MOTHER, I do want to leave off my lessons now. I have been at my book all the morning.

妈妈，我真想现在不做功课了。我整个早晨都在念书呢。

You say it is only twelve o'clock. Suppose it isn't any later; can't you ever think it is afternoon when it is only twelve o'clock?

你说，现在还不过是十二点钟。假定不会晚过十二点罢；难道你不能把不过是十二点钟想象成下午么？

I can easily imagine now that the sun has reached the edge of that rice-field, and the old fisher-woman is gathering¹ herbs for her supper by the side of the pond.

我能够容容易易地想象：现在太阳已经到了那片稻田的边缘上了，老态龙钟的渔婆正在池边采撷香草作她的晚餐。

I can just shut my eyes and think that the shadows are growing darker under the madar tree, and the water in the pond looks shiny black.

我闭上了眼就能够想到，马塔尔树下的阴影是更深黑了，池塘里的水看来黑得发亮。

If twelve o'clock can come in the night, why can't the night come when it is twelve o'clock?

假如十二点钟能够在黑夜里来到，为什么黑夜不能在十二点钟的时候来到呢？