“Be kind enough to seat yourself on that cupboard，”she retorted，“but take care you dont fall through and break the bottlesyou know whats inside of them.I must tell of the great event.It occurred no longer ago than the day before yesterday.It did not happen earlier.It has now three hundred and sixtythree days to run about.I suppose you know how many days there are in a year？”
“请劳驾坐在柜子上吧。”她说，“但请你当心不要坐塌了，把瓶子打碎——你知道它们里头装着什么东西。有一件大事我一定要说出来。它还是昨天发生的：并没有很早就发生。它的有效期还有364天。我想你知道一年里有多少日子吧？”
And this is what the Moorwoman told：下头是沼泽女人所讲的话：
“There was a great commotion(commotion n.骚动，暴乱)yesterday out here in the marsh！There was a christening feast！A little WillotheWisp was born here—in fact，twelve of them were born all together.And they have permission，if they choose to use it，to go abroad among men，and to move about and command among them，just as if they were born mortals.That was a great event in the marsh(marsh n.湿地，沼泽，沼泽地)，and accordingly all the WillotheWisps，male and female，went dancing like little lights across the moor.There are some of them of the dog species，but those are not worth mentioning.I sat there on the cupboard，and had all the twelve little newborn WillotheWisps upon my lap.They shone like glowworms.They already began to hop，and increased in size every moment，so that before a quarter of an hour had elapsed，each of them looked just as large as his father or his uncle.Now，its an oldestablished regulation and favor(favor n.好感，宠爱，关切，欢心vt.支持，赞成，照顾，促成，证实，赐予)，that when the moon stands just as it did yesterday，and the wind blows just as it blew then，it is allowed and accorded to all WillotheWisps—that is，to all those who are born at that minute of time—to become mortals，and individually(individually adv.个别地)to exert their power for the space of one year.
“昨天沼泽地上有一个很大的热闹场面！那是一个孩子的盛会！一个小鬼火出生了——事实上他们有一打同时出生。他们得到了许可：如果他们愿意的话，可以跑到人世间去，也可自由行动，发号施令，好像他们生下来就是人一样。这是沼泽地上的一件大事，因此鬼火在沼泽地和草原上，像亮光一样，男的女的都跳起舞来——因为他们中间有几个是女性，虽然他们一般都不讲出来。我坐在那个柜子上，把这十二个新生的鬼火抱在膝上。他们像萤火虫似的发出亮光来。他们已经开始跳起来，而他们的体积每一秒钟都在增长，因此不到一刻钟，他们的样子就好像他们的父亲和叔父那样大。按照大家公认的一个老规矩和特权，如果月亮照得完全像昨天一样，风吹得完全像昨天一样，在这个时刻所出生的一切鬼火，都有权变成人，而他们每一个人，在一年的时限内，可以行使他们的权利。
“The WillotheWisp may run about in the country and through the world，if it is not afraid of falling into the sea，or of being blown out by a heavy storm.It can enter into a person and speak for him，and make all the movements it pleases.The WillotheWisp may take whatever form he likes，of man or woman，and can act in their spirit and in their disguise(disguise n.伪装v.假装，伪装，掩饰)in such a way that he can effect whatever he wishes to do.But he must manage，in the course of the year，to lead three hundred and sixtyfive people into a bad way，and in a grand style，too.To lead them away from the right and the truth，and then he reaches the highest point.Such a WillotheWisp can attain to the honor of being a runner before the devils state coach，and then hell wear clothes of fiery yellow，and breathe forth flames out of his throat.Thats enough to make a simple WillotheWisp smack(smack n.滋味，风味，少量，拍击v.带有……风味，用掌击，拍打)his lips.But theres some danger in this，and a great deal of work for a WillotheWisp who aspires to play so distinguished a part.If the eyes of the man are opened to what he is，and if the man can then blow him away，its all over with him，and he must come back into the marsh，Or if，before the year is up，the WillotheWisp is seized with a longing to see his family，and so returns to it and gives the matter up，it is over with him likewise，and he can no longer burn clear，and soon becomes extinguished，and cannot be lit up again，And when the year has elapsed，and he has not led three hundred and sixtyfive people away from the truth and from all that is grand and noble，he is condemned(condemned adj.被责难的，被宣告有罪的)to be imprisoned in decayed wood，and to lie glimmering there，without being able to move；and thats the most terrible punishment that can be inflicted on a lively WillotheWisp.
“如果每个鬼火不怕掉到海里去、不怕被大风暴吹熄的话，他可以跑遍全国，跑遍整个世界。他可以附在一个人身上，代他讲话，随意行动。一个鬼火可以随意以任何形式出现；他可以是男人或女人，可以依照他们的精神行动，但是必须走自己的极端，把他想要做的事都做出来。不过他在一年之中要大规模地把三百六十五个人引入歧途：把他们从真理和正确的道路上引走。只有这样，一个鬼火才能达到最高峰——成为魔鬼专车前面的一个跑腿。这样，他就可以穿起深黄的衣服，从喉咙里喷出火焰来。这足够使一个普通的鬼火得到满足。不过里面也有一些凶险。一个有抱负的鬼火想完成这么一个出色的任务，得碰到一些麻烦。如果一个人的眼睛能看清面前是什么东西，而把鬼火一口气吹走的话，那么鬼火就完蛋了，它只有再回到沼泽里来。同样，如果鬼火在一年终结以前要回家来看看、而放弃他们的工作，那么他也就完蛋，再也不能照得很亮，于是他很快就会灭了，再也燃不起来。当一年终了的时候，如果他还没有把三百六十五个人引入歧途、离开真理和一切美善的东西的话，那么他就要被监禁在一块腐木里面，躺在那儿发着闪光，不能动弹一下。对于一个活泼的鬼火说来，这是再厉害不过的一种惩罚。
“Now，all this I know，and all this I told to the twelve little WillotheWisps whom I had on my lap，and who seemed quite crazy with joy.I told them that the safest and most convenient course was to give up the honor，and do nothing at all；but the little flames would not agree to this，and already fancied themselves clad in fiery yellow clothes，breathing flames from their throats.
“这一切我全知道。同时我也把这事情讲给我抱在膝上的十二个鬼火听。他们听了乐得不可开交。我告诉他们，说最安全和最简单的办法是放弃这种光荣，什么事情也不干。可是小鬼火们不同意这种说法。他们已经幻想自己穿起深黄的衣服，从喉咙里喷出火来。
“‘Stay with us.’said some of the older ones.‘Carry on your sport with mortals.’said the others.‘The mortals are drying up our meadows；theyve taken to draining.What will our successors do？’
“‘跟我们住在一起吧！’年老的几位鬼火说。‘你们去和人开玩笑吧。’另外几位说。‘人把我们的草地都滤干了！他们已经开始在排水。我们的后代将怎么活下去呢？’
“‘We want to flame；we will flame—flame！’cried the newborn WillotheWisps.And thus the affair was settled.
“‘我们要发出火光来！发出火光来！’新生的鬼火说。事情就这样肯定下来了。
“And now a ball was given，a minute long；it could not well be shorter.The little elfmaidens whirled round three times with the rest，that they might not appear proud，but they preferred dancing with one another.
“一个跳舞会开始了——时间只有一秒钟；它不能再短。妖姑娘们跟别的妖姑娘们转了三个圈子，为的是不要显得骄傲，她们一般只是愿意和她们自己跳舞。
