昆虫故事：波丽，复活节的蝴蝶

Easter came in April that year,which was much earlier than Poly,who lived in the north,would have come out of her chrysalis if she had not put it where she did.The fall before,when she was ready to spin a peg for her tail to hang on and a belt to hold herself up with,while she waited to be a butterfly,she left the parsnip plant she had been living on in the garden and took a very hurried trip.It was the first time she had ever been away from her parsnip home,but now that she had started,she seemed to be in a rush to get away from it.At the same time she seemed to be trying to get somewhere else as quickly as she could.So while she was running away from one place and running into another,she climbed up the side of an empty house and crept in through a broken window.When she had gone as far as that,she settled down for the winter and turned into a chrysalis then and there—that is,she did so after she had spun a peg for her tail and a belt to hold her up.

那年的复活节是在四月，波丽住在北方，所以，假如她当初没把自己的蛹放在现在这个地方的话，那么复活节前她就从蛹里出来了。去年秋天，她匆匆忙忙地离开了花园，离开了她赖以为生的防风草。那个时候，为了能在等着变成蝴蝶的时候，有一个挂尾巴的丝栓子和一条支撑身体的丝腰带，她已经做好了吐丝的准备。那是她平生第一次离开她的防风草家园，可是，既然已经出发，她好像恨不得马上离开这里似的，又好像是恨不得马上就赶到另外一个地方去似的。就这样，在她从一个地方奔向另一个地方的时候，她爬上了一座空房子的墙，从一个破窗户钻进了房子里。到了这里，她才安顿下来准备过冬。也就是在那个时候、那个地方，她变成了一个蛹。当然，在变成蛹之前，她已经织好了挂尾巴的小栓子和拴身子的腰带。

Papil spun a peg and a belt and changed into a chrysalis just as Poly had done.
琶培儿也像波丽一样，织了一个尾栓和一根腰带，变成了一个蛹。

Soon after that,Papil,another caterpillar from another parsnip plant,traveled along much the same path that Poly had taken,and in much the same hurry to get away from somewhere and go somewhere else.He found the broken window,too,and went in and spun a tail-peg and a belt and changed into a chrysalis,just as Poly had done.

没过多久，另一只名叫琶培儿的毛毛虫也离开自己的防风草上路了。他沿着波丽的足迹，也像波丽一样迫不及待，恨不能立刻离开这里，奔向那里。他也发现了那个破窗户，也爬了进去，织了一个尾栓和一根腰带，变成了一个蛹。

The house that they chose would have been as good as an old shed or a fence-post if it had stayed empty.But it didn't.When the Soldier came back from France,his head was so tired that he wanted to go to the home where he had lived when he was a little boy,until he was rested.

他们挑选的空房子，如果一直是空着的话，那简直就能和破棚子或者篱笆桩相媲美了。但是，并非如此！士兵从法国回来了。他已经身心疲惫，恨不得马上回家，回到他儿时的家里，再也不离开。

That is how it happened that he found Poly and Papil when he was mending the window.At first he thought he would take them out to the shed.But when he touched Poly,she wiggled a little as if she wanted to be let alone.When he saw what a nice silk peg she had made for her tail to hold on to,and what a fine belt she had drawn about her to keep her in place,he didn't wish to take her down.So he let them both stay for company,and put flowering plants in the window so that they could have sweet cups to drink from when they came to be butterflies.

事情就这样发生了。修窗户的时候，他发现了波丽和琶培儿。一开始他想把她们拿到屋外的棚子里去。可是，他的手刚一碰到波丽，波丽就扭了扭身子，似乎不愿意让人动。看到她那个挂尾巴的小栓子那么漂亮，那条围在身上支撑着她的腰带那么精美，他不忍心动手了。于是，他留下他俩跟他做伴，还在窗台上放了些开花的植物，好等他们变成蝴蝶后，能喝到甜甜的花蜜。

Poly stayed in her chrysalis cell all winter,for it was not so warm by the window as nearer the fireplace.And then,one day in April,she pushed against her cell until the door opened and she came out through the crack.

波丽整个冬天都待在蛹壳里，毕竟窗边不像壁炉附近那么暖和。四月，突然有一天，她开始使劲地往外挤，门开了，她从门缝里钻了出来。

She was a butterfly now,but her wings were not big enough to fly with.They were just four limp,floppy little flaps,hanging down her back.She had to cling with her six long slender black legs to keep from falling—Her wings were of no use.Four little wings good for nothing at all!

