There were two brothers who were both soldiers; —
有两个兄弟，都是士兵； —

the one was rich and the other poor. —
一个富有，一个贫穷。 —

The poor man thought he would try to better himself; —
那个穷人想努力改变自己的命运， —

so, pulling off his red coat, he became a gardener, and dug his ground well, and sowed turnips.
所以他脱下红色的外套，成为了一个园丁，他很用心地耕作，种植了萝卜。

When the seed came up, there was one plant bigger than all the rest; —
当种子发芽时，有一株比其他所有的都要大； —

and it kept getting larger and larger, and seemed as if it would never cease growing; —
它不断地长大，似乎永远不会停止生长； —

so that it might have been called the prince of turnips for there never was such a one seen before, and never will again. —
所以它可以被称为萝卜之王，因为从来没有人见过这样的萝卜，以后也不会再有了。 —

At last it was so big that it filled a cart, and two oxen could hardly draw it; —
最后它长得如此之大，以至于填满了一辆车，两只牛都几乎拉不动它； —

and the gardener knew not what in the world to do with it, nor whether it would be a blessing or a curse to him. —
园丁不知道该怎么办才好，也不知道它是祝福还是诅咒。 —

One day he said to himself, ‘What shall I do with it? if I sell it, it will bring no more than another; —
有一天，他自言自语地说：“我该怎么办呢？如果我卖掉它，也不会比其他萝卜多得多； —

and for eating, the little turnips are better than this; —
而且就吃来说，小萝卜比这个更好吃； —

the best thing perhaps is to carry it and give it to the king as a mark of respect.’
也许最好的办法是把它抬到国王那里，作为对国王的尊敬之礼。”

Then he yoked his oxen, and drew the turnip to the court, and gave it to the king. —
然后他把牛套在车上，拖着大萝卜来到了王宫，然后把它送给了国王。国王说：“真是个奇妙的东西！我见过很多奇怪的东西， —

‘What a wonderful thing! —
但像这样的怪物我从未见过。你是从哪里得到这颗种子的呢？ —

’ said the king; —
还是仅仅是你的好运？” —

‘I have seen many strange things, but such a monster as this I never saw. —
“如果是这样的话，那你真是幸运之子了。”园丁回答道：“啊，不，我不是幸运之子， —

Where did you get the seed? —
我是个贫穷的士兵，无法谋生。 —

or is it only your good luck? —
所以我放下了红色的制服，开始耕种土地。” —

If so, you are a true child of fortune.’ ‘Ah, no!’ answered the gardener, ‘I am no child of fortune; —
“我有一个富有的兄弟，陛下您也很熟悉他，全世界也都知道他。可是因为我贫穷，每个人都忘记了我。” —

I am a poor soldier, who never could get enough to live upon; —
国王对他产生了怜悯之心，说道：“你不会再贫穷了。 —

so I laid aside my red coat, and set to work, tilling the ground. —
我会给你那么多钱，让你比你兄弟更富有。” —

I have a brother, who is rich, and your majesty knows him well, and all the world knows him; —
然后他给了他金子、土地和牲畜，使他变得富有，以至于他兄弟的财富根本无法与之相比。 —

but because I am poor, everybody forgets me.’

The king then took pity on him, and said, ‘You shall be poor no longer. —
— —

I will give you so much that you shall be even richer than your brother. —

’ Then he gave him gold and lands and flocks, and made him so rich that his brother’s fortune could not at all be compared with his.

When the brother heard of all this, and how a turnip had made the gardener so rich, he envied him sorely, and bethought himself how he could contrive to get the same good fortune for himself. —
当兄弟听说了这一切，并知道一个大头菜让园丁如此富有，他非常嫉妒，想方设法让自己也得到同样的好运。 —

However, he determined to manage more cleverly than his brother, and got together a rich present of gold and fine horses for the king; —
然而，他决定比他哥哥更聪明地处理，给国王准备了一份富有的金银和美丽的马匹的礼物； —

and thought he must have a much larger gift in return; —
他认为他必须得到比他哥哥更大的回报； —

for if his brother had received so much for only a turnip, what must his present be worth?
因为如果他的哥哥只因为一个大头菜就得到了这么多，他的礼物应该价值更多。

The king took the gift very graciously, and said he knew not what to give in return more valuable and wonderful than the great turnip; —
国王非常慈善地接受了礼物，并表示他不知道该送出比那个巨大的大头菜更有价值和神奇的东西； —

so the soldier was forced to put it into a cart, and drag it home with him. —
所以，士兵不得不把它放进一辆马车里，拖回家。 —

When he reached home, he knew not upon whom to vent his rage and spite; —
当他回到家时，不知道该对谁发泄他的愤怒和恶意； —

and at length wicked thoughts came into his head, and he resolved to kill his brother.
最后，邪恶的想法涌入他的脑海，他决定杀死他的兄弟。

So he hired some villains to murder him; —
他雇了一些恶棍来谋杀他;在指示他们埋伏的地方之后， —

and having shown them where to lie in ambush, he went to his brother, and said, ‘Dear brother, I have found a hidden treasure; —
他去找他的兄弟，说道：“亲爱的兄弟，我发现了一个隐藏的宝藏；让我们一起去挖掘出来，然后分享给我们两个。”其他人对他的奸诈毫无察觉： —

let us go and dig it up, and share it between us. —
所以他们一起出去，当他们旅行的时候，凶手们突然出现， —

’ The other had no suspicions of his roguery: —
绑住了他，打算把他吊在一棵树上。 —

so they went out together, and as they were travelling along, the murderers rushed out upon him, bound him, and were going to hang him on a tree.
但是当他们忙着准备时，他们听到了远处的马蹄声，吓得他们把袋子紧紧地套在他的头和肩膀上，然后用绳子把他吊到树上，把他晃悠起来，然后逃走了。

