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!”

That was a wonderful Summer 那个暑假太美妙了!

Near the house 靠近房子 where they lived 他们居住的 there was a wood 有一片树林, and in the long June evenings 在长长的六月夜晚 the Boy liked to go there after tea 男孩喜欢在喝茶后去那里 to play 玩耍. He took the Velveteen Rabbit with him 他随身带着绒兔, and before he wandered off 在他走开 to pick flowers 摘花之时, or play at brigands among the trees 或者在树木之间玩土匪游戏, he always made the Rabbit 他总是会给兔子做 a little nest 一个小巢 somewhere among the bracken 在蕨丛中的一个地方, where he would be quite cosy 那里他很舒适, for he was a kind-hearted little boy 因为他是一位善良的小男孩 and he liked Bunny 他希望兔子 to be comfortable 舒适.

One evening 一个晚上, while the Rabbit 当兔子 was lying there alone 一个人躺在那里的时候, watching the ants 观察着蚂蚁 that ran to and from跑来跑去 between his velvet paws 在他的绒布爪子之间 in the grass 在草地上, he saw 他看到 two strange beings 两只奇怪的生物 creep out of the tall bracken 从高高的蕨丛中钻出来 near him 靠近他.

They were rabbits 他们是兔子 like himself 长得像他自己, but quite furry 但是毛茸茸的 and brand-new 而且很新. They must have been very well made 他们一定制作精良 , for their seams 因为他们身上的缝线 didn’t show at all 一点没有显示出来, and they changed shape 并且他们会改变形状 in a queer way 用一种很奇怪的方式 when they moved 当他们移动的时候; one minute they were 上一分钟他们是 long and thin 又长又瘦 and the next minute fat and bunchy 下一分钟又变得又肥又鼓, instead of always staying the same 而不是总保持一个样子 like he did 就和他自己一样. Their feet 他们的脚 padded softly 软软地铺开 on the ground 在地上, and they crept quite close to him 他们朝他凑近, twitching their noses 鼻子抽动着, while the Rabbit stared hard 兔子很仔细地观察他们 to see 想看到 which side the clockwork stuck out 发条装置是哪一边伸出来, for he knew 因为他知道 that people who jump 能够跳起来的人 generally have something 一般都会有一些东西 to wind them up 是上发条的. But he couldn’t see it 但是他没有看见. They were evidently 很明显他们是 a new kind of rabbit altogether 一种崭新的兔子.

They stared at him 他们盯着他看, and the little Rabbit stared back 小兔子也盯着对方. And all the time 从头到尾 their noses twitched 他们的鼻子都在抽动着.

“Why don’t you 为什么你不 get up 站起来 and play with us 和我们一起玩?” one of them asked 他们中的一只问道.

“I don’t feel like it 我不想,” said the Rabbit 兔子说, for he didn’t want 因为他不想 to explain 解释 that he had no clockwork 他没有发条装置.

“Ho!” said the furry rabbit 毛茸茸的兔子说道. “It’s as easy as anything 这非常容易啊.” And he gave a big hop sideways 他往旁边跳了一大步 and stood on his hind legs 然后用两条后腿站立了起来.

“I don’t believe 我不相信 you can 你能!” he said 他说道.

“I can 我可以!” said the little Rabbit 小兔子说. “I can jump higher than anything 我可以跳得比谁都高!” He meant 他的意思是 when the Boy threw him 当男孩往天上扔他的时候, but 但是 of course 当然 he didn’t want 他不想 to say so 这样说.

“Can you hop 你可以跳 on your hind legs 用你的后腿吗?” asked the furry rabbit 毛兔子问.

That was a dreadful question 这是一个很尴尬的问题, for the Velveteen Rabbit 因为绒兔 had no hind legs at all 根本没有后腿! The back of him 他的后半部分 was made all in one piece 被做成了一整块, like a pincushion 就像一个针垫. He sat still in the bracken 他安静地坐在蕨丛里, and hoped 希望 that the other rabbits 另外几只兔子 wouldn’t notice 不会注意到.

“I don’t want to 我不想!” he said again 他又说了一遍.

But the wild rabbits 但是野兔子们 have very sharp eyes 目光锐利. And this one 有一只 stretched out his neck 伸长了脖子凑上来 and looked 仔细看了看.

