《讲不完的故事》

在远东，有一位伟大的国王，他每天什么事都不用做。他整天坐在软软的垫子上听故事。不论故事讲的是什么，他都永远听不厌，哪怕故事非常长。

In the Far East there was a great king who had no work to do. Every day, and all day long, he sat on soft cushions and listened to stories. And no matter what the story was about, he never grew tired of hearing it, even though it was very long.

他常常说：“我对你的故事只有一个不满意的地方：它太短了。”

“There is only one fault that I find with your story,” he often said: “it is too short.”

全世界讲故事的人都被请到了他的王宫里；其中有些人讲的故事确实非常长。但是每当一个故事讲完时，国王总是很难过。

All the story-tellers in the world were invited to his palace; and some of them told tales that were very long indeed. But the king was always sad when a story was ended.

最后，他把消息传到了每一座城市、小镇和乡村，宣布要重赏那个能给他讲一个永远讲不完的故事的人。他说：——

At last he sent word into every city and town and country place, offering a prize to any one who should tell him an endless tale. He said,—

“谁要是能给我讲一个永远讲不完的故事，我就把我最漂亮的女儿嫁给他做妻子；我还会让他做我的继承人，在我之后成为国王。”

“To the man that will tell me a story which shall last forever, I will give my fairest daughter for his wife; and I will make him my heir, and he shall be king after me.”

但这还不是全部。他又加了一个非常苛刻的条件。“如果有谁尝试讲这样的故事却失败了，他就会被砍头。”

But this was not all. He added a very hard condition. “If any man shall try to tell such a story and then fail, he shall have his head cut off.”

国王的女儿非常漂亮，那个国家有许多年轻人都愿意为了娶她付出一切。但是没有人想丢掉性命，所以只有很少几个人敢去尝试争夺这份奖赏。

The king’s daughter was very pretty, and there were many young men in that country who were willing to do anything to win her. But none of them wanted to lose their heads, and so only a few tried for the prize.

有一个年轻人编了一个讲了三个月的故事；但在三个月结束时，他再也想不出新的内容了。他的下场成了对其他人的警告。过了很长一段时间，都没有人敢再鲁莽地去考验国王的耐心了。

One young man invented a story that lasted three months; but at the end of that time, he could think of nothing more. His fate was a warning to others, and it was a long time before another story-teller was so rash as to try the king’s patience.

但是有一天，一位来自南方的陌生人走进了王宫。

But one day a stranger from the South came into the palace.

他说：“伟大的国王，您真的会重赏那个能讲出永远讲不完的故事的人吗？”

“Great king,” he said, “is it true that you offer a prize to the man who can tell a story that has no end?”

国王说：“是真的。”

“It is true,” said the king.

“那个人真的能娶您最漂亮的女儿做妻子，并且成为您的继承人吗？”

“And shall this man have your fairest daughter for his wife, and shall he be your heir?”

国王说：“是的，如果他成功了就可以。但是如果他失败了，他就会被砍头。”

“Yes, if he succeeds,” said the king. “But if he fails, he shall lose his head.”

陌生人说：“那太好了。我有一个关于蝗虫的有趣故事，很想讲给您听。”

“Very well, then,” said the stranger. “I have a pleasant story about locusts which I would like to relate.”