大萝卜

大萝卜

The Turnip

从前有两兄弟，他们都是士兵；一个很有钱，另一个很穷。穷弟弟想改变自己的生活，于是他脱下红外套，成了一个园丁。他把地翻得很好，在里面种上了萝卜。

There were two brothers who were both soldiers; the one was rich and the other poor. The poor man thought he would try to better himself; so, pulling off his red coat, he became a gardener, and dug his ground well, and sowed turnips.

种子发芽长大后，有一棵比其他的都要大。它越长越大，好像永远不会停止生长。人们甚至可以叫它萝卜之王，因为以前从来没有人见过这么大的萝卜，以后也绝不会再有了。

When the seed came up, there was one plant bigger than all the rest; and it kept getting larger and larger, and seemed as if it would never cease growing; so that it might have been called the prince of turnips for there never was such a one seen before, and never will again.

最后，它大得装满了一整辆大车，连两头牛都很难拉动它。园丁不知道该拿它怎么办才好，也不知道这对自己来说是一件好事还是一场灾难。有一天，他自言自语地说：“我该拿它怎么办呢？

At last it was so big that it filled a cart, and two oxen could hardly draw it; and the gardener knew not what in the world to do with it, nor whether it would be a blessing or a curse to him. One day he said to himself, ‘What shall I do with it?

如果我把它卖了，换来的钱也不会比普通萝卜多；要是拿来吃，小萝卜可比这个好吃多了。也许最好的办法就是把它运去送给国王，表示我的敬意。”

if I sell it, it will bring no more than another; and for eating, the little turnips are better than this; the best thing perhaps is to carry it and give it to the king as a mark of respect.’

于是，他给牛套上车，把大萝卜拉到了王宫，献给了国王。“多神奇的东西啊！”国王说，“我见过许多奇怪的东西，但这么大的怪物我还从来没见过。你从哪里弄来的种子？

Then he yoked his oxen, and drew the turnip to the court, and gave it to the king. ‘What a wonderful thing!’ said the king; ‘I have seen many strange things, but such a monster as this I never saw. Where did you get the seed?

还是说这全靠你的好运气？要是这样的话，你可真是个幸运儿。”“啊，不！”

or is it only your good luck? If so, you are a true child of fortune.’ ‘Ah, no!’

园丁回答说：“我可不是什么幸运儿。我只是个穷士兵，以前连维持生活都成问题。所以我放下了红外套，开始干活儿，耕种土地。

answered the gardener, ‘I am no child of fortune; I am a poor soldier, who never could get enough to live upon; so I laid aside my red coat, and set to work, tilling the ground.

我有一个哥哥很有钱，陛下您很了解他，全世界也都知道他。可是因为我很穷，大家都把我忘记了。”

I have a brother, who is rich, and your majesty knows him well, and all the world knows him; but because I am poor, everybody forgets me.’

国王听了很同情他，对他说：“你再也不会受穷了。我要赏赐你很多东西，让你比你的哥哥还要富有。”

The king then took pity on him, and said, ‘You shall be poor no longer. I will give you so much that you shall be even richer than your brother.’

于是国王赐给他黄金、土地和羊群，让他变得非常富有，就连他哥哥的家产也远远比不上了。

Then he gave him gold and lands and flocks, and made him so rich that his brother’s fortune could not at all be compared with his.

当哥哥听说这一切，听说一个萝卜就让园丁变得这么富有后，他非常嫉妒，心里盘算着自己怎样才能得到同样的好运。

When the brother heard of all this, and how a turnip had made the gardener so rich, he envied him sorely, and bethought himself how he could contrive to get the same good fortune for himself.

不过，他决定做得比弟弟更聪明一些。他准备了一份贵重的礼物，里面有黄金和良马，送给了国王。他心想，自己一定会得到更大的回赠；因为弟弟只送了一个萝卜就得到了那么多，那他的礼物该值多少赏赐呢？

However, he determined to manage more cleverly than his brother, and got together a rich present of gold and fine horses for the king; and thought he must have a much larger gift in return; for if his brother had received so much for only a turnip, what must his present be worth?

国王非常客气地收下了礼物，并且说，自己不知道还有什么回礼能比那个大萝卜更珍贵、更神奇了。于是，这个士兵不得不把大萝卜装上一辆车，费力地拉回了家。

The king took the gift very graciously, and said he knew not what to give in return more valuable and wonderful than the great turnip; so the soldier was forced to put it into a cart, and drag it home with him.