The two parcels were exactly alike, both of them well tied up with good whipcord. 两个包裹一模一样，都系着上好的鞭绳。

　　Ben took his parcel to the table, and began to examine the knot, and then to untie it. 本将他手里的包裹放在桌子上，开始检查绳结，然后把它解开了。

　　John took the other parcel, and tried first at one corner, and then at the other, to pull off the string. 约翰拿着另外一个包裹，最开始试图从一角解起，后来又换到从另一边拉绳子。

　　But the cord had been too well secured, and he only drew the knots tighter. 但是鞭绳系得太牢固了，他反而是把绳结越拉越紧。

　　John says, I wish these people would not tie up their parcels so tightly, as if they were never to be undone. 我真希望这些人不要把他们的包裹系得这么紧，就像永远不打开似的。

　　Why, Ben, how did you get yours undone? What is in your parcel? 本，你是怎么解开你那个包裹的？你包裹里是什么？

　　I wonder what is in mine! I wish I could get the string off. I will cut it. 我在想我这里有什么。我真希望能把绳子弄开。我来剪开它。

　　Then says, Oh, no, do not cut it, John! Look, what a nice cord this is, and yours is the same. It is a pity to cut it. 哦，不，约翰，别剪！看，这是一条多好的绳子，你的那条也一样好。剪断太可惜了。

　　Pooh! what signifies a bit of pack thread? It is whipcord. 哎呀！一小截线段有什么大不了的？这可是鞭绳啊。

　　Well, whipcord then! what signifies a bit of whipcord? You can get a piece of whipcord twice as long as that for three cents; 好吧，鞭绳就鞭绳！一小截鞭绳有什么用？三美分就能买条相当于这个两倍长的鞭绳。

　　and who cares for three cents? Not I, for one. So, here it goes. 谁会在乎三美分啊？比如我就不在乎。那么，现在开始。

　　So he took out his knife, and cut it in several places. 于是他拿出小刀，将绳子剪成了几截。

　　Well, my boys, have you undone the parcels for me? Yes, sir; here is the parcel. 好了，孩子们，你们把包裹给我打开了吗？是的。包裹在这儿。

　　And here is my parcel, father, and here is also the string. 爸爸，这是我打开的包裹，绳子在这儿。

　　You may keep the string, Ben. Thank you, sir. What excellent whipcord it is! 本，绳子你可以留下。谢谢您！多好的鞭绳啊！

　　And you, John, may keep your string, too, if it will be of any use to you. 约翰，如果你的那条绳子对你有用，你也可以留着。

　　It will be of no use to me, thank you, sir. No, I am afraid not, if this is it. 它对我来说没什么用处，谢谢您。不，如果是剪成这样的，恐怕确实没用了。