英语美文:鞋匠和银行家 The Cobbler and the Banker

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　　The Cobbler and the Banker

　　鞋匠和银行家

　　La Fontaine

　　拉·封丹

　　The cobbler passed his time in singing from morning till night; it was wonderful to see, wonderful to hear him; he was more contented in shoes, than was any of the seven sages.

　　鞋匠每天从早到晚都哼着歌，无论是看到他，还是听到他唱歌都令人心情愉快。做鞋子于他而言，比当上希腊七大圣贤中的任何一个都更能让他感到心满意足。

　　His neighbor, on the contrary, who was rolling in wealth, sung but little and slept less. He was a banker; when by chance he fell into a doze at daybreak, the cobbler awoke him with his song. The banker complained sadly that providence had not made sleep a salable commodity, like edibles or drinkable.

　　相反，他的邻居财源滚滚，但却很少唱歌，晚上睡眠也不好。这位邻居是个银行家，他好不容易在黎明时分刚迷迷糊糊地入睡，却被鞋匠的歌声吵醒了。银行家唉声叹气地抱怨上帝没把睡眠也做成一种食品或饮料那样可以买卖的商品。

　　Having at length sent for the songster, he said to him, "how much a year do you earn, master Gregory?"

　　后来，银行家派人把这位“歌唱家”请来，问道：“格列高里师傅，你一年能挣多少钱？”

　　How much a year, Sir? said the merry cobbler laughing, "Never reckon in that way living as I do from one day to another; somehow I manage to reach the end of the year; each day brings its meal."

　　“先生，您问我一年挣多少钱吗？”快乐的鞋匠笑道：“我从来没那么算过，我是过一天算一天，反正总能坚持到年底，每天能挣足饭钱。”

　　Well then!How much a day do you earn,my friend?

　　“那么你一天挣多少钱呢，我的朋友？”

　　Sometimes more, sometimes less; but the worst of it is, --and, without that our earnings would be very tolerable -- a number of days occur in the year, on which we are forbidden to work; and the curate, moreover, is constantly adding some new saint to the list.

　　“有时多一点，有时少一点。不过最糟糕的是，一年中总有好些日子不让我们做买卖，此外牧师还经常在圣徒名单上添新名字，否则我们的收入也还算不错的。”

　　The banker, laughing at his simplicity, said, "In the future I shall place you above want. Take this hundred crowns, preserve them carefully, and make use of them in time of need."

　　银行家被他的简单朴实逗笑了，说道：“我要让你从今以后不用为钱而发愁了。你把这一百克朗拿去吧，小心收好，需要时可以拿出来用。”

　　The cobbler fancied he beheld all the wealth which the earth had produced in the past century for the use of mankind. Returning home, he buried his money and his happiness at the same time. No more singing; he lost his voice, the moment he acquired that which is the source of so much grief. Sleep quitted his dwelling; and cares, suspicions, and false alarms took its place, all day, his eye wandered in the direction of his treasure; and at night, if some stray cat made a noise, the cat was robbing him. At length the poor man ran to the house of his rich neighbor; "Give me back." said he, "sleep and my voice, and take your hundred crowns."

　　鞋匠觉得自己仿佛看到了上个世纪以来大地为人类所需而制造出来的全部财富。回到家后，他把这笔钱埋藏好，同时也埋葬了他的快乐。他不再唱歌了；自从得到成为他诸多痛苦之源的那笔钱起，他就失声了。睡眠抛他而去，担心、怀疑和虚惊却趁机而入。他的目光整天徘徊于那笔财富埋藏的方向；而入夜之时，要是偶尔有迷途的猫弄出一点儿声响，他就以为是有人来抢他的钱。最后，这个可怜的鞋匠跑到他那富裕的邻居家里，说道：“把你的一百克朗拿回去，把我的睡眠和歌声还给我。”