“After work，it is well to rest，”said the paper，“and a very good opportunity to collect ones thoughts.Now I am able，for the first time，to think of my real condition，and to know ones self is true progress.What will be done with me now，I wonder？No doubt I shall still go forward.I have always progressed hitherto，as I know quite well.”
“工作过后休息一阵是很好的，”纸说。“把思想集中一下，想想自己肚皮里有些什么东西——这是对的。现在我第一次知道我有些什么本事——认识自己就是进步。我还会变成什么呢？我仍然会前进；我永远是前进的！”
Now it happened one day that all the paper in the tub was taken out，and laid on the hearth to be burnt.People said it could not be sold at the shop，to wrap up butter and sugar，because it had been written upon.The children in the house stood round the stove，for they wanted to see the paper burn，because it flamed up so prettily，and afterwards，among the ashes，so many red sparks could be seen running one after the other，here and there，as quick as the wind.They called it seeing the children come out of school，and the last spark was the schoolmaster.They often thought the last spark had come，and one would cry，“There goes the schoolmaster.”but the next moment another spark would appear，shining so beautifully.How they would like to know where the sparks all went to！Perhaps we shall find out some day，but we dont know now.
有一天纸被放在炉子上要烧掉，因为被写上字的它不能卖到杂货店里去包黄油和红糖。屋里的孩子们都围做一团；他们要看看它烧起来，他们要看看火灰里的那些红火星——这些火星很快就一个接着一个的不见了，熄灭了，如风一样快。这很像放了学的孩子。最后的一颗火星简直像老师：大家总以为他早走了，但是他却在别人的后面走出来。
The whole bundle of paper had been placed on the fire，and was soon alight.“Ugh.”cried the paper，as it burst into a bright flame.“Ugh.”It was certainly not very pleasant to be burning.But when the whole was wrapped in flames，the flames(flame n.火焰，光辉，光芒，热情，激情)mounted up into the air，higher than the flax had ever been able to raise its little blue flower，and they glistenedglisten v.闪光as the white linen never could have glistened.All the written letters became quite red in a moment，and all the words and thoughts turned to fire.
所有的纸被卷成一卷，放在火上。它烧得才快呢。“噢！”它说，同时变成了一朵明亮的焰花。焰花升得很高，亚麻从来没有能够把它的小蓝花开得这样高过。它发出白麻布从来发不出的闪光。它上面写的字一忽儿全都变红了；那些词句和思想都成了火焰。
“Now I am mounting straight up to the sun.”said a voice in the flames，and it was as if a thousand voices echoed the words，and the flames darted up through the chimney，and went out at the top.Then a number of tiny beings，as many in number as the flowers on the flax had been，and invisible to mortal(mortal n.凡人，人类adj.必死的，致命的，人类的，临终的)eyes，floated above them.They were even lighter and more delicate than the flowers from which they were born，and as the flames were extinguished，and nothing remained of the paper but black ashes，these little beings danced upon it，and whenever they touched it，bright red sparks appeared.
“现在我要直接升向太阳了！”火焰中有一个声音说。这好像一千个声音在合唱。焰花通过烟囱一直跑到外面去。在那儿，比焰花还要细微的、人眼所看不见的、微小的生物在浮动着，数目之多，比得上亚麻所开的花朵。它们比产生它们的火焰还要轻。当火焰熄灭了、当纸只剩下一撮黑灰的时候，它们还在灰上跳了一次舞。它们在它们所接触过的地方都留下了痕迹——许多小小的红火星。
“The children are all out of school，and the schoolmaster was the last of all.”said the children.It was good fun，and they sang over the dead ashes，—
“Snip，snap，snurre，Basse lure：
The song is ended.”
孩子们都从学校里走出来，老师总是跟在最后！看看这情形真好玩！家里的孩子站在死灰的周围，唱出一支歌——“吱——咯——嘘，拍——呼——吁！歌儿完了！”
But the little invisible beings said，“The song is never ended.The most beautiful is yet to come.”
不过那些细小的、看不见的小生物都说：“歌儿是永远不会完的！这是一切歌中最好的一支歌！”
But the children could neither hear nor understand this，nor should they，for children must not know everything.
但是孩子们既听不见，也不懂这话；事实上他们也不应该懂，因为孩子不应该什么东西都知道呀。
