There was once a man called Frederick: —
曾经有一个名叫弗雷德里克的男人，他有一个名叫凯瑟琳的妻子， —

he had a wife whose name was Catherine, and they had not long been married. —
他们刚刚结婚不久。有一天，弗雷德里克说：“凯特！我要去田里工作，等我回来会很饿， —

One day Frederick said. —
所以让我吃点好吃的，再来一大杯麦酒。 —

‘Kate! —
” —

I am going to work in the fields; —
“好的，”她说， —

when I come back I shall be hungry so let me have something nice cooked, and a good draught of ale. —
“一切都会准备好的。”午饭时间临近时，凯瑟琳拿了一块好牛排放在火上煎。 —

’ ‘Very well,’ said she, ‘it shall all be ready. —
牛排很快变成了棕色， —

’ When dinner-time drew nigh, Catherine took a nice steak, which was all the meat she had, and put it on the fire to fry. —
在锅里噼啪作响；凯瑟琳拿着叉子转着。 —

The steak soon began to look brown, and to crackle in the pan; —
然后她对自己说：“牛排差不多熟了， —

and Catherine stood by with a fork and turned it: —
我可以去地窖拿麦酒了。” —

then she said to herself, ‘The steak is almost ready, I may as well go to the cellar for the ale. —
于是她把锅留在火上，拿了一个大水壶走进地窖打开了麦酒桶。 —

’ So she left the pan on the fire and took a large jug and went into the cellar and tapped the ale cask. —
麦酒流进了水壶，凯瑟琳站在旁边看着。最后她突然想到：“狗没有关起来，它可能会偷走牛排。” —

The beer ran into the jug and Catherine stood looking on. —
于是她赶紧回到厨房， —

At last it popped into her head, ‘The dog is not shut up–he may be running away with the steak; —
可是牛排已经不见了，只剩下一只狗在舔锅子。 —

that’s well thought of. —
这想得真周到。 —

’ So up she ran from the cellar; —
所以她从地下室跑出来， —

and sure enough the rascally cur had got the steak in his mouth, and was making off with it.
果然那该死的狗已经咬住了牛排，正准备带走它。

Away ran Catherine, and away ran the dog across the field: —
凯瑟琳跑开了，狗也跑过田地： —

but he ran faster than she, and stuck close to the steak. —
但是它跑得比她快，紧紧跟着牛排。 —

‘It’s all gone, and “what can’t be cured must be endured”, ’ said Catherine. So she turned round; —
“既然都没了，只能顺其自然了。”凯瑟琳说。于是她转身， —

and as she had run a good way and was tired, she walked home leisurely to cool herself.
她跑了一段路，有些累了，于是悠闲地走回家，让自己冷静下来。

Now all this time the ale was running too, for Catherine had not turned the cock; —
这段时间酒也一直在流，因为凯瑟琳忘了关上龙头； —

and when the jug was full the liquor ran upon the floor till the cask was empty. —
当罐子装满后，酒就流到地板上，直到桶子里一滴不剩。 —

When she got to the cellar stairs she saw what had happened. —
她到达地下室楼梯时看到了发生了什么。 —

‘My stars!’ said she, ‘what shall I do to keep Frederick from seeing all this slopping about? —
“我的天！”她说，“我该怎么样让弗雷德里克不看到这些倒来倒去的东西？ —

’ So she thought a while; —
”所以她思考了一会儿； —

and at last remembered that there was a sack of fine meal bought at the last fair, and that if she sprinkled this over the floor it would suck up the ale nicely. —
最后她想起上次集市上买的一袋鲜面粉，她觉得如果洒在地板上，可以很好地吸干酒水。 —

‘What a lucky thing,’ said she, ‘that we kept that meal! —
“真是个幸运的事情，”她说，“我们把那顿饭留下了， —

we have now a good use for it. —
现在可以好好利用它了。 —

’ So away she went for it: —
” 于是她去拿： —

but she managed to set it down just upon the great jug full of beer, and upset it; —
但她设法将它放在了满满一大壶啤酒上，结果把啤酒给撒了； —

and thus all the ale that had been saved was set swimming on the floor also. —
于是之前省下的所有啤酒也洒在地上了。“啊，算了吧， —

‘Ah! well,’ said she, ‘when one goes another may as well follow. —
”她说，“一个倒了，另一个也无所谓。 —

’ Then she strewed the meal all about the cellar, and was quite pleased with her cleverness, and said, ‘How very neat and clean it looks!’
然后她在整个地窖里撒满了面粉，对自己的聪明才智感到非常高兴，说：“看起来多干净整洁啊！”

At noon Frederick came home. ‘Now, wife, ’ cried he, ‘what have you for dinner? —
中午弗雷德里克回家了。“嗨，妻子，”他喊道，“你准备了什么晚餐？ —