“He hasn’t got any hind legs 他没有任何后腿!” he called out 他大喊. “Fancy 想得到吗？/哇！ a rabbit without any hind legs 没有后腿的兔子!” And he began to laugh 他开始大笑起来.

“I have 我有!” cried the little Rabbit 小兔子大喊. “I have got hind legs 我有后腿! I am sitting on them 我正坐在它们上面!”

“Then stretch them out 那你把它们伸出来 and show me 给我看看, like this 就像这样!” said the wild rabbit 野兔子说. And he began to 他开始 whirl round 转圈and dance 跳舞, till the little Rabbit 直到小兔子 got quite dizzy 开始头晕.

“I don’t like dancing 我不喜欢跳舞,” he said 他说道. “I’d rather 我宁愿 sit still 安静地坐着!”

There was a person 有一个人 called Nana 叫做娜娜的， who ruled the nursery 她统治着这个儿童房. Sometimes 有时候 she 她 took no notice 毫不理会 of the playthings 玩具 lying about 散乱一地的 and sometimes 有时候, for no reason whatever 莫名其妙地, she went swooping about 她去一顿乱扫 like a great wind 就像一阵大风 and hustled them away 把他们都收走 in cupboards 塞进橱柜里. She called this 她把这种工作叫做 “tidying up 打扫,” and the playthings 玩具们 all hated it 都很讨厌这种行为, especially 尤其是 the tin ones 那些锡玩具. The Rabbit 兔子 didn’t mind it 不介意 so much 那么多, for wherever 因为不管哪里 he was thrown 他被扔进 he came down soft 他都是软乎乎地掉下来.

One evening 有天晚上, when the Boy 当那个男孩 was going to bed 打算上床的时候, he couldn’t find 他找不到 the china dog 那只瓷狗that always 那只总是 slept with him 和他一起 睡觉 的. Nana 娜娜 was in a hurry 有急事, and it was too much trouble 太麻烦了 to hunt for 去寻找 china dogs 瓷狗 at bedtime 在上床睡觉时间（娜娜急着去忙别的，在孩子上床睡觉的时间去找一只瓷狗实在太麻烦）, so she simply 所以她粗粗地 looked about her 找了她一会儿, and seeing 看见 that the toy cupboard door 玩具橱柜门 stood open 打开着, she made a swoop 她就随手一抓.

“Here 这里,” she said 她说, “take your old Bunny 拿着你的老兔子! He’ll do 他能凑合 to sleep with you 陪你睡觉!” And she dragged the Rabbit out 她把兔子扯了出来 by one ear 抓着他的一只耳朵, and put him into the Boy’s arms 把他放进男孩的胳膊里.

That night那天晚上, and for many nights after 以及接下来的很多个夜晚, the Velveteen Rabbit 绒兔 slept in the Boy’s bed 都睡在男孩的床上. At first 开始 he found 他发现 it rather uncomfortable 很不舒服, for the Boy 因为这个男孩 hugged him 抱他 very tight 非常紧, and sometimes 有时候 he rolled over on him 他会滚到他身上, and sometimes 有时候 he pushed him 他推他 so far 如此远 under the pillow 在枕头下 that the Rabbit 以至于兔子 could scarcely breathe 几乎没办法呼吸（有时候男孩会把兔子塞到枕头底下深处，让他没法呼吸）. And he missed 他想念, too 也, those long moonlight hours 那些长长的月下时光 in the nursery 呆在儿童房里, when all the house 当所有的房子 was silent 都变得安静, and his talks with the Skin Horse 还有与皮马的交谈（他很想念以前，当房子里变得很安静，月光洒满儿童房，他和皮马深夜长谈的日子）.

But very soon 但是很快 he grew to like it 他越来越喜欢它了, for the Boy 因为这个男孩 used to talk to him 经常和他说话, and made nice tunnels for him 为他 做了一个漂亮的洞 under the bedclothes 在被子底下 that he said 他说 were like the burrows 就像土洞 the real rabbits lived in 真正的兔子所居住的. And they had splendid games together 他们还一起玩了很多很棒的游戏, in whispers 轻声细语地, when Nana had gone away 当娜娜走开 to her supper 去吃她的晚餐 and left the nightlight burning 留下夜晚的油灯燃着 on the mantelpiece 放在壁炉架上. And when the Boy dropped off to sleep 当男孩入睡以后, the Rabbit 兔子 would snuggle down close under his little warm chin 就会缩在他温暖的下巴底下，and dream 进入梦乡, with the Boy’s hands 男孩的手 clasped close round him 紧紧握住他 all night long 整夜地.

