“今晚，”大家说道，“今晚它将要放出光明。”“啊，”枞树想，“我希望现在就已经是夜晚了！啊，我希望蜡烛立刻点起来！还有什么会到来呢？或许树林里的树儿会出来看我吧？麻雀会在玻璃窗面前飞过吧？也许我会在这儿生下根来，在冬天和夏天都有这种打扮吧？”是的，它所知道的就只有这些。它的不安使它得到一种经常皮痛的毛病，而这种皮痛病，对于树说来，它糟糕的程度比得上我们的头痛。最后，蜡烛点起来了。多么华丽，多么光辉啊！枞树的每根枝子都在发抖，弄得一根蜡烛烧着了一根小绿枝。“救命！救命！”年轻的姑娘们都叫起来。不过并没有危险，因为火很快被灭掉了。枞树现在可不敢再发抖了。啊，这真是可怕呀！它十分害怕失掉任何一件装饰品，它们射出的光辉将它弄得头昏目眩。现在许多小孩子从两扇推开的门涌进来，好像他们要将整个的树都弄倒似的。年纪大的人镇定地跟着他们走进来。这些小家伙站着，保持肃静。但这只有一分钟的光景。接着他们就欢呼得弄出一片乱糟糟的声音。他们围着这株树跳舞，同时将挂在它上面的礼物一件接一件地取走了。
“What are they doing？What will happen next？”thought the fir.At last the candles burnt down to the branches and were put out.Then the children received permission to plunder(plunder v.抢劫n.抢劫，战利品)the tree.
“有什么事情会发生呢？”枞树想。“他们打算怎么办呢？”蜡烛烧到枝子上来了。它们在快要烧完时便被扑灭了，这时孩子们便得到允许来掳掠这株树。
Oh，how they rushed upon it，till the branches cracked，and had it not been fastened with the glistening star to the ceiling，it must have been thrown down.The children then danced about with their pretty toys，and no one noticed the tree，except the childrens maid who came and peeped among the branches to see if an apple or a fig had been forgotten.
啊！他们向它冲过来，所有的枝丫都发出折裂声。要不是树顶和顶上的一颗金星给系到天花板上，恐怕它早就倒下来了。孩子们拿起美丽的玩具在周围跳舞。谁也不想再看这株树了，只有那个老保姆在树枝间东张西望了一下，而她只不过想知道是否还有枣子或苹果没有被拿走。
“A story，a story.”cried the children，pulling a little fat man towards the tree.
“讲一个故事！讲一个故事！”孩子们喊着将一位小胖子拖到树这边来。
“Now we shall be in the green shade，”said the man，as he seated himself under it，“and the tree will have the pleasure of hearing also，but I shall only relate one story.What shall it be？IvedeAvede，or Humpty Dumpty，who fell down stairs，but soon got up again，and at last married a princess.”
“这样我们就算是在绿树林里面了，”他坐在树底下说。“树儿听听我的故事也是很好的。但我只能讲一个故事。你们喜欢听关于依维德·亚维德的故事呢，还是想听关于那位滚下了楼梯，但是却坐上了王位，得到了公主的泥巴球呢？”
“IvedeAvede，”cried some，“Humpty Dumpty.”cried others，and there was a fine shouting and crying out.But the firtree remained quite still，and thought to himself，“Shall I have anything to do with all this？”but he had already amused them as much as they wished.Then the old man told them the story of Humpty Dumpty，how he fell down stairs，and was raised up again，and married a princess.And the children clapped(clap v.鼓掌，轻拍n.拍手声，霹雳声)their hands and cried，“Tell another，tell another.”for they wanted to hear the story of“IvedeAvede”；but they only had“Humpty Dumpty.”After this the firtree became quite silent and thoughtful；never had the birds in the forest told such tales as“Humpty Dumpty”who fell down stairs，and yet married a princess.