’ ‘O Frederick!’ answered she, ‘I was cooking you a steak; —
”“哦，弗雷德里克！”她回答，“我在给你煮牛排； —

but while I went down to draw the ale, the dog ran away with it; —
但当我下楼去抽啤酒时，狗把它偷跑了； —

and while I ran after him, the ale ran out; —
而当我追赶它的时候，啤酒也洒了； —

and when I went to dry up the ale with the sack of meal that we got at the fair, I upset the jug: —
当我想用我们在集市上买来的面袋来擦拭啤酒时，我碰翻了壶： —

but the cellar is now quite dry, and looks so clean!’ ‘Kate, Kate, ’ said he, ‘how could you do all this? —
但地窖现在完全干燥，看起来很干净！”“凯特，凯特，”他说，“你怎么能做出这样的事情？” —

’ Why did you leave the steak to fry, and the ale to run, and then spoil all the meal? —
‘为什么你把牛排放在锅里煎，让麦芽酒泻出来，然后把整顿饭都弄坏了呢？’ —

’ ‘Why, Frederick,’ said she, ‘I did not know I was doing wrong; —
‘为什么，弗雷德里克，’她说，‘我不知道我做错了； —

you should have told me before.’
你应该之前告诉我才对。’

The husband thought to himself, ‘If my wife manages matters thus, I must look sharp myself. —
丈夫心里想着，‘如果我的妻子这么处理事情，我得提高警惕了。 —

’ Now he had a good deal of gold in the house: —
’他家里有大量的金子： —

so he said to Catherine, ‘What pretty yellow buttons these are! —
所以他对凯瑟琳说，‘这些黄色的纽扣多漂亮啊！ —

I shall put them into a box and bury them in the garden; —
我要把它们放进盒子里埋在花园里； —

but take care that you never go near or meddle with them. —
但要小心，你绝对不能接近或干预它们。’‘不， —

’ ‘No, Frederick,’ said she, ‘that I never will. —
弗雷德里克，’她说，‘我绝对不会的。 —

’ As soon as he was gone, there came by some pedlars with earthenware plates and dishes, and they asked her whether she would buy. —
’他一离开，就有几个小贩带着陶瓷盘碟走过来，他们问她是否想购买。 —

‘Oh dear me, I should like to buy very much, but I have no money: —
‘天哪，我非常想买，但我没有钱： —

if you had any use for yellow buttons, I might deal with you. —
如果你们有用黄色纽扣的地方，我可以和你们做交易。 —

’ ‘Yellow buttons!’ said they: —
’‘黄色纽扣！’他们说， —

‘let us have a look at them. —
‘让我们看看它们。 —

’ ‘Go into the garden and dig where I tell you, and you will find the yellow buttons: —
“到花园里去，按照我告诉你的地方挖，你会找到黄色的纽扣：我自己不敢去。 —

I dare not go myself. —
”于是， —

’ So the rogues went: —
那些恶棍们就去了。 —

and when they found what these yellow buttons were, they took them all away, and left her plenty of plates and dishes. —
当他们发现这些黄色的纽扣是什么东西后，他们把它们全部拿走了，留下了大量的盘子和碟子给她。 —

Then she set them all about the house for a show: —
然后她把它们全部摆在房子里供人观赏： —

and when Frederick came back, he cried out, ‘Kate, what have you been doing? —
当弗雷德里克回来时，他大叫道，“凯特，你在干什么？” —

’ ‘See,’ said she, ‘I have bought all these with your yellow buttons: —
“你看，”她说，“我用你的黄色纽扣买了所有这些， —

but I did not touch them myself; —
但我自己没有动手； —

the pedlars went themselves and dug them up. —
就是那些小贩亲自去挖的。”“妻子， —

’ ‘Wife, wife,’ said Frederick, ‘what a pretty piece of work you have made! —
妻子，”弗雷德里克说，“你做了一件多么漂亮的事情！ —

those yellow buttons were all my money: —
那些黄色纽扣可都是我的钱啊， —

how came you to do such a thing? —
你怎么会做出这样的事情？ —

’ ‘Why,’ answered she, ‘I did not know there was any harm in it; —
”“ 呵，”她回答，“我不知道这有什么坏处； —

you should have told me.’
你应该告诉我。”

Catherine stood musing for a while, and at last said to her husband, ‘Hark ye, Frederick, we will soon get the gold back: —
凯瑟琳若有所思地站了一会儿，最后对她丈夫说，“听着，弗雷德里克，我们很快就能把黄金拿回来： —

let us run after the thieves.’ ‘Well, we will try,’ answered he; —
让我们追着小偷跑吧。 “好的，”他回答说； —

