DRAKESTAIL was very little, that is why he was called Drakestail; —
集思广益是很小的，所以他被称为集思广益； —

but tiny as he was he had brains, and he knew what he was about, for having begun with nothing he ended by amassing a hundred crowns. —
但尽管他很小，却很有机智，他知道自己正在做什么，因为他从零开始，最终积攒了一百个皇冠。 —

Now the King of the country, who was very extravagant and never kept any money, having heard that Drakestail had some, went one day in his own person to borrow his hoard, and, my word, in those days Drakestail was not a little proud of having lent money to the King. But after the first and second year, seeing that they never even dreamed of paying the interest, he became uneasy, so much so that at last he resolved to go and see His Majesty himself, and get repaid. —
现在，这个国家的国王非常挥霍，从不存钱，听说集思广益有一些钱，他亲自去借钱，听说集思广益借给国王的钱，集思广益曾借钱给国王这个消息传开后，说实话，那时集思广益非常为能借给国王钱而感到骄傲。但是，在第一年和第二年之后，看到他们甚至没有想过支付利息，集思广益变得不安起来，以至于最后他决定亲自去见国王，要回偿还款。 —

So one fine morning Drakestail, very spruce and fresh, takes the road, singing: —
于是，一个美好的早晨，集思广益打扮得整整齐齐、精神焕发地走上了路，一边唱着： —

‘Quack, quack, quack, when shall I get my money back?’
‘呱呱呱，我什么时候能拿回我的钱？’

He had not gone far when he met friend Fox, on his rounds that way.
他走了没多久，就碰到了他的朋友狐狸，他正在那条路上巡视。

‘Good-morning, neighbour,’ says the friend, ‘where are you off to so early?’
‘早上好，邻居，’朋友说，‘你这么早要去哪儿？’

‘I am going to the King for what he owes me.’
‘我要去找国王讨回他欠我的钱。’

‘Oh! take me with thee!’
‘噢！带上我吧！’

Drakestail said to himself: ‘One can’t have too many friends.’ … —
Drakestail自言自语道：‘朋友越多越好。’… —

‘I will,’ says he, ‘but going on all-fours you will soon be tired. —
‘我会的，’他说道，‘但你用四肢爬行很快就会累的。 —

Make yourself quite small, get into my throat — go into my gizzard and I will carry you.’
让自己变得很小，躲进我的喉咙里——去我的胃里，我会带着你走。’

‘Happy thought!’ says friend Fox.
‘太棒了！’狐狸朋友说道。

He takes bag and baggage, and, presto! is gone like a letter into the post.
他收拾行李，瞬间消失得像信件投进邮筒一样。

And Drakestail is off again, all spruce and fresh, still singing: —
而Drakestail又开始出发了，整洁而新鲜，依然唱着： —

‘Quack, quack, quack, when shall I have my money back?’
‘嘎嘎嘎，我什么时候能把钱要回来？’

He had not gone far when he met his lady-friend Ladder, leaning on her wall.
他走不远就遇到了他的女朋友Ladder，靠在墙边。

‘Good morning, my duckling,’ says the lady friend, ‘whither away so bold?’
‘早上好，我的小鸭子，’女朋友说道，‘你这么勇敢去哪里？’

‘I am going to the King for what he owes me.’
‘我要去找国王讨回他欠我的钱。’

‘Oh! take me with thee!’
‘噢！带上我吧！’

Drakestail said to himself: ‘One can’t have too many friends.’ … —
Drakestail自言自语道：‘朋友越多越好。’… —

‘I will,’ says he, ‘but with your wooden legs you will soon be tired. —
‘我会的，’他说道，‘但你用木腿爬行很快就会累的。 —

Make yourself quite small, get into my throat — go into my gizzard and I will carry you.’
让自己变得很小，钻进我的喉咙 - 进入我的鸟胃，我会带你走。

‘Happy thought!’ says my friend Ladder, and nimble, bag and baggage, goes to keep company with friend Fox.
“快乐的想法！”我的朋友梯子说着，迅捷地带着行李，和狐狸朋友一起去了。

And ‘Quack, quack, quack.’ Drakestail is off again, singing and spruce as before. —
并且“呱呱呱”，丫鬟鸭伸展开又开始唱歌了。 —

A little farther he meets his sweetheart, my friend River, wandering quietly in the sunshine.
再走一小段路，他遇见了他的甜心，我的好朋友小溪，在阳光下静静地漫步。

‘Thou, my cherub,’ says she, ‘whither so lonesome, with arching tail, on this muddy road?’
“你，我的天使”，她说，“为何独自一人，在这泥泞的道路上扬起尾巴？”

‘I am going to the King, you know, for what he owes me.’
“我要去找国王，你知道的，找回他欠我的东西。”

