Once upon a time, a mouse, a bird, and a sausage, entered into partnership and set up house together. —
从前，一只老鼠、一只鸟和一根香肠组成了合伙关系，一起建起了房子。很长一段时间里， —

For a long time all went well; —
一切都很顺利。 —

they lived in great comfort, and prospered so far as to be able to add considerably to their stores. —
他们生活得非常舒适，而且生意兴隆得可以大大增加他们的储备。 —

The bird’s duty was to fly daily into the wood and bring in fuel; —
鸟的责任是每天飞到树林里搬回柴火； —

the mouse fetched the water, and the sausage saw to the cooking.
老鼠负责取水，而香肠则负责烹饪。

When people are too well off they always begin to long for something new. —
当人们生活得太好时，总是会开始渴望着新鲜事物。 —

And so it came to pass, that the bird, while out one day, met a fellow bird, to whom he boastfully expatiated on the excellence of his household arrangements. —
于是事情如同预料的那样发生了，鸟在外面的某一天遇到了一只同伴鸟，向它夸耀自家的家庭安排之完美。 —

But the other bird sneered at him for being a poor simpleton, who did all the hard work, while the other two stayed at home and had a good time of it. —
但是那只鸟嘲笑他是一个可怜的简单ton，自己干着所有的辛苦活，而其他两只则在家里尽享美好时光。 —

For, when the mouse had made the fire and fetched in the water, she could retire into her little room and rest until it was time to set the table. —
当老鼠生完火并取来水后，她可以退到自己的小屋里休息，直到该摆餐具的时候。 —

The sausage had only to watch the pot to see that the food was properly cooked, and when it was near dinner-time, he just threw himself into the broth, or rolled in and out among the vegetables three or four times, and there they were, buttered, and salted, and ready to be served. —
香肠只需要看着锅，确保食物煮熟，当快到晚餐时间时，它就跳进锅里，或者在蔬菜之间翻滚三四次，这样它们就加上黄油和盐，准备好上桌了。 —

Then, when the bird came home and had laid aside his burden, they sat down to table, and when they had finished their meal, they could sleep their fill till the following morning: —
然后，当鸟儿回到家，放下它的负担后，他们坐下来吃饭，饭后他们可以睡到第二天早上。 —

and that was really a very delightful life.
这样的生活真是太愉快了。

Influenced by those remarks, the bird next morning refused to bring in the wood, telling the others that he had been their servant long enough, and had been a fool into the bargain, and that it was now time to make a change, and to try some other way of arranging the work. —
受到这些话的影响，第二天早上鸟儿拒绝去搬柴，告诉其他人他已经充当了足够长时间的仆人，还白痴似的，现在是时候做出改变，试试其他安排工作的方式了。 —

Beg and pray as the mouse and the sausage might, it was of no use; the bird remained master of the situation, and the venture had to be made. —
不管老鼠和香肠如何乞求和祈求，都没有用；鸟儿始终占据着主导地位，冒险必须进行。 —

They therefore drew lots, and it fell to the sausage to bring in the wood, to the mouse to cook, and to the bird to fetch the water.
因此，他们抽签决定，结果是由香肠负责搬来木材，老鼠负责烹饪，鸟儿负责取水。

And now what happened? —
那么接下来发生了什么？ —

The sausage started in search of wood, the bird made the fire, and the mouse put on the pot, and then these two waited till the sausage returned with the fuel for the following day. —
香肠出去找柴火，鸟儿生火，老鼠准备锅子，然后他们两个等香肠带回明天所需的燃料。 —

But the sausage remained so long away, that they became uneasy, and the bird flew out to meet him. —
但是香肠离开的时间太长了，他们变得不安，鸟儿飞出去找他。 —

He had not flown far, however, when he came across a dog who, having met the sausage, had regarded him as his legitimate booty, and so seized and swallowed him. —
然而，他刚飞不远，就遇到了一只狗。这只狗遇到香肠后认为它是合法的猎物，于是抓住并吞下了它。 —

The bird complained to the dog of this bare-faced robbery, but nothing he said was of any avail, for the dog answered that he found false credentials on the sausage, and that was the reason his life had been forfeited.
鸟儿向狗抱怨这种公然抢劫，但他说的一切都没有用，因为狗说他在香肠身上找到了伪造的证件，所以他的生命被剥夺了。

He picked up the wood, and flew sadly home, and told the mouse all he had seen and heard. —
鸟儿捡起木材，悲伤地飞回家，告诉老鼠他所见所闻的一切。 —

They were both very unhappy, but agreed to make the best of things and to remain with one another.
他们俩都很不开心，但同意做最好的事情，彼此保持在一起。

So now the bird set the table, and the mouse looked after the food and, wishing to prepare it in the same way as the sausage, by rolling in and out among the vegetables to salt and butter them, she jumped into the pot; —
现在鸟摆好了桌子，老鼠照料着食物，并希望像香肠一样准备食物，通过在蔬菜中来回滚动以撒盐和涂黄油，她跳进了锅里； —

but she stopped short long before she reached the bottom, having already parted not only with her skin and hair, but also with life.
但她在到达底部之前就停了下来，不仅失去了皮肤和头发，还失去了生命。

Presently the bird came in and wanted to serve up the dinner, but he could nowhere see the cook. —
随后鸟进来想端上晚餐，但他找不到厨师在哪儿。 —

In his alarm and flurry, he threw the wood here and there about the floor, called and searched, but no cook was to be found. —
他惊慌失措地把木头扔来扔去地在地板上，大声呼喊并寻找，但是找不到厨师。 —

Then some of the wood that had been carelessly thrown down, caught fire and began to blaze. —
然后一些随意扔下的木头着火了，并开始燃烧。 —

The bird hastened to fetch some water, but his pail fell into the well, and he after it, and as he was unable to recover himself, he was drowned.
鸟赶紧去取些水，但他的桶掉进了井里，他也跟着掉下去，由于无法恢复平衡，他淹死了。