High above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of the Happy Prince. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two bright sapphires, and a large red ruby glowed on his sword-hilt.
高高耸立在城市上空的一根高柱上，伫立着快乐王子的雕像。他浑身贴满纯金的薄叶，两只眼睛是闪烁的明亮蓝宝石，剑柄上还镶嵌着一颗熠熠生辉的硕大红宝石。
He was very much admired indeed. "He is as beautiful as a weathercock," remarked one of the Town Councillors who wished to gain a reputation for having artistic tastes; "only not quite so useful," he added, fearing lest people should think him unpractical, which he really was not.
人们对他确实赞叹不已。“他就像风信鸡一样漂亮，”一位急于博取懂艺术美誉的市参议员评论道；“只是没那么实用罢了，”他又补充道，生怕别人觉得他不切实际——其实他一点儿也不脱离实际。
"Why can't you be like the Happy Prince?" asked a sensible mother of her little boy who was crying for the moon. "The Happy Prince never dreams of crying for anything."
“你为什么不能学学快乐王子呢？”一位明事理的母亲问她那正在哭闹着要摘月亮的小男孩，“快乐王子做梦都不会为了任何东西哭泣。”
One night there flew over the city a little Swallow. His friends had gone away to Egypt six weeks before, but he had stayed behind, for he was in love with the most beautiful Reed. He had met her early in the spring as he was flying down the river after a big yellow moth.
一天夜里，一只小燕子飞过城市上空。他的伙伴们六周前就已飞往埃及过冬，可他还留在此地，因为他深深爱上了一株最美丽的芦苇。初春时节，当他正贴着水面追逐一只黄色大飞蛾时，初次邂逅了她。
"Shall I love you?" said the Swallow, who liked to come to the point at once, and the Reed made him a low bow. So he flew round and round her, touching the water with his wings, and making silver ripples. This was his courtship, and it lasted all through the summer.
“我可以爱你吗？”小燕子问道——他总是喜欢开门见山，芦苇向他深深地鞠了一躬。于是他围绕着她飞了一圈又一圈，用翅尖划过水面，荡起道道银色的涟漪。这是他的求爱之舞，并持续了整整一个夏天。