讀點好英文:The CobbIer and the Banker　皮匠和銀行家

The CobbIer and the Banker　皮匠和銀行家

·La Fontaine·

A cobbler passed his time in singing from morning till night；it was wonderful to see, wonderful to hear him；he was more contented in making shoes than was any of the seven sages. His neighbor, on the contrary, who was rolling in wealth, sung but little, and sleepless.He was a banker；when by chance he fell into a doze at day-break, the cobbler awoke him with his song.The banker compIained sadly that Providence had not made sleep a saleable commodity, like edibles or drinkables.Having at length sent for the songster, he said to him，“How much a year do you earn, Master Gregory?”

“How much a year, sir?”said the merry cobbler laughing，“I never reckon in that way, living as I do from one day to another；somehow I manage to reach the end of the year；each day brings its meal.”

“Well then！How much a day do you earn, my friend?”

“Sometimes more, sometimes less；but the worst of it is, and, without that our earnings would be very toIerabIe, a number of days occur in the year on which we are forbidden to work；and the curate, moreover, is constantly adding some new saint to the list.”

The banker, laughing at his simplicity, said，“In the future I shall place you above want. Take this hundred crowns, preserve them carefully, and make use of them in time of need.”

The cobbler fancied he beheld all the wealth which the earth had produced in the past century for the use of mankind. Returning home, he buried his money and his happiness at the same time.No more singing；he lost his voice, the moment he acquired that which is the source of so much grief.Sleep quitted his dwelling；and cares, suspicious, and false alarms took its place.All day, his eye wandered in the direction of the treasure；and at night, if some stray cat made a noise, the cat was robbing him.At length the poor man ran to the house of his rich neighbor；“Give me back，”said he，“sleep and my voice, and take your hundred crowns.”

拉·封丹

一個皮匠以歌自娛，在歌聲中度過每一天。每一個見到他，或聽到他歌聲的人都甚感愉快。他安于自己的制鞋工作，甚至覺得比當希臘七圣還感滿足。他的鄰居是一個家財萬貫的銀行家，與他相反，銀行家很少唱歌，睡眠也不好，偶爾在天快亮時才打個盹兒，又被皮匠的歌聲吵醒了。他痛苦地抱怨上帝沒把睡眠也變成商品，他多想睡眠也像食品和飲料那樣能隨意購買啊。最后，銀行家把這個歌唱者請了過來，對他說：“格雷戈里師傅，您一年能賺多少錢啊？”

“一年賺多少錢嗎，先生？”快樂的皮匠笑道，“我可從來沒有這樣統(tǒng)計過，我天天這么過著，每天掙足三餐，總能撐到年底。”

“啊，朋友，那么，你一天掙多少呢？”

“有時候掙得多，有時又少點兒，我們的收入還可以。最難過的日子就是每年總有些時候不讓我們工作，而牧師又常在這時候吸納新的圣徒?！?/p>

銀行家被皮匠的直率逗樂了，他說：“今后，我將滿足你的一切需求，你把這一百枚錢幣拿去存好，需要時就拿出來用。”

皮匠覺得自己好像看到了幾個世紀以來，大地為人類所需而創(chuàng)造出來的所有財富。他回家后，把這筆錢給埋了起來，同時，也埋葬了他的歡樂。從此，他不再唱歌。在他得到錢這個痛苦根源的那刻起，就失去了歌喉。擔心、懷疑、虛驚讓他不能安穩(wěn)入睡。他的目光整天游移在藏錢的地方。晚上，就是野貓弄出點兒聲響，他也會以為是有人來搶他的寶貝。最后，這個可憐的人跑到他富有的鄰居那里，“還我睡眠和歌喉吧，把你的一百枚錢幣拿回去?！?/p>

核心單詞

compIain[k?m'plein]v.抱怨，發(fā)牢騷；投訴

reckon['rek?n]v.測算，測量；認為

toIerabIe['t?l?r?bl]adj.可容忍的；可寬恕的

suspicious[s?s'pi??s]adj.猜疑的，疑心的；多疑的

stray[strei]v.迷路，走失；走散

實用句型

The banker, Iaughing at his simpIicity, said，“In the future I shaII pIace you above want……”

銀行家被皮匠的直率逗樂了，他說：“今后，我將滿足你的一切需求……”

①laughing at his simplicity在這里是插入語，如果將其刪掉，句子結構仍然完整。

②in the future 將來，類似的表達還有in the days to come, in the coming days等固定搭配。

翻譯練習

1.相反，這是符合愛好和平的人們的利益的。（on the contrary）

2.我完全是僥幸打贏的。（by chance）

3.他對他的工作進行了詳細的闡述。（at length）