THE WHITE SNAKE 白蛇
A long time ago there lived a king who was famed for his wisdom through all the land.
很久以前，有一位国王，他以智慧闻名于世。
Nothing was hidden from him, and it seemed as if news of the most secret things was brought to him through the air.
没有什么事情能瞒得过他，似乎最隐秘的消息也会通过空气传到他耳中。
But he had a strange custom; every day after dinner, when the table was cleared, and no one else was present, a trusty servant had to bring him one more dish.
但他有一个奇怪的习俗：每天晚饭后，当餐桌收拾干净，四下无人时，一位忠实的仆人必须再给他端上一道菜。
It was covered, however, and even the servant did not know what was in it, neither did anyone know, for the king never took off the cover to eat of it until he was quite alone.
这道菜被盖着，连仆人也不知道里面是什么，更没人知道，由于国王总是独自一人时才揭开盖子享用。
This had gone on for a long time, when one day the servant, who took away the dish, was overcome with such curiosity that he could not help carrying the dish into his room.
这种情况持续了很久，直到有一天，那个端走盘子的仆人再也控制不住好奇心，忍不住把菜端回了自己的房间。
When he had carefully locked the door, he lifted up the cover, and saw a white snake lying on the dish.
他小心地锁上门，揭开盖子，发现盘子里躺着一条白蛇。
But when he saw it he could not deny himself the pleasure of tasting it, so he cut off a little bit and put it into his mouth.
但当他看见它时，忍不住想尝一口，便切下一小块放进嘴里。
No sooner had it touched his tongue than he heard a strange whispering of little voices outside his window.
蛇肉刚碰到他的舌头，他就听到窗外传来一阵奇怪的窃窃私语。
He went and listened, and then noticed that it was the sparrows who were chattering together, and telling one another of all kinds of things which they had seen in the fields and woods.
他走过去一听，发现是麻雀在聊天，相互讲述着它们在田野和森林里的所见所闻。
Eating the snake had given him power of understanding the language of animals.
吃了这条蛇后，他获得了听懂动物语言的能力。
Now it so happened that on this very day the queen lost her most beautiful ring, and suspicion of having stolen it fell upon this trusty servant, who was allowed to go everywhere.
就在同一天，王后的戒指丢了，而那位可以自由出入的忠实仆人成了怀疑对象。
The king ordered the man to be brought before him, and threatened with angry words that unless he could before the morrow point out the thief, he himself should be looked upon as guilty and executed.
国王命令把他带来，愤怒地威胁说，如果他在明天之前找不出真正的贼，就认定他有罪并处死他。
In vain he declared his innocence; he was dismissed with no better answer.
他徒劳地申辩自己的清白，但国王没有改变主意。
In his trouble and fear he went down into the courtyard and took thought how to help himself out of his trouble.
他忧心忡忡地走到院子里，思索着如何摆脱困境。
Now some ducks were sitting together quietly by a brook and taking their rest; and, whilst they were making their feathers smooth with their bills, they were having a confidential conversation together.
这时，几只鸭子正安静地坐在溪边休憩，一边梳理羽毛，一边低声交谈。
The servant stood by and listened.
仆人站在一旁听着。
They were telling one another of all the places where they had been waddling about all the morning, and what good food they had found; and one said in a pitiful tone: “Something lies heavy on my stomach; as I was eating in haste I swallowed a ring which lay under the queen's window.”
它们相互讲述着早上在哪些地方闲逛、吃了什么好东西；其中一只鸭子悲伤地说：“我肚子里好像有什么东西，我匆忙吃东西时，把王后窗下的戒指吞下去了。”
The servant at once seized her by the neck, carried her to the kitchen, and said to the cook: “Here is a fine duck; pray, kill her.”
仆人立刻抓住这只鸭子的脖子，把它带到厨房，对厨师说：“这只鸭子不错，请把它杀了。”
“Yes,” said the cook, and weighed her in his hand; “she has spared no trouble to fatten herself, and has been waiting to be roasted long enough.”
“好的，”厨师说着，掂了掂鸭子，“它把自己养得这么肥，早就该烤了。”
So he cut off her head, and as she was being dressed for the spit, the queen's ring was found inside her.
