“I believe，”replied the man，“that one could tell quite a romance about the WillotheWisps，in twelve parts；or，better still，one might make quite a popular play of them.”
“我相信，”这人说，“人们可以写成一部鬼火传奇，分成十二卷，每一卷谈一个鬼火。也许更好是写成一部通俗剧本。”
“You might write that，”said the woman，“but its best let alone.”
“你写吧，”沼泽女人说，“不过最好还是让它去吧。”
“Yes，thats better and more agreeable，”the man replied，“for then we shall escape from the newspapers，and not be tied up by them，which is just as uncomfortable as for a WillotheWisp to lie in decaying wood，to have to gleam，and not to be able to stir.”
“是的，那当然更容易，更舒服，”这人说，“因为这样我们就可以不受报纸的拘束了。受报纸的拘束，其不舒服的程度跟鬼火关在朽木里发光而不敢说一句话没有两样。”
“I dont care about it either way.”cried the woman.“Let the rest write，those who can，and those who cannot likewise.Ill grant you an old bung from my cask that will open the cupboard where poetrys kept in bottles，and you may take from that whatever may be wanting.But you，my good man，seem to have blotted your hands sufficiently(sufficiently adv.十分地，充分地)with ink，and to have come to that age of satiety that you need not be running about every year for stories，especially as there are much more important things to be done.You must have understood what is going on？”
“这和我没有什么关系，”沼泽女人说，“让别的人——那些会写的和不会写的人——去写吧！我把我桶上的一个旧塞子给你。它可以打开放着诗瓶的那个柜子，你可以从那里取出你所需要的东西。可是你，亲爱的朋友，你的手似乎被墨水染得够黑了。你似乎已经到了懂事的年龄，不必每年东跑西跑去寻找童话了。世上特别应该做的重要的事情还多着呢。你已知道现在发生了什么事情吧？”
“The WillotheWisp is in town！”said the man.“Ive heard it，and I have understood it.But what do you think I ought to do？I should be thrashed if I were to go to the people and say，‘Look，yonder goes a WillotheWisp in his best clothes！’
“鬼火现在进城了！”这人说。“我听到过这事情，我也懂得这事情！不过你觉得我应该怎么办呢？如果我对人说，‘看呀，鬼火穿着庄严的衣服在那里活动！’人们一定会把我痛打一顿的。”
“They also go in undress.”replied the woman.“The WillotheWisp can assume all kinds of forms，and appear in every place.He goes into the church，but not for the sake of the service；and perhaps he may enter into one or other of the priests.He speaks in the Parliament，not for the benefit of the country，but only for himself.Hes an artist with the colorpot as well as in the theatre；but when he gets all the power into his own hands，then the pots empty！I chatter and chatter，but it must come out，whats sticking in my throat，to the disadvantage of my own family.But I must now be the woman that will save a good many people.It is not done with my good will，or for the sake of a medal.I do the most insane(insane adj.患精神病的，精神病患者的，极愚蠢的)things I possibly can，and then I tell a poet about it，and thus the whole town gets to know of it directly.”
“他们有时也穿着裙子活动呀！”沼泽女人说，“一个鬼火可以以各种形式，在任何地方出现。他到教堂里去，不是为了去做礼拜，而是为了要附在牧师身上。他在选举的时候演讲，不是为了国家的利益，而是为了他自己。他是一个画家，也可以是一个演员。不过他把权利抓到手上来了以后，它的颜料匣子可就空了！我闲聊了一大阵子，但是我必须把塞在我喉头的东西拉出来，即使这对于我家庭不利也管不了。现在我要把许多人救出来！这并不是因为出自善意，或者是为了要得到一枚勋章。我要做出我能做到的最疯狂的事情，我把这事告诉给一个诗人；只有这样，整个城市才会马上知道。”
“The town will not take that to heart，”observed the man；“that will not disturb a single person；for they will all think Im only telling them a story if I say，‘The WillotheWisp is in the town，says the Moorwoman.Take care of yourselves！’”
“城市将会一点也不在乎，”这人说，“谁也不会感到惊慌。当我以极端严肃的态度告诉他们说：‘沼泽女人说过，鬼火进城了。你们当心啦！’人们将认为我不过是对他们讲一个童话罢了。”
