The Golden Bird 02

黄金鸟 02

Then the gardener's eldest¹ son set out and thought to find the golden bird very easily; and when he had gone but a little way, he came to a wood, and by the side of the wood he saw a fox sitting; so he took his bow and made ready to shoot at it. Then the fox said, 'Do not shoot me, for I will give you good counsel²; I know what your business is, and that you want to find the golden bird. You will reach a village in the evening; and when you get there, you will see two inns opposite to each other, one of which is very pleasant and beautiful to look at: go not in there, but rest for the night in the other, though it may appear to you to be very poor and mean.' But the son thought to himself, 'What can such a beast as this know about the matter?' So he shot his arrow at the fox; and it set up its tail above its back and ran into the wood. Then he went his way, and in the evening came to the village where the two inns were; and in one of these were people singing, and dancing, and feasting; but the other looked very dirty, and poor. 'I should be very silly,' said he, 'if I went to that shabby house, and left this charming place'; so he went into the smart house, and ate and drank at his ease, and forgot the bird, and his country too.

园丁的大儿子出发去找黄金鸟，他觉得他不怎么费事就能找到； 没走多远，他来到了一片小树林，树林边上蹲着一只狐狸； 他拿出了弓箭准备向狐狸射去。 这时狐狸说话了，“不要射我，因为我会给你出个好主意；我知道你要去干什么，你是要去找那只黄金鸟。走到傍晚的时候，你会到达一个村子，到那以后，你会看到两间面对面开着的旅馆，其中一间外表很漂亮，另一间脏兮兮的、很难看，但记住，不要进那家漂亮的，而是要进那家不好看的旅馆过夜”。 园丁的儿子心里琢磨，“这样一只畜生能懂什么呢？”，于是，他朝狐狸放了一箭，但没有射中。狐狸支着尾巴，跑进了树林。 园丁的儿子继续往前走， 傍晚时分来到了一个村子，那里果然有两家旅馆； 在其中一间旅馆里面，人们载歌载舞，吃喝玩乐；但另外一家旅馆看起来又脏又乱，很不成样子。 “如果我不进那家好看的旅馆，而是去那家肮脏的旅馆我就是真是大傻瓜了。”于是，园丁的儿子走进了那家漂亮的旅馆，放开肚皮地吃啊、喝啊，完全把找黄金鸟的事和他们的祖国忘得一干二净了。