A farmer had a faithful and diligent servant, who had worked hard for him three years, without having been paid any wages. —
一位农民有一个忠诚勤奋的仆人，他连续工作了三年，却没有得到任何工资。 —

At last it came into the man’s head that he would not go on thus without pay any longer; —
最后，这个人想到不能再继续没有工资地工作下去了； —

so he went to his master, and said, ‘I have worked hard for you a long time, I will trust to you to give me what I deserve to have for my trouble. —
于是他去找他的主人说：“我辛勤地为您工作了很长时间，我相信您会给我应得的报酬。” —

’ The farmer was a sad miser, and knew that his man was very simple-hearted; —
那位农民是个吝啬鬼，也知道他的仆人是个风趣单纯的人； —

so he took out threepence, and gave him for every year’s service a penny. —
所以他拿出三分钱，为每年的服务给了他一便士。 —

The poor fellow thought it was a great deal of money to have, and said to himself, ‘Why should I work hard, and live here on bad fare any longer? —
这个可怜的人觉得这是很多钱，他心想：“我为什么要辛苦工作，继续在这里过着吃不好的日子呢？ —

I can now travel into the wide world, and make myself merry. —
我现在可以到世界各地旅行，享受快乐了。” —

’ With that he put his money into his purse, and set out, roaming over hill and valley.
于是他把钱放进钱包，出发在山间和山谷中游荡。

As he jogged along over the fields, singing and dancing, a little dwarf met him, and asked him what made him so merry. —
当他欢歌笑语地沿着田野走着时，遇到了一个小矮人，小矮人问他为什么这么高兴。 —

‘Why, what should make me down-hearted? —
“为什么，是什么让我灰心丧气？ —

’ said he; ‘I am sound in health and rich in purse, what should I care for? —
”他说，“我的身体健康，钱包丰满，我还有什么好担心的呢？ —

I have saved up my three years’ earnings and have it all safe in my pocket. —
我已经存了三年的工钱，都安全地放在口袋里。 —

’ ‘How much may it come to? —
”“那总计是多少？ —

’ said the little man. —
”小人问道。 —

‘Full threepence,’ replied the countryman. —
“三便士，”乡下人回答。 —

‘I wish you would give them to me, ’ said the other; ‘I am very poor. —
“我希望你能把它们给我，”小人说，“我很穷。 —

’ Then the man pitied him, and gave him all he had; —
”于是那个人同情了他，并把所有的钱都给了他。 —

and the little dwarf said in return, ‘As you have such a kind honest heart, I will grant you three wishes–one for every penny; —
小矮人回报道：“因为你拥有如此善良诚实的心，我将给你三个愿望–每个愿望值一便士； —

so choose whatever you like. —
所以任你选择你喜欢的任何东西。 —

’ Then the countryman rejoiced at his good luck, and said, ‘I like many things better than money: —
”乡下人为自己的好运感到高兴，他说：“有很多事情比钱更让我开心： —

first, I will have a bow that will bring down everything I shoot at; —
首先，我想要一张射中我所射向的一切东西的弓箭； —

secondly, a fiddle that will set everyone dancing that hears me play upon it; —
其次，我想要一把让所有听到我演奏的人都跳舞的小提琴； —

and thirdly, I should like that everyone should grant what I ask. —
第三，我希望每个人都能满足我的要求。 —

’ The dwarf said he should have his three wishes; so he gave him the bow and fiddle, and went his way.
“小矮人说他应该得到他的三个愿望，于是他给了他弓和小提琴，然后走了。”

Our honest friend journeyed on his way too; —
我们诚实的朋友也继续前行； —

and if he was merry before, he was now ten times more so. —
如果之前他开心的话，现在他更加开心了十倍。 —

He had not gone far before he met an old miser: —
他没走多远就遇到了一个老守财奴。 —

close by them stood a tree, and on the topmost twig sat a thrush singing away most joyfully. —
在他们附近有一棵树，树的最高的枝条上坐着一只欢快地唱歌的画眉鸟。 —

‘Oh, what a pretty bird! —
“哦，多漂亮的鸟啊！ —

’ said the miser; —
”守财奴说。 —

‘I would give a great deal of money to have such a one. —
“我愿意花很多钱来拥有这么一只。 —

’ ‘If that’s all, ’ said the countryman, ‘I will soon bring it down. —
”“如果只是这样，”那农夫说，“我很快就把它弄下来。” —

’ Then he took up his bow, and down fell the thrush into the bushes at the foot of the tree. —
然后他拿起他的弓，画眉鸟就掉进了树下的灌木丛里。 —

The miser crept into the bush to find it; —
守财奴爬进灌木丛找它。 —

but directly he had got into the middle, his companion took up his fiddle and played away, and the miser began to dance and spring about, capering higher and higher in the air. —
但是他刚刚走进中间，他的伙伴就拿起小提琴演奏起来，守财奴开始跳舞和腾空，越跳越高。 —

The thorns soon began to tear his clothes till they all hung in rags about him, and he himself was all scratched and wounded, so that the blood ran down. —
荆棘很快就开始撕裂他的衣服，直到他们都变成破烂不堪，他自己也被划伤了，鲜血流了下来。 —

‘Oh, for heaven’s sake!’ cried the miser, ‘Master! master! pray let the fiddle alone. —
‘哦，天哪！’守财奴大喊道，‘主人！主人！请别再碰这把小提琴了。 —