于是他砍下鸭头，在清理鸭子准备烤制时，发现了王后的戒指。
The servant could now easily prove his innocence; and the king, to make amends for the wrong, allowed him to ask a favour, and promised him the best place in the court that he could wish for.
仆人轻而易举地证明了自己的清白；国王为弥补过错，允许他提出一个请求，并承诺给他宫中最好的职位。
The servant refused everything, and only asked for a horse and some money for travelling, as he had a mind to see the world and go about a little.
仆人谢绝了所有赏赐，只请求给他一匹马和一些旅费，由于他想出去看看世界。
When his request was granted he set out on his way, and one day came to a pond, where he saw three fishes caught in the reeds and gasping for water.
他的请求被应允后，便启程上路。一天，他来到一个池塘边，看到三条鱼被芦苇缠住，奄奄一息。
Now, though it is said that fishes are dumb, he heard them lamenting that they must perish so miserably, and, as he had a kind heart, he got off his horse and put the three prisoners back into the water.
人们常说鱼不会说话，但他却听到它们在哀叹自己将悲惨地死去；他心地善良，便下马把三条鱼放回水中。
They leapt with delight, put out their heads, and cried to him: “We will remember you and repay you for saving us!”
鱼儿欢快地跃出水面，探出头来喊道：“我们不会忘记你的救命之恩，必定会报答你！”
He rode on, and after a while it seemed to him that he heard a voice in the sand at his feet.
他继续前行，不久似乎听到脚下沙子中有声音传来。
He listened, and heard an ant-king complain: “Why cannot folks, with their clumsy beasts, keep off our bodies? That stupid horse, with his heavy hoofs, has been treading down my people without mercy!”
他仔细一听，原来是蚁王在抱怨：“为什么人类和他们的笨畜生不能避开我们？那匹蠢马用沉重的蹄子踩死了我的子民！”
So he turned on to a side path and the ant-king cried out to him: “We will remember you—one good turn deserves another!”
于是他拐到一条小路上，蚁王喊道：“我们不会忘记你的好意——善有善报！”
The path led him into a wood, and there he saw two old ravens standing by their nest, and throwing out their young ones.
小路通向森林，他看到两只老乌鸦站在巢边，把它们的幼鸟赶出巢外。
“Out with you, you idle, good-for-nothing creatures!” cried they; “we cannot find food for you any longer; you are big enough, and can provide for yourselves.”
“滚出去，你们这些懒惰无用的家伙！”它们叫道，“我们再也没法养活你们了，你们已经长大，该自己谋生了。”
But the poor young ravens lay upon the ground, flapping their wings, and crying: “Oh, what helpless chicks we are! We must shift for ourselves, and yet we cannot fly! What can we do, but lie here and starve?”
可怜的小乌鸦躺在地上，扑扇着翅膀哭喊：“唉，我们是多么无助的小鸟！我们必须靠自己，可我们还不会飞！除了躺在这里饿死，还能做什么呢？”
So the good young fellow alighted and killed his horse with his sword, and gave it to them for food.
善良的年轻人下马，用剑杀了马，把马肉喂给它们吃。
Then they came hopping up to it, satisfied their hunger, and cried: “We will remember you—one good turn deserves another!”
小乌鸦跳过来饱餐一顿，然后喊道：“我们不会忘记你的恩情——善有善报！”
And now he had to use his own legs, and when he had walked a long way, he came to a large city.
目前他只能徒步前行了，走了很久，来到一座大城市。
There was a great noise and crowd in the streets, and a man rode up on horseback, crying aloud: “The king's daughter wants a husband; but whoever seeks her hand must perform a hard task, and if he does not succeed he will forfeit his life.”
街上人声鼎沸，一个男人骑马大声宣布：“公主要选丈夫；但求婚者必须完成一项艰难的任务，失败者将失去生命。”
Many had already made the attempt, but in vain; nevertheless when the youth saw the king's daughter he was so overcome by her great beauty that he forgot all danger, went before the king, and declared himself a suitor.
许多人已尝试过，但都失败了；不过，当年轻人看到公主的美貌时，他忘记了危险，前去向国王求婚。
So he was led out to the sea, and a gold ring was thrown into it, before his eyes; then the king ordered him to fetch this ring up from the bottom of the sea, and added: “If you come up again without it you will be thrown in again and again until you perish amid the waves.”
