A RICH NOBLEMAN once opened the theaters without charge to the people, and gave a public notice that he would handsomely reward any person who invented a new amusement for the occasion. —
一位富有的贵族曾经免费开放剧院，公告称他将丰厚奖励任何为这个场合发明新游戏的人。 —

Various public performers contended for the prize. —
各种公共表演者争夺这个奖励。 —

Among them came a Buffoon well known among the populace for his jokes, and said that he had a kind of entertainment which had never been brought out on any stage before. —
其中一个小丑（Buffoon）闻名于民众，因他的笑话而闻名于民众，并声称他有一种从未在任何舞台上演出过的娱乐。 —

This report being spread about made a great stir, and the theater was crowded in every part. —
这个传闻一传开，引起了一片哗然，剧场各个角落都挤满了人。 —

The Buffoon appeared alone upon the platform, without any apparatus or confederates, and the very sense of expectation caused an intense silence. —
小丑独自出现在台上，没有任何道具或同伴，而观众对他的期待使得整个场馆异常安静。 —

He suddenly bent his head towards his bosom and imitated the squeaking of a little pig so admirably with his voice that the audience declared he had a porker under his cloak, and demanded that it should be shaken out. —
突然，他将头低下，往胸口一靠，他用声音如此完美地模仿小猪的尖叫声，以至于观众们纷纷表示他肯定是在斗篷下藏着一只小猪，并要求将它摇出来检查。 —

When that was done and nothing was found, they cheered the actor, and loaded him with the loudest applause. —
等摇出来后，却什么也没发现，观众们对演员喝彩，并给予最热烈的掌声。 —

A Countryman in the crowd, observing all that has passed, said, “So help me, Hercules, he shall not beat me at that trick! —
一个站在人群中的乡下人看到了发生的一切，他说：“赫拉克勒斯，我发誓，他不能在那个技巧上胜过我！” —

” and at once proclaimed that he would do the same thing on the next day, though in a much more natural way. —
于是他立刻宣布，明天他会以一种更自然的方式来做同样的事情。 —

On the morrow a still larger crowd assembled in the theater, but now partiality for their favorite actor very generally prevailed, and the audience came rather to ridicule the Countryman than to see the spectacle. —
第二天，一个更庞大的观众群聚集在剧院里，但此刻大部分人偏向于喜爱他们最喜欢的演员，观众们来的更多是为了取笑那个乡下人而不是看表演。 —

Both of the performers appeared on the stage. —
两位演员都登台演出。 —

The Buffoon grunted and squeaked away first, and obtained, as on the preceding day, the applause and cheers of the spectators. —
小丑首先出场，与前一天一样，引来观众们的掌声和欢呼声。 —

Next the Countryman commenced, and pretending that he concealed a little pig beneath his clothes (which in truth he did, but not suspected by the audience ) contrived to take hold of and to pull his ear causing the pig to squeak. —
接下来乡下人开始演出，假装他的衣服下藏着一只小猪（实际上是真的，但观众们并不知道），他设法接触并拽住小猪的耳朵，发出了尖叫声。 —

The Crowd, however, cried out with one consent that the Buffoon had given a far more exact imitation, and clamored for the Countryman to be kicked out of the theater. —
然而，人群异口同声地大喊，说小丑的模仿更加准确，纷纷要求将乡下人踢出剧院。 —

On this the rustic produced the little pig from his cloak and showed by the most positive proof the greatness of their mistake. —
于是，乡下人从他的斗篷里拿出了小猪，并通过最明确的证据显示了他们的错误。 —

“Look here,” he said, “this shows what sort of judges you are.”
“看这里，”他说，“这证明了你们是什么样的评判者。”