What have I done to deserve this? —
我做了什么才值得这样对待我？ —

’ ‘Thou hast shaved many a poor soul close enough, ’ said the other; ‘thou art only meeting thy reward’: —
‘你曾经将很多穷人剃得够干净，’另一个人说道，‘这是你应得的报应’， —

so he played up another tune. —
然后他开始弹奏另一曲。 —

Then the miser began to beg and promise, and offered money for his liberty; —
然后守财奴开始乞求并承诺，他提供金钱求得自由； —

but he did not come up to the musician’s price for some time, and he danced him along brisker and brisker, and the miser bid higher and higher, till at last he offered a round hundred of florins that he had in his purse, and had just gained by cheating some poor fellow. —
但是他一直没有达到音乐家的要价，于是音乐家越跳越欢，守财奴的出价越来越高，直到最后他提供了一个圆满的一百金币，这些钱是他刚刚通过欺骗一个可怜人所得到的。 —

When the countryman saw so much money, he said, ‘I will agree to your proposal. —
当乡下人看到这么多钱时，他说道，‘我同意你的提议。 —

’ So he took the purse, put up his fiddle, and travelled on very pleased with his bargain.
’于是，他拿起钱袋，收起小提琴，心满意足地继续旅行。

Meanwhile the miser crept out of the bush half-naked and in a piteous plight, and began to ponder how he should take his revenge, and serve his late companion some trick. —
与此同时，那个吝啬鬼半裸半露地从灌木丛中悄悄爬了出来，看起来可怜兮兮，开始思考如何报复并捉弄他刚刚的同伴。 —

At last he went to the judge, and complained that a rascal had robbed him of his money, and beaten him into the bargain; —
最终他去找了法官，抱怨说有个恶棍抢走了他的钱，还打了他一顿； —

and that the fellow who did it carried a bow at his back and a fiddle hung round his neck. —
而且那个人背着弓，脖子上挂着小提琴。 —

Then the judge sent out his officers to bring up the accused wherever they should find him; —
然后法官派出他的官员去把那个被指控的人抓起来，无论他们在哪里找到他； —

and he was soon caught and brought up to be tried.
很快他被抓住了，带到法庭受审。

The miser began to tell his tale, and said he had been robbed of his money. ‘No, you gave it me for playing a tune to you. —
吝啬鬼开始讲述他的故事，声称自己的钱被抢了。“不，你是给我钱让我给你弹奏一曲。”乡下人说，但法官告诉他这是不可能的，并且干脆地判决他上绞架。 —

’ said the countryman; —
于是他被带走了， —

but the judge told him that was not likely, and cut the matter short by ordering him off to the gallows.
但他站在台阶上说：“我的法官大人，请给我最后一个请求。

So away he was taken; —
—

but as he stood on the steps he said, ‘My Lord Judge, grant me one last request. —
我恳请您让我有机会为您演奏一曲，以最后一个奇迹证明自己的清白。” —

’ ‘Anything but thy life, ’ replied the other. ‘No,’ said he, ‘I do not ask my life; —
“不，我不要求我的生命；只是让我最后一次拉琴而已。 —

only to let me play upon my fiddle for the last time. —
” —

’ The miser cried out, ‘Oh, no! no! —
“吝啬鬼喊道：“哦， —

for heaven’s sake don’t listen to him! —
不！不要听他的！不要听他的！ —

don’t listen to him! —
” —

’ But the judge said, ‘It is only this once, he will soon have done. —
但法官说：“就这一次，他很快就会结束的。” —

’ The fact was, he could not refuse the request, on account of the dwarf’s third gift.
事实上，因为侏儒的第三个礼物，他不能拒绝这个请求。

Then the miser said, ‘Bind me fast, bind me fast, for pity’s sake. —
然后，吝啬鬼说：“紧紧地绑住我，紧紧地绑住我，求求你们了！” —

’ But the countryman seized his fiddle, and struck up a tune, and at the first note judge, clerks, and jailer were in motion; —
但是乡下人拿起他的小提琴，开始演奏一首曲子，一听到第一个音符，法官、书记员和狱卒立刻起身跳舞； —

all began capering, and no one could hold the miser. —
所有人都开始跳跃，没人能把吝啬鬼按住。 —

At the second note the hangman let his prisoner go, and danced also, and by the time he had played the first bar of the tune, all were dancing together–judge, court, and miser, and all the people who had followed to look on. —
听到第二个音符，死刑刽子手放开了囚犯，也跟着跳舞，到小提琴家第一个小节结束时，法官、法庭和吝啬鬼，以及所有旁观的人都在一起跳舞。 —

At first the thing was merry and pleasant enough; —
起初，事情还很快乐愉快； —

but when it had gone on a while, and there seemed to be no end of playing or dancing, they began to cry out, and beg him to leave off; —
但是当时间过去一段时间后，似乎没有玩耍或跳舞的尽头，他们开始哭喊，并恳求他停下来； —

but he stopped not a whit the more for their entreaties, till the judge not only gave him his life, but promised to return him the hundred florins.
但是他毫不在意他们的请求，一直进行下去，直到法官不仅给了他生命，还答应把一百个金币还给他。

Then he called to the miser, and said, ‘Tell us now, you vagabond, where you got that gold, or I shall play on for your amusement only, ’ ‘I stole it,’ said the miser in the presence of all the people; —
然后他呼叫那个吝啬鬼，并说：“告诉我们，你这个流浪汉，到底是从哪里弄到那些金子的，否则我就只为了你的娱乐而继续演奏。”“我偷的，”那个吝啬鬼当着众人的面说道； —

‘I acknowledge that I stole it, and that you earned it fairly. —
“我承认是我偷的，而你是正当地赚到了它。”于是那个乡下人停下了他的小提琴，将吝啬鬼留在了绞刑架上。 —

’ Then the countryman stopped his fiddle, and left the miser to take his place at the gallows.
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