‘Oh! take me with thee!’
“哦！带我一起去！”

Drakestail said to himself: ‘We can’t be too many friends.’ … —
丫鬟鸭自言自语道：“朋友越多越好……” —

‘I will,’ says he, ‘but you who sleep while you walk will soon be tired. —
“好吧，”他说，“但你这边走边睡觉，很快就会累的。” —

Make yourself quite small, get into my throat — go into my gizzard and I will carry you.’
让自己变得很小，钻进我的喉咙 - 进入我的鸟胃，我会带你走。

‘Ah! happy thought!’ says my friend River.
“啊！好主意！”我的朋友小溪说道。

She takes bag and baggage, and glou, glou, glou, she takes her place between friend Fox and my friend Ladder.
她带着行李，咕噜咕噜地坐在狐狸朋友和我的好朋友梯子之间。

And ‘Quack, quack, quack.’ Drakestail is off again singing.
然后，“呱呱呱。”小鸭子Drakestail再次唱歌。

A little farther on he meets comrade Wasp’s-nest, manoeuvring his wasps.
稍微往前走，他遇到了同伴蜂巢，正在指挥他的蜜蜂。

‘Well, good-morning, friend Drakestail,’ said comrade Wasp’s-nest, ‘where are we bound for so spruce and fresh?’
“嗨，早上好，朋友Drakestail，”蜂巢同伴说，“你打算去哪儿那么整洁和新鲜？”

‘I am going to the King for what he owes me.’
“我要去找国王讨债。”

‘Oh! take me with thee!’
“哦！带上我吧！”

Drakestail said to himself, ‘One can’t have too many friends.’ … —
Drakestail心想，“朋友永远不嫌多…” —

‘I will,’ says he, ‘but with your battalion to drag along, you will soon be tired. —
“好吧，”他说，“但带着你的军队走，你很快会累的。 —

Make yourself quite small, go into my throat — get into my gizzard and I will carry you.’
让自己变得很小，钻进我的喉咙——进入我的胃，我会带着你。”

‘By Jove I that’s a good idea!’ says comrade Wasp’s-nest.
“哎呀！这主意真好！”蜂巢同伴说。

And left file! he takes the same road to join the others with all his party. —
然后，左转！他走上同样的道路，带着自己的一队去加入其他人。 —

There was not much more room, but by closing up a bit they managed. . —
空间并不宽敞，但他们通过挤紧一点的方式找到了位置… —

. . And Drakestail is off again singing.
…然后小鸭子Drakestail再次唱歌。

He arrived thus at the capital, and threaded his way straight up the High Street, still running and singing ‘Quack, quack, quack, when shall I get my money back? —
他这样来到了首都，沿着主街径直走去，一边跑一边唱着：“呱呱呱，我什么时候能要回我的钱呢？” —

’ to the great astonishment of the good folks, till he came to the King’s palace.
引起了好人们的极大惊讶，直到他来到了国王的宫殿。

He strikes with the knocker: ‘Toc! toc!’
他用门环敲了一下：“叮咚！叮咚！”

‘Who is there?’ asks the porter, putting his head out of the wicket.
门卫伸出头问：“是谁？”

‘ ’Tis I, Drakestail. I wish to speak to the King.’
“是我，德雷克斯泰尔。我想和国王谈谈。”

‘Speak to the King! … That’s easily said. The King is dining, and will not be disturbed.’
“和国王谈谈！这容易说啊。国王正在吃饭，不想被打扰。”

‘Tell him that it is I, and I have come he well knows why.’
“告诉他是我，他知道我来干什么。”

The porter shuts his wicket and goes up to say it to the King, who was just sitting down to dinner with a napkin round his neck, and all his ministers.
门卫关上窗口，上楼告诉国王，而国王此时正带着围裙坐在餐桌旁，周围是他的部长们。

‘Good, good!’ said the King laughing. ‘I know what it is! —
“好好好！”国王笑着说。“我知道是什么事了！让他进来，把他和火鸡鸡和鸡放在一起。” —

Make him come in, and put him with the turkeys and chickens.’
门卫下楼。

The porter descends.
“请进。”

‘Have the goodness to enter.’
“请进。”

‘Good!’ says Drakestail to himself, ‘I shall now see how they eat at court.’
“好！”董鸭对自己说，“现在我可以看看他们在宫廷上如何进食。”

‘This way, this way,’ says the porter. ‘One step further… . There, there you are.’
“这边走，这边走，”门房说，“再走一步……好了，你到了。”

‘How? what? in the poultry yard?’
“怎么回事？禽舍里？”

Fancy how vexed Drakestail was!
想想看董鸭有多么恼火啊！

‘Ah! so that’s it,’ says he. ‘Wait! I will compel you to receive me. —
“啊！原来是这样，”他说，“等着瞧吧！我会强迫你们接纳我的。” —

