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格林童话英文版:Wise Folks
添加时间:2014-03-14 14:25:00 浏览次数: 作者:Grimms
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  • One day a peasant took his good hazel-stick out of the corner and said to his wife, Trina, I am going across country, and shall not return for three days. If during that time the cattle-dealer should happen to call and want to buy our three cows, you may strike a bargain at once, but not unless you can get two hundred talers for them, nothing less, do you hear. For heaven's sake, just go in peace, answered the woman, I will manage that. You, indeed, said the man. You once fell on your head when you were a little child, and that affects you even now, but let me tell you this, if you do anything foolish, I will make your back black and blue, and not with paint, I assure you, but with the stick which I have in my hand, and the coloring shall last a whole year, you may rely on that. And having said that, the man went on his way.

    Next morning the cattle-dealer came, and the woman had no need to say many words to him. When he had seen the cows and heard the price, he said, I am quite willing to give that. Honestly speaking, they are worth it. I will take the beasts away with me at once. He unfastened their chains and drove them out of the byre, but just as he was going out of the yard-door, the woman clutched him by the sleeve and said, you must give me the two hundred talers now, or I cannot let the cows go. True, answered the man, but I have forgotten to buckle2" target="_blank">buckle1 on my money-belt. Have no fear, however, you shall have security for my paying. I will take two cows with me and leave one, and then you will have a good pledge.

    The woman saw the force of this, and let the man go away with the cows, and thought to herself, how pleased Hans will be when he finds how cleverly I have managed it. The peasant came home on the third day as he had said he would, and at once inquired if the cows were sold. Yes, indeed, dear Hans, answered the woman, and as you said, for two hundred talers. They are scarcely worth so much, but the man took them without making any objection. Where is the money, asked the peasant. Oh, I have not got the money, replied the woman, he had happened to forget his money-belt, but he will soon bring it, and he left good security behind him. What kind of security, asked the man. One of the three cows, which he shall not have until he has paid for the other two. I have managed very cunningly, for I have kept the smallest, which eats the least. The man was enraged3 and lifted up his stick, and was just going to give her the beating he had promised her, when suddenly he let the stick fail and said, you are the stupidest goose that ever waddled4 on God's earth, but I am sorry for you. I will go out into the highways and wait for three days to see if I find anyone who is still stupider than you. If I succeed in doing so, you shall go scot-free, but if I do not find him, you shall receive your well-deserved reward without any discount.

    He went out into the great highways, sat down on a stone, and waited for what would happen. Then he saw a peasant's waggon5 coming towards him, and a woman was standing6 upright in the middle of it, instead of sitting on the bundle of straw which was lying beside her, or walking near the oxen and leading them.

    The man thought to himself, that is certainly one of the kind I am in search of, and jumped up and ran backwards7 and forwards in front of the waggon like one who is not in his right mind. What do you want, my friend, said the woman to him. I don't know you, where do you come from. I have fallen down from heaven, replied the man, and don't know how to get back again, couldn't you drive me up. No, said the woman, I don't know the way, but if you come from heaven you can surely tell me how my husband is, who has been there these three years. You must have seen him. Oh, yes, I have seen him, but all men can't get on well. He keeps sheep, and the sheep give him a great deal to do. They run up the mountains and lose their way in the wilderness8, and he has to run after them and drive them together again. His clothes are all torn to pieces too, and will soon fall off his body. There is no tailor there, for saint peter won't let any of them in, as you know by the story. Who would have thought it, cried the woman, I tell you what, I will fetch his sunday coat which is still hanging at home in the cupboard. He can wear that and look respectable. You will be so kind as to take it with you. That won't do very well, answered the peasant, people are not allowed to take clothes into heaven, they are taken away at the gate. Then listen, said the woman, I sold my fine wheat yesterday and got a good lot of money for it, I will send that to him. If you hide the purse in your pocket, no one will know that you have it. If you can't manage it any other way, said the peasant, I will do you that favor. Just sit still where you are, said she, and I will drive home and fetch the purse, I shall soon be back again. I do not sit down on the bundle of straw, but stand up in the waggon, because it makes it lighter9 for the cattle.

    She drove her oxen away, and the peasant thought, that woman has a perfect talent for folly10, if she really brings the money, my wife may think herself fortunate, for she will get no beating. It was not long before she came in a great hurry with the money, and with her own hands put it in his pocket. Before she went away, she thanked him again a thousand times for his courtesy.

    When the woman got home again, she found her son who had come in from the field. She told him what unexpected things had befallen her, and then added, I am truly delighted at having found an opportunity of sending something to my poor husband. Who would ever have imagined that he could be suffering for want of anything up in heaven. The son was full of astonishment11. Mother, said he, it is not every day that a man comes from heaven in this way, I will go out immediately, and see if he is still to be found, he must tell me what it is like up there, and how the work is done.