And so time went on 时间如流水, and the little Rabbit 小兔子 was very happy 非常高兴—so happy 如此高兴 that 以至于 he never noticed 他一点没有注意到 how his beautiful velveteen fur 他的美丽的绒布绒毛 was getting shabbier and shabbier 正在变得越来越破败, and his tail 他的尾巴 coming unsewn 开始裂开, and all the pink 所有的粉红色 rubbed off his nose 都从鼻子上被磨掉了 where the Boy had kissed him 那里就是男孩亲他的地方.

Spring came 春天来了, and they had long days 他们整天 in the garden 呆在花园里.

The Velveteen Rabbit 绒兔 is happy 很快乐 and loved garden 很喜欢花园, for wherever the Boy went 不管男孩去哪里 the Rabbit went too 兔子也会去. He had rides in the wheelbarrow 他骑过独轮手推车, and picnics on the grass 在草地上参加过野餐, and lovely fairy huts built for him 还有人为他建了一个可爱的仙子小屋 under the raspberry canes behind the flower border 就在花坛边后面的覆盆子灌木丛下.

And once 有一次, when the Boy was called away suddenly 当男孩忽然被叫走 to go out to tea 出去喝茶, the Rabbit was left out 兔子被遗忘在外面 on the lawn 草地上 until long after dusk 直到天黑后很久, and Nana had to come 娜娜只得来 and look for him 找他 with the candle 拿着蜡烛 because the Boy 因为男孩 couldn’t go to sleep 不能入睡 unless he was there 除非他在那里. He was wet through 他周身湿透了 with the dew 因为露水 and quite earthy 浑身是土 from diving into the burrows 因为一次次钻进土洞 the Boy had made for him 男孩为他挖的 in the flower bed 在花坛里, and Nana grumbled 娜娜牢骚满腹 as she rubbed him off 当她给他擦干净时 with a corner of her apron 用围裙一角（绒兔身上湿漉漉的，是被晚上的露水打湿的，身上沾满了泥土，因为白天小男孩为他在地上挖了一个兔子洞，帮助假兔子钻进去。保姆娜娜必须在小男孩抱着他入睡之前把兔子擦干净）.

“You must have your old Bunny 你偏要你的老兔子!” she said 她说道. “Fancy all that fuss for a toy 看看为了一个玩具，带来的所有麻烦!”

The Boy sat up in bed 男孩坐在床上 and stretched out his hands 伸出他的双手.

“Give me my Bunny把我的兔子给我!” he said 他说. “You mustn’t say that 你不许那样说. He isn’t a toy 他不是一个玩具. He’s REAL 他是真实的!”

When the little Rabbit 当小兔子 heard that 听到那句话 he was happy 他很高兴, for he knew 因为他知道 that what the Skin Horse had said 皮马之前说的 was true at last 终于成了真的. The nursery magic 育儿房的魔法 had happened to him 发生在了他身上, and he was a toy no longer 他不再是一个玩具. He was Real 他是真实的. The Boy himself 男孩自己 had said it 说了.

That night 那个晚上 he was almost 他几乎 too happy to sleep 太兴奋了以至于无法入睡, and so much love 如此强烈的爱 stirred 冲撞着 in his little sawdust heart 他那个小小的木屑心 that it almost burst 以都要爆炸了. And into his boot-button eyes 在他那两只用靴子纽扣缝制的眼睛里, that had long ago lost their polish 很久以前就失去了光泽的, there came a look of wisdom and beauty 现在有一种智慧和美丽在闪现, so that even Nana noticed it 以至于娜娜都注意到了 next morning 第二天早上 when she picked him up 当她捡起他时, and said 说道, “I declare 我保证 if that old Bunny 那只老兔子 hasn’t got quite a knowing expression 脸上有一种好像明白事理的样子（我保证，老兔子脸上好像明事理的样子）!”

