喝了长春花酒，

一起玩了几小时，

板球游戏真有趣。

二

Said Mr. Daddy Long-legs

To Mr. Floppy Fly,

"Why do you never come to court?

I wish you 'd tell me why.

All gold and shine, in dress so fine,

You'd quite delight the court.

Why do you never go at all?

I really think you ought.

And, if you went, you'd see such sights!

Such rugs and jugs and candle-lights!

And, more than all, the king and queen,—

One in red, and one in green."

“长腿”先生正奇怪，

向苍蝇先生问起来：

“你为啥从不来宫廷玩儿？

我很想问一个明白。

大伙儿衣着光鲜又耀眼，

你会使他们都笑开颜。

为啥从不去那儿走一遭？

这世面你真该去见一见。

在那里你会遇上这场面！

有地毯、水壶、烛光耀眼！

皇帝、皇后都能见到——

一个穿红衣，一个穿绿袍。”

三

"O Mr. Daddy Long-legs!"

Said Mr. Floppy Fly,

"It's true I never go to court;

And I will tell you why.

If I had six long legs like yours,

At once I'd go to court;

But, oh! I can't, because my legs

Are so extremely short.

And I'm afraid the king and queen

(One in red, and one in green)

Would say aloud, 'You are not fit,

You Fly, to come to court a bit!'"

“哦，‘长腿’先生呀！”

苍蝇先生答，

“我果真没去过宫廷；

让我告诉你为了啥。

如果我六条腿有你长，

我立马去宫廷不彷徨；

可惜，哦！我的短腿呀，

不能长成你那样。

我怕皇帝、皇后会大声叫：

（一个穿红衣，一个穿绿袍）

‘滚出去，你这个苍蝇，

你怎么够资格来宫廷！’”

四

"Oh, Mr. Daddy Long-legs!"

Said Mr. Floppy Fly,

"I wish you 'd sing one little song,

One mumbian melody.

You used to sing so awful well

In former days gone by;

But now you never sing at all:

I wish you'd tell me why:

For, if you would, the silvery sound

Would please the shrimps and cockles round,

And all the crabs would gladly come

To hear you sing, 'Ah, Hum di Hum!'"

“哦，‘长腿’先生行行好！”

苍蝇先生又说道，

“请为我唱一首小曲儿，

哼上首优美的曲调。

你曾经唱得多欢快，

那样的日子已不再；

如今你再不展歌喉，

我真想弄一个明白：

当初你美妙的嗓音

招来了虾和贝成群，

蟹儿们也爬来听你哼，

‘啊，嗡嗡，嘀嘀，嗡！’”

五

Said Mr. Daddy Long-legs,

"I can never sing again;

And, if you wish, I'll tell you why,

Although it gives me pain.

For years I cannot hum a bit,

Or sing the smallest song;

And this the dreadful reason is,—

My legs are grown too long!

My six long legs, all here and there,

Oppress my bosom with despair;

And, if I stand or lie or sit,

I cannot sing one single bit!"

“长腿”先生回答道：

“我如今歌已唱不了；

提起这原因我就痛心，

你若爱听我便相告。

多年来我一声都没哼响，

也未将一支小曲儿唱；

这可怕的原因竟然是——

无奈我的腿太长！

我六条长腿横七竖八，

要人命地将我胸口压；

坐、卧、站立我都不能，

更别提将一支小曲儿哼！”

六

So Mr. Daddy Long-legs

And Mr. Floppy Fly

Sat down in silence by the sea,

And gazed upon the sky.

They said, "This is a dreadful thing!

The world has all gone wrong,

Since one has legs too short by half,

The other much too long.

One never more can go to court,

Because his legs have grown too short;

The other cannot sing a song,

Because his legs have grown too long!"

于是“长腿”先生不再讲，

苍蝇先生也不再响，

俩人默默地坐海边，

一起朝着天空望。

他们说：“这事儿真的太糟糕！

这世界已经乱了套，

一个为短腿正沮丧，

一个却为长腿在烦恼。

一个再不能去宫廷玩，

因为他的腿太短；

另一个再不能把歌唱，

因为他的腿太长！”

七

Then Mr. Daddy Long-legs

And Mr. Floppy Fly

Rushed downward to the foamy sea

With one sponge-taneous cry:

And there they found a little boat,

Whose sails were pink and gray;

And off they sailed among the waves,

Far and far away:

They sailed across the silent main,

And reached the great Gromboolian Plain;

And there they play forevermore

At battlecock and shuttledore.

“长腿”、苍蝇俩先生，

于是大喊了一声，

俩人齐齐冲下海，

海里波涛正翻腾：

他俩找到艘小船，

张着又粉又灰的帆；

船儿穿越了波涛，

渐渐远去不再返：

他俩穿过寂静的海面，

咕噜布噜草原便在眼前；

从此他俩不分离，

一块玩板球游戏。