Suddenly a hand seized the beetle，and squeezed squeeze v.压榨，挤，挤榨n.压榨，挤him，and turned him round and round.The gardeners little son and his playfellow had come into the hothouse，and，seeing the beetle，wanted to have some fun with him.First，he was wrapped，in a vineleaf，and put into a warm trouserspocket.He twisted and turned about with all his might，but he got a good squeeze from the boys hand，as a hint (hint n.暗示，提示，线索)for him to keep quiet.Then the boy went quickly towards a lake that lay at the end of the garden.Here the beetle was put into an old broken wooden shoe，in which a little stick had been fastened upright for a mast，and to this mast the beetle was bound with a piece of worsted.Now he was a sailor，and had to sail away.
忽然一只手抓住了甲虫，抱着他，同时把他翻来翻去。原来园丁的小儿子和他的玩伴正在这个温室里。他们瞧见了这只甲虫，想跟他开开玩笑。他们先把他裹在一起葡萄叶子里，然后把他塞进一个温暖的裤袋里。他爬着，挣扎着，不过孩子的手紧紧地捏住了他。后来这孩子跑向小花园的尽头的一个湖那边去。在这儿，甲虫就被放进一个破旧的、失去了鞋面的木鞋里。这里面插着一根小棍子，作为桅杆。甲虫就被一根毛线绑在这桅杆上面。所以现在他成为一个船长了；他得驾着船航行。
The lake was not very large，but to the beetle it seemed an ocean，and he was so astonished at its size that he fell over on his back，and kicked out his legs.Then the little ship sailed away；sometimes the current of the water seized it，but whenever it went too far from the shore one of the boys turned up his trousers，and went in after it，and brought it back to land.But at last，just as it went merrily out again，the two boys were called，and so angrily，that they hastened to obey，and ran away as fast as they could from the pond，so that the little ship was left to its fate.It was carried away farther and farther from the shore，till it reached the open sea.This was a terrible prospect for the beetle，for he could not escape in consequence of being bound to the mast.
这湖并不是很大；但对甲虫说来，它简直是一个大洋。他害怕得非常厉害，所以他只有仰躺着，乱弹着他的腿。这只木鞋浮走了。它被卷入水流中去。不过当船一起得离岸太远的时候，便有一个孩子扎起裤脚，在后面追上，把它又拉回来。不过，当它又漂出去的时候，这两个孩子忽然被喊走了，而且被喊得很急迫。所以他们就匆忙地离去了，让那只木鞋顺水漂流。这样，它就离开了岸，越漂越远。甲虫吓得全身发抖，因为他被绑在桅杆上，没有办法飞走。
Then a fly came and paid him a visit.“What beautiful weather，”said the fly，“I shall rest here and sun myself.You must have a pleasant time of it.”
这时有一个苍蝇来访问他。“天气是多好啊！”苍蝇说。“我想在这儿休息一下，在这儿晒晒太阳。你已经享受得够久了。”
“You speak without knowing the facts，”replied the beetle，“dont you see that I am a prisoner？”
“你信口雌黄！难道你没有看到我是被绑着的吗？”
“Ah，but Im not a prisoner.”remarked the fly，and away he flew.
“啊，但我并没有被绑着呀。”苍蝇说，接着他就飞走了。
“Well，now I know the world，”said the beetle to himself，“its an abominable (abominable adj.讨厌的，令人憎恶的)world；Im the only respectable person in it.First，they refuse me my golden shoes；then I have to lie on damp linen，and to stand in a draught (draught n.拖，拉，一网(鱼))，气流；and to crown all，they fasten a wife upon me.Then，when I have made a step forward in the world，and found out a comfortable position，just as I could wish it to be，one of these human boys comes and ties me up，and leaves me to the mercy of the wild waves，while the emperors favorite horse goes prancing about proudly on his golden shoes.This vexes me more than anything.But it is useless to look for sympathy in this world.My career has been very interesting，but whats the use of that if nobody knows anything about it？The world does not deserve to be made acquainted with my adventures，for it ought to have given me golden shoes when the emperors horse was shod，and I stretched out my feet to be shod，too.If I had received golden shoes I should have been an ornament to the stable，now I am lost to the stable and to the world.It is all over with me.”
