By Shel Silverstein

Theres a light on in the attic

Though the house is dark and shuttered，

I can see a 1）flickerin 2）flutter，

And I know what its about.

Theres a light on in the attic.

I can see it from the outside，

And I know youre on the inside…lookin out.

阁楼上亮着灯

屋内漆黑一片，门窗紧闭着，

我却看到微光闪烁，

我知道那是什么，

是阁楼上的孤灯一盏。

我从外面看得很清楚，

而我知道你在里面……也正朝外偷看呢。

This morning I got kidnapped

By three masked men.

And they stop

ped me on the sidewalk，

And offered me some candy，

And when I wouldnt take it

They grabbed me by the collar，

And pinned my arms behind me，

And shoved me in the backseat

Of this big black limousine and

Tied my hands behind my back

With sharp and rusty wire.

And then put a blindfold on me

So I couldnt see where they took me，

And plugged up my ears with cotton

So I couldnt hear their voices.

And drove for 20 miles or

At least for 20 minutes， and then

Dragged me from the car down to

Some cold and moldy basement，

Where they stuck me in a corner

And went off to get the ransom

Leaving one of them to guard me

With a shotgun pointed at me，

Tied up sitting on a stool…

And thats why Im late for school！

今早我被三个蒙面人

绑架了。

他们在路边拦住我，

给我一些糖果，

我拒绝接受，

这时他们一把抓住我的领口，

反扣住我的双手，

把我扔进了车后座，

开动了黑色的豪华车。

他们用冰冷生锈的铁链

反铐住我的手腕，

用布蒙住我的双眼，

使我不知道他们带我去向哪儿，又用棉花塞住我的双耳，

使我听不见他们的声音。

车开了二十英里或

至少二十分钟，然后

他们将我拖出车，下到

一个又冷又潮的地窖。

他们把我丢在角落

便出去勒索赎金，

留下一个人守着我，

还拿着一把枪指着

绑在凳子上的我……

这就是我今天迟到的原因！

“Almost perfect…but not quite.”

Those were the words of Mary Hume

At her seventh birthday party，

Looking round the ribboned room.

“This tablecloth is pink， not white—

Almost perfect…but not quite.”

“Almost perfect…but not quite.”

Those were the words of grown-up Mary

Talking about her handsome 3）beau，

The one she wasnt gonna marry.

“Squeezes me a bit too tight—

Almost perfect…but not quite.”

“Almost perfect…but not quite.”

Those were the words of ol Miss Hume

Teaching in the seventh grade，

Grading papers in the gloom

Late at night up in her room.

“They never cross their ts just right—

Almost perfect…but not quite.”

Ninety-eight the day she died

Complainin bout the spotless floor.

People shook their heads and sighed，

“Guess that shell like heaven more.”

Up， up went her soul on feathered wings，

Out the door， up out of sight.

Another voice from heaven came—

“Almost perfect…but not quite.”

“几乎完美了……但还差那么一点点。”

这是玛丽·休姆说的话。

在她七岁生日的派对上，

她四处打量了一番张灯结彩的房间。

“这桌布不是白的而是粉红色的——

几乎完美了……但还差那么一点点。”

“几乎完美了……但还差那么一点点。”

这是长大以后的玛丽说的话。

她谈起那英俊的男朋友，

但他却不是她理想的结婚对象。

“抱我抱得有点儿太紧——

几乎完美了……但还差那么一点点。”

“几乎完美了……但还差那么一点点。”

老处女休姆小姐仍然说着这句话。

教着七年级，

深夜，在她幽暗的屋里

批着考卷。

“他们写字从来没仔细过——

几乎完美了……但是就还差那么一点点。”

九十八岁她死的时候，

还在抱怨着那一尘不染的地板。

人们摇头叹息道，

“大概天堂会让她满意的。”

她的魂魄扇着羽毛翅膀，

飞出了大门，升上了天，

这时天上传来另一个声音——

“几乎是完美的了……但是仍还差那么一点点。”

Eight balloons no one was buyin

All broke loose one afternoon.

Eight balloons with strings a-flyin，

Free to do what they wanted to.

One flew up to touch the sun—POP！

One thought the highway might be fun—POP！

One took a nap in a cactus pile—POP！

One stayed to play with a careless child—POP！

One tried to taste some bacon fryin—POP！

One fell in love with a 4）porcupine—POP！

One looked close in a crocodiles mouth—POP！

One sat around til his air ran out—WHOOSH！

Eight balloons no one was buyin—

They broke loose and away they flew，

Free to float and free to fly

And free to pop where they wanted to.

八只气球都没人买，

一天下午它们自由了。

八只气球在空中飞舞，拖着长长的尾巴，

想去哪就飞到哪。

一只向上飞想触摸太阳——啪！

一只以为高速公路上可能很有趣——啪！

一只在仙人掌丛睡了一觉——啪！

一只与粗心的小孩玩游戏——啪！

一只想尝尝煎锅上的熏肉——啪！

一只与豪猪坠入了爱河——啪！

一只向鳄鱼嘴里探究竟——啪！

一只则始终坐着直到气跑光——噗～

八只气球都没人买——

松了尾巴飞上天，

自由飘摇自由行，

安身落土随己意。