The Velveteen Rabbit

by Margery Williams 作者：玛吉瑞 威廉姆斯

There was once a velveteen rabbit 曾经有一只绒兔（玩具）, and in the beginning 刚开始的时候 he was really splendid 他真的很漂亮. He was fat and bunchy 他胖乎乎圆鼓鼓的, as a rabbit should be 正是一只兔子应该有的样子; his coat 他的外衣 was spotted brown and white 由白色和棕色的斑点组成, he had real thread whiskers 他有真正的胡须, and his ears were lined with pink sateen 他的耳朵内侧是粉红色的缎子缝制的.

On Christmas morning 圣诞节早晨, when he sat wedged 当他被塞在 in the top of the Boy’s stocking 男孩的礼物长袜口上的时候, with a sprig of holly between his paws 他的前爪还抓着一根冬青小树枝, the effect was charming 效果很棒.

There were other things 还有其他东西 in the stocking 在长袜里, nuts 有核桃 and oranges 有橘子 and a toy engine 一个玩具引擎, and chocolate almonds 巧克力杏仁 and a clockwork mouse 还有一个带发条跑动的玩具老鼠, but the Rabbit was quite the best of all 但是这只兔子肯定是最好的礼物.

For at least two hours 至少有两个小时 the Boy loved him 这个男孩子非常喜欢他, and then Aunts and Uncles 然后姑姑和姑父 came to dinner 来吃晚餐, and there was a great rustling 只听到一阵又一阵的沙沙声， of tissue paper 那是（撕碎）包装纸 and unwrapping of parcels 还有打开包裹（的声音）, and in the excitement of looking at all the new presents 看着所有这些新礼物，男孩非常激动， the Velveteen Rabbit 这只绒兔 was forgotten 就被遗忘了.

For a long time 在很长一段时间里，he lived in the toy cupboard 他一直住在一个玩具柜里，or on the nursery floor要么就在儿童房的地板上, and no one 没有人 thought very much about him 想起他多少. He was naturally shy 他天生胆小, and being only made of velveteen 而且只是绒布做的, some of the more expensive toys 有些更贵的玩具 quite snubbed him 经常会斥责他. The mechanical toys 那些机械玩具 were very superior 都很高傲, and looked down upon 瞧不起 every one else 其他所有人; they were full of 他们满肚子都是 modern ideas 现代主张, and pretended 并且装作 they were real 他们是真的.

The model boat 那个模型船, who had lived through 已经活过了 two seasons 两个季节 and lost 失去了 most of his paint 大部分油漆, caught the tone from them 和他们一样高调 and never missed an opportunity 从来没有浪费一个机会 of referring to his rigging 去卖弄他的知识 in technical terms 在技术术语方面.

The Rabbit 兔子 could not 不能 claim 声称 to be a model of anything 是任何东西的模型, for he didn’t know 因为他不知道 that real rabbits 真正的兔子 existed 存在; he thought 他想 they were all stuffed 他们应该都是在肚子里塞满了 with sawdust 锯屑 like himself 就和他自己一样, and he understood 他明白 that sawdust 锯屑 was quite out-of-date 是一种很落后的材料 and should never 永远不应该 be mentioned 被提起 in modern circles 在现代社会.

Even Timothy 即使是蒂姆, the jointed wooden lion 那只一节节拼成的木头狮子, who was made 被制作出来 by the disabled soldiers 由那些残疾士兵们, and should have had 应该有 broader views 更广阔的视野, put on airs 他举起手臂 and pretended 假装 he was connected with Government 他和政府有联系.

Between them all 在他们所有人之间 the poor little Rabbit 可怜的小兔子 was made 被制作出来的方式 to feel himself 让他觉得自己 very insignificant 很渺小 and commonplace 和普通, and the only person 唯一一个人 who was kind to him at all 对他友善的 was the Skin Horse 是那只皮马.