“我现在可认识这个世界了，”甲虫说，“这是一个卑鄙的世界！而我却是它里面惟一的老实人。第一，他们不让我得到那只金马掌；我得躺在湿布里，站在阴风里；最后他们硬送给我一个太太。于是我得采取紧急措施，逃离这个大世界里来。我发现了人们是在怎样生活，同时我自己应该怎样生活。这时人间的一个小顽童来了，把我绑起，让那些狂暴的波涛来对付我，而皇帝的那骑马这时却穿着金马掌散着步。这简直要把我气死了。不过你在这个世界里不能希望得到什么同情的！我的事业一直是很有意义的；不过，如果没有任何人知道它的话，那又有什么用呢？世人也不配知道它，否则，当皇帝那匹爱马在马厩里伸出它的腿来让人钉上马掌的时候，大家就应该让我得到金马掌了。如果我得到金马掌的话，我也可以算做那马厩的一种光荣。现在马厩对我说来，算是完了。这世界也算是完了。一切都完了！”
But all was not yet over.A boat，in which were a few young girls，came rowing up.“Look，yonder is an old wooden shoe sailing along.”said one of the younger girls.
不过一切倒还没有完了。有一条船到来了，里面坐着几个年轻的女子。“看！有一只木鞋在漂流着。”一位说。
“And theres a poor little creature bound fast in it.”said another.The boat now came close to our beetles ship，and the young girls fished it out of the water.One of them drew a small pair of scissors scissors n.剪刀from her pocket，and cut the worsted without hurting the beetle，and when she stepped on shore she placed him on the grass.
“还有一个小生物绑在上面。”另外一位说。这只船驶近了木鞋。她们把它从水里捞起来。她们之中有一位取出一把剪刀，把那根毛线剪断，而没有伤害到甲虫。当她们走上岸的时候，她就把他放到草上。
“There，”she said，“creep away，or fly，if thou canst.It is a splendid thing to have thy liberty.”Away flew the beetle，straight through the open window of a large building.There he sank down，tired and exhausted，exactly on the mane of the emperors favorite horse，who was standing in his stable，and the beetle found himself at home again.For some time he clung to the mane，that he might recover himself.
“爬吧，爬吧！飞吧，飞吧！如果你可能的话！”她说。“自由是一种美丽的东西。”甲虫飞起来，一直飞到一个巨大建筑物的窗子里去。然后他就又累又困地落下来，恰恰落到国王那匹爱马的又细又长的鬃毛上去。马儿正是立在它和甲虫同住在一起的那个马厩里面。甲虫紧紧地抓住马鬃，坐了一会儿，恢复恢复自己的精神。
“Well，”he said，“here I am，seated on the emperors favorite horse，—sitting upon him as if I were the emperor himself.But what was it the farrier asked me？Ah，I remember now，—thats a good thought，—he asked me why the golden shoes were given to the horse.The answer is quite clear to me，now.They were given to the horse on my account.”
“我现在坐在皇帝爱马的身上——假设自己是国王本人！我刚才说的什么呢？现在我懂得了。这个想法很对，很正确。马儿为什么要有金马掌呢？那个铁匠问过我这句话。现在我可懂得他的意思了。马儿得到金马掌完全是为了我的缘故。”
And this reflection put the beetle into a good temper.The suns rays also came streaming into the stable，and shone upon him，and made the place lively and bright.“Travelling expands the mind very much，”said the beetle.“The world is not so bad after all，if you know how to take things as they come.”
现在甲虫又变得心满意足了。这时太阳照在他身上，而且照得很美丽。“一个人只有旅行一番以后，头脑才会变得清醒一些，”甲虫说，“这个世界仍然不能说是太坏，一个人只需知道怎样应付它就成。”