As Robert was one day rambling about, he happened to cry out, "Ho, ho!"
有一天，罗伯特在外面闲逛，他突然大喊：“嗨，嗨！”
He instantly heard coming back from a hill near by, the same words, "Ho, ho!"
立刻，他就听到附近山上传来了同样的声音，“嗨，嗨！”
In great surprise, he said with a loud voice, "Who are you?"
更让他大为吃惊的是，当他大声说“你是谁”时，
Upon this, the same words came back, "Who are you?"
又传来了同样的声音：“你是谁？”
Robert now cried out harshly, "You must be a very foolish fellow."
接着，罗伯特更加严厉地喊道：“你一定是个傻瓜。”
"Foolish fellow!" came back from the hill.
山谷中又传回了同样的声音：“傻瓜！”
Robert became angry, and with loud and fierce words went toward the spot whence the sounds came.
罗伯特开始生气了，用更大的声音、更尖刻的话语冲着那个声音的发源地大喊。
The words all came back to him in the same angry tone.
这些话语再次以同样的愤怒声调传回到他的耳中。
He then went into the thicket, and looked for the boy who, as he thought, was mocking him;
接着，他跑进灌木丛中，到处去找那个自以为正在嘲笑自己的小男孩；
but he could find nobody anywhere.
但是，什么人也没有看到。
When he went home, he told his mother that some boy had hid himself in the wood, for the purpose of mocking him.
回到家后，他对妈妈说，有些小男孩为了嘲笑他而隐藏在树林里了。
"Robert," said his mother, "you are angry with yourself alone.
“罗伯特，”妈妈说，“你其实是在对自己生气呢。”
You heard nothing but your own words.
除了你自己说的话之外，你并没有听到其他人说的话。
"Why, mother, how can that be?" said Robert.
罗伯特问：“为什么，妈妈，怎么可能呢？”
"Did you never hear an echo?" asked his mother.
他的妈妈回答说：“你难道从没听说过回声？”
An echo, dear mother?
亲爱的妈妈，这是回声？
No, madam. What is it?
不，夫人。这究竟是怎么回事呢？
"I will tell you," said his mother.
妈妈对他说：“我来告诉你，”
You know, when you play with your ball, and throw it against the side of a house, it bounds back to you.
知道吗，当你玩球时，对着房子的一面墙扔过去，它会再反弹回来，是吧。”
"Yes, mother," said he, "and I catch it again."
“是的，妈妈，”他说，“我会再次接住它。”
