An old woman having lost the use of her eyes, called in a Physician to heal them, and made this bargain with him in the presence of witnesses:

一个老妇双目失明，她请来一个外科医生为她治疗，并且在 有人作证的情况下商定：

that if he should cure her blindness, he should receive from her a sum of money; but if her infirmity remained, she should give him nothing.

如果医生能治愈她的双眼，她就会给医 生一大笔钱：如果没有治愈，医生将得不到任何酬劳.

This agreement being made, the Physician, time after time, applied¹ his salve to her eyes, and on every visit took something away, stealing all her property little by little. 签订了这份协议后，这个外科医生一次又一次地给老妇涂眼药膏，他每次 来都要带走几样东西．渐渐地，他偷走了老妇所有的家当。

And when he had got all she had, he healed her and demanded the promised payment.

当他将老妇的一切据为已有后，老妇的眼睛也治好了，他向 她索要承诺的酮金。

The Old Woman, when she recovered her sight and saw none of her goods in her house, would give him nothing.

这个老妇重见光明后，看到屋子里空荡荡的， 就什么也没给他。

The Physician insisted on his claim, and. as she still refused, summoned her before the Judge.

医生坚持要钱，而老妇一再拒绝，于是他将老 妇告上法庭。

The Old Woman, standing² up in the Court, argued: "This man here speaks the truth in what he says; for I did promise to give him a sum of money if I should recover my sight: 法法庭上，老妇声称：¨他说的没错，我的确曾向他许诺：如果他治好我的眼睛，我会给他一大笔钱：

but if I continued blind, I was to give him nothing.

但如果我还是什么也看不到，就什么也不会给他，

Now he declares that I am healed. I on the contrary affirm that I am still blind; for when I lost the use of my eyes, I saw in my house various chattels³ and valuable goods: 现在他声称已经洽愈了我的眼睛，可 我却认为自己仍然是个瞎子o因为在我失明前，我能看到屋里有很多东西和贵重物品。

But now, though he swears I am cured of my blindness, I am not able to see a single thing in it."

但是现在，尽管他发誓我的眼睛已被治愈， 但我却什么也看不见啊