现在她是一只蝴蝶了，可是还不能飞。她的翅膀太小了，不过是四个小薄片，软塌塌地耷拉在背上。她用六条又细又长的黑腿拼命地抓住蛹壳，这才没有摔下来。没用的翅膀！四只小翅膀，一点儿用也没有！

But wait!As Poly clung to the thin wall of her winter cell,the wings were getting bigger!They were twice as big as at first and still growing!My,oh my,oh my!How they grew!Do you suppose they were getting big enough to carry Poly to the blossoms?

可是，别急！波丽拼命地抓着那薄薄的蛹壳的时候，她的翅膀一点儿一点儿地长大了！都是起初的两倍那么大了，并且还在长！天哪！哦，天哪！瞧它们长得多快！它们会长成大翅膀，把波丽带到花丛那儿去吗？

Yes,and it was Easter Day.There were tall white lilies and little blue lilies and other flowers,too;and they were so sweet that Poly spread her wings when they were strong enough,and fluttered over to the little blue lilies,and uncoiled her long black tongue and drank,for she was thirsty.

会的！那天是复活节。高大的白百合、小巧的蓝百合和其他花儿都已竞相开放。太香了！波丽的翅膀刚硬了，就迫不及待地飞到了小巧的蓝百合那里，伸出她那黑色的长舌头开始畅饮。她实在是渴了。

And there,drinking nectar from the next lily,was Papil,who had come out that very same day and had found the pretty sweet cups first.So in the large baywindow,full of flowers,Poly and Papil spent their Easter Day together,and,though they did not know it,the Soldier watched them a long while and smiled.

When they become butterflies they drink nectar from flowers.
他们变成蝴蝶后便开始从花朵里吸食甘露。

而此刻，在旁边的一朵百合花上，琶培儿也喝得正香。原来那天他也出来了，第一个发现了这一杯杯香甜可口的花蜜。那宽阔的窗台上开满了鲜花，波丽和琶培儿就在鲜花丛中一起欢度起了他们的复活节。尽管他们并未察觉，可是，士兵却久久地注视着他们，脸上露出了微笑。

Butterflies among the flowers are beautiful on any day,but at Easter time they have a special meaning.

There is a reason why people paint downy chickens on their Easter cards and give their friends lilies at that time.The live chick comes from the still egg;the live lily grows from the dull brown bulb.Such things make us think how wonderful life is.

花丛中的蝴蝶每天都是美丽的。可是，复活节期间，她们还有特殊的意义。

复活节的时候，人们为什么要在贺卡上画毛茸茸的小鸡呢？为什么要给朋友送百合花呢？这是因为，活蹦乱跳的小鸡从静悄悄的鸡蛋中孵化而来；鲜艳的百合花从不起眼的棕色球茎中脱颖而出，这一切都让我们感受到生命的美妙。

So does the butterfly,who breaks the walls of the quiet chrysalis and comes out so full of life and beauty.Many years ago people loved the butterfly because of this,and gave her a sweet old name,"Psyche,"which means"the soul."

蝴蝶也一样。她从沉寂的蛹里破壳而出，来到这个世界上，如此鲜活！如此美丽！许多年前，人们就因此而非常喜爱蝴蝶，还给她起了一个古老而又好听的名字“普赛克”，意思是“灵魂”。

It is no wonder that the Soldier smiled,with both lilies and butterflies to make life look beautiful to him that Easter Day.

Poly and Papil lived among the flowers for several weeks before Poly seemed to notice that there was a big pot of carrots and one of parsnips and one of celery growing there in the bay-window.These plants had no flowers,and why should Poly care about just leaves?She could not eat them if she tried,with her long tongue.

怪不得士兵会笑呢！那个复活节，百合花和蝴蝶交相辉映，让他看到了生命的美丽！

波丽和琶培儿在花丛中待了好几个礼拜。后来，有一天，波丽似乎才注意到窗台上还种着一大盆胡萝卜、一盆防风草和一盆芹菜。这些植物都不开花，只不过是些叶子，波丽凭什么要关注它们呢？就算她伸出长长的舌头去吃，也吃不下呀。

Ah,but there was a time when Poly had no long tongue—no tongue at all,in fact,for it was when she was only an egg;and in those days she had lived on the tip of a parsnip leaf.So we must not be surprised to find her,when she had eggs of her own,putting them on such leaves as she herself could have eaten when she was a caterpillar just hatched from an egg.

