旅伴12 文本已添加

12

Itwas decided that John should come to the palace the next day, when the judgesand the whole of the counsellors would be present, to try if he could guess thefirst riddle.

他们约定好，第二天早晨约翰奈斯再到宫里来；那时法官和全体枢密大臣将到场来听他怎样回答问题。

Ifhe succeeded, he would have to come a second time; but if

not,he would lose his life,- and no one had ever been able to guess even one.However, John was not at all anxious about the result of his trial; on thecontrary, he was very merry.

如果回答得好，他还要再来两次。不过，到目前为止，还没有什么人能够通过第一关，因此他们都丧失了生命。约翰奈斯对于自己的命运一点也不感到难过。他反而感到快乐。

 He thought only of the beautiful princess, andbelieved that in some way he should have help, but how he knew not,

他的心目中只有这个美丽的公主，同时觉得仁慈的上帝一定会来帮助他的，不过是怎样帮助法，他一点也不知道，

anddid not like to think about it; so he danced along the high-road as he wentback to the inn, where he had left his fellow-traveller waiting for him.

同时他也不愿意想这件事情。他边走边跳地回到旅店来——他的旅伴正在等他。

Johncould not refrain from telling him how gracious the princess had been, and howbeautiful she looked. He longed for the next day so much, that he might go to thepalace and try his luck at guessing the riddles.

约翰奈斯说公主对他怎样好，公主是怎样美丽——他说得简直没有完。他渴望着第二天的到来，好到宫里去，碰碰自已猜谜的运气。

Buthis comrade shook his head, and looked very mournful. "I do so wish you todo well," said he;

不过旅伴摇摇头，非常难过。“我很喜欢你！”他说。

"wemight have continued together much longer, and now I am likely to lose you; youpoor dear John! I could shed tears, but I will not make you unhappy on the lastnight we may be together. We will be merry, really merry this evening;to-morrow, after you are gone, shall be able to weep undisturbed."

“我们很可以在一起多呆一会儿，但是现在我却要失去你了！你，可怜的、亲爱的约翰奈斯！我真想哭一场，但是我不愿意扰乱你今晚的快乐心情，这可能是我们在一起的最后一个晚上了。我们来欢乐吧，痛快地欢乐吧！明天早晨你走了以后，我再痛哭一番。”

Itwas very quickly known among the inhabitants of the town that another suitorhad arrived for the princess, and there was great sorrow in consequence.

市民马上都知道公主又有了一位新的求婚者，对老百姓来说，这当然是一件非常悲哀的事情。

Thetheatre remained closed, the women who sold sweetmeats tied crape round thesugar-sticks, and the king and the priests were on their knees in the church.There was a great lamentation, for no one expected John to succeed better thanthose who had been suitors before.

戏院都关上门，卖糕饼的老太婆在糖猪身上系一条黑纱，国王和牧师们在教堂里跪着祈祷。处处是悲悼的情绪，因为大家都觉得约翰奈斯的运气决不会比别的求婚者好多少。

Inthe evening John's comrade prepared a large bowl of punch, and said, "Nowlet us be merry, and drink to the health of the princess."

晚上旅伴调了一大碗混合酒，对约翰奈斯说：“我们现在应该快乐一番，并且为公主的健康干杯。”

Butafter drinking two glasses, John became so sleepy, that he could not keep hiseyes open, and fell fast asleep. Then his fellow-traveller lifted him gentlyout of his chair, and laid him on the bed; and as soon as it was quite dark, hetook the two large wings which he had cut from the dead swan, and tied themfirmly to his own shoulders.

不过约翰奈斯喝了两杯就想要睡，他的眼睛已睁不开，只好呼呼地睡去了。旅伴轻轻地把他从椅子上抱起来，放到床上。夜深的时候，他把那两只从天鹅身上砍下的大翅膀取出来，系到自己的肩上，

Thenhe put into his pocket the largest of the three rods which he had obtained fromthe old woman who had fallen and broken her leg.

同时把那个跌断了腿的老太婆的一根最长的枝条装进自己的袋里。

Afterthis he opened the window, and flew away over the town, straight towards thepalace, and seated himself in a corner, under the window which looked into thebedroom of the princess.

然后他就打开窗子，飞到城里去，一直飞向王宫。他在面对公主睡房的一个窗子下边的角落里坐下来。