One morning the bottle found a purchaserpurchaser n.买方， 购买者 in the furriers apprenticeapprentice n.学徒v.当学徒， who was told to bring one of the best bottles of wine. It was placed in the provision basket with ham and cheese and sausages. The sweetest fresh butter and the finest bread were put into the basket by the furriersfurrier n.毛皮商， 毛皮衣制作工 daughter herself， for she packed it. She was young and pretty， her brown eyes laughed， and a smile lingered round her mouth as sweet as that in her eyes. She had delicate hands， beautifully white， and her neck was whiter still. It could easily be seen that she was a very lovely girl， and as yet she was not engaged.
有一天早晨，瓶子被人买去了。毛皮商人的学徒被派去买一瓶最上等的酒。瓶子就跟火腿、干酪和香肠一起放进一个篮子里。那里面还有最好的黄油和最好的面包——这是毛皮商人的女儿亲手装进去的。她是那么年轻，那么美丽。她有一双笑眯眯的棕色眼睛，嘴唇上也老是飘着微笑——跟她的眼睛同样富有表情的微笑。她那双柔嫩的手白得可爱，而她的脖子更白。人们一眼就可以看出，她是全城中最美的女子，而且她还没有订过婚。
The provision basket lay in the lap of the young girl as the family drove out to the forest， and the neck of the bottle peeped out from between the folds of the white napkin. There was the red wax on the cork， and the bottle looked straight at the young girls face， and also at the face of the young sailor who sat near her. He was a young friend， the son of a portrait painter. He had lately passed his examination with honor， as mate， and the next morning he was to sail in his ship to a distant coast. There had been a great deal of talk on this subject while the basket was being packed， and during this conversation the eyes and the mouth of the furriers daughter did not wear a very joyful expression.
当这一家人到森林里去野餐的时候，篮子就放在这位小姐的膝上。瓶颈从白餐巾的尖角里伸出来。塞子上封着红蜡，瓶子一直向这姑娘的脸上望，也朝着坐在这姑娘旁边的一个年轻的水手望。他是她儿时的朋友，一位肖像画家的儿子。最近他考试得到优等，成了大副；明天就要开一条船到一个遥远的国度去。当瓶子装进篮子里去的时候，他们正谈论着这次旅行的事情。那时，这位毛皮商人的漂亮女儿的一对眼睛和嘴唇的确没有露出什么愉快的表情。
The young people wandered away into the green wood， and talked together. What did they talk about？ The bottle could not say， for he was in the provision basket. It remained there a long time； but when at last it was brought forth it appeared as if something pleasant had happened， for every one was laughing； the furriers daughter laughed too， but she said very little， and her cheeks were like two roses.
这对年轻人在绿树之间漫步着，交谈着。他们在谈什么呢？是的，瓶子听不见，因为它是装在菜篮子里。过了很长的一段时间以后，它才被取出来。不过当它被取出来的时候，大家已经很快乐了，因为所有的人都在笑，而毛皮商人的女儿也在笑。不过她的话讲得很少，而她的两个脸蛋红得像两朵玫瑰花。
Then her father took the bottle and the corkscrew into his hands. What a strange sensation it was to have the cork drawn for the first time！ The bottle could never after that forget the performance of that moment； indeed there was quite a convulsion within him as the cork flew out， and a gurgling sound as the wine was pouredpour v.灌注， 倾泻， 涌入， 流， 倾盆大雨 forth into the glasses.
父亲一手拿着酒瓶，一手紧握着拔瓶塞的开塞钻。是的，被人拔一下的确是一种奇怪的感觉，尤其是第一次。瓶颈永远也忘不了这给它印象最深的一刹那。的确，当那瓶塞飞出去的时候，它心里说了一声“扑！”当酒倒进杯子里的时候，它咯咯地唱了一两下。
“Long life to the betrothed，” cried the papa， and every glass was emptied to the dregs， while the young sailor kissed his beautiful bride.
“祝这订婚的一对健康！”爸爸说。每次总是干杯。那个年轻的水手吻着他美丽的未婚妻。
“Happiness and blessing to you both，” said the old peoplefather and mother， and the young man filled the glasses again.
“祝你们幸福和快乐！”老年夫妇说。年轻人又倒满了一杯。
“Safe return， and a wedding this day next year，” he cried； and when the glasses were empty he took the bottle， raised it on high， and said， “Thou hast been present here on the happiest day of my life； thou shalt never be used by others！” So saying， he hurled it high in the air.
“明年这时就回家结婚！”他说。当他把酒喝干了的时候，他把瓶子高高地举起，说：“在我这一生最愉快的一天中，你恰巧在场；我不愿意你再为别人服务！”
The furriers daughter thought she should never see it again， but she was mistaken. It fell among the rushes on the borders of a little woodland lake. The bottle neck remembered well how long it lay there unseen. “I gave them wine， and they gave me muddy water，” he had said to himself， “but I suppose it was all well meant.”
于是他就把瓶子扔向空中。毛皮商人的女儿肯定地相信她决不会再有机会看到这瓶子了，然而她却看到了。它落到树林里一个小池旁浓密的芦苇中去了。瓶子还能清楚地记得它在那儿躺着时的情景。它想：“我给他们酒，而他们却给我池水，但是他们本来的用意是很好的！”
He could no longer see the betrothedbetrothed adj.订婚了的n.已订婚者 couple， nor the cheerful old people； but for a long time he could hear them rejoicing and singing. At length there came by two peasant boys， who peeped in among the reeds and spied out the bottle. Then they took it up and carried it home with them， so that once more it was provided for.
它再也没有看到这对订了婚的年轻人和那对快乐的老夫妇了。不过它有好一会儿还能听到他们的欢乐和歌声。最后有两个农家孩子走来了；他们朝芦苇里望，发现了这个瓶子，于是就把它捡起来。现在它算是有一个归宿了。
At home in their wooden cottage these boys had an elder brother， a sailor， who was about to start on a long voyage. He had been there the day before to say farewell， and his mother was now very busy packing up various things for him to take with him on his voyage. In the evening his father was going to carry the parcel to the town to see his son once more， and take him a farewell greeting from his mother. A small bottle had already been filled with herb tea， mixed with brandy， and wrapped in a parcelparcel n.小包， 包裹vt.打包， 捆扎； but when the boys came in they brought with them a larger and stronger bottle， which they had found. This bottle would hold so much more than the little one， and they all said the brandy would be so good for complaints of the stomach， especially as it was mixed with medical herbsherb n.药草， 香草. The liquid which they now poured into the bottle was not like the red wine with which it had once been filled； these were bitter drops， but they are of great use sometimes—for the stomach. The new large bottle was to go， not the little one： so the bottle once more started on its travels. It was taken on board (for Peter Jensen was one of the crew) the very same ship in which the young mate was to sail. But the mate did not see the bottle： indeed， if he had he would not have known it， or supposed it was the one out of which they had drunk to the felicityfelicity n.幸福， 幸运， 福气， (措辞等)恰当， 巧妙， 幸福， 幸运 of the betrothed and to the prospect of a marriage on his own happy return.