他被带到海边，当着他的面把一枚金戒指扔进海里；国王命令他从海底找回戒指，并说：“如果找不到，就反复把你扔进海里，直到你被海浪吞没。”
All the people grieved for the handsome youth; then they went away, leaving him alone by the sea.
人们都为这个英俊的年轻人感到惋惜，随后纷纷离去，只留下他孤零零地站在海边。
He stood on the shore and considered what he should do, when suddenly he saw three fishes come swimming towards him, and they were the very fishes whose lives he had saved.
他站在岸边思索对策，忽然看到三条鱼向他游来，正是他救过的那三条鱼。
The one in the middle held a mussel in its mouth, which it laid on the shore at the youth's feet, and when he had taken it up and opened it, there lay the gold ring in the shell.
中间那条鱼嘴里衔着一只贝壳，放在他脚边；他捡起贝壳打开一看，金戒指就躺在里面。
Full of joy he took it to the king and expected that he would grant him the promised reward.
他欣喜若狂，把戒指带给国王，以为国王会兑现承诺。
But when the proud princess perceived that he was not her equal in birth, she scorned him, and required him first to perform another task.
但傲慢的公主见他出身卑微，便轻视他，要求他再完成一项任务。
She went down into the garden and strewed with her own hands ten sacksful of millet-seed on the grass; then she said: “Tomorrow morning before sunrise these must be picked up, and not a single grain be wanting.”
她亲自到花园，把十袋小米撒在草地上，说：“明天日出前必须捡完，一粒也不能少。”
The youth sat down in the garden and considered how it might be possible to perform this task, but he could think of nothing, and there he sat sorrowfully awaiting the break of day, when he should be led to death.
年轻人坐在花园里思索如何完成这项任务，却一筹莫展，只能悲伤地等待黎明，等待死亡的到来。
But as soon as the first rays of the sun shone into the garden he saw all the ten sacks standing side by side, quite full, and not a single grain was missing.
不过，当第一缕阳光照进花园时，他看到十个袋子整整齐齐地装满了小米，连一粒都没少。
The ant-king had come in the night with thousands and thousands of ants, and the grateful creatures had by great industry picked up all the millet-seed and gathered them into the sacks.
原来蚁王带着成千上万的蚂蚁连夜赶来，这些感恩的小生灵不辞辛劳地把所有小米捡回袋中。
Presently the king's daughter herself came down into the garden, and was amazed to see that the young man had done the task she had given him.
公主亲自来到花园，惊讶地发现年轻人完成了她布置的任务。
But she could not yet conquer her proud heart, and said: “Although he has performed both the tasks, he shall not be my husband until he had brought me an apple from the Tree of Life.”
但她仍不肯屈服，说：“尽管他完成了两项任务，除非他能给我带来生命之树的苹果，否则休想成为我的丈夫。”
The youth did not know where the Tree of Life stood, but he set out, and would have gone on for ever, as long as his legs would carry him, though he had no hope of finding it.
年轻人不知道生命之树在哪里，但他毅然出发，即使双腿走断也要继续寻找，尽管毫无希望。
After he had wandered through three kingdoms, he came one evening to a wood, and lay down under a tree to sleep.
他穿越了三个王国，一天晚上来到一片树林，躺在树下休憩。
But he heard a rustling in the branches, and a golden apple fell into his hand.
忽然听到树枝沙沙作响，一只金苹果落在他手中。
At the same time three ravens flew down to him, perched themselves upon his knee, and said: “We are the three young ravens whom you saved from starving; when we had grown big, and heard that you were seeking the Golden Apple, we flew over the sea to the end of the world, where the Tree of Life stands, and have brought you the apple.”
三只乌鸦飞到他膝上，说：“我们是那三只被你救过的小乌鸦；长大后听说你在寻找金苹果，便飞越海洋，来到世界尽头的生命之树，为你摘来了苹果。”
The youth, full of joy, set out homewards, and took the Golden Apple to the king's beautiful daughter, who had now no more excuses left to make.
年轻人满心欢喜地回家，把金苹果献给秀丽的公主，公主再也找不到借口拒绝。
They cut the Apple of Life in two and ate it together; and then her heart became full of love for him, and they lived in undisturbed happiness to a great age.
他们把生命之果切成两半，一起享用；公主的心顿时充满了对他的爱，两人从此幸福地生活在一起，白头偕老。
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