《彼得兔的故事》起初只是以图文并茂的形式写给一个体弱多病的孩子的信，但后期却虏获了世界各地孩子及成年人的心。一个世纪以来，该书畅销不衰，构筑了世界童书史上的世纪经典。
绘本故事讲述的是：彼得兔不听从妈妈的指示，溜进麦奎格先生（Mr. McGregor）的菜园，顽皮的彼得兔拼命地偷吃麦奎格所种的蔬菜。糟糕的是，彼得兔被发现了，所以他赶快逃跑。可是，在逃跑过程中，彼得兔把他的蓝夹克和鞋子都弄丢了……
《彼得兔的故事》起初只是以图文并茂的形式写给一个体弱多病的孩子的信，但后期却虏获了世界各地孩子及成年人的心。一个世纪以来，该书畅销不衰，构筑了世界童书史上的世纪经典。
《The Tale of Peter Rabbit》 彼得兔的故事 by Beatrix Potter 毕翠克丝·波特
Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were—
从前，有这么四只小兔子，他们的大名是：
Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter.
佛洛普西、莫普西、棉球尾巴、和彼得 。
They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank,
他们和兔子妈妈一起，住在一棵高大的
underneath the root of a very big fir-tree.
无花果树脚下的一个小土包后面。
“Now, my dears,” said
“好了，亲爱的孩子们，”
old Mrs. Rabbit one morning.
一天早上，兔子妈妈说道，
“you may go into the fields or down the lane,
“现在你们可以到田野上去玩了，
but don’t go into Mr. McGregor’s garden:
不过要记得走小路，千万别跑到迈克格里格先生的菜园里去了，
your Father had an accident there;
你们的爸爸就是在那儿出的事
he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor.”
他被迈克格里格先生捉住，放进一个大馅饼里面去了。”
“Now run along, and don’t get into mischief.
“好了，你们去玩吧，别伤着自己。
I am going out.”
这会儿我还要出一趟门。”
Then old Mrs. Rabbit took a basket
于是，兔子妈妈就提着一个小篮子，
and her umbrella, and went through the wood to the baker’s.
夹着一把伞，穿过树林到面包师傅那儿去了。
She bought a loaf of brown bread and five currant buns.
她买了一条黑面包和5个刚刚烤好的小圆果子面包。
Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail,
佛洛普西、莫普西、棉球尾巴，
who were good little bunnies,
都是很乖的小兔子，他们就沿着小路
went down the lane to gather blackberries;
走到田野上，去采摘黑莓浆果了。
But Peter, who was very naughty,
可是，彼得这个淘气包，
ran straight away to Mr. McGregor’s garden,
却立刻就朝着迈克格里格先生的菜园跑去，
and squeezed under the gate!
他从关着的大门下面挤了过去！
First he ate some lettuces and some French beans;
他先是尝了尝那儿的莴苣和四季豆，
and then he ate some radishes;
接着又啃起了小红萝卜。
And then, feeling rather sick,
不过，吃了太多的萝卜让他觉得有点不舒服，
he went to look for some parsley.
他又想找一些芹菜来换换胃口。
But round the end of a cucumber frame,
可绕过黄瓜架的尽头，
whom should he meet but Mr. McGregor!
他看见了谁呢？正是迈克格里格先生！
Mr. McGregor was on his hands and
迈克格里格先生正跪在地上，
knees planting out young cabbages,
手忙脚乱地种着卷心菜，
but he jumped up and ran after Peter,
可他一看见彼得就跳了起来，一边追赶他，
waving a rake and calling out, “Stop thief.”
一边还挥舞着一只钉耙大叫：“站住，小偷！”
Peter was most dreadfully frightened;
彼得从来没受过这样的惊吓，
he rushed all over the garden,
他一路飞奔着逃跑，跑遍了整个菜园，
for he had forgotten the way back to the gate.
因为他已经忘记了大门在哪边。
He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages,
他在卷心菜的旁边跑丢了一只鞋，
and the other shoe amongst the potatoes.
