Oh, how one ugly trick has spoiled the sweetest and the best!
哦，一个丑陋的把戏是如何毁掉了最甜美、最好的一切啊！
Matilda, though a pleasant child,
虽说玛蒂达是个讨人喜欢的孩子，
One grievous fault possessed,
但她有一个严重的毛病，
Which, like a cloud before the skies,
就像是天空中的乌云，
Hid all her better qualities.
遮挡住了她所有的优秀品质。
Sometimes, she'd lift the teapot lid
有时候，她会拿起茶壶盖，
To peep at what was in it;
偷看里面是什么，
Or tilt, the kettle, if you did but turn your back a minute.
或者将水壶斜过来，如果你转过身一分钟时间，
In vain you told her not to touch,
尽管你告诉她不要碰，但无济于事，
Her trick of meddling grew so much.
她爱捣乱的毛病有增无减。
Her grandmamma went out one day,
一天她祖母外出，
And, by mistake, she laid her spectacles and snuffbox gay,
不小心把她的老花镜和颜色鲜艳的鼻烟盒
Too near the little maid;
放得离小女孩太近了，
"Ah! well," thought she, I'll try them on,
“啊，好！”她想，“等祖母一出门，
As soon as grandmamma is gone.
我来试试它们。”
Forthwith, she placed upon her nose the glasses large and wide;
随即，她把又大又宽的眼镜架在了鼻梁上；
And looking round, as I suppose,
环顾四周，我猜
The snuffbox, too, she spied.
她也偷偷地看了鼻烟盒。
Oh, what a pretty box is this!
噢，这个盒子多漂亮啊！
I'll open it, said little miss.
我来把它打开，小女子说。
