Or was it merely the singing in Pandora's ears? Or could it be the beating of her heart? 或许潘多拉听到的只是歌声？也或许是她心脏跳动的声音。

The child could not be sure herself whether she had heard anything or not. 潘多拉不确定她自己是否听到了声音。

But, at all events, her curiosity was stronger than ever. Her eyes fell upon the knot of gold cord! 无论如何，她的好奇心无比强烈，她的眼睛盯上了金绳结！

It must have been a clever person who tied this knot, said Pandora to herself. 系上绳结的人一定很聪明，潘多拉自言自语道。

But I think I could untie it, nevertheless. I believe I will at least try to find the two ends of the cord. 无论如何，我想我能打开，我要至少试试找到绳子的两头。

So she took the golden knot in her fingers and looked into it as sharply as she could. 她用手指抓住绳结，并仔细向里面观察。

Almost without quite knowing what she was about, she was soon busily trying to undo it. 还没等到她知道是怎么回事，她就急忙要解开它。

Meanwhile, the bright sunshine came through the open window; as did also the merry voices of the children, 同时，明亮的太阳光从开着的窗户上射进来，同时传来了儿童欢快的声音，

playing at a distance, and perhaps the voice of Epimetheus among them. 他们在远处玩耍，或许厄毗米修斯的声音也在里面。

Pandora stopped to listen. What a beautiful day it was! 潘多拉停下来聆听，多么美好的一天。

Would it not be wiser if she were to let the troublesome knot alone and think no more about the box, 如果她远离这个招惹麻烦的绳结，不再去想这个盒子，这样是不是更加明智，

but run and join her little playfellows and be happy? All this time, however, her fingers were busy with the knot; 跑过去加入小伙伴们的阵营，欢快玩耍？但这时她的手指正忙着鼓弄绳结；

and happening to glance at the face on the lid of the enchanted box, she seemed to see it slyly grinning at her. 无意间看到了这个漂亮盒子盖上的脸庞，她似乎看到了一张顽皮的脸正对着她窃喜。

That face looks very mischievous, thought Pandora. 潘多拉想，这张脸看起来很顽皮。

I wonder whether it smiles because I am doing wrong! I have a great notion to run away! 我是否做错了什么，她为什么会笑，我很想逃跑。

But just then, by the merest accident, she gave the knot a kind of twist; the gold cord untwined itself as if by magic, 就在这时，偶然的机会她扭动了一下绳结，金色绳结被神奇地打开了，

and left the box without a fastening. This is the strangest thing I ever knew! said Pandora. 盒子的绳索解开了，潘多拉说，这是我知道的最古怪的事情。

What will Epimetheus say? And how can I possibly tie it up again? 厄毗米修斯会说什么？我又如何把它系回去呢？

She made one or two attempts to tie the knot, but soon found it quite beyond her skill. 她尝试了一两次将它重新系回去，但马上发现她的技术达不到。

It had untied itself so suddenly that she could not in the least remember how the strings had been doubled into one another; 这个绳结是立刻解开的，她都没机会去记这些绳子是如何互相缠绕的；

and when she tried to recollect the shape and appearance of the knot, it seemed to have gone entirely out of her mind. 当她尝试着重新恢复绳结的形状和样子时，盒子似乎让她发了疯。

Nothing was to be done, therefore, but to let the box remain as it was until Epimetheus should come in. 什么都不做，不要再管这个盒子，等到厄毗米修斯回来。