另一只鞋也被甩进了土豆地里。
After losing them, he ran on four legs and
不过，丢了鞋子以后，
went faster so that I think he might have
他甩开四条腿，反而跑得更快了
got away altogether if he had not
我猜想，要不是他因为运气不佳，
unfortunately run into a gooseberry net,
撞到了醋栗丛里，他肯定已经成功地逃出去了。
and got caught by the large buttons on his jacket.
可是，醋栗的枝杈挂住了他夹克衫上面的一颗钮扣
It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new.
那可是一件崭新的蓝色夹克衫，钮扣都是黄铜做的。
Peter gave himself up for lost,
彼得为自己的厄运感到很丧气，
and shed big tears;
他呜咽咽地哭起来。
but his sobs were overheard by some friendly
可这哭泣声被几只友善的麻雀听到了,
sparrows who flew to him in great excitement,
他们叽叽喳喳地飞到彼得身边，
and implored him to exert himself.
劝他再做一番努力。
Mr. McGregor came up with a sieve, which
迈克格里格先生带着一个筛网走了过来，
he intended to pop upon the top of Peter;
他想拿手上的网子“砰”的一下罩在彼得的脑袋上，
but Peter wriggled out just in time,
然而，彼得却及时地挣扎了出来，
leaving his jacket behind him.
这一次，他把自己的夹克衫也甩在了身后。
And rushed into the toolshed,
他冒冒失失地跑进了工具房，
and jumped into a can.
还跳进了一个铁罐里
It would have been a beautiful thing to hide in,
要不是那里面装满了水，
if it had not had so much water in it.
倒也是个不错的藏身处呢。
Mr. McGregor was quite sure that Peter was somewhere in the toolshed,
迈克格里格先生确定小兔子就藏在工具房的
perhaps hidden underneath a flower- pot.
某个角落，说不定就在哪个花盆底下。
He began to turn them over carefully,
他开始把那些花盆一个个地翻过来，
looking under each.
仔细地朝底下张望。
Presently Peter sneezed— “Kertyschoo!”
就在这时，彼得打了个喷嚏——“啊啾！”
Mr. McGregor was after him in no time,
迈克格里格先生立刻发现了他。
And tried to put his foot upon Peter,
因为想用脚去踢彼得，
who jumped out of a window upsetting three plants.
他从一个窗口那儿跳了起来，掀翻了三盆花。
The window was too small for Mr. McGregor,
不过，这窗口对迈克格里格先生来说还是太小，
and he was tired of running after Peter.
而他也实在累得不想再追着兔子跑了。
He went back to his work.
于是，他就又回去干自己的活了。
Peter sat down to rest;
彼得终于可以坐下来歇一会儿啦。
he was out of breath and trembling with fright,
他还在为刚才的惊吓瑟瑟发抖，气喘吁吁，
and he had not the least idea which way to go.
而且也不知道现在究竟该往哪儿走才好。
Also he was very damp with sitting in that can.
因为刚才躲在那只罐子里，他的全身都湿透了。
After a time he began to wander about,
又过了一会儿，他才渐渐缓过神来，
going lippity—lippity—not very fast,
开始慢慢地、慢慢地向前移动了几步，
and looking all around.
同时东看看、西望望。
He found a door in a wall; but it was locked,
他在一堵墙上找到了一扇小门，可门是上了锁的，
and there was no room for a fat little
而且对一只肚子圆溜溜的小兔子来说，
rabbit to squeeze underneath.
那门缝也显得太窄了，根本就不可能挤出去。
An old mouse was running in and out over the stone doorstep, carrying peas
一只上了年纪的耗子从门口的石头台阶上跑过，
and beans to her family in the wood.
为她树林里的一家子搬运豆子大餐。
Peter asked her the way to the gate but she had such a large pea in her mouth
彼得在门边向她问路，可她嘴里塞了一颗
that she could not answer.
很大的豌豆，所以什么话也说不出来。
She only shook her head at him.
她只能冲彼得晃晃脑袋，
Peter began to cry.
