Weeks passed 几个星期过去, and the little Rabbit 小兔子 grew very old 变得很旧 and shabby 而且破烂, but the Boy loved him 但是男孩很爱他 just as much 如同往昔. He loved him so hard 他如此爱他 that he loved all his whiskers off 以至于把他的胡子都爱光了, and the pink 那些粉红色 lining to his ears 耳朵内侧的 turned grey 变成了灰色, and his brown spots 他身上的棕色斑点 faded 褪色了. He even began 他甚至开始 to lose his shape 失去他的形状, and he scarcely looked like a rabbit any more 他看上去简直不再像一只兔子, except to the Boy 除了在男孩的眼里. To him 对他来说 he was always beautiful 他永远漂亮, and that was all 那也正是所有 that the little Rabbit cared about 小兔子关心的. He didn’t mind 他不介意 how he looked 他看上去怎么样 to other people 在其他人眼里, because 因为 the nursery magic 儿童房魔法 had made him Real 已经把他变成了真的, and when you are Real 当你是真的，shabbiness doesn’t matter 破败无所谓.
And then 然后, one day 有一天, the Boy was ill 男孩生病了.
His face 他的脸 grew very flushed 烧得通红, and he talked in his sleep 睡觉时也在自言自语, and his little body 他的小身体 was so hot 如此热 that it burned the Rabbit 以至于把小兔子都烫到了 when he held him close 当他把它紧紧抱着的时候. Strange people 有陌生人 came and went 来来去去 in the nursery 在儿童房里, and a light burned 有一盏灯点着 all night 整个晚上, and through it all 整个过程中 the little Velveteen Rabbit 小绒兔 lay there 就躺在那里, hidden from sight 在人们看不见的地方 under the bedclothes 在被子底下, and he never stirred 他一动不动, for The Velveteen Rabbit 因为绒兔 loves the boy 很爱男孩 and waits patiently for him 他愿意耐心地等着他，was afraid 害怕 that if they found him 如果那些人发现了他 some one might 有人可能会 take him away 把他带走, and he knew 他知道 that the Boy needed him 男孩此时需要他.
It was a long weary time 这是一段漫长而且让人焦虑的时间, for the Boy was too ill 因为男孩病得严重 to play 没法玩耍, and the little Rabbit 小兔子 found it rather dull 觉得很无聊 with nothing to do 没事可干 all day long 整天. But 但是 he snuggled down 他缩在下面 patiently 耐心地, and looked forward to 期待着 the time when the Boy should be well again 男孩恢复健康的那个时刻, and they would go out 他们会出去 in the garden 在花园里 amongst the flowers 在花 and the butterflies 和蝴蝶丛中 and play splendid games 玩好玩的游戏 in the raspberry thicket 在覆盆子丛中 like they used to 就像他们以前一样. All sorts of delightful things 各种各样的好玩东西 he planned 他规划的, and while the Boy lay half asleep 当男孩半入睡时 he crept up 他爬了起来 close to the pillow 靠近枕头 and whispered them in his ear 把他们都悄悄在他的耳朵边说了出来.
And presently 很快 the fever 发烧 turned 扭转了, and the Boy 男孩 got better 越来越好. He was able to 他可以 sit up 坐起来 in bed 在床上 and look at picture books 看绘本, while the little Rabbit 小兔子 cuddled close 紧紧抱着他 at his side 在他旁边. And one day 有一天, they let him 他们让他 get up 起床and dress 穿衣服.
It was a bright, sunny morning 这是一个明亮的、阳光灿烂的早晨, and the windows stood wide open 窗户都大开着. They had carried the Boy out 他们把男孩抱出来 on to the balcony 到了阳台上, wrapped in a shawl 包裹在一个披肩里, and the little Rabbit 小兔子 lay tangled up 蜷缩着 among the bedclothes 在被子里, thinking 思考着问题.
The Boy 男孩 was going to the seaside to-morrow 明天要去海边了. Everything was arranged 所有的事情都安排好了, and now 现在 it only remained 唯一需要做的 to carry out the doctor’s orders 就是执行医生的嘱托. They talked about it all 他们讨论得很详细, while the little Rabbit 小兔子则 lay under the bedclothes 躺在被子底下, with just his head peeping out 只有头伸在外面, and listened 倾听着. The room was to be disinfected 房子要消毒, and all the books 所有的书本 and toys 和玩具 that the Boy had played with in bed 小男孩在床上玩过的 must be burnt 必须被烧掉.
“Hurrah 太好了!” thought the little Rabbit 小兔子想. “To-morrow 明天 we shall go to the seaside 我要去海边了!” For the Boy 因为男孩 had often talked of the seaside 经常说起海边, and he wanted very much 他非常想 to see the big waves 看着大海浪 coming in 涌来, and the tiny crabs 还有小螃蟹, and the sand castles 以及沙堡.
Just then 正在这时 Nana caught sight of him 娜娜瞥见了他.
“How about his old Bunny 这只旧兔子怎么办?” she asked 她问道.
“That 那只?” said the doctor 医生说. “Why 唉, it’s a mass of scarlet fever germs 那就是一团猩红热细菌!—Burn it at once 赶紧烧了. What 什么? Nonsense 胡说! Get him a new one 给他买个新的. He mustn’t have that any more 他绝对不能在要那只了!”