“讲泥巴球的故事！”有几个孩子叫着。“讲依维德·亚维德的故事！”另外几个孩子喊着。这时叫声和闹声混做一团。只有枞树默默地不说一句话。它正在想：“我不能参加进来吗？我不能做一点事儿吗？”但它已经参加了进来，它应该做的事已经做了。胖子讲着泥巴球的故事……“他滚下楼梯，又坐上了王位，而且得到了公主。”孩子们都拍着手！喊道：“讲下去吧！讲下去吧！”因为他们想听依维德·亚维德的故事，但他们却只听到了泥巴球的故事。枞树只是沉思着站着一声不响。树林里的鸟儿从来没有讲过这样的故事。泥巴球滚下了楼梯，结果依然得到了公主！
“Ah！Yes，so it happens in the world.”thought the firtree.He believed it all，because it was related by such a nice man.“Ah！well，”he thought，“who knows？perhaps I may fall down too，and marry a princess.”and he looked forward joyfully to the next evening，expecting to be again decked out with lights and playthings，gold and fruit.“Tomorrow I will not tremble，”thought he，“I will enjoy all my splendor，and I shall hear the story of Humpty Dumpty again，and perhaps IvedeAvede.”And the tree remained quiet and thoughtful all night.In the morning the servants and the housemaid came in.“Now，”thought the fir，“all my splendor is going to begin again.”But they dragged him out of the room and up stairs to the garret，and threw him on the floor，in a dark corner，where no daylight shone，and there they left him.“What does this mean？”thought the tree，“What am I to do here？I can hear nothing in a place like this.”and he had time enough to think，for days and nights passed and no one came near him，and when at last somebody did come，it was only to put away large boxes in a corner.So the tree was completely hidden from sight as if it had never existed.“It is winter now，”thought the tree，“the ground is hard and covered with snow，so that people cannot plant me.I shall be sheltered here，I dare say，until spring comes.How thoughtful and kind everybody is to me！Still I wish this place were not so dark，as well as lonely，with not even a little hare to look at.How pleasant it was out in the forest while the snow lay on the ground，when the hare would run by，yes，and jump over me too，although I did not like it then.Oh！It is terrible lonely here.”
“是的，世界上的事情正是这样！”枞树想，并且以为这完全是真的，因为讲这故事的人是那么一位可爱的人物。“是的，是的，谁会知道呢？可能我有一天也会滚下楼梯，结果却得到一位公主！”于是它很愉快地盼望在第二天晚上又给打扮一番，戴上蜡烛、玩具、水果和金纸。“明天我决不再抖动了！”它想。“我将要尽情为我华丽的外表而得意。明天我将要再听泥巴球的故事，可能还能听到依维德·亚维德的故事哪。”所以枞树一声不响地想了一整夜。早上，保姆和仆人都进来了。“现在我又要漂亮起来了！”枞树想。可是他们把它拖出屋子，沿着楼梯一直拖到顶楼上去。他们把它放在一个没有阳光的黑暗的角落里。“这是什么意思？”枞树想。“我在这儿干嘛呢？我在这儿又能听到什么东西呢？”它靠墙站着，思索起来。它现在有的是时间思索；晚间和白天在不停地溜过去，谁也不来看它。最后有一个人来了，但是他的目的只不过是要搬几个空箱子放在墙角里而已。枞树完全被挡住了，人们也似乎把它忘记得一干二净了。“现在外边是冬天了！”枞树想。“土地是硬的，铺上了雪花，人们也不能把我栽下了；因此我才在这儿被藏起来，等待春天的到来！人们设想得多么周到啊！人类真是善良！我只希望这儿不是太孤寂。太黑暗得可怕！……连一只小兔子都没有！树林里现在一定是很愉快的地方，兔子在跳来跳去，雪落得很厚；是的，正是它在我头上跳过去也很好，虽然我那个时候不大喜欢这种举动。这儿现在真是寂寞得可怕呀！”
“Squeak.squeak，”said a little mouse，creeping cautiouslycautiously adv.慎重地towards the tree.Then came another，and they both sniffed at the firtree and crept between the branches.
“吱！吱！”这时一只小耗子跳了出来。不一会儿另外一只小耗子又跳出来了。它们在枞树身上闻了一下，于是便钻进枝丫里面去。
“Oh，it is very cold，”said the little mouse，“or else we should be so comfortable here，shouldnt we，you old firtree？”
“真是冷得吓人！”两只小耗子说。“否则待在这儿倒是蛮舒服的。你说对不对，老枞树？”
“I am not old，”said the firtree，“there are many who are older than I am.”
“我一丁点儿也不老，”枞树说。“比我年纪大的树多着哪！”
