「農夫與白鵝」

【伊索】

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很久很久以前有個貧窮的農夫。

Once upon a time there was a poor peasant.

他沒有食物吃，也沒有錢去買食物。

He had no food to eat, and he had no money to buy food with.

他太老了所以不能工作。

He was growing too old to work.

有一天他坐在小茅屋門口想著該怎麼辦？

One day he sat at the door of his hut wondering what he should do.

冬天來了，所以他很怕會挨餓。

Winter was coming and he was afraid of starving.

這個時候，突然有個陌生人出現在他眼前。

Suddenly, a stranger appeared in front of him.

這個陌生人手中抱著一隻美麗的白鵝。

In his arms was a beautiful white goose.

那陌生人說：「照顧我的鵝吧，我的鵝也會照顧你！」

“Take care of my goose,” said the stranger,

“and my goose will take care of you!”

他把鵝放在地上然後就消失了。

He set the goose down on the ground and disappeared.

農夫張望了一下，可是那陌生人不見了！

The stranger was no where to be seen.

農夫才知道那陌生人是神仙下凡。

So the peasant knew that the stranger was a fairy in disguise.

然後他想到那隻鵝可能是一隻神鵝。

He thought then that the goose must be a magic goose.

於是農夫把那隻大白鵝帶到屋裡去。

So the peasant took the great white bird into his hut.

他餵鵝喝水，並且把他最後所剩的一把麥子也給鵝吃了。

He gave her water to drink and he gave her his last handful of oatmeal to eat.

鵝吃完晚餐後，農夫為牠準備了一個睡覺的巢。

When the goose had finished her supper,

the peasant made her a nest to sleep in.

那個巢非常舒適。

The nest was very comfortable.

那個巢是用暖暖的稻草所做的。

It was made out of warm sweet hay.

窮農夫回去睡覺。

The poor peasant also went to sleep.

他睡得非常熟。

He slept very soundly.

早上他聽到鵝在叫。

In the morning he heard a loud cackling from the goose.

他起來到鵝的巢看了一下。

He got up and looked inside the goose’s nest.

你猜他在巢裡看到了什麼？

And what do you think he saw there?

是一個美麗的金蛋呢！

It was a beautiful golden egg!

農夫又驚又喜。

How surprised and happy the peasant was!

他跑到最近的鎮上。

He ran off to the nearest town.

在鎮上把金蛋用很高的價格賣了。

There he sold his golden egg for a great many pieces of money.

第二天早上舊事重演。

The next morning the same thing happened.

並且第三天、第四天、第五天都一樣。

And the next, and the next, and the next.

農夫很快就可以替自己買新椅子、新桌子，還有溫暖的衣物。

The peasant was soon able to buy new chairs,

a new table, and warm clothes for himself.

他特別把鵝的巢放在角落處。

He made a special corner for the goose and her nest.

那隻鵝快樂地在玫瑰樹下以及草地上漫步。

The goose strolled around happily under the rose-trees on the lawn.

牠每天在巢裡生一個金蛋。

Everyday she laid another beautiful golden egg in her nest.

可惜的是，財富開始改變那個農夫。

But, sadly, his riches began to change the peasant.

他變得嚴厲又貪心。

He grew hard and greedy.

他想要更多的金蛋。

He wanted more and more eggs.

他不想一天只有一個金蛋。

He did not want just one a day.

農夫開始想：鵝的肚子裡到底藏了多少金蛋？

The peasant began to wonder how many more eggs the goose had inside her.

他開始想如何一次把金蛋全都拿到手。

He began to think how he would like to have all the eggs at once.

有一天，那貪心又殘酷的農夫，終於把那隻會生金蛋的鵝給殺了。

So one day, the greedy, mean,

cruel peasant killed the goose that laid the golden eggs!

他剖開鵝的肚子才發現裡面根本沒有金蛋。

And when he opened up her white body, there was not a single egg inside!

農夫盯著那隻死鵝。

The peasant stared at the poor dead goose.

他目瞪口呆。

He was stricken with horror.

他想盡辦法要讓鵝復活，

He tried his best to bring her to life again.

但是毫無用處。

But it was no good.

他不停地救那隻鵝，突然那陌生人又出現在他身旁。

He kept on trying and all at once the stranger appeared again at his side.

那人罵道：「我告訴過你，只要你照顧我的鵝，我的鵝便會照顧你。

“I told you to take care of my goose

and my goose would take care of you,” he scolded.

陌生人於是撿起鵝然後拿著鵝就走了。

The stranger then picked up the dead goose and carried her away.

他是神仙他可以使鵝復活。

He was a fairy so he could bring her to life again.

那貪婪又殘酷的農夫又變窮了。

But the greedy, cruel peasant became poor again.