‘but take some butter and cheese with you, that we may have something to eat by the way. —
“但带些黄油和奶酪，这样我们在路上有东西吃。” “好的， —

’ ‘Very well,’ said she; —
”她说着， —

and they set out: —
他们出发了； —

and as Frederick walked the fastest, he left his wife some way behind. —
当弗雷德里克走得最快时，他把妻子甩在了后面； —

‘It does not matter,’ thought she: —
“没关系，”她想， —

‘when we turn back, I shall be so much nearer home than he.’
“等我们回头，我离家就近了。”

Presently she came to the top of a hill, down the side of which there was a road so narrow that the cart wheels always chafed the trees on each side as they passed. —
不久她来到了一座山的顶上，山的一边有一条小路，车轮经过时总是擦到两边的树； —

‘Ah, see now,’ said she, ‘how they have bruised and wounded those poor trees; —
“啊，看啊，”她说，“他们把这些可怜的树都擦伤了， —

they will never get well. —
它们再也长不好了。” —

’ So she took pity on them, and made use of the butter to grease them all, so that the wheels might not hurt them so much. —
因此，她可怜了它们，并用黄油来润滑它们，以免车轮伤害它们太多。 —

While she was doing this kind office one of her cheeses fell out of the basket, and rolled down the hill. —
当她正在做这个善事时，她的一个奶酪从篮子里掉了出来，在山下滚了下去。 —

Catherine looked, but could not see where it had gone; —
凯瑟琳环顾四周，但无法看到它去了哪里；所以她说：“好吧，我猜另一个会走同样的路找到你； —

so she said, ‘Well, I suppose the other will go the same way and find you; —
他的腿比我年轻。”然后她把另一块奶酪推了过去；它就策马奔腾，没有人知道它去了哪里，滚下山坡。 —

he has younger legs than I have. —
但她说她相信它们知道路， —

’ Then she rolled the other cheese after it; —
会跟着她来的， —

and away it went, nobody knows where, down the hill. —
她不能整天都等着他们。 —

But she said she supposed that they knew the road, and would follow her, and she could not stay there all day waiting for them.
然后她把另一块奶酪也推了过去；它就策马奔腾，没有人知道它去了哪里，滚下山坡。

At last she overtook Frederick, who desired her to give him something to eat. —
最后她追上了弗雷德里克，他要求她给他一些东西吃。 —

Then she gave him the dry bread. —
然后她给了他干面包。 —

‘Where are the butter and cheese? —
“黄油和奶酪在哪里？”他问道。 —

’ said he. ‘Oh!’ answered she, ‘I used the butter to grease those poor trees that the wheels chafed so: —
她回答道：“哦！我用黄油来润滑那些被车轮擦伤的可怜的树；然后有一块奶酪跑了，所以我派那另一块去找它，我猜它们俩一起在路上。” —

and one of the cheeses ran away so I sent the other after it to find it, and I suppose they are both on the road together somewhere. —
“你真是个傻瓜，做这么愚蠢的事！”丈夫说道。 —

’ ‘What a goose you are to do such silly things! —
她说：“你怎么能这么说？我敢肯定你从来没告诉过我不要这样做。 —

’ said the husband. —
” —

‘How can you say so?’ said she; —
他们一起吃了干面包；弗雷德里克说： —

‘I am sure you never told me not.’
“凯特，我希望你离开时锁好了门。”

They ate the dry bread together; —
她回答道：“没有”，他告诉我。 —

and Frederick said, ‘Kate, I hope you locked the door safe when you came away. —
”弗雷德里克说：“那么现在回家把它锁好，然后拿点要吃的东西过来。” —

’ ‘No,’ answered she, ‘you did not tell me.’ ‘Then go home, and do it now before we go any farther, ’ said Frederick, ‘and bring with you something to eat.’
凯瑟琳按照他的话去做了，并在路上心想：“弗雷德里克想要吃的东西；

Catherine did as he told her, and thought to herself by the way, ‘Frederick wants something to eat; —
她带着食物回来了。” —

but I don’t think he is very fond of butter and cheese: —
但我觉得他对黄油和奶酪不太喜欢： —

I’ll bring him a bag of fine nuts, and the vinegar, for I have often seen him take some.’
我会给他带一袋好坚果和醋，因为我经常看他拿一些。

When she reached home, she bolted the back door, but the front door she took off the hinges, and said, ‘Frederick told me to lock the door, but surely it can nowhere be so safe if I take it with me. —
当她回到家时，她拴紧了后门，但是她把前门从铰链上拆下来，她说：“弗雷德里克告诉我要锁好门，但如果我带着它，它肯定更安全。 —