    He saddled the horse and rode off with all speed. He found the peasant who was sitting under a willow-tree, and was about to count the money in the purse. Have you seen the man who has fallen down from heaven, cried the youth to him. Yes, answered the peasant, he has set out on his way back there, and has gone up that hill, from whence it will be rather nearer, you could still catch him up, if you were to ride fast. Alas12, said the youth, I have been doing tiring work all day, and the ride here has completely worn me out, you know the man, be so kind as to get on my horse, and go and persuade him to come here. Aha, thought the peasant, here is another who has not a brain in his head. Why should I not do you this favor, said he, and mounted the horse and rode off at a quick trot13. The youth remained sitting there till night fell, but the peasant never came back. The man from heaven must certainly have been in a great hurry, and would not turn back, thought he, and the peasant has no doubt given him the horse to take to my father. He went home and told his mother what had happened, and that he had sent his father the horse so that he might not have to be always running about. You have done well, answered she, your legs are younger than his, and you can go on foot.

    When the peasant got home, he put the horse in the stable beside the cow which he had as a pledge, and then went to his wife and said, Trina, as your luck would have it, I have found two who are still sillier fools than you, this time you escape without a beating. I will store it up for another occasion. Then he lighted his pipe, sat down in his grandfather's chair, and said, it was a good stroke of business to get a sleek14 horse and a great purse full of money into the bargain, for two lean cows. If stupidity always brought in as much as that, I would be quite willing to hold it in honor. So thought the peasant, but you no doubt prefer simpletons.



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    2 buckle [ˈbʌkl] zsRzg   第8级
    n.扣子,带扣;v.把...扣住,由于压力而弯曲
    参考例句:
    • The two ends buckle at the back. 带子两端在背后扣起来。
    • She found it hard to buckle down. 她很难专心做一件事情。
    3 enraged [enˈreɪdʒd] 7f01c0138fa015d429c01106e574231c   第10级
    使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 ); 歜; 激愤
    参考例句:
    • I was enraged to find they had disobeyed my orders. 发现他们违抗了我的命令,我极为恼火。
    • The judge was enraged and stroke the table for several times. 大法官被气得连连拍案。
    4 waddled [ˈwɔdld] c1cfb61097c12b4812327074b8bc801d   第9级
    v.(像鸭子一样)摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的过去式和过去分词 )
    参考例句:
    • A family of ducks waddled along the river bank. 一群鸭子沿河岸摇摇摆摆地走。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    • The stout old man waddled across the road. 那肥胖的老人一跩一跩地穿过马路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
    5 waggon ['wægən] waggon   第7级
    n.运货马车,运货车;敞篷车箱
    参考例句:
    • The enemy attacked our waggon train. 敌人袭击了我们的运货马车队。
    • Someone jumped out from the foremost waggon and cried aloud. 有人从最前面的一辆大车里跳下来,大声叫嚷。
    6 standing [ˈstændɪŋ] 2hCzgo   第8级
    n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
    参考例句:
    • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing. 地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
    • They're standing out against any change in the law. 他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
    7 backwards [ˈbækwədz] BP9ya   第8级
    adv.往回地,向原处,倒,相反,前后倒置地
    参考例句:
    • He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards. 他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
    • All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready. 姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。
    8 wilderness [ˈwɪldənəs] SgrwS   第8级
    n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠
    参考例句:
    • She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness. 她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
    • Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means. 荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。
    9 lighter [ˈlaɪtə(r)] 5pPzPR   第8级
    n.打火机,点火器;驳船;v.用驳船运送;light的比较级
    参考例句:
    • The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter. 这张画经过润色,色调明朗了一些。
    • The lighter works off the car battery. 引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。
    10 folly [ˈfɒli] QgOzL   第8级
    n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话
    参考例句:
    • Learn wisdom by the folly of others. 从别人的愚蠢行动中学到智慧。
    • Events proved the folly of such calculations. 事情的进展证明了这种估计是愚蠢的。
    11 astonishment [əˈstɒnɪʃmənt] VvjzR   第8级
    n.惊奇,惊异
    参考例句:
    • They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment. 他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
    • I was filled with astonishment at her strange action. 我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。
    12 alas [əˈlæs] Rx8z1   第10级
    int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)
    参考例句:
    • Alas! The window is broken! 哎呀! 窗子破了!
    • Alas, the truth is less romantic. 然而,真理很少带有浪漫色彩。
    13 trot [trɒt] aKBzt   第9级
    n.疾走,慢跑;n.老太婆;现成译本;(复数)trots:腹泻(与the 连用);v.小跑,快步走,赶紧
    参考例句:
    • They passed me at a trot. 他们从我身边快步走过。
    • The horse broke into a brisk trot. 马突然快步小跑起来。
    14 sleek [sli:k] zESzJ   第10级
    adj.光滑的,井然有序的;v.使光滑,梳拢
    参考例句:
    • Women preferred sleek, shiny hair with little decoration. 女士们更喜欢略加修饰的光滑闪亮型秀发。
    • The horse's coat was sleek and glossy. 这匹马全身润泽有光。

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