"And so you have found time to do all the tasks?" answered her godmother," You have learned one lesson, Irene.
“而且你找到时间来完成所有的任务了。”她的教母回答说，“你又学到了一课，艾琳。
When you have learned a few more lessons, I shall send you home.
你再学几课，我就会把你送回家啦。
For I need my cottage so that I may teach other little girls not to be lazy. Now hold up your hand."
因为我还需要我的小屋教会其他小姑娘不偷懒。现在伸出你的手。”
Irene did as she was told, and her godmother placed a strange-looking ring upon her finger."
艾琳照教母说的伸出了手，教母在她的手指上戴了一个看起来奇怪的戒指。
Every time you are lazy, this ring will prick you," said the fairy."
“无论何时，只要你偷懒，这个戒指就会扎你。”仙女说，
When you have not been pricked once for a whole week, I shall know that you are no longer a lazy girl."
“如果你一个星期都没有被扎到，那我就知道你不再是个懒姑娘了。”
You must not think that Irene found it easy to learn her lesson.
不要认为艾琳学到这一课很容易。
Many times the wonderful ring pricked her finger, but she had made up her mind to try very hard not to be lazy.
这个神奇的戒指扎痛了她的手指好多次，但是艾琳下定决心，努力不要再懒惰了。
One day Irene sat at her window, thinking.
一天，艾琳坐在窗前，思索着。
It was her birthday, and, for the first time, a week had gone by in which the ring had not pricked her once.
那天是她的生日，而且是她第一次在一周的时间内，一次也没有被戒指扎到。
Suddenly the fairy stood before Irene.
突然仙女出现在了她的面前。
"Oh, godmother," cried the happy little girl," have you come to give me a birthday party?"
“噢，教母，你是来给我举办生日派对的吗？”小女孩高兴地叫道。
"Yes, That is the very reason I have come, Irene," replied the fairy," You have learned your lesson well, and you may go home after your party.
“是的，艾琳，这正是我过来的原因。”仙女回答说，“你学得很好，派对结束后你就可以回家了。
Now tell me, are you not much happier than you used to be when you were so lazy?"
现在告诉我，你是不是比以前懒惰的时候更加幸福了？”
"Oh, yes, dear godmother!" answered Irene," And thank you for teaching me how much more fun it is to be busy.
“是的，亲爱的教母！”艾琳回答说，“谢谢你教会了我忙碌是多么的有趣。
Here is your ring, which you may now lend to some other little girl who is lazy."
这是你的戒指，现在你可以将它借给其他懒惰的小姑娘戴上了。”
