一

The Pobble who has no toes

Had once as many as we;

When they said, "Some day you may lose them all;"

He replied, "Fish fiddle de-dee!"

And his Aunt Jobiska made him drink

Lavender water tinged with pink;

For she said, "The World in general knows

There's nothing so good for a Pobble's toes!"

波波娃没有脚趾头，

可从前也像我们一样有；

别人说：“你的脚趾总有一天会掉光。”

他回答：“你胡说八道羞不羞！”

他的姑姑名叫乔比卡，

为他做了杯熏衣草茶；

她说：“波波娃还不如没脚趾，

全世界啊都知道为了啥！”

二

The Pobble who has no toes,

Swam across the Bristol Channel;

But before he set out he wrapped his nose

In a piece of scarlet flannel.

For his Aunt Jobiska said, "No harm

没有脚趾头的波波娃，

曾穿越布里斯托尔海峡[4]；

他取了块红色的法兰绒，

裹住了鼻子再出发。

因为他姑姑曾叮嘱，

Can come to his toes if his nose is warm;

And it's perfectly known that a Pobble's toes

Are safe—provided he minds his nose."

鼻子暖和脚趾才保得住；

波波娃若在乎他鼻子，

才能将脚趾保住。

三

The Pobble swam fast and well,

And when boats or ships came near him,

He tinkledy-binkledy-winkled a bell

So that all the world could hear him.

And all the Sailors and Admirals cried,

When they saw him nearing the further side,—

"He has gone to fish, for his Aunt Jobiska's

Runcible Cat with crimson whiskers!"

波波娃游得呀真起劲，

当大船小船都靠近，

他摇起了铃铛丁零零，

全世界仿佛都听得清。

水手、船长们齐声喊，

见波波娃游向前方路遥遥——

“他去捕小鱼啦，为他姑姑的

那只红色胡须的捣蛋猫！”

四

But before he touched the shore,—

The shore of the Bristol Channel,

A sea-green Porpoise carried away

His wrapper of scarlet flannel.

And when he came to observe his feet,

Formerly garnished with toes so neat,

His face at once became forlorn

On perceiving that all his toes were gone!

然而，在布里斯托尔海峡，

当海岸还没有到达，

突然，一头海蓝的小海豚，

将他红色的法兰绒揭下。

波波娃低头看自己的脚，

顿时脸色煞白吓了一跳，

原先整整齐齐的脚趾头，

顿时全部都不见了！

五

And nobody ever knew,

From that dark day to the present,

Whoso had taken the Pobble's toes,

In a manner so far from pleasant.

Whether the shrimps or crawfish gray,

从那天起一直到现在，

没有人能够弄明白，

是谁神不知鬼不觉，

偷走波波娃脚趾藏起来。

难道是虾儿或是小龙虾，

Or crafty Mermaids stole them away,

Nobody knew; and nobody knows

How the Pobble was robbed of his twice five toes!

还是美人鱼呀太狡猾，

波波娃十只脚趾头，

不知被谁偷走啦！

六

The Pobble who has no toes

Was placed in a friendly Bark,

And they rowed him back, and carried him up

To his Aunt Jobiska's Park.

And she made him a feast, at his earnest wish,

Of eggs and buttercups fried with fish;

And she said, "It's a fact the whole world knows,

That Pobbles are happier without their toes."

波波娃没有了脚趾头，

被一艘好心的船搭救，

他们把他送回了家，

送到他姑姑的花园里头。

姑姑款待他真殷勤，

鸡蛋、炸鱼让他吃不停；

她说：“全世界呀都知道，

没脚趾的波波娃活得更开心。”