E.B.White

《夏洛的网》是一部描写关于友情的童话，在朱克曼家的谷仓里，小猪威尔伯和蜘蛛夏洛建立了最真挚的友谊。威尔伯的生命有危险时，看似渺小的夏洛用自己的力量救了威尔伯，但这时，蜘蛛夏洛的生命却走到了尽头……

《夏洛的网》是一部可以与《小王子》相媲美的世界名著， 这部作品初版于1952年，已有20多种译文，发行近千万册。

本文节选自《夏洛的网》第一章。

The next day was rainy and dark. Rain fell on the roof of the barn and dripped steadily from the eaves. Rain fell in the barnyard and ran in crooked courses down into the lane where thistles and pig weed grew. Rain spattered against Mrs. Zuckerman's kitchen windows and came gushing out of the downspouts. Rain fell on the backs of the sheep as they grazed in the meadow. When the sheep tired of standing in the rain， they walked slowly up the lane and into the fold.

第二天是个阴沉的雨天。雨珠儿落到谷仓上面，又一滴滴地从屋檐上滑了下来。雨珠儿落到谷仓旁边的地上，一路溅跳到长满刺儿菜和灰菜的小路里面。雨珠儿轻轻拍打着祖克曼太太厨房的窗子，顺着玻璃汩汩地往下淌。雨珠兒也落到正在草地吃草的绵羊们的背上。当绵羊们在雨中吃腻了，便慢吞吞地沿着小路回到了羊圈里。

Rain upset Wilbur's plans. Wilbur had planned to go out， this day， and dig a new hole in his yard. He had other plans， too. His plans for the day went something like this：

雨打乱了威伯的所有计划。今天威伯本打算出去散个步，在他的院子里掘一个新坑呢。而且他还有其他的计划。他今天的所有计划大致如下：

Breakfast at six-thirty. Skim milk， crusts， middlings， bits of doughnuts， wheat cakes with drops of maple syrup sticking to them， potato skins， leftover custard pudding with raisins， and bits of Shredded Wheat.

六点半吃早饭。早饭包括脱脂奶，面包渣儿，粗麦粉，一小块油煎圈饼，上面沾着枫蜜的麦糕，土豆皮，缀着葡萄干的小块布丁，零碎的麦片。

Breakfast would be finished at seven.

早餐将在七点结束。

From seven to eight， Wilbur planned to have a talk with Templeton， the rat that lived under his trough. Talking with Templeton was not the most interesting occupation in the world but it was better than nothing.

从七点到八点，威伯打算和住在他的食槽下面的耗子坦普尔曼谈天儿。虽然和坦普尔曼谈天不是这世上最有趣的事情，但至少比什么都不做要好。

From eight to nine， Wilbur planned to take a nap outdoors in the sun.

八点到九点，威伯想在外面的太阳下打一个盹儿。

From nine to eleven he planned to dig a hole， or trench， and possibly find something good to eat buried in the dirt.

九点到十一点，他打算挖一个洞，或者一条小沟也行，没准儿还能从脏土里翻出什么好吃的呢。