是呀！可是，曾经有段时间，波丽实际上根本就没有舌头，更别说长舌头了。那个时候，她还只不过是一个卵，终日寄居在防风草的叶尖上。所以，当她产下了自己的卵，并把它们放在这些叶子上的时候，我们千万不要感到奇怪。因为，她刚从卵中孵化出来，变成毛毛虫的时候，就吃这些叶子。

Now Poly in her caterpillar days could have eaten a great many kinds of leaves besides parsnips,if her mother had left her on them;but I have never heard that she could eat anything that did not belong to the parsnip family.So if you find a caterpillar like Poly eating any sort of leaf,you may nod your head wisely and say,"That belongs to the parsnip family,"whether you ever saw that kind of plant before or not.You see that,if you know a Poly caterpillar,she can teach you a great deal about plants.She never makes a mistake.Why,she would even go so far as to starve to death if any one tried to feed her a leaf that belonged to the wrong family.That is,when she is a caterpillar.When she is a butterfly,she drinks nectar from blossoms of many families and carries pollen for them all.But when egg-laying time comes,she flies back to the parsnip family just as if she remembered something.

假如波丽的妈妈当初没把她产在防风草上，而是产在了别的什么叶子上，那么，现在，变成毛毛虫后的这段日子，她可不就能吃到许多别的叶子了吗？但是，我可从来也没有听说过波丽能吃防风草科之外的植物。所以，如果你看到波丽那样的毛毛虫在吃什么植物的叶子，无论你以前见没见过这种植物，你都可以故作睿智地点点头说：“嗯，这是防风草科植物”。你瞧，如果你认识一个毛毛虫波丽，她就会教给你很多有关植物的知识。绝对不会错的！为什么？因为如果有人硬要给她喂防风草科之外植物的叶子，她是宁愿饿死也不会张口的。当然，那是在她还是毛毛虫的时候。变成蝴蝶后，她会飞到其他科植物的花朵上饮用花蜜，还为它们搬运花粉。可是，产卵季节到来的时候，她总是像突然想起了什么似的，又飞回去找防风草科植物了。

If you find a caterpillar like Poly，she can teach you a great deal.
如果你见到一只像波丽一样的毛毛虫，她可以教给你很多知识。

Now some of the plants in this family are kinds that men,as well as Hexapods,like to eat,and we grow them for food.That is the reason we sometimes have to keep Poly's children out of our gardens,if there are so many of them that they eat more than we think we can spare.It is not hard to keep them out,for they do not hide and are easily seen.Some people let them have a few plants at the end of the row,because they like to watch the funny caterpillars,and because they love to see the beautiful butterflies they change into.That is what the Soldier did.

不光六脚节足小昆虫喜欢吃防风草科的植物，人类也喜欢吃。我们还把它们种来吃呢。所以，有时候，波丽的孩子太多了，余出的叶子不够她们吃，我们就不得不把她们赶出菜园。把她们赶出去并不难，因为她们不会躲藏，很容易看见。有些人会在地头留出几行防风草供她们享用，因为，他们喜欢看有趣的毛毛虫；还因为他们喜欢看她们变成的漂亮蝴蝶。那个士兵就是这样。

Zene,who hatched out of Poly's first egg,was contented enough when she crept from her shell on the tip of a celery-leaf.She hardly stopped to turn round before she began her green breakfast.Being a healthy baby,she was hungry,and ate most of the time except when she had to change her dress.This she did for herself from the very first,for Poly never did anything for her children after she had put her eggs on the right plants.She had taken care of her own dresses when she was a caterpillar,and if her daughter couldn't do the same,so much the worse for Zene!

从第一颗卵中孵化出来的是泽娜。那是在一片芹菜叶的叶尖上。她爬出来的时候，很知足。因为，她几乎连身都不用转，就可以享用那绿油油的早餐了。她是个健康的宝宝，所以很能吃。有时候她不得不换掉衣服，除此之外，大部分时间她都在吃。刚一出生，她就自己换衣服，因为波丽把卵安顿在合适的植物上之后，就再也不为自己的孩子做任何事情了。她自己是毛毛虫的时候，也得自己换衣服。要是她的女儿泽娜连这个也不会，那就糟透了！

But Zene could!Of course she could!Only it was hard to do,and it made her so nearly sick every time she changed her dress that for two days she couldn't eat a thing.She just spun a thin mat of silk and rested on that.You might think that Zene would have gone on wearing the same one if it was so much trouble to change.

