A country maid was walking along with a can of milk upon her head, when she fell into the following train of reflections.
“The money for which I shall sell this milk will enable me to increase my stock of eggs to three hundred. These eggs, allowing for what may prove addled , and what may be destroyed by vermin , will produce at least two hundred and fifty chickens. The chickens will be fit to carry to market just at the time when poultry is always dear; so that by the new year I cannot fail of having money enough to purchase a new gown. Green — let me consider — yes, green becomes my complexion best, and green it shall be. In this dress I will go to the fair, where all young fellows will strive to have me for a partner; but no — I shall refuse every one of them, and with a disdainful toss turn from them.”
Transported with this idea, she could not forbear acting with her head the thought that passed in her mind, when down came the can of milk! And all her imaginary happiness vanished in a moment.
一个村姑走在路上，头上顶着一罐牛奶。她边走边琢磨一系列的事情。
“卖了这些牛奶，我就有钱凑够300个鸡蛋了。有了这些鸡蛋，就算有几个坏的，或是害虫咬坏几个，也至少能孵出250只小鸡。这些小鸡就能等行情最好的时候拿到市场去卖。这样一来，过年的时候我就能攒够钱买件新衣裳了。买绿色的——让我想想——对，绿色最衬我的肤色，就买绿色的。穿着这件衣裳我要去赶集，年轻男子都会向我求爱，可是，不——我要轻蔑地来个转身，挨个拒绝他们。”
想到这儿，村姑欣喜若狂，忍不住摇头晃脑地演练着脑中划过的每一个场景。这时，一罐牛奶全洒了！想象中的幸福瞬间消失得无影无踪。
-addled [ˈædld] adj. (指蛋类)变坏的
-vermin [ˈvəːmɪn] n. 害虫
fail of 在某方面不能达到
得意切莫忘形。