Quack, quack, quack, when shall I get my money back? —
“嘎嘎嘎，我什么时候能把钱要回来？” —

’ But turkeys and chickens are creatures who don’t like people that are not as themselves. —
但是火鸡和小鸡们是不喜欢不像它们自己的人的。 —

When they saw the new-comer and how he was made, and when they heard him crying too, they began to look black at him.
当它们看到这个新来的，看到它的样子，听到它也在哭泣时，它们开始对着它板起了脸。

‘What is it? what does he want?’
“怎么回事？它想要什么？”

Finally they rushed at him all together, to overwhelm him with pecks.
最后它们一起冲上来，用嘴啄它。

‘I am lost!’ said Drakestail to himself, when by good luck he remembers his comrade friend Fox, and he cries:
“我完蛋了！”董鸭自言自语地说，幸运的是他想起了他的朋友狐狸，他大声喊道：

‘Reynard, Reynard, come out of your earth, Or Drakestail’s life is of little worth.’
“狐狸，狐狸，出来吧，否则董鸭的生命就毫无价值了。”

Then friend Fox, who was only waiting for these words, hastens out, throws himself on the wicked fowls, and quick! —
于是狐狸这位朋友听到这些话，迫不及待地走出来，扑向那些邪恶的禽兽。 —

quack! he tears them to pieces; so much so that at the end of five minutes there was not one left alive. —
嘎嘎嘎！他把它们撕成了碎片，五分钟过后，再没有一只活着的。 —

And Drakestail, quite content, began to sing again, ‘Quack, quack, quack, when shall I get my money back?’
德雷克斯泰尔感到非常满意，又开始唱起歌来：“嘎嘎嘎，何时能把我的钱要回来呢？”

When the King who was still at table heard this refrain, and the poultry woman came to tell him what had been going on in the yard, he was terribly annoyed.
当国王在餐桌上听到这首歌时，看到农妇来告诉他院子里发生的事情，他非常恼火。

He ordered them to throw this tail of a drake into the well, to make an end of him.
他命令将这只鸭的尾巴扔进井里，以此结束它的性命。

And it was done as he commanded. Drakestail was in despair of getting himself out of such a deep hole, when he remembered his lady friend, the Ladder.
他的命令被执行了。德雷克斯泰尔对如何从这深渊中脱困感到绝望，但突然想起了他的女伴——梯子。

‘Ladder, Ladder, come out of thy hold, Or Drakestail’s days will soon be told.’
“梯子，梯子，离开你的住处吧，否则德雷克斯泰尔的日子就要到头了。”

My friend Ladder, who was only waiting for these words, hastens out, leans her two arms on the edge of the well, then Drakestail climbs nimbly on her back, and hop! —
我的朋友Ladder，只是等待着这些话，匆匆走出去，把两只手臂靠在井边，然后Drakestail灵巧地爬到她的背上，然后跳了下去！ —

he is in the yard, where he begins to sing louder than ever.
他在院子里，开始比以往更大声地唱歌。

When the King, who was still at table and laughing at the good trick he had played his creditor, heard him again reclaiming his money, he became livid with rage.
当国王还在桌边，对自己戏弄债务人的好把戏笑个不停时，又听到他再次要回自己的钱，他勃然大怒。

He commanded that the furnace should be heated, and this tail of a drake thrown into it, because he must be a sorcerer.
他命令加热炉子，并把这条鸭子的尾巴扔进去，因为他必定是个巫师。

The furnace was soon hot, but this time Drakestail was not so afraid; —
炉子很快就变热了，但这次Drakestail并不害怕； —

he counted on his sweetheart, my friend River.
他依赖着自己的心上人，我的朋友River。

‘River, River, outward flow, Or to death Drakestail must go.’
“River, River, 流个出去，不然Drakestail必定死去。

My friend River hastens out, and errouf! throws herself into the furnace, which she floods, with all the people who had lighted it; —
我的朋友River匆匆走出去，咻！她一头扎进炉子里，把炉子淹没了，连同那些点火的人一起； —

after which she flowed growling into the hall of the palace to the height of more than four feet.
然后她咆哮着向宫殿的大厅流去，水位高达四英尺以上。

And Drakestail, quite content, begins to swim, singing deafeningly, ‘Quack, quack, quack, when shall I get my money back?’
德雷克斯泰尔一边欢快地游着，一边大声唱着：“嘎嘎嘎，什么时候能拿回我的钱啊？”

The King was still at table, and thought himself quite sure of his game; —
国王还在吃饭，觉得自己对胜利非常有把握。 —

but when he heard Drakestail singing again, and when they told him all that had passed, he became furious and got up from table brandishing his fists.
但当他再次听到德雷克斯泰尔的歌声，听说发生的事情后，他变得愤怒起来，站起来挥舞着拳头。

