经典诗歌欣赏：A Roxbury Garden(3)

　　III

学习啦在线学习网 　　Garden Games

　　The tall clock is striking twelve;

学习啦在线学习网 　　And the little girls stop in the hall to watch it,

　　And the big ships rocking in a half-circle

学习啦在线学习网 　　Above the dial.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Twelve o'clock!

　　Down the side steps

　　Go the little girls,

　　Under their big round straw hats.

　　Minna's has a pink ribbon,

　　Stella's a blue,

学习啦在线学习网 　　That is the way they know which is which.

　　Twelve o'clock!

　　An hour yet before dinner.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Mother is busy in the still-room,

学习啦在线学习网 　　And Hannah is making gingerbread.

　　Slowly, with lagging steps,

学习啦在线学习网 　　They follow the garden-path,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Crushing a leaf of box for its acrid smell,

　　Discussing what they shall do,

学习啦在线学习网 　　And doing nothing.

　　"Stella, see that grasshopper

　　Climbing up the bank!

　　What a jump!

　　Almost as long as my arm."

学习啦在线学习网 　　Run, children, run.

　　For the grasshopper is leaping away,

　　In half-circle curves,

　　Shuttlecock curves,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Over the grasses.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Hand in hand, the little girls call to him:

学习啦在线学习网 　　"Grandfather, grandfather gray,

　　Give me molasses, or I'll throw you away."

　　The grasshopper leaps into the sunlight,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Golden-green,

学习啦在线学习网 　　And is gone.

　　"Let's catch a bee."

　　Round whirl the little girls,

学习啦在线学习网 　　And up the garden.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Two heads are thrust among the Canterbury bells,

　　Listening,

　　And fingers clasp and unclasp behind backs

　　In a strain of silence.

　　White bells,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Blue bells,

　　Hollow and reflexed.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Deep tunnels of blue and white dimness,

　　Cool wine-tunnels for bees.

　　There is a floundering and buzzing over Minna's head.

学习啦在线学习网 　　"Bend it down, Stella. Quick! Quick!"

　　The wide mouth of a blossom

学习啦在线学习网 　　Is pressed together in Minna's fingers.

　　The stem flies up, jiggling its flower-bells,

　　And Minna holds the dark blue cup in her hand,

　　With the bee

　　Imprisoned in it.

　　Whirr! Buzz! Bump!

　　Bump! Whiz! Bang!

　　BANG!!

学习啦在线学习网 　　The blue flower tears across like paper,

　　And a gold-black bee darts away in the sunshine.

学习啦在线学习网 　　"If we could fly, we could catch him."

　　The sunshine is hot on Stella's upturned face,

学习啦在线学习网 　　As she stares after the bee.

学习啦在线学习网 　　"We'll follow him in a dove chariot.

　　Come on, Stella."

　　Run, children,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Along the red gravel paths,

　　For a bee is hard to catch,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Even with a chariot of doves.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Tall, still, and cowled,

　　Stand the monk's-hoods;

　　Taller than the heads of the little girls.

学习啦在线学习网 　　A blossom for Minna.

学习啦在线学习网 　　A blossom for Stella.

　　Off comes the cowl,

　　And there is a purple-painted chariot;

学习啦在线学习网 　　Off comes the forward petal,

　　And there are two little green doves,

学习啦在线学习网 　　With green traces tying them to the chariot.

学习啦在线学习网 　　"Now we will get in, and fly right up to the clouds.

　　Fly, Doves, up in the sky,

学习啦在线学习网 　　With Minna and me,

　　After the bee."

　　Up one path,

　　Down another,

　　Run the little girls,

　　Holding their dove chariots in front of them;

　　But the bee is hidden in the trumpet of a honeysuckle,

　　With his wings folded along his back.

学习啦在线学习网 　　The dove chariots are thrown away,

学习啦在线学习网 　　And the little girls wander slowly through the garden,

　　Sucking the salvia tips,

学习啦在线学习网 　　And squeezing the snapdragons

　　To make them gape.

学习啦在线学习网 　　"I'm so hot,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Let's pick a pansy

学习啦在线学习网 　　And see the little man in his bath,

　　And play we're he."

学习啦在线学习网 　　A royal bath-tub,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Hung with purple stuffs and yellow.

学习啦在线学习网 　　The great purple-yellow wings

　　Rise up behind the little red and green man;

学习啦在线学习网 　　The purple-yellow wings fan him,

　　He dabbles his feet in cool green.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Off with the green sheath,

学习啦在线学习网 　　And there are two spindly legs.

学习啦在线学习网 　　"Heigho!" sighs Minna.

　　"Heigho!" sighs Stella.

　　There is not a flutter of wind,

学习啦在线学习网 　　And the sun is directly overhead.

　　Along the edge of the garden

学习啦在线学习网 　　Walk the little girls.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Their hats, round and yellow like cheeses,

　　Are dangling by the ribbons.

学习啦在线学习网 　　The grass is a tumult of buttercups and daisies;

学习啦在线学习网 　　Buttercups and daisies streaming away

　　Up the hill.

　　The garden is purple, and pink, and orange, and scarlet;

学习啦在线学习网 　　The garden is hot with colours.

学习啦在线学习网 　　But the meadow is only yellow, and white, and green,

　　Cool, and long, and quiet.

　　The little girls pick buttercups

学习啦在线学习网 　　And hold them under each other's chins.

学习啦在线学习网 　　"You're as gold as Grandfather's snuff-box.

　　You're going to be very rich, Minna."

　　"Oh-o-o! Then I'll ask my husband to give me a pair of

　　garnet earrings

学习啦在线学习网 　　Just like Aunt Nancy's.

　　I wonder if he will.

　　I know. We'll tell fortunes.

　　That's what we'll do."

学习啦在线学习网 　　Plump down in the meadow grass,

　　Stella and Minna,

学习啦在线学习网 　　With their round yellow hats,

　　Like cheeses,

　　Beside them.

　　Drop,

　　Drop,

　　Daisy petals.

学习啦在线学习网 　　"One I love,

　　Two I love,

　　Three I love I say . . ."

　　The ground is peppered with daisy petals,

学习啦在线学习网 　　And the little girls nibble the golden centres,

　　And play it is cake.

学习啦在线学习网 　　A bell rings.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Dinner-time;

学习啦在线学习网 　　And after dinner there are lessons.