Autumn passed 秋天过去了 and Winter 冬天走了, and in the Spring 春天来了, when the days grew 当天气变得 warm and sunny 温暖和阳光灿烂, the Boy went out 男孩出去 to play in the wood 在树林里玩 behind the house 在房子后面. And while he was playing 当他在玩耍的时候, two rabbits crept out 两只兔子爬了出来 from the bracken 从蕨草里 and peeped at him 朝他打量. One of them 有一只 was brown all over 周身棕色, but the other 但是另外一只 had strange markings 带有奇怪的标记 under his fur 在他的皮毛下, as though 好像 long ago 很久以前 he had been spotted 他被点了颜色, and the spots still showed through 那些斑点仍然显露出来. And about his little soft nose 对于他的小小的软鼻子 and his round black eyes 还有他的圆圆的黑眼睛there was something familiar 有一些东西感觉很熟悉, so that the Boy 以至于男孩 thought to himself 心想:

“Why 唉, he looks just like 他看上去就像 my old Bunny 我的旧兔子 that was lost 丢了的 when I had scarlet fever 当我得猩红热的时候!”

But he never knew 但是他永远不会知道 that it really was 它真的是 his own Bunny 他自己的兔子, come back 回来 to look at the child 看孩子 who had first helped him 起先帮过他 to be Real 成为真的.

And then 接着 a strange thing 一件奇怪的事情 happened 发生了. For where the tear had fallen 就在眼泪滴落的地方 a flower 有一朵花 grew out of the ground 从地上长了出来, a mysterious flower 一朵神秘的花, not at all like 一点都不像 any that grew in the garden 长在花园里的任何其他花朵. It had 它有 slender green leaves 细细的绿叶子 the colour of emeralds 祖母绿的颜色, and in the centre of the leaves 在这些叶子的中央 a blossom like a golden cup 开了一朵如同金色杯子的花. It was so beautiful 它是如此漂亮 that the little Rabbit 以至于小兔子 forgot to cry 忘记了哭, and just lay there 只是躺在那里 watching it 观看着它. And presently 很快 the blossom opened 花开了, and out of it 从花朵中 there stepped a fairy 走出了一位仙子.

She was quite the loveliest fairy 她是一位非常可爱的仙女 in the whole world 在全世界（她是全世界最可爱的仙女）. Her dress 她的裙子 was of pearl and dewdrops 是珍珠和露珠做的, and there were flowers 有很多花朵 round her neck 围绕着她的脖子 and in her hair 还有头发里也有, and her face 她的脸颊 was like the most perfect flower of all 就像一朵最美丽的花. And she came close 她靠近 to the little Rabbit 小兔子 and gathered him up 把他捡起来 in her arms 放在胳膊上 and kissed him 吻着他 on his velveteen nose 在他的绒毛鼻子上 that was all damp 现在是湿湿的 from crying 因为哭泣. The lovely fairy 可爱的仙子 brings magic to the story 把魔法带到了故事里。

“Little Rabbit 小兔子,” she said 她说道, “don’t you know 你难道不知道who I am 我是谁吗?”

The Rabbit 兔子 looked up at her 抬起头看着她, and it seemed to him 他觉得好像 that he had seen her face before 他以前见过她的脸, but he couldn’t think 但是他想不起来 where 是在哪里.

“I am the nursery magic Fairy 我是儿童房里的魔法仙女,” she said 她说. “I take care of 我负责照顾 all the playthings 所有的玩具 that the children have loved 孩子们爱过的. When they are old 当他们变得陈旧 and worn out 破损 and the children don’t need them any more 孩子们不再需要他们, then I come 这时候我就来了 and take them away 把他们带走 with me 随着我 and turn them into Real 把他们变成真的.”

“Wasn’t I Real before 我之前不是真的吗?” asked the little Rabbit 小兔子问道.

“You were Real 你是真的 to the Boy 对男孩来说,” the Fairy said 仙女说, “because he loved you 因为他爱你. Now you shall be real to every one 现在你应该变得在任何人眼里都是真的.”

And she held the little Rabbit close 他紧紧地抱着小兔子 in her arms 在她的怀抱里 and flew with him 带着他飞 into the wood 进了树林.

It was light now 现在比较明亮, for the moon had risen 因为月亮升起来了. All the forest 所有的森林 was beautiful 都很美丽, and the fronds of the bracken 蕨叶 shone like frosted silver 就像拉丝的银子. In the open glade 在林间空地 between the tree-trunks 树干之间的 the wild rabbits 野兔子 danced with their shadows 和他们的影子一起跳舞 on the velvet grass 在天鹅绒一般的草地上, but when they saw the Fairy 但是当他们看见仙子时 they all stopped dancing 他们都停止了跳舞 and stood round in a ring 围成一个圈 to stare at her 看着她.

“I’ve brought you 我给你们带来了 a new playfellow 一个新的玩伴,” the Fairy said 仙子说. “You must be very kind to him 你们必须对他非常友好 and teach him 教给他 all he needs to know 所有他需要知道的 in Rabbitland 在兔子地, for he is going to 因为他将 live with you 和你们一起生活 for ever and ever 直到永远!”

And she kissed the little Rabbit again 她再次吻了吻小兔子 and put him down 把他放下 on the grass 在草地上.

“Run and play 跑吧，去玩, little Rabbit 小兔子!” she said 她说道.