‘Bring him here, and I’ll cut his throat! bring him here quick!’ cried he.
“把他带过来，我要剖开他的喉咙！快把他带过来！”他喊道。

And quickly two footmen ran to fetch Drakestail.
然后两个仆人迅速跑去把德雷克斯泰尔带来。

‘At last,’ said the poor chap, going up the great stairs, ‘they have decided to receive me.’
“终于，”这可怜的家伙上了大楼梯，“他们决定接待我了。”

Imagine his terror when on entering he sees the King as red as a turkey cock, and all his ministers attending him standing sword in hand. —
想象一下他的恐惧，当他走进去时看见国王脸红得像火鸡一样，身边的大臣们手持剑立在他身旁。 —

He thought this time it was all up with him. —
他以为这一次真的完了。 —

Happily, he remembered that there was still one remaining friend, and he cried with dying accents:
幸运的是，他记得还有一个坚挺的朋友，他用即将断气的声音喊道:

‘Wasp’s-nest, Wasp’s-nest, make a sally, Or Drakestail nevermore may rally.’
“黄蜂巢，黄蜂巢，出击吧，否则德雷克斯泰尔将再也无法苏醒。”

Hereupon the scene changes.
于是，场景发生了变化。

‘Bs, bs, bayonet them! ‘The brave Wasp’s-nest rushes out with all his wasps. —
“啊，啊，快刺穿他们！”勇敢的黄蜂窝带着他的所有黄蜂冲了出去。 —

They threw themselves on the infuriated King and his ministers, and stung them so fiercely in the face that they lost their heads, and not knowing where to hide themselves they all jumped pell-mell from the window and broke their necks on the pavement.
他们向愤怒的国王和他的大臣们扑去，用力在他们的脸上蜇，以至于他们失去了理智，不知道躲藏在哪里，他们纷纷从窗户上跳了下来，在街道上摔断了脖子。

Behold Drakestail much astonished, all alone in the big saloon and master of the field. —
请看，德雷克斯泰尔大为惊讶，独自一人在大厅里，成为了战场的主人。 —

He could not get over it.
他无法相信这一切。

Nevertheless, he remembered shortly what he had come for to the palace, and improving the occasion, he set to work to hunt for his dear money. —
然而，他很快就记起了他来宫殿的目的，并且利用这个机会开始寻找他心爱的钱财。 —

But in vain he rummaged in all the drawers; —
但他在所有的抽屉中寻找无果； —

he found nothing; all had been spent.
什么都没有找到；全部都已经花光了。

And ferreting thus from room to room he came at last to the one with the throne in it, and feeling fatigued, he sat himself down on it to think over his adventure. —
这样在一间又一间房间里翻找着，最后他来到了带有王座的那间房间，感到疲倦，他坐在上面思考他的冒险。 —

In the meanwhile the people had found their King and his ministers with their feet in the air on the pavement, and they had gone into the palace to know how it had occurred. —
同时，人们已经在街上发现了国王和他的大臣，他们都倒在地上，于是他们进入皇宫了解情况。 —

On entering the throne-room, when the crowd saw that there was already someone on the royal seat, they broke out in cries of surprise and joy:
进入王座厅时，当人群看到王座上已经有人时，他们发出惊讶和欢乐的呼声:

‘The King is dead, long live the King!
“国王已经死了，万岁国王!”

Heaven has sent us down this thing.’
‘上天送给我们这个人吧。’

Drakestail, who was no longer surprised at anything, received the acclamations of the people as if he had never done anything else all his life.
此时的Drakestail已不再感到惊讶，他接受了人们的欢呼，仿佛一生都在做这种事情一样。

A few of them certainly murmured that a Drakestail would make a fine King; —
其中有一些人当然会说，一只Drakestail会成为一个很好的国王; —

those who knew him replied that a knowing Drakestail was a more worthy King than a spendthrift like him who was lying on the pavement. —
认识他的人回答说，知情的Drakestail比躺在地上的那个挥霍无度的人更有资格成为国王。 —

In short, they ran and took the crown off the head of the deceased, and placed it on that of Drakestail, whom it fitted like wax.
总之，他们跑去从死者的头上拿下王冠，戴在Drakestail的头上，恰如其分。

Thus he became King.
于是他成为了国王。

‘And now,’ said he after the ceremony,; —
“现在，”仪式结束后，他说; —

ladies and gentlemen, let’s go to supper. —
女士们先生们，我们去吃晚餐吧。 —

I am so hungry!’[15]
我太饿了！[15]

[15] Contes of Ch. Marelles.
[15]《馬雷爾的故事集》中的故事。