THE DRAGON-FLY
蜻蜓
1.Follow that footpath，and it will lead you across yonder meadow，over the rough bit of open，furzy common，and beyond that into the wood.It is full of tall ferns，with their finely-cut leaves and their feathery circles；but we will not stop to look at these to-day.A little way within the wood is a still，dark，gloomy-looking pond.
2.The white crowfoot is sprinkled over it in the spring，and it seems a trifle more cheerful then.But it is July now；the full summer foliage over it shuts out the sunlight；there are flags and water plants growing round it，but there are no flowers；it is a dull，dreamy spot，with nothing of active life about it as far as you can see；everthing seems asleep，and you feel greatly inclined to sit down and go to sleep too.
3.But underneath that dark water there is another world-a very different world.Things are not asleep there；life and death are going on，and all is activity and fiery motion.
4.Yes，there is a monster there，if you could only see him.He is not so very large；ugly enough，as a monster ought to be；but it is his greediness and his cruelty which give him the name.
5.He has six feet，but he does not use them for walking；he has another way of moving about；he has a pump inside his tail，so that he keeps drawing in the water and sending it out again，behind him；and thus he speeds along，here，there，and everywhere，with surprising swiftness.
6.So that when he gives chase to his enemies （and all the creatures in the pond are his enemies）they have a very poor chance of getting away from him.He overtakes them，flings himself upon them，tears them to pieces with his six feet，and then is off again at once.
7.Another curious thing about this monster is that he wears a mask.Something fits quite over his face；and when he eats，he has to open it to get his food into his mouth，and then shut it down again.As he is always eating，he has to unfold his mask and fasten it up again very often.
8.For two years the monster with the mask on has been ranging the pond，hunting，killing and eating with great fury.But now，somehow，he is not the same as he was；he has lost his appetite，he does not feel the same eagerness after his prey.A young tadpole has just passed close to him；his mask does not fit so well as it used to，and his eyes seem starting out of his head.
9.Slowly and feebly the once fiery tyrant crawls up the stem of the water-flag till he reaches the level of the water，as if he would fain take one look at the unknown world above and then die.
10.The rising sun of the bright summer morning sends a fewrays over him；he makes a sudden effort，the skin of his neckgives a crack，and the beautiful Dragon-fly，no more a monsterof the pond，but a child of air，bursts into life and sunshine.
【中文阅读】
1.追寻着足迹，你会穿过远处的一片牧草，越过茫茫一片开满金雀花的开阔地，到达一片森林。森林中长满了蕨类植物，上面长着多齿的叶子，周边是闪亮的白色绒毛。但是今天我们不去欣赏这些美景，我们要通过森林中一条小路到一个非常静谧、阴沉的池塘。
2.白毛茛在春天的季节里星星点点，似乎会更让人心旷神怡一些。但现在是七月，树叶都因充足的阳光而长成，把这片池塘遮挡得一丝阳光都透不进来。池塘周围长满了菖蒲和水生植物，但是却没有一朵花。在这个毫无生气、浑浑噩噩的地方，你看不到一丝生命的迹象，似乎一切都在沉睡，这种景象让你都想坐下来沉沉地睡去。
3.但是就在这个池塘中乌沉沉的水下，却是另外一个世界。这里有生命、有死亡，而且一切生死轮回是那么活跃。
4.是的，如果你可以看到，你会看见就在这里有一个妖怪。这个妖怪不是很大，和别的妖怪一样，非常丑。是贪婪和残忍使得人们叫他妖怪。
5.他有六只脚，不过他不用脚走路，他有另一种走路方式。在他的尾巴里有一种类似弹簧的东西，这个东西使他能随意跳进水里，再跳出水面；而且他还可以用这个东西加速，行动自如，异常敏捷。
6.当他追赶敌人时（池塘中所有的生物都是他的敌人），他们很少有机会跑掉。他先在后面追赶他们，然后猛地跳到敌人背上，再用六只脚把敌人撕成碎片，然后立刻离开。
7.另外一个很神奇的地方就是这个怪物总是戴着一个面具，这个面具恰到好处地遮住他的脸。当他吃东西时，他会打开面具把饭送进嘴里，然后再关上。因为他总是在吃东西，所以他不得不把面具一次次打开、关上、再打开、再关上。
8.怪物在池塘中游来游去，捕获、杀死敌人、狂吃滥咬，整整两年。不过现在，他却和以前不一样了，他的食欲没有那么强了，再不像以前那样急切地追逐、捉捕猎物了。因为一个年幼的小蝌蚪走过他身边。他的面具不再像过去那么严丝合缝，眼睛也似乎要从他的头上掉下来了。
9.这一次这个可怕的暴君到水面时竟然是缓慢、软弱无力地爬到水菖蒲的茎上，勉强看了一下周围，然后就死了。
10.太阳升起来了，在这阳光明媚的夏天，有一丝丝的光线照在了他的身上；突然，他挣扎了一下，脖子上的皮竟然裂开了一道缝隙，接着从缝隙里钻出来了一只漂亮的蜻蜓。他不再是那个池塘里可怕的怪物，而是一只会飞翔的昆虫，迸发着无限的生命和阳光。