海倫·凱勒自傳《我的生活》第18期
That night, after I had hung my stocking, I lay awake a long time, pretending to be asleep and keeping alert to see what Santa Claus would do when he came. At last I fell asleep with a new doll and a white bear in my arms. Next morning it was I who waked the whole family with my first "Merry Christmas!" I found surprises, not in the stocking only, but on the table, on all the chairs, at the door, on the very window-sill; indeed, I could hardly walk without stumbling on a bit of Christmas wrapped up in tissue paper. But when my teacher presented me with a canary, my cup of happiness overflowed.
聖誕夜，我把自己的長襪掛好後，躺在牀上久久不能入眠。於是，我一邊裝作睡着的樣子，一邊又保持着警覺，我想看看聖誕老人會在什麼時候來。最後，我還是摟着我的新娃娃和小白熊睡着了。第二天一早，我第一個起來喚醒全家人，並且祝他們“聖誕快樂”。令我驚奇不已的是，禮物不僅僅藏在襪子裏，連桌子上、椅子上、門邊，還有窗臺上都堆滿了禮物。事實上，在薄紗紙包裝的聖誕禮物堆中，我幾乎難以邁步了。當老師把一隻金絲雀當做禮物送給我時，我簡直從心裏樂開了花。Little Tim was so tame that he would hop on my finger and eat candied cherries out of my hand. Miss Sullivan taught me to take all the care of my new pet. Every morning after breakfast I prepared his bath, made his cage clean and sweet, filled his cups with fresh seed and water from the well-house, and hung a spray of chickweed in his swing.
小蒂姆是如此地溫順，它在我的手指上跳來跳去，還從我手裏叼櫻桃蜜餞吃。蘇立文小姐教會了我怎樣照顧新寵物。每天早餐後，我就會爲小鳥洗澡，還要把它的籠子打掃乾淨，再給它的小杯子裏添上新鮮的種子和清水，最後還要在它的鞦韆上懸掛一朵綻開的繁縷。One morning I left the cage on the window-seat while I went to fetch water for his bath. When I returned I felt a big cat brush past me as I opened the door. At first I did not realize what had happened; but when I put my hand in the cage and Tim's pretty wings did not meet my touch or his small pointed claws take hold of my finger, I knew that I should never see my sweet little singer again.
一天早晨，我把鳥籠放在了窗邊的椅子上，然後去爲它打洗澡水。就在我返回來開門時，我感覺到有一隻大貓從身邊溜了過去。起初我並沒有意識到會出事，但是當我把手伸進籠子裏時，才發現已經摸不到蒂姆漂亮的翅膀了，它尖細的小爪子也沒有握住我的手指。那一刻，我知道我再也見不到我可愛的小歌唱家了。