不过泽娜会！她当然会！就是过程比较辛苦。每次换完衣服，她都大病一场，连续两天什么都吃不下。她只能勉强织一张薄薄的丝垫，躺在上面休息。你可能会想，要是换衣服这么麻烦，她完全可以一直穿着原来那套衣服不换呀！

Maybe she would,if she could.But she was such a hungry little thing that she grew larger than her dress,and her head got bigger than her skull,and grew out of it at the back,until it looked like a bunch inside the neck of her tight old dress.Of course,when she got as fat as that,there was nothing to do but push and jerk until she broke something.The first thing that ripped was a seam right around her collar,and of course when that tore—off dropped her skull!

也许，她可以不换，假如她能不换的话。不过，这个小东西太能吃了，所以，长的也太快，很快她的衣服就小得没法穿了。还有，她的头也越来越大，连后脑壳都快撑破了。后来，她的旧衣服紧紧地箍在越长越大的身子上，就像是一个扎紧了口的鼓鼓囊囊的小口袋。当然，胖到这个程度的时候，除了拼命挣扎、冲破束缚外，她别无选择。最先裂开的是领口四周的那条接缝，当然了，那条接缝完全撕裂之后，她的脑壳就掉下来了！

That gave her new head a chance to come out of the collar-hole,and then she crept right out after her head.And there was her old dress lying empty on the leaf.

Zene had a funny habit.Almost every time she changed her dress,she turned round after she had crept out of it and ate it up before she went on with her celery salad.It tasted good to her,so she did not waste it.When she didn't need it outside any more,she put it inside.She didn't eat her skull.That just rolled off the leaf.

脑壳一掉，她的新脑袋就趁机从领口洞里探了出来，接着，整个身子也爬了出来。而她的旧衣服则摊在叶子上，成了空壳。

泽娜有个有趣的习惯。每次换完衣服，她都会转过身子，把脱下来的旧衣服吃掉，然后才去享用她的芹菜沙拉。她觉得旧衣服味道不错，所以不想浪费。既然不需要穿在身上了，那就吃到肚子里。不过，她不吃脑壳。脑壳会直接从叶子上滚落下去。

Each dress lasted about a week before she had to change,and each new one was prettier than the one before.Her first ones had little bunches on them and a wide white sash shaped something like a saddle.They did well enough,but you ought to have seen her last dress.That was lovely!It was a pretty shade of green,with black bands for trimming,and every black band had a row of yellow spots on it.

每套衣服大约穿上一个礼拜就得换。所有的新衣服都比旧衣服漂亮。她最初的那几套衣服上都打着小小的褶，还有一条宽宽的鞍形白色饰带。那几套衣服的确不错，不过，你应该看看她最后换的那套衣服，简直太漂亮了！那是淡绿色的，镶着黑色的边，每条边上都点缀着一排黄色的小点。

It was a showy dress,Zene's last one.It could be seen nearly as far as anyone could see the celery plant she lived on,and she never tried to hide.Even after the weather grew warm,and the Soldier put her out of doors,she didn't.(https://www.xing528.com)

泽娜最后换的那套衣服光彩夺目。远远的，只要看到她那株芹菜，就能看到她。她从来不躲躲藏藏。就连天气变暖，士兵把她放到野外后，她也没有躲躲藏藏。

Now when you come to think about it,that seems queer.When Van was chased,she hid by making herself look like the bark on a tree.Carol sat still in the sand and didn't show.Jack had two ways of hiding,both good ones.Perhaps Ann Gusti's funny trick was the best of all,though Gryl did very well,as you would find out if you ever tried to catch him for a pet.

细想一下，似乎有点奇怪。蝴蝶帆儿被追逐的时候，她靠伪装成树皮藏了起来。蚱蜢欢欢则静静地坐在沙地上躲避视线。角蝉杰克有两个藏身的方法，都很有效。假死虫安妮有趣的藏身术也许是最高明的。不过，蟋蟀唧唧的方法也很不错，假如你曾经试图逮住他当宠物的话，你就知道了。

But Zene!There she stayed right on the upper side of the leaf and way out on the edge,no matter who came along.

Now,when an animal,whether it has four feet or more,does not hide itself when things come near it,there is some very good reason.

