The Bottle Imp

The House on the Hill

山上的房子

There was a man of the Island of Hawaii. I will call him Keawe. The truth is that he is still alive, so his name must stay secret. He was born near Honaunau. And the bones of Keawe the Great lie hidden in a cave there.

夏威夷岛上有一个人。我叫他凯阿维。其实他现在还活着，所以他的名字必须保密。他出生在火奴奥瑙瑙附近。伟大的凯阿维的骨头就藏在那里的一个山洞里。

Keawe was poor, brave and busy, and he could read and write like a schoolmaster. He was also an excellent sailor. He worked on the island steamers, and he steered a whaleboat on the Hamakua coast. Then one day he wanted to see the big world and foreign cities. So he found work on a ship to San Francisco.

凯阿维很穷，但是勇敢，也很勤快，他会读书写字，像老师一样。他还是一个很好的水手。他在岛上的轮船上工作，也在哈马库阿海边开过捕鲸小船。后来有一天，他想去看看大世界和外国的城市。所以他在一条去旧金山的船上找到了工作。

San Francisco was a beautiful town with a good harbour. It was full of rich people. On one hill, all the houses were like palaces.

旧金山是一个漂亮的城市，有一个很好的港口。城里有很多有钱人。在一座山上，所有的房子都像宫殿一样。

One day Keawe walked up this hill with his pocket full of money. He looked at the big houses on both sides. “What beautiful houses!” he thought. “The people here must be very happy, because they have no worries about tomorrow!”

有一天，凯阿维走上这座山，口袋里装满了钱。他看着两边的大房子。“多漂亮的房子啊！”他想，“这里的人一定很幸福，因为他们不用担心明天！”

Then he came to a house that was smaller than the others. But it was as perfect as a toy. Its steps shone like silver, and its garden was full of flowers. Its windows were as bright as diamonds. Keawe stood still and stared at it.

后来他走到一座房子前，它比别的房子小。但是它像玩具一样完美。它的台阶像银子一样发光，花园里开满了花。它的窗户像钻石一样亮。凯阿维站着不动，一直看着它。

Then he saw a man who was looking out at him. The window was very clear. So Keawe saw him like a fish in a pool on the reef. The man was old, with a bald head and a black beard. His face was very sad, and he sighed.

然后他看见一个男人正在往外看他。窗户很干净，所以凯阿维看他就像看礁石水池里的一条鱼。那个人很老，头是秃的，留着黑胡子。他的脸很伤心，还叹了口气。

Keawe looked in at the man, and the man looked out at Keawe. And the truth is that each man was jealous of the other.

凯阿维往里看那个人，那个人往外看凯阿维。说实话，两个人都在羡慕对方。

Suddenly the man smiled and nodded, and he waved to Keawe to come in. He met him at the door.

突然，那个人笑了笑，点点头，招手让凯阿维进去。他在门口接他。

“This is a fine house of mine,” said the man, and he sighed again. “Do you want to see the rooms?”

“这是我的好房子，”那个人说，又叹了口气，“你想看看房间吗？”

He took Keawe all through the house, from the cellar to the roof. Everything in it was perfect, and Keawe was very surprised.

他带着凯阿维看了整座房子，从地下室看到房顶。房子里的一切都很完美，凯阿维非常吃惊。

“This really is a beautiful house,” said Keawe. “Give me a house like this, and I will laugh all day long. So why are you sighing?”

“这真是一座漂亮的房子，”凯阿维说，“给我一座这样的房子，我可以笑一整天。那你为什么还叹气呢？”

“You can have a house like this one, or a better one, if you want,” said the man. “You have some money, I think?”

“如果你想要，你可以有一座像这样的房子，或者更好的房子，”那个人说，“我想你有一些钱，对吗？”

“I have fifty dollars,” said Keawe. “But a house like this costs more than fifty dollars.”

“我有五十美元，”凯阿维说，“但是这样的房子要的钱比五十美元多。”