But whilst they were getting all ready, they heard the trampling of a horse at a distance, which so frightened them that they pushed their prisoner neck and shoulders together into a sack, and swung him up by a cord to the tree, where they left him dangling, and ran away. —
与此同时，他努力工作着，直到他挖出了一个足够大的洞，可以伸出他的头。 —

Meantime he worked and worked away, till he made a hole large enough to put out his head.
当骑马的人靠近时，他证明自己是一个学生，一个快乐的家伙，他骑着马一路上唱着歌。

When the horseman came up, he proved to be a student, a merry fellow, who was journeying along on his nag, and singing as he went. —
他走过，看见一个人吊在树上，他用惊讶的声音说：“你在那里做什么？怎么被吊在树上了？” —

As soon as the man in the sack saw him passing under the tree, he cried out, ‘Good morning! —
就在那个袋子里的人看见他从树下走过时，他大声喊道：“早上好！ —

good morning to thee, my friend! —
早上好，我的朋友！ —

’ The student looked about everywhere; —
学生四处看了看，见没有人， —

and seeing no one, and not knowing where the voice came from, cried out, ‘Who calls me?’
也不知道声音响从哪里传来，于是大声问道：“谁在叫我？”

Then the man in the tree answered, ‘Lift up thine eyes, for behold here I sit in the sack of wisdom; —
于是那个树上的人回答道：“抬起你的眼睛，因为看啊，我就坐在智慧的袋子里； —

here have I, in a short time, learned great and wondrous things. —
在这个地方，我短短的时间学到了很多伟大且奇妙的知识。 —

Compared to this seat, all the learning of the schools is as empty air. —
与这个座位相比，学校里的一切知识都如空气般空虚。 —

A little longer, and I shall know all that man can know, and shall come forth wiser than the wisest of mankind. —
再过一段时间，我就会知道人类所能知道的一切，并且会变得比最聪明的人类还要聪明。 —

Here I discern the signs and motions of the heavens and the stars; —
在这里，我看见了天空和星星的迹象和运动； —

the laws that control the winds; —
掌握了控制风的法则； —

the number of the sands on the seashore; —
知道了海滩上有多少沙子； —

the healing of the sick; —
知道了治疗疾病的方法； —

the virtues of all simples, of birds, and of precious stones. —
得知了各种草药、鸟类和宝石的特性。 —

Wert thou but once here, my friend, though wouldst feel and own the power of knowledge.
如果你也能来到这里，我的朋友，你会感受到并认可知识的力量。”

The student listened to all this and wondered much; at last he said, ‘Blessed be the day and hour when I found you; —
这位学生仔细听着，心生好奇；最后他说道：“当初遇见你的那一天和那个时刻真是幸运啊！ —

cannot you contrive to let me into the sack for a little while? —
你不能想办法让我稍微待在袋子里一会儿吗？ —

’ Then the other answered, as if very unwillingly, ‘A little space I may allow thee to sit here, if thou wilt reward me well and entreat me kindly; —
然后对方勉强答道：“如果你能够慷慨报答我并好好拜托我，我或许可以让你坐一会儿在这里。 —

but thou must tarry yet an hour below, till I have learnt some little matters that are yet unknown to me.’
但是你必须在下面再等上一个小时，等我学习完一些我还不了解的事情。”

So the student sat himself down and waited a while; but the time hung heavy upon him, and he begged earnestly that he might ascend forthwith, for his thirst for knowledge was great. —
于是这位学生坐下来等待一会儿，但是时间过得很慢，他恳求着立即上去，因为他对知识的渴求很大。 —

Then the other pretended to give way, and said, ‘Thou must let the sack of wisdom descend, by untying yonder cord, and then thou shalt enter. —
那个人假装让步，说：“你必须通过解开那边的绳子让智慧的袋子下来，然后你才能进去。” —

’ So the student let him down, opened the sack, and set him free. ‘Now then, ’ cried he, ‘let me ascend quickly. —
于是这位学生放下他，打开了袋子，让他自由了。“好了，”他喊道，“让我马上上去吧。” —

’ As he began to put himself into the sack heels first, ‘Wait a while,’ said the gardener, ‘that is not the way. —
当他开始倒脚进袋子时，园丁说：“等一会儿，那样不对。” —

’ Then he pushed him in head first, tied up the sack, and soon swung up the searcher after wisdom dangling in the air. —
于是他把他头朝下推进袋子，把袋子扎紧，很快就把追求智慧的人吊在空中。 —

‘How is it with thee, friend?’ said he, ‘dost thou not feel that wisdom comes unto thee? —
“朋友，你感觉如何？”他说，“难道你不觉得智慧来到了你身边吗？” —

Rest there in peace, till thou art a wiser man than thou wert.’
在那里安静地休息吧，直到你变得比以前更有智慧。

So saying, he trotted off on the student’s nag, and left the poor fellow to gather wisdom till somebody should come and let him down.
这样说着，他骑着学生的马托着离开了，把可怜的家伙留在那里等待有人来放他下来获取智慧。