Introduction
The sea covers to-day what was once the Duchy of Clarides. No trace of the town or the castle remains1. But when it is calm there can be seen, it is said, within the circumference2 of a mile, huge trunks of trees standing3 on the bottom of the sea. A spot on the banks, which now serves as a station for the customhouse officers, is still called “The Tailor’s Booth,” and it is quite probable that this name is in memory of a certain Master Jean who is mentioned in this story. The sea, which encroaches year by year, will soon cover this spot so curiously4 named.
Such changes are in the nature of things. The mountains sink in the course of ages, and the depths of the seas, on the contrary, rise until their shells and corals are carried to the regions of clouds and ice.
Nothing endures. The face of land and sea is for ever changing. Tradition alone preserves the memory of men and places across the ages and renders real to us what has long ceased to exist. In telling you of Clarides I wish to take you back to times that have long since vanished. Thus I begin:
The Countess of Blanchelande having placed on her golden hair a little black hood5 embroidered6 with pearls....
But before proceeding7 I must beg very serious persons not to read this. It is not written for them. It is not written for grave people who despise trifles and who always require to be instructed. I only venture to offer this to those who like to be entertained, and whose minds are both young and gay. Only those who are amused by innocent pleasures will read this to the end. Of these I beg, should they have little children, that they will tell them about my Honey-Bee. I wish this story to please both boys and girls and yet I hardly dare to hope it will. It is too frivolous8 for them and, really, only suitable for old-fashioned children. I have a pretty little neighbour of nine whose library I examined the other day. I found many books on the microscope and the zoophytes, as well as several scientific story-books. One of these I opened at the following lines: “The cuttle-fish Sepia Officinalis is a cephalopodic mollusc whose body includes a spongy organ containing a chylaqueous fluid saturated9 with carbonate of lime.” My pretty little neighbour finds this story very interesting. I beg of her, unless she wishes me to die of mortification10, never to read the story of Honey-Bee.

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1
remains
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n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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2
circumference
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n.圆周,周长,圆周线 | |
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3
standing
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n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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4
curiously
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adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地 | |
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5
hood
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n.头巾,兜帽,覆盖;v.罩上,以头巾覆盖 | |
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6
embroidered
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adj.绣花的 | |
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7
proceeding
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n.行动,进行,(pl.)会议录,学报 | |
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8
frivolous
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adj.轻薄的;轻率的 | |
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9
saturated
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a.饱和的,充满的 | |
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10
mortification
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n.耻辱,屈辱 | |
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