阿拉丁和神灯

从前住着一个贫穷的裁缝，他有一个名叫阿拉丁的儿子。阿拉丁是个粗心、游手好闲的孩子，整天什么事也不做，只知道和街上像他一样游手好闲的小男孩们一起玩耍。这让父亲非常伤心，以致郁郁而终；然而，尽管母亲流泪祈求，阿拉丁依然没有改邪归正。一天，当他像往常一样在街上玩耍时，一个陌生人走过来询问他的年龄，并问他是不是裁缝穆斯塔法的儿子。

There once lived a poor tailor, who had a son called Aladdin, a careless, idle boy who would do nothing but play all day long in the streets with little idle boys like himself. This so grieved the father that he died; yet, in spite of his mother’s tears and prayers, Aladdin did not mend his ways. One day, when he was playing in the streets as usual, a stranger asked him his age, and if he were not the son of Mustapha the tailor.

“是的，先生，”阿拉丁回答说，“但他很久以前就去世了。”

“I am, sir,” replied Aladdin; “but he died a long while ago.”

听了这话，这位著名的非洲魔法师陌生人搂住他的脖子吻了他，说道：“我是你的叔叔，我从你和我弟弟相像的模样认出了你。快回去告诉你母亲，说我就要来了。”

On this the stranger, who was a famous African magician, fell on his neck and kissed him, saying: “I am your uncle, and knew you from your likeness to my brother. Go to your mother and tell her I am coming.”

阿拉丁跑回家，告诉母亲他新认了一位叔叔。

Aladdin ran home, and told his mother of his newly found uncle.

“真的吗，孩子，”她说，“你父亲确实有个兄弟，但我一直以为他已经不在人世了。”

“Indeed, child,” she said, “your father had a brother, but I always thought he was dead.”

尽管如此，她还是准备了晚饭，并让阿拉丁去找他的叔叔。叔叔带来满满的美酒和水果。他随即跪倒在地，亲吻了穆斯塔法生前常坐的地方，并让阿拉丁的母亲不要因以前没见过他而感到惊讶，因为他已经离开这个国家四十年了。然后他转向阿拉丁，询问他从事什么行当，男孩听后低下了头，而母亲则痛哭起来。得知阿拉丁游手好闲、不愿学任何手艺后，他提出为他盘下一间店铺，并备齐货物。第二天，他为阿拉丁买了一套体面的衣服，带着他逛遍了整座城市，带他游览各处名胜，傍晚时分把他送回家交给母亲。母亲看到儿子穿戴得如此体面，欣喜若狂。

However, she prepared supper, and bade Aladdin seek his uncle, who came laden with wine and fruit. He presently fell down and kissed the place where Mustapha used to sit, bidding Aladdin’s mother not to be surprised at not having seen him before, as he had been forty years out of the country. He then turned to Aladdin, and asked him his trade, at which the boy hung his head, while his mother burst into tears. On learning that Aladdin was idle and would learn no trade, he offered to take a shop for him and stock it with merchandise. Next day he bought Aladdin a fine suit of clothes, and took him all over the city, showing him the sights, and brought him home at nightfall to his mother, who was overjoyed to see her son so fine.

第二天，魔法师带着阿拉丁来到城门外很远处的一些美丽花园。他们在一个喷泉旁坐下，魔法师从腰带里掏出一块饼，分成了两半。随后他们继续往前走，几乎走到了山脚下。阿拉丁累极了，恳求回去，但魔法师用好听的故事哄骗他，半推半就地领着他继续往前走。

Next day the magician led Aladdin into some beautiful gardens a long way outside the city gates. They sat down by a fountain, and the magician pulled a cake from his girdle, which he divided between them. They then journeyed onwards till they almost reached the mountains. Aladdin was so tired that he begged to go back, but the magician beguiled him with pleasant stories, and led him on in spite of himself.

终于，他们来到了被一条狭窄山谷隔开的两座大山前。

At last they came to two mountains divided by a narrow valley.

“我们不再往前走了，”假叔叔说，“我要让你看一样奇妙的东西；只要你去捡些柴火，我来生火。”

“We will go no farther,” said the false uncle. “I will show you something wonderful; only do you gather up sticks while I kindle a fire.”

火生好后，魔法师把随身带的一种粉末撒在火里，同时念了一些咒语。大地微微颤动起来，并在他们面前裂开，露出一块扁平的方形石板，石板中央有一个铜环，可以用来把它拉起来。阿拉丁吓得想逃跑，但魔法师一把抓住了他，狠狠打了他一记，把他打倒在地。

When it was lit the magician threw on it a powder he had about him, at the same time saying some magical words. The earth trembled a little and opened in front of them, disclosing a square flat stone with a brass ring in the middle to raise it by. Aladdin tried to run away, but the magician caught him and gave him a blow that knocked him down.

“我做错了什么，叔叔？”他可怜兮兮地问；于是魔法师和气了些，说道：“不要怕，只要听我的话。这块石板下面埋藏着一份财宝，它将属于你，别人谁也碰不得，所以你必须完全照我说的去做。”

“What have I done, uncle?” he said piteously; whereupon the magician said more kindly: “Fear nothing, but obey me. Beneath this stone lies a treasure which is to be yours, and no one else may touch it, so you must do exactly as I tell you.”

一听到“财宝”二字，阿拉丁便忘记了恐惧，按照吩咐抓住了那个铜环，口中念着父亲和祖父的名字。石板很容易就掀开了，露出了一些台阶。

At the word treasure, Aladdin forgot his fears, and grasped the ring as he was told, saying the names of his father and grandfather. The stone came up quite easily and some steps appeared.

“下去吧，”魔法师说，“在那些台阶的尽头，你会看到一扇敞开的门，通向三座大殿。把你的长袍提起来穿过它们，切记不要碰到任何东西，否则你就会当场毙命。这些大殿通向一座结满诱人果实的水果花园。一直往前走，直到你来到露台上的一个壁龛前，那里放着一盏点燃的油灯。把里面的油倒掉，然后把它拿来给我。”

“Go down,” said the magician; “at the foot of those steps you will find an open door leading into three large halls. Tuck up your gown and go through them without touching anything, or you will die instantly. These halls lead into a garden of fine fruit trees. Walk on till you come to a niche in a terrace where stands a lighted lamp. Pour out the oil it contains and bring it to me.”

他从手指上摘下一枚戒指，戴在阿拉丁手上，祝他一路顺遂。

He drew a ring from his finger and gave it to Aladdin, bidding him prosper.