彼得开始“啪嗒、啪嗒”地掉眼泪了。
Then he tried to find his way straight
后来，他试着想找一条路直接穿过菜园回家去，
across the garden, but he became
可他在菜园里转悠的时间越长，
more and more puzzled.
就越是感到晕头转向。
Presently, he came to a pond
不久，他来到了一个小池塘边上，
where Mr. McGregor filled his water-cans.
迈克格里格先生常常在这里给他的铁壶灌水。
A white cat was staring at some goldfish;
此时，一只小白猫正在水边注视着几条金鱼，
she sat very, very still, but now and then
她一直静静地、静静地坐着，
the tip of her tail twitched as if it were alive.
只有尾巴尖不时地抽动一下，
Peter thought it best to go away
好像尾巴本身才是个活生生的动物。
without speaking to her;
彼得决定最好还是立刻走开，他可不想和这只猫儿打什么交道，
he has heard about cats from his cousin,
因为很久以前，他就从堂兄本杰明小兔
little Benjamin Bunny.
那儿听说过关于这些猫的故事。
He went back towards the toolshed,
他又返回了工具房，
but suddenly,quite close to him, he heard the noise of a hoe— scr-r-ritch, scratch, scratch, scritch.
突然他听见不远处传来一阵“嗤嗤”的声音。
Peter scuttered underneath the bushes.
彼得吓得一头钻进了灌木丛。
But presently, as nothing happened,
可不一会儿，因为什么可怕的东西也没出现，
he came out, and climbed upon a
所以他又大着胆子从藏身处爬了出来，
wheelbarrow, and peeped over.
爬上了一辆独轮手推车，从那上面向下窥望。
The first thing he saw was Mr. McGregor hoeingonions.
他第一眼就看见了正在挖洋葱的迈克格里格先生。
His back was turned towards Peter,
他背对着彼得，而离开他身边不远的地方，
and beyond him was the gate!
就是那扇菜园的大门！
Peter got down very quietly off the wheelbarrow,
彼得飞快地窜下了手推车，能跑多快就跑多快
and started running as fast as he could go along a straight walk behind some black-currant bushes.
他径直地穿过了那些黑醋栗的灌木丛。
Mr. McGregor caught sight of him
站在门边的迈克格里格先生当然看见了他，
at the corner, but Peter did not care.
可是彼得已经不在乎了，
He slipped underneath the gate, and was safe
他哧溜一下就从大门底下窜了出去，
at last in the wood outside the garden.
终于平安无事地回到了菜园外面的树林里。
Mr. McGregor hung up the little jacket
迈克格里格先生把彼得的小夹克衫和鞋子
and the shoes for a scare-crow
挂在了竹竿上，充当一个稻草人，
to frighten the blackbirds.
用来吓唬那些过路的山雀。
Peter never stopped running or looked
彼得这时却在不停地奔跑，一边跑，
behind him till he got home to the big fir-tree.
一边惊魂未定地往后瞧，直到他跑回了无花果大树底下的家里。
He was so tired that he flopped down upon the nice soft sand on the floor of
他跑得精疲力尽，一回到兔子洞，
the rabbit-hole, and shut his eyes.
就一头栽倒在柔软的沙土地板上，闭上了双眼。
His mother was busy cooking; she wondered
他的妈妈正忙着做饭，
what he had done with his clothes.
看到彼得又没穿衣服跑回家来，她感到很奇怪。
It was the second little jacket and pair of shoes
这已经是两个星期来，
that Peter had lost in a fortnight!
他丢掉的第二件夹克衫和第二双小鞋子了！
I am sorry to say that Peter was not very well during the evening.
我不得不遗憾地告诉你，彼得那天晚上还是病了。
His mother put him to bed,
兔子妈妈把他抱上了床，
and made some camomile tea;
然后煮了一些甘菊茶，这是她给彼得煮的药！
and she gave a dose of it to Peter! “One table-spoonful to be taken at bed-time.”
“睡前要喝满满一大勺。”
But Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail had bread
而佛洛普西、莫普西、棉球尾巴却吃了一顿面包、
and milk and blackberries for supper.
牛奶加黑莓浆果的香喷喷的晚饭。
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