可是，泽娜呢！瞧，她就待在叶子上面最靠边的地方，不管谁过来都无所谓。

好了，当一个动物，不管它是四条腿的，还是四条腿以上的，在危险逼近的时候，躲都不躲，那么一定是有原因的。

Do you know what a wood-pussy is?That pretty animal,with black and white stripes and a tail like a plume,walks slowly and unafraid along the path.You can see him when he is still far off.If you wish to walk the other way,you have plenty of time.If you choose to go and meet him,he does not bother to turn out to the right to let you pass.He has shown you his black and white stripes as a warning.If after that you are foolish enough to come too near—you will wish you hadn't,that is all.The wood-pussy does not care.He doesn't mind the way he smells.

你知道臭鼬吗？那个漂亮的动物，身上是黑白相间的条纹，尾巴像个羽毛掸子。走在小径上时，总是慢悠悠的，一点儿都不害怕。从大老远你就能看到他。如果你想绕开走，完全来得及。如果你想走过去碰上他，也可以。可他不会闪到右边给你让路，他才懒得那么干呢。他身上的黑白条纹已经向你发出过警告了。假如你蠢到无视警告，依然执意前行，走得太近的话，那么你只有后悔的份了。臭鼬无所谓。他可不介意身上的气味有多难闻。

Now,can it be that Zene was unafraid during all her caterpillar days?Did nothing scare her?Did Daddy Bird try to take her home to his young ones?Was the white sash on her baby dresses to show where she was?Were the black and green stripes on her last pretty dress a warning?

那么，是不是在整个毛毛虫期间，泽娜都无所畏惧呢？真的没有什么东西让她害怕吗？鸟爸爸有没有试图把她带回家送给他的小宝宝们呢？她的宝宝衫上那白色的装饰带是在说“请勿靠近”吗？她最后换的那套漂亮衣服上的黑绿相间的条纹也是一种警告吗？

Well,something shook the leaf she was on one day,sharply and quickly,and this is what happened:

Zene threw up her head,and just behind it,from a slit in her back,she pushed out a pair of soft orangecolored horns.And just then there was a queer,oh,a very queer and very strong smell all around that celery plant.

谁知道呢？总之，有一天，她身下的叶子突然剧烈地摇晃起来。于是，发生了下面的这一切：

泽娜猛地抬起头，后背紧靠后脑勺的地方裂开了一个缝，从里面挤出来一对触角，橘黄色，软软的。也就是在那一刻，一种怪味，噢，非常怪、非常刺鼻的气味在芹菜四周弥漫开来。

I think it would have made you laugh if you had seen her.The Soldier laughed,and said something about a"gas-attack";but that is soldier talk,and perhaps you will not understand what he meant.

看到她当时的样子，你一定会大笑。那个士兵就笑了，还说了一通什么“毒气战”之类的话。当然了，那是当兵的行话，你可能听不懂。

Zene's pair of horns was something like a pocket with two long pointed corners turned inside-out.In a moment she drew it down behind her head so that it was right-side-out,inside her body,and all out of sight;and the strange smell was soon gone.

泽娜的那一对触角，有点像是翻出了两个角的衣服口袋，那两个角又尖又长伸在口袋外面。眨眼之间，她又把触角收到脑袋后面，正面朝上放回体内，看不见了。那股奇怪的味道也很快消失了。

But though it could not be seen,the horn-pocket was there just the same,and already filled again with gas or whatever it was that Zene poured into the air when she threw her orange-colored pocket inside out and showed her horns.The stuff in her pocket is sour,and burns if it touches the tongue.Maybe Daddy Bird would not like that.So maybe Zene's bright stripes were one warning,and maybe the smell was another.

可是，看不见不等于没有。触角口袋还在她的身子里，这次，又装满了毒气。嗨，管它是什么气呢，反正在泽娜突然翻出橘黄色的口袋，露出那对触角的时候，那种气体就跑到空气里了。口袋里的东西已经发馊，而且烫舌。所以，可能是鸟爸爸不喜欢这个；可能泽娜身上那醒目的彩条就是一种警告；有可能，这股气味也是一种警告。

Perhaps her pretty dress,that could be seen so far,was like a danger-flag,and was a signal to other little creatures not to come too near her if they didn't like queer smells and sour,burny tastes.

她那从大老远就能看到的漂亮衣服或许也是一面警戒旗，警告其他的小生物，如果不喜欢闻怪味、不喜欢尝发馊烫舌的味道的话，就离她远点儿。

However that may be,it is certain that Zene never seemed scared,and never hid from anything until she was ready to throw away her last dress,pocket and all.