But the little Rabbit 但是小兔子 sat quite still 安静地坐着 for a moment 有一会儿 and never moved 没有动. For when he saw 当他看见 all the wild rabbits 所有的野兔 dancing around him 围着他跳舞 he suddenly remembered 他忽然记起来 about his hind legs 他的后腿, and he didn’t want them 他不想他们 to see 看到 that he was made all in one piece 他被做成了一整块. He did not know 他不知道 that when the Fairy 当仙女 kissed him 吻他 that last time 上一次 she had changed him altogether 她已经彻底地改变了他. And he might have sat there 他可能已经坐在那里 a long time 挺长时间了, too shy to move 太害羞，不好意思移动, if just then 这时候 something 有个东西 hadn’t tickled his nose 在挠他的鼻子的痒痒, and before he thought 在他意识到 what he was doing 自己在做什么之前 he lifted his hind toe 他抬起了后腿爪子 to scratch it 去抓它.

And he found 他发现 that he actually 他实际上 had hind legs 有后腿! Instead of dingy velveteen 不再是肮脏的绒布 he had brown fur 他现在长了一身棕色的皮毛, soft and shiny 柔软而带有光泽, his ears twitched by themselves 他的耳朵可以自己转动, and his whiskers 他的胡子 were so long 如此长 that they brushed the grass 以至于刷到了草. He gave one leap 他跳了一下and the joy of using those hind legs 使用那双后腿带来的愉悦 was so great 如此强烈 that he went springing about the turf on them以至于他在草地上跳个不停, jumping sideways 往旁边跳开 and whirling round as the others did 和其他人一样绕着圈, and he grew so excited 他变得如此激动 that when at last 以至于最后 he did stop 他停下来 to look for the Fairy 寻找仙女的时候 she had gone 她已经走了.

He was a Real Rabbit 他是一只真的兔子 at last 终于, at home 在家里with the other rabbits 和其他兔子一起.

And so the little Rabbit 所以小兔子 was put into a sack 就被装入一个袋子 with the old picture-books 连同那些旧的绘本 and a lot of rubbish 和很多垃圾, and carried out 被背到了 to the end of the garden 花园的尽头 behind the fowl-house 那间猎鸟房子后面. That was a fine place 那是个不错的地方 to make a bonfire 来生起篝火, only the gardener 只是园丁 was too busy 太忙了 just then 那时候 to attend to it 没时间管这事 He had the potatoes to dig 他要挖土豆 and the green peas to gather 要收青豆, but next morning 但是第二天早上 he promised 他承诺 to come quite early 清早过来 and burn the whole lot 把它们全部烧掉.

That night 那天晚上 the Boy slept in 男孩睡在 a different bedroom 另外一间卧室, and he had a new bunny 他有了一只新的兔子 to sleep with him 陪他睡觉. It was a splendid bunny 这是一只很漂亮的兔子, all white 周身白色 plush 圆滚滚的 with real glass eyes带着玻璃眼珠, but the Boy 但是男孩 was too excited 太激动了 to care very much about it 没怎么注意它. For to-morrow 因为明天 he was going to the seaside 他要去海边了, and that in itself 这件事本身 was such a wonderful thing 让人着迷 that he could think of nothing else 完全占据了他的心思.

And while the Boy was asleep 当男孩在睡觉, dreaming of the seaside 梦想着海边时, the little Rabbit 小兔子 lay among the old picture-books 躺在一堆旧绘本里， in the corner 在花园角落 behind the fowlhouse 猎鸟屋后, and he felt very lonely 他感觉很孤单. The sack 袋子 had been left untied 没有绑起来, and so by wriggling a bit 通过扭动身躯 he was able to 他可以 get his head through the opening 让头从袋口探出来 and look out 朝外看. He was shivering a little 他有点发抖, for he had always 因为他一直 been used to 习惯了 sleeping in a proper bed 睡在舒适的床上, and by this time 在这个时候 his coat 他的外衣 had worn so thin 已经被磨得如此薄 and threadbare from hugging 因为男孩的拥抱磨损坏 that it was no longer any protection to him 以至于外衣不再是对他的保护了.

Near by 旁边 he could see 他可以看见 the thicket of raspberry canes 覆盆子树丛, growing tall 长得很高 and close like a tropical jungle 很茂密，就像一片热带丛林, in whose shadow 在这块树荫底下 he had played with the Boy 他和男孩一起玩耍过on bygone mornings 在那些逝去的一个个早晨.

He thought of 他想到了 those long sunlit hours 那些长长的阳光明媚的时光 in the garden 在花园里—how happy they were 他们那时候有多快乐—and a great sadness came over him 想到这些他心里充满了悲伤. He seemed to 他好象 see them 看见他们 all pass before him 都从他面前经过, each more beautiful 每一幕都更漂亮 than the other 比另外一幕, the fairy huts 仙子小屋 in the flower-bed 在花坛里, the quiet evenings 那些安静的夜晚 in the wood 在树丛里when he lay in the bracken 当他躺在蕨丛中 and the little ants ran over his paws 还有小蚂蚁从他的爪子中爬过; the wonderful day 美妙的那一天 when he first knew 当他第一次知道 that he was Real 他是真的. He thought of 他想到了 the Skin Horse 皮马, so wise 那么聪明 and gentle 和温和, and all that he had told him 还有他告诉他的所有的话.

Of what use was it 有什么用 to be loved 被爱 and lose one’s beauty 失去一个人的美貌 and become Real 成为真实的 if it all ended like this 如果最终结果是这样（早知道结果是这样，那么被爱、失去漂亮的外表，最后成为真的，又有什么意义）? And a tear 一颗眼泪, a real tear 一颗真的眼泪, trickled down 慢慢流下 his little shabby velvet nose 他那个小小的破旧的绒毛鼻子 and fell to the ground 掉到了地上.

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!”