The bottle was taken from the garden, and again sent to a wine merchant, where it was once more filled with wine, and sold to an aeronautaeronaut n.气球驾驶员, who was to make an ascentascent n.上升, (地位, 声望等的)提高, 攀登, 上坡路 in his balloon on the following Sunday. A great crowd assembled to witness the sight; military music had been engaged, and many other preparations made. The bottle saw it all from the basket in which he lay close to a live rabbit. The rabbit was quite excited because he knew that he was to be taken up, and let down again in a parachuteparachute n.降落伞. The bottle, however, knew nothing of the “up,” or the “down”; he saw only that the balloon was swelling larger and larger till it could swell no more, and began to rise and be restless. Then the ropes which held it were cut through, and the aerialaerial adj.航空的, 空气中的, 空气的, 高耸的n.天线 ship rose in the air with the aeronaut and the basket containing the bottle and the rabbit, while the music sounded and all the people shouted “Hurrah.”
瓶子又从这花园到一个酒商的店里去了。它又装满了酒,被卖给一个飞行家。这人要在下星期天坐着气球飞到空中去。有一大群人赶来观看这个场面;还有一个军乐队和许多其他的布置。和一只活兔子一起待在一个篮子里的瓶子,看到了这全部景象。兔子感到非常恐慌,因为它知道自己要升到空中去,然后又要跟着一个降落伞落下来。不过瓶子对于“上升”和“下落”的事儿一点也不知道;它只看到这气球越鼓越大,当它鼓得不能再鼓的时候,就开始升上去了,越升越高,而且动荡起来。系着它的那根绳子这时被剪断了。这样它就带着那个飞行家、篮子、瓶子和兔子航行起来。音乐奏起来了,大家都高呼:“好啊!”
“This is a wonderful journey up into the air,” thought the bottle; “it is a new way of sailing, and here, at least, there is no fear of striking against anything.”
“像这样在空中航行真是美妙得很!”瓶子想。“这是一种新式的航行;在这上面无论如何是触不到什么暗礁的。”
Thousands of people gazed at the balloon, and the old maid who was in the garden saw it also; for she stood at the open window of the garret, by which hung the cage containing the linnetlinnet n.[动]红雀, who then had no waterglass, but was obliged to be contented with an old cup. In the windowsill stood a myrtle in a pot, and this had been pushed a little on one side, that it might not fall out; for the old maid was leaning out of the window, that she might see. And she did see distinctly the aeronaut in the balloon, and how he let down the rabbit in the parachute, and then drank to the health of all the spectators in the wine from the bottle. After doing this, he hurled it high into the air. How little she thought that this was the very same bottle which her friend had thrown a loft in her honor, on that happy day of rejoicing, in the green wood, in her youthful days.
成千成万的人在看这气球。那个老小姐也抬头向它凝望。她立在一个顶楼的窗口。这儿挂着一个鸟笼,里面有一只小苍头燕雀。它还没有一个水盅,目前只好满足于使用一个旧杯子。窗子上有一盆桃金娘。老小姐把它移向旁边一点,免得它落下去,因为她正要把头伸到窗子外面去望。她清楚地看到气球里的那个飞行家,看到他让兔子和降落伞一起落下来,看到他对观众干杯,最后把酒瓶向空中扔去。她没有想到,在她年轻的时候,在那个绿树林里的欢乐的一天,她早已看到过这瓶子为了庆祝她和她的男朋友,也曾经一度被扔向空中。
The bottle had no time to think, when raised so suddenly; and before it was aware, it reached the highest point it had ever attained in its life.
瓶子来不及想什么了,因为忽然一下子升到这样一个生命的最高峰,它简直惊呆了。教堂塔楼和屋顶躺在遥远的下面,人群看起来简直渺小得很。