’ So she took her time by the way; —
因此她在路上慢慢走； —

and when she overtook her husband she cried out, ‘There, Frederick, there is the door itself, you may watch it as carefully as you please. —
当她追上丈夫时，她喊道：“弗雷德里克，门就在那里，你可以随便看守它。 —

’ ‘Alas! alas!’ said he, ‘what a clever wife I have! —
‘唉！唉！’他说道，‘我真是个聪明的妻子！ —

I sent you to make the house fast, and you take the door away, so that everybody may go in and out as they please–however, as you have brought the door, you shall carry it about with you for your pains. —
我让你把房子关好，你却把门带走了，所以每个人都可以随意进出–不过，既然你带了门，你就要背着它走，作为你的辛劳报酬。 —

’ ‘Very well,’ answered she, ‘I’ll carry the door; —
‘很好，’她回答道，‘我会背这扇门， —

but I’ll not carry the nuts and vinegar bottle also–that would be too much of a load; —
但是坚果和醋瓶我不会背–那太重了； —

so if you please, I’ll fasten them to the door.’
所以如果你愿意，我会把它们扣在门上。

Frederick of course made no objection to that plan, and they set off into the wood to look for the thieves; —
弗雷德里克当然对这个计划没有任何异议，他们进入树林寻找那些小偷； —

but they could not find them: —
但他们找不到他们。 —

and when it grew dark, they climbed up into a tree to spend the night there. —
天黑了，他们爬上一棵树，在那里过夜。 —

Scarcely were they up, than who should come by but the very rogues they were looking for. —
他们刚爬上去，就碰到他们正在寻找的小偷。 —

They were in truth great rascals, and belonged to that class of people who find things before they are lost; —
他们确实是些大坏蛋，属于那种在东西丢失前就能找到的人类； —

they were tired; —
他们累了。 —

so they sat down and made a fire under the very tree where Frederick and Catherine were. —
于是他们坐下，在弗雷德里克和凯瑟琳所在的树下生火。 —

Frederick slipped down on the other side, and picked up some stones. —
弗雷德里克从另一边爬下，捡起一些石头。 —

Then he climbed up again, and tried to hit the thieves on the head with them: —
然后他再次爬上去，试图用石头砸中小偷的头部。 —

but they only said, ‘It must be near morning, for the wind shakes the fir-apples down.’
但他们只是说：“天快亮了，风把松果吹下来了。”

Catherine, who had the door on her shoulder, began to be very tired; —
凯瑟琳背着门，开始感到非常累； —

but she thought it was the nuts upon it that were so heavy: —
但她以为是门上的坚果太重了。 —

so she said softly, ‘Frederick, I must let the nuts go.’ ‘No,’ answered he, ‘not now, they will discover us. —
她轻声说：“弗雷德里克，我必须放开这些坚果。 —

’ ‘I can’t help that: —
” —

they must go.’ ‘Well, then, make haste and throw them down, if you will. —
他回答道：“不，现在不行，他们会发现我们。” —

’ Then away rattled the nuts down among the boughs and one of the thieves cried, ‘Bless me, it is hailing.’
“我无法阻止它，它们必须下去。”

A little while after, Catherine thought the door was still very heavy: —
过了一会儿，凯瑟琳觉得门仍然很重， —

so she whispered to Frederick, ‘I must throw the vinegar down. —
于是她对弗雷德里克低声说：“我必须把醋倒下去。” —

’ ‘Pray don’t,’ answered he, ‘it will discover us. —
“拜托，别这样做。”他回答道， —

’ ‘I can’t help that, ’ said she, ‘go it must. —
“这会让他们发现我们。” —

’ So she poured all the vinegar down; —
“我无法阻止它。 —

and the thieves said, ‘What a heavy dew there is!’
”她说，“必须进行。”

At last it popped into Catherine’s head that it was the door itself that was so heavy all the time: —
于是她把所有的醋都倒了下来，盗贼们说：“天哪，下着大雹。” —

so she whispered, ‘Frederick, I must throw the door down soon. —
最后，凯瑟琳突然想到，一直以来重的是门本身，于是她低声说： —

’ But he begged and prayed her not to do so, for he was sure it would betray them. —
“弗雷德里克，我很快要把门推倒。”但他恳求她不要这样做，因为他确信这会出卖他们。 —

‘Here goes, however,’ said she: —
“好了，开始吧。”她说道， —

and down went the door with such a clatter upon the thieves, that they cried out ‘Murder! —
接着门嘭地一声关上，砸得贼们大叫：“救命啊！” —

’ and not knowing what was coming, ran away as fast as they could, and left all the gold. —
不知道会发生什么，贼们吓得拔腿就跑，把所有的金子都丢在了那里。 —

So when Frederick and Catherine came down, there they found all their money safe and sound.
弗雷德里克和凯瑟琳下楼时，发现他们的钱全都安然无恙。