A
A was an ant
Who seldom stood still, And who made a nice house
In the side of a hill.
a
Nice little ant!
A曾是只蚂蚁，
整天爬东爬西，
靠着一座大山，
把一间房子造起。
a
好可爱的小蚂蚁！
B
B was a book
With a binding of blue,
And pictures and stories
For me and for you.
b
Nice little book!
B曾是本小书，
有着故事和图，
书脊是蓝蓝的，
让你和我来读。
b
好有趣的小书！
C
C was a cat
Who ran after a rat;
But his courage did fail
When she seized on his tail.
c
Crafty old cat!
C曾是只老猫，
追着耗子猛跑；
一抓住耗子尾巴，
勇气就泄了不少。
c
好狡猾的老猫！
D
D was a duck
With spots on his back,
Who lived in the water,
And always said "Quack!"
d
Dear little duck!
D曾是只小鸭，
背上点点黑花儿，
整天游在水里，
整日叫着“嘎嘎！”
d
好可爱的小鸭！
E
E was an elephant,
Stately and wise:
He had tusks and a trunk,
And two queer little eyes.
e
Oh, what funny small eyes!
E曾是头大象，
长得聪明强壮：
象牙象鼻子好长，
怪怪的小眼儿多亮。
e
哦，多有趣的小眼睛！
F
F was a fish
Who was caught in a net;
But he got out again,
And is quite alive yet.
f
Lively young fish!
F曾是条小鱼，
被人用网儿捉去；
但他逃了出来，
仍在游来游去。
f
活蹦乱跳的小鱼儿！
G
G was a goat
Who was spotted with brown:
When he did not lie still
He walked up and down.
g
Good little goat!
G曾是头小羊，
棕色斑点身上长：
他总是跑上又跑下，
从不肯静下来躺一躺。
g
好一头小山羊！
H
H was a hat
Which was all on one side;
Its crown was too high,
And its brim was too wide.
h
Oh, what a hat!
H曾是顶礼帽，
永远屹立着不倒；
帽沿伸得多么宽，
帽顶耸得那么高。
h
哦，好一顶礼帽！
I
I was some ice
So white and so nice,
But which nobody tasted;
And so it was wasted.
i
All that good ice!
I曾是冰淇淋一杯，
如此雪白又美味，
可惜没人尝一尝，
只能白白地浪费。
i
多美味的冰淇淋！
J
J was a jackdaw
Who hopped up and down
In the principal street
Of a neighboring town.
j
All through the town!
J曾是只寒鸦，
整天跳上跳下，
在邻镇的一条
大街道上跳哇。
j
跳遍了那个小镇！
K
K was a kite
Which flew out of sight,
Above houses so high,
Quite into the sky.
k
Fly away, kite!
K曾是一只风筝，
飞得望见已不能，
高高飞过了屋顶，
在天空中驰骋。
k
飞呀，风筝！
L
L was a light
Which burned all the night,
And lighted the gloom
Of a very dark room.
l
Useful nice light!
L曾是支蜡烛，
燃在一间黑屋，
整夜燃烧不灭，
驱散幽暗孤独。
l
多么美妙的光呀！
M
M was a mill
Which stood on a hill,
And turned round and round
With a loud hummy sound.
m
Useful old mill!
M曾是磨坊，
立在一座山上，
整天转啊转啊，
发出嗡嗡的声响。
m
管用的老磨坊！
N
N was a net
Which was thrown in the sea
To catch fish for dinner
For you and for me.
n
Nice little net!
N曾是渔网，
把它撒向汪洋，
抓鱼来作晚餐，
让你我来共享。
n
精巧的小鱼网！
O
O was an orange
So yellow and round:
When it fell off the tree,
It fell down to the ground.
o
Down to the ground!
O曾是只橘子，
又黄又圆的橘子：
它跌落到地上，
当它成熟之时。
o
它跌落到地上！
P
P was a pig,
Who was not very big;
But his tail was too curly,
And that made him surly.
p
Cross little pig!
P曾是头猪，
身型不算粗；
只是尾巴卷，
看起来太粗鲁。
p
粗鲁的小猪！
Q
Q was a quail
With a very short tail;
And he fed upon corn
In the evening and morn.
q
Quaint little quail!
Q曾是只小鹌鹑，
他的尾巴短得很；
最爱的食物是稻谷，
从黄昏吃到了早晨。
q
有趣的小鹌鹑！
R
R was a rabbit,
Who had a bad habit
Of eating the flowers
In gardens and bowers.
r
Naughty fat rabbit!
R曾是只小白兔，
他的习惯真可恶，
花园、凉亭的鲜花儿，
全都被他吞下肚。
r
淘气的小肥兔！
S
S was the sugar-tongs,
Nippity-nee,
To take up the sugar
To put in our tea.
s
Nippity-nee!
S曾是把方糖钳，
夹夹钳呀夹夹钳；
夹起一块方糖来，
放到一杯茶里面。
s
夹夹钳！
T
T was a tortoise,
All yellow and black:
He walked slowly away,
And he never came back.
t
Torty never came back!
T曾是只小乌龟，
壳儿长得黄又黑：
慢慢爬呀慢慢爬，
永远都不再爬回。
t
龟龟再也不爬回！
U
U was an urn
All polished and bright,
And full of hot water
At noon and at night.
u
Useful old urn!
U曾是只瓮，
通体亮锃锃，
从午直到夜，
把水烧沸腾。
u
管用的老瓮！
V
V was a villa
Which stood on a hill,
By the side of a river,
And close to a mill.
v
Nice little villa!
V曾是别墅，
高高山顶竖，
小溪与磨坊，
在它不远处。
v
漂亮的小别墅！
W
W was a whale
With a very long tail,
Whose movements were frantic
Across the Atlantic.
w
Monstrous old whale!
W曾是大鲸，
尾巴大得吃惊，
他的行为古怪，
在大西洋穿行。
w
怪里怪气的大老鲸！
X
X was King Xerxes,
Who, more than all Turks, is
Renowned for his fashion
Of fury and passion.
x
Angry old Xerxes!
X曾是位薛西斯王[1]，
他的暴怒，他的疯狂，
使他的名声远远胜过
世上所有残暴的君王。
x
暴怒的老薛西斯王！
Y
Y was a yew,
Which flourished and grew
By a quiet abode
Near the side of a road.
y
Dark little yew!
Y曾是株紫杉，
长得叶茂枝繁，
它在小路一旁，
安静地角落里站。
y
茂密的小紫杉！
Z
Z was some zinc,
So shiny and bright,
Which caused you to wink
In the sun's merry light.
z
Beautiful zinc!
Z曾是块锌片，
多么闪亮耀眼，
在太阳光下一闪，
准让你头晕目眩。
z
漂亮的锌片！