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It was a summer evening,
一个夏天傍晚，
Old Kaspar's work was done,
老卡斯帕做完了农活，
And he, before his cottage door,
他坐在茅屋门口，
Was sitting in the sun;
残阳日落，身旁，
And by him sported on the green,
他的孙女威廉明妮
His little grandchild Wilhelmine.
在草地上，尽情玩耍。
She saw her brother Peterkin Roll something large and round,
她看见了哥哥彼得金，滚动一个又大又圆的东西，
Which he beside the rivulet,
河边玩耍时，
In playing there, had found;
他把这东西带回家，
He came to ask what he had found,
忙不迭，让爷爷看，
That was so large, and smooth, and round.
那圆圆光滑的东西。
Old Kaspar took it from the boy,
老人接过那东西，
Who stood expectant by;
孩子站在旁边，好奇地等待，
And then the old man shook his head,
老人摇了摇头，
And, with a natural sigh,
发出一声长叹，
"This some poor fellow's skull," said he,
“一个可怜家伙的脑瓜，”他说，
Who fell in the great victory.
他在那次恶战中丧命。
I find them in the garden,
我在园子里看过，
For there's many hereabout;
这附近，地里很多；
And often when I go to plow,
我下田犁地，
The plowshare turns them out;
犁头常常翻出头颅，
For many thousand men, said he,
好几千人啊，他说，
Were slain in that great victory.
在那次战役中阵亡。
Now tell us what 't was all about,
爷爷快告诉我，究竟怎么回事？
Young Peterkin he cries;
小彼得金央求爷爷，
While little Wilhelmine looks up
威廉明妮也抬头望着爷爷，
With wonder-waiting eyes;
孩子们神情急切，
Now tell us all about the war,
爷爷，说说那次打仗，
And what they killed each other for.
为什么，他们互相砍杀？
"It was the English," Kaspar cried,
“那次英国佬，”卡斯帕说，
Who put the French to rout,
确实打败了法国佬，
But what they killed each other for,
为什么，他们互相残杀，
I could not well make out;
我还真的不知道，
But everybody said, quoth he,
不过，人人都说，
That 't was a famous victory.
那次胜利可真是不得了。