总之，不管是什么原因，有一点可以肯定。那就是，直到准备扔掉她最后那套衣服、包括口袋和其他一切的那一刻，泽娜才开始感到害怕，才开始躲躲藏藏。

When that time came,she left her celery plant in a hurry,and went somewhere else as fast as she could.She climbed up the side of the house near where Poly had the fall before,but didn't go in through the window.That was mended.Instead,she prepared to hide on the outside of the house right in plain sight.

当那一刻到来的时候，她匆匆忙忙地离开了她的芹菜叶，拼命地奔向别处。她来到去年秋天波丽住过的那栋房子，爬上墙，波丽当时也是从这里爬上去的。但是她没有从窗户钻进屋里。那扇窗户已经修好了。她准备藏在房子外面众目睽睽之下。

First she rested for a whole day with her head pointed straight up and her tail pointed straight down.Once in a while she would swing a few loops of silk by moving her head,but not often.The second day she turned around so that her head was down and her tail was up.Then she went to work and spun silk from a tube that opened in her mouth.She swung out a silk thread as far as her head would reach to one side without moving the rest of her body.Then she grabbed the thread with her first pair of feet,which seemed more like arms,and pulled it back something as a man hauls up a rope"hand over hand."That made little folds in it,and she stuck the folded silk thread to the board with silk glue.Then she swung out her head to the other side,and pulled back the thread with her"hands,"and glued down that folded part.This was the way she made her peg of silk,swinging her head from side to side and pulling back each thread in folds and sticking it down.It was a firm peg and a little curved,and it took her about half an hour to make it.

她先头冲上、尾巴朝下休息了一整天。这期间，她偶尔会晃动脑袋吐出几个丝环，但是，只是偶尔。第二天，她转了个身，头冲下、尾巴朝上开始工作。她的嘴里有一个软管，开着口，她就从那个软管里往外吐丝。她使劲地伸头吐丝，头伸多远，织出来的丝线就多长，这期间，身子的其他部位却纹丝不动。接着，她用最前面的那双脚紧紧钩住吐出的丝线，像人两手交替拉绳子那样，把它拽回来。唉，她的那双脚看起来更像是胳膊。这样把丝线对折起来之后，她又吐出丝质的胶把对折好的丝线粘在木板上。然后，她的头又摆到另一边，用“双手”把丝线拽回来对折好，粘起来。就是这样，她的头从这边摆到那边，把丝线一根根地对折起来粘住。最后就做成了她的小丝栓。这个丝栓很结实，稍稍有点弯曲，这项工作花了她大概半个小时。

As soon as it was done,she turned round again so that she was head up and tail down once more.Her tail seemed to be in a hurry to find the peg,and felt around for it as if it were hunting for something.After lifting her tail up and feeling to one side and then the other,she at last hit the peg,and then she took right hold of it with the hooks in her last pair of feet and tangled them up in the silk threads and pulled tight until she held fast.She had hitched herself by her own tail and couldn't get away.

刚做完小丝栓，她就又转过身子，重新回到头冲上、尾巴冲下的姿势。她的尾巴大概是急于找到小丝栓，只见它来回扫着，好像是在搜寻什么似的。后来，泽娜翘起尾巴在这边扫扫，又在那边扫扫，总算是找到了小丝栓。于是，她立刻伸出最后面的那双脚钩住了小丝栓，她把脚上的那些小钩子伸到丝线里绕了又绕，拉了又拉，直到她能抓牢为止。她是用自己的尾巴把自己吊起来的，所以，脱不了身了。

But she was not yet ready to be a chrysalis.For Zene was not going to hang head down like Van while she waited to be a butterfly.No,she was going to sleep head up,so she needed more than a tail-peg to hold her.

可是，她还没做好变成蛹的准备呢。泽娜可不打算像帆儿那样头冲下，等着变成蝴蝶。不行！她睡觉的时候，要头朝上。所以，光一个尾巴栓可不行。

What she needed was a loose belt reaching from the board around her body.So she spun it.She glued the end of the first silk to the side of the house,and then spun a loop in front of her,stretching it up between her first and second pairs of legs,using the first pair like arms to catch it into place when she had spun it long enough so that her head could bend down and fasten the other end to the house.Thus she spun her belt,holding it up something like a skein of yarn in her"arms,"and gluing the end to the board each time.Once it broke while it was still very weak,and she fell way over to one side.But brave patient little Zene,with her tail hitched fast,felt her way back into place and began all over again.

