It was a clear, cold, winter evening, and all the Sinclairs but Annie had gone out for a neighborly visit.
这是一个清澈寒冷的冬夜，辛克莱一家除安妮外都去邻居家做客去了。
She had resolved to stay at home and study a long, difficult lesson in Natural Philosophy.
她决心待在家里学习一节又长又难的自然哲学课程。
Left to herself, the evening passed quickly, but the lesson was learned a full half hour before the time set for the family to come home.
一个人留在家里，夜晚过得很快，课程已经学完了，可是距离家人回来还有整整半个小时。
Closing her book, she leaned back in the soft armchair in which she was sitting, soon fell asleep, and began to dream.
合上书，她坐在柔软的扶手椅里，向后靠着，很快就睡着了，她开始做起了梦。
She dreamed that it was a very cold morning, and that she was standing by the dining-room stove,
她梦到一个寒冷的早晨，她站在餐厅的炉子旁边，
looking into the glass basin which was every day filled with water for evaporation.
向玻璃水盆里面看，水盆里每天都装满水，水蒸发后可以增加室内的湿度。
"Oh, dear," she sighed, "it is nearly school time."
“噢，天哪，”她叹了口气，“上学时间快到了。”
I don't want to go out in the cold this morning.
这么冷，我真不愿意出门。
Then there is that long lesson. I wonder if I can say it.
还有那节长长的课程。我想知道，我可不可以说。
Let me see—it takes two hundred and twelve degrees of heat, I believe, for water to evaporate.
让我考虑一下——我相信水在212度时蒸发。
"Nonsense!" "Ridiculous!" shouted a chorus of strange little voices near by; Look here! is this water boiling?
“胡说！”“荒谬！”一道奇怪的很小的声音齐声喊道；朝这儿看！水沸腾了吗？
What an idea; two hundred and twelve degrees before we can fly, ha, ha!
真是怪念头；212度后我们才会飞，哈，哈！
"Who are you?" asked Annie, in amazement. "Where must I look?" "In the basin, of course."
“你们是谁？”安妮惊讶地问道，“我得朝哪儿看？”“当然朝水盆里。”
