Grimms' Fairy Tales — Page 14

主人说道：'你一直是个忠诚善良的仆人，汉斯，所以你的报酬会很丰厚。'

And the master said, 'You have been a faithful and good servant, Hans, so your pay shall be handsome.'

然后他给了汉斯一块和他脑袋一样大的银子。

Then he gave him a lump of silver as big as his head.

汉斯掏出手帕，把那块银子包进去，往肩上一甩，便迈开步子往家走去。

Hans took out his pocket-handkerchief, put the piece of silver into it, threw it over his shoulder, and jogged off on his road homewards.

他懒洋洋地走着，拖着脚步，这时远处出现了一个人，骑着一匹好马，欢快地小跑而来。

As he went lazily on, dragging one foot after another, a man came in sight, trotting gaily along on a capital horse.

汉斯不禁大声说道：'骑马真是件美事啊！

'Ah!' said Hans aloud, 'what a fine thing it is to ride on horseback!

那人坐在马上，安逸舒适，就像在家里坐在壁炉旁的椅子上一样；不用被石头绊脚，不用磨损鞋子，不知不觉就到了目的地。'

There he sits as easy and happy as if he was at home, in the chair by his fireside; he trips against no stones, saves shoe-leather, and gets on he hardly knows how.'

汉斯说话的声音并不轻，骑马人听到了他说的每一句话，便开口道：'那么，朋友，你为何要步行呢？'

Hans did not speak so softly but the horseman heard it all, and said, 'Well, friend, why do you go on foot then?'

汉斯说：'唉！我有这么重的东西要背：虽说是银子，但实在太重了，我都抬不起头来，而且你知道，它压得我的肩膀好痛。'

'Ah!' said he, 'I have this load to carry: to be sure it is silver, but it is so heavy that I can't hold up my head, and you must know it hurts my shoulder sadly.'

骑马人说：'你觉得咱们换一换怎么样？我把我的马给你，你把银子给我，这样你就不用费力背着这么重的东西了。'

'What do you say of making an exchange?' said the horseman. 'I will give you my horse, and you shall give me the silver; which will save you a great deal of trouble in carrying such a heavy load about with you.'