她还需要一根腰带，一根能从木板上吊下来，把她轻轻地围住的带子。于是，她又开始织带子。她先把第一根丝的一头粘到墙上，然后在身子前面绕成一个环，用最前面的那两双腿撑住，当丝线吐到足够长的时候，她最前面的那两条腿就像胳膊那样拿住线头，然后她再低下头，把这一端也固定到墙上。她就是这样织腰带的。像纺纱那样，用她的“胳膊”拿住丝线，把两端一一粘到木板上。有一次，带子还没织好就断了。泽娜一下子侧翻在了半空中。不过，勇敢沉着的小泽娜，用尾巴紧紧地钩住小丝栓，慢慢地又回到了原位，重新开始织了起来。

After about half an hour's hard work on the belt that,too,was done,and Zene drew down her head and stuck it up inside the belt,and there she was fastened,tail down and head up,for her sleep.

Two days later she began to stretch and jerk inside her striped dress.What happened then was funny and wonderful.

辛苦了大约半个小时之后，她的腰带也完工了。泽娜低下头，钻进腰带里，把身子固定住，尾巴冲下，头朝上，准备睡觉了。

过了两天，她开始在她的条纹衫里扭来扭去，拼命挣扎。接下来发生的事情很有趣，也很奇妙。

Zene's dress ripped a little way down the middle of the back just behind her head,and something shaped like a little pug-nose stuck out.Then two little things like ears pushed up and split her skull and knocked it off.Then the queer thing inside Zene's dress,that had the pug nose and the ears,pushed the dress down toward the tail like a little wad of clothes it was going to step out of.Then it jerked its tail out of the clothes and poked it out over them and caught its tip into the tail-peg again and wiggled,and then the dress dropped to the ground.

泽娜的衣服从后脑勺开始，沿着后背中线裂开了一个口子，从里面伸出来一个像狮子鼻一样的东西。接着，脑壳那儿又鼓起两个小耳朵模样的东西，脑壳被挤裂了，从身上掉了下来。这时，藏在泽娜身子里的那个长着一个狮子鼻和两只耳朵的怪家伙把身上的衣服退到尾巴末端，就好像它要从脚下的那堆衣服里迈出来似的。然后，它使劲晃动尾巴，结果尾巴穿透了衣服，从衣服里戳了出来，尾巴尖又一次伸出去钩住了尾巴栓。它使劲扭动身体，最后，衣服就掉到了地上。

And was that really Zene,with a funny pug-nose and two funny ears?It didn't look anything like Zene while she was a caterpillar,and it certainly didn't look as Zene would when it came time for her to be a butterfly.

哇，那个长着一个滑稽的狮子鼻和两只可笑耳朵的小东西真的是泽娜吗？可它长的一点也不像毛毛虫泽娜呀！它的长相也绝对不像准蝴蝶泽娜呀！

But Zene was inside that queer-shaped little case,for all that.And at last she had hidden;for the case soon grew to be about the color of the board on the side of the old house,and she could not be seen far away.

可是，不管怎样，泽娜就在那个奇形怪状的小匣子里。终于，她藏起来了。因为，那个匣子的颜色很快就变得差不多和墙板一样，从远处看不到她了。

Zene did not sleep all winter like her mother in the chrysalis case,but changed into a butterfly in about two weeks,and laid her eggs on some caraway leaves.

藏在蛹匣子里的泽娜，并没有像她妈妈那样整个冬季都睡觉。大约两个星期后，她变成了一只蝴蝶，然后，在一些葛缕子叶上产了卵。

It was still summer when her children hatched,and Poly,the oldest and named for her grandmother,did all the things her grandmother had done except getting inside the Soldier's house to make her chrysalis.It was late in May when she wakened in the spring.But as butterflies have their own calendars instead of ours,perhaps it was her Easter Day,just the same.

孩子们孵化时，夏季还没结束。为了纪念她的祖母，第一个孩子也取名波丽。她祖母做过的事情，她都做了，只有一件事情除外：她没有钻进士兵的房子里去做蛹。春天，她醒来的时候已经是五月底了。可是，蝴蝶的日历和我们不一样，她们有她们自己的日历，所以，对她来说，那天就是复活节。