魔王的三根金头发4 文本已添加

4

"Yes," answered he, "so far, sogood; but there are three things besides that I want to know: why a fountainwhich once flowed with wine has become dry, and no longer gives even water; whya tree which once bore golden apples does not even put forth leaves; and why aferry-man must always be going backwards and forwards, and is never setfree?"

他很感激地说:"太好了,不过我还想知道,为什么那个城里的喷泉干枯了?为什么结金苹果的树,现在连叶子也不生了?是什么原因使船夫老在那儿摆渡?"

"Those aredifficult questions," answered she, "but only be silent and quiet andpay attention to what the devil says when I pull out the three goldenhairs."

老奶奶听了说道:"那的确是三个令人费解的问题,但你在我给魔王拔金头发时,静静地趴着别动.千万留神听魔王所说的话."

As the eveningcame on, the devil returned home.

天黑不久,魔王回家来了.

No sooner had he entered than he noticed thatthe air was not pure. "I smell man's flesh," said he; "all isnot right here."

他一进来就开始用鼻子不停地嗅空气,大叫道:"这儿不对头,我闻到了人肉的气味."

Then he pried into every corner, and searched,but could not find anything. His grandmother scolded him. "It has justbeen swept," said she, "and everything put in order, and now you areupsetting it again; you have always got man's flesh in your nose. Sit down andeat your supper."

到处翻弄察看之后,他什么也没找着,老奶奶责骂说:"我刚刚才收拾整齐,你为什么又把屋子搞得乱七八糟呢?"

When he had eatenand drunk he was tired, and laid his head in his grandmother's lap, and beforelong he was fast asleep, snoring and breathing heavily.

经过这一阵折腾之后,他也累了,就把头枕在奶奶的膝上,很快睡着了,不久就发出了鼾声.

Then the old womantook hold of a golden hair, pulled it out, and laid it down near her."Oh!" cried the devil, "what are you doing?"

这时,老奶奶抓住他头上的一根金头发拔了出来.魔王"哎哟!"叫喊一声惊跳起来,"你在干什么呀?"

"I have had abad dream," answered the grandmother, "so I seized hold of yourhair." "What did you dream then?"

她回答说:"我做了一个恶梦,情急之中,抓了一下你的头发.

said the devil."I dreamed that a fountain in a market-place from which wine once flowedwas dried up, and not even water would flow out of it; what is the cause ofit?"

我梦见有个城市的集市上有一口喷泉干枯了,没有水流出来,不知道是什么原因?"

"Oh, ho! ifthey did but know it," answered the devil; "there is a toad sittingunder a stone in the well; if they killed it, the wine would flow again."

魔王说道:"嗨!要是他们能够知道,他们一定会欢呼的.其实,那只是喷泉里面的一块石头下蹲着一只癞蛤蟆,只要把癞蛤蟆打死,泉水又会流出来的."

He went to sleepagain and snored until the windows shook. Then she pulled the second hair out."Ha! what are you doing?" cried the devil angrily.

　说完这话,他又睡着了.老奶奶趁机又拔了他一根头发,他惊醒后气冲冲地叫道:"你到底要干什么?"

"Do not take it ill," said she,"I did it in a dream." "What have you dreamt this time?"asked he. "I dreamt that in a certain kingdom there stood an apple-treewhich had once borne golden apples, but now would not even bear leaves. What,think you, was the reason?"

　她说道:"别发火,我刚刚睡觉时梦见在一个大王国里,有一棵美丽的树,这棵树过去是结金苹果的,但现在树上却一片叶子也不生了,这是什么原因呢?"

"Oh! if theydid but know," answered the devil. "A mouse is gnawing at the root;if they killed this they would have golden apples again,

魔王说道:"嗨!要是他们知道这个秘密,一定高兴得不得了.在那棵树的根部,有只老鼠在不停地啃咬树根,他们必须把它打死,那棵树才能重新结出金苹果.

but if it gnawsmuch longer the tree will wither altogether. But leave me alone with yourdreams: if you disturb me in my sleep again you will get a box on theear."

如果不这样做,那树它很快就要死去.现在让我安稳地睡觉吧,要是你再把我弄醒,你会后悔的."