Story of the Three Calenders - 6

I had been a wood-cutter for more than a year, when one day I wandered further into the forest than I had ever done before, and reached a delicious green glade ¹, where I began to cut wood. I was hacking ² at the root of a tree, when I beheld ³ an iron ring fastened to a trapdoor of the same metal. I soon cleared away the earth, and pulling up the door, found a staircase, which I hastily made up my mind to go down, carrying my hatchet ⁴ with me by way of protection. When I reached the bottom I discovered that I was in a huge palace, as brilliantly lighted as any palace above ground that I had ever seen, with a long gallery supported by pillars of jasper, ornamented ⁵ with capitals of gold. Down this gallery a lady came to meet me, of such beauty that I forgot everything else, and thought only of her. , ,To save her all the trouble possible, I hastened towards her, and bowed low. , ,"Who are you? Who are you?" she said. "A man or a genius?" , , ,"By what accident do you come here?" she asked again with a sigh. "I have been in this place now for five and twenty years, and you are the first man who has visited me." , ,Emboldened ⁶ by her beauty and gentleness, I ventured to reply, "Before, madam, I answer your question, allow me to say how grateful I am for this meeting, which is not only a consolation ⁷ to me in my own heavy sorrow, but may perhaps enable me to render your lot happier," and then I told her who I was, and how I had come there. , ,The family had their lunch in the glade.全家在林中的空地上吃了午饭。,The patient with emphysema is hacking all day. 这个肺气肿病人整天不断地干咳 。