The Skin Horse 皮马 had lived longer 生活得更久 in the nursery 在儿童房 than any of the others 比任何其他玩具. He was so old 他如此陈旧 that his brown coat 以至于他的棕色外皮 was bald 秃毛了 in patches 一块一块地 and showed the seams 露出了缝线 underneath （毛）下面, and most of the hairs 大多数毛 in his tail 在他尾巴上的 had been pulled out 都被拔掉了 to string bead necklaces 用来串珠子项链. He was wise 他很聪明, for he had seen 因为他见过 a long succession of 一个又一个 mechanical toys 机械玩具 arrive to boast 到来，吹牛 and swagger 和炫耀, and by-and-by break their mainsprings 慢慢地他们的发条坏了 and pass away 然后去世, and he knew 他知道 that they were only toys 他们都只是玩具, and would never 永远不会 turn into 变成 anything else 任何其他东西. For nursery 对儿童房来说，magic is very strange 魔法很奇怪 and wonderful 又很精彩, and only those playthings 只有那些玩具 that are old 老旧 and wise 又聪明 and experienced 还有经验的 like the Skin Horse 比如皮马 understand 理解 all about it 全部.

“What is REAL 什么是真实?” asked the Rabbit 兔子问道 one day 有一天, when they were lying 当他们躺下 side by side 互相靠着near the nursery fender 靠近儿童房的挡板, before Nana came 在娜娜来 to tidy the room 整理房间之前. “Does it mean 这是不是意味着 having things 有东西 that buzz inside you 在你脑子里嗡嗡响and a stick-out handle 还有一个伸出来的把手?”

“Real 真实 isn’t how you are made, 并不是指你是什么材料做的” said the Skin Horse 皮马说. “It’s a thing 它是这样一种东西 that happens to you 发生在你身上的. When a child 当一个孩子 loves you 爱你 for a long, long time 很长很长时间, not just to play with 不只是和你玩, but REALLY loves you 而是真的爱你, then you become Real 那时候你就成了真的.”

“Does it hurt 会不会疼?” asked the Rabbit 兔子问道.

“Sometimes 有时候会,” said the Skin Horse 皮马说, for he was always truthful 他总是很诚实. “When you are Real 当你变成真的，you don’t mind 你不会介意 being hurt 疼.”

“Does it happen 这种事情发生 all at once 是一次完成的, like being wound up 就像结束某个阶段,” he asked 他问道, “or bit by bit 还是一点一点来?”

“It doesn’t happen all at once 它不会一次性发生,” said the Skin Horse 皮马说. “You become 你会慢慢变. It takes 它要花 a long time 很长时间. That’s why 这就是为什么 it doesn’t often happen 它不会经常发生 to people 在某些人身上 who break easily 那些容易打碎的, or have sharp edges 或者有尖角的, or who have to be carefully kept 或者是需要认真保管的. Generally 一般来说, by the time 到那个时候 you are Real 你成了真的, most of your hair 大多数你的头发 has been loved off 已经掉光了 and your eyes 你的眼睛 drop out 掉出来and you get loose in the joints 你的关节变得松动 and very shabby 破旧不堪. But these things 但是这些东西 don’t matter at all 一点都不重要, because 因为 once you are Real 一旦你成了真的 you can’t be ugly 你就不可能丑陋, except to people 除非对某些人 who don’t understand 那些不理解它的.”

“I suppose 我猜想you are Real 你是真的?” said the Rabbit 兔子说. And then 接着 he wished 他又后悔 he had not said it 自己没有说刚才那句话, for he thought 因为他想 the Skin Horse 皮马 might be sensitive 可能会比较敏感. But the Skin Horse 但是皮马 only smiled 只是笑了笑.

“The Boy’s Uncle 男孩的叔叔 made me Real 让我变成真的,” he said 他说. “That was 那是 a great many years ago 很多年以前了; but 但是 once you are Real 一旦你成为了真的 you can’t 你不能 become unreal again 又变为假的. It lasts for always 它会永远持续.”

The Rabbit sighed 兔子叹了口气. He thought 他想 it would be 那将会是 a long time 很长一段时间 before this magic 在这个奇迹 called Real 叫做真的 happened to him 发生在他身上（他想，在这个叫做真的奇迹发生在自己身上之前，估计需要很久很久。）. He 他 longed to 渴望 become Real 变成真的, to know 知道 what it felt like 那是什么感觉; and yet 但是 the idea of growing shabby 这个变得破旧不堪的想法 and losing his eyes 以及失去双眼 and whiskers 还有胡须 was rather sad 让人很伤感. He wished 他希望 that he could 他能够 become it 成为真的 without these uncomfortable things 又没有这些令人不舒服的事物 happening to him 发生在他身上.