An honest farmer had once an ass that had been a faithful servant to him a great many years, but was now growing old and every day more and more unfit for work. —
一个诚实的农夫曾经有一只驴子，这只驴子服侍他很多年，但现在变得越来越老，每天都越来越不适合工作。 —

His master therefore was tired of keeping him and began to think of putting an end to him; —
因此，他的主人厌倦了养着它，并开始考虑了解决信的办法; —

but the ass, who saw that some mischief was in the wind, took himself slyly off, and began his journey towards the great city, ‘For there,’ thought he, ‘I may turn musician.’
但驴子看到有什么阴谋正在酝酿，悄悄地溜掉，并开始朝着大城市前进，“因为在那里”，他想，“我可以成为音乐家。”

After he had travelled a little way, he spied a dog lying by the roadside and panting as if he were tired. —
在他行进了一小段路后，他发现路边有只狗躺在那里，喘着气，好像很累。“你为什么这么喘气， —

‘What makes you pant so, my friend? —
我的朋友？”驴子问道。 —

’ said the ass. ‘Alas!’ said the dog, ‘my master was going to knock me on the head, because I am old and weak, and can no longer make myself useful to him in hunting; —
“唉！”狗说，“我的主人打算把我打死，因为我老了，虚弱了，不能再在打猎中为他出力了; —

so I ran away; but what can I do to earn my livelihood? —
所以我逃走了; 但是我能干什么来谋生呢？ —

’ ‘Hark ye!’ said the ass, ‘I am going to the great city to turn musician: —
”“听着！”驴子说，“我正要去大城市当音乐家: —

suppose you go with me, and try what you can do in the same way? —
你要不要和我一起去，试试看你能在同样的方式下做些什么呢？ —

’ The dog said he was willing, and they jogged on together.
狗说他愿意，他们一起慢跑着。

They had not gone far before they saw a cat sitting in the middle of the road and making a most rueful face. —
他们走了没多久就看见一只猫坐在路中央，脸上露出极度悲伤的表情。 —

‘Pray, my good lady,’ said the ass, ‘what’s the matter with you? —
‘拜托，善良的女士，’驴说，‘你怎么了？ —

You look quite out of spirits!’ ‘Ah, me! —
你看上去情绪低落！’‘啊，我！ —

’ said the cat, ‘how can one be in good spirits when one’s life is in danger? —
’猫说，‘当一头动物的生命处于危险中时，怎么可能心情好呢？ —

Because I am beginning to grow old, and had rather lie at my ease by the fire than run about the house after the mice, my mistress laid hold of me, and was going to drown me; —
因为我开始变老了，宁愿舒舒服服地躺在火炉旁，而不是在屋子里追逐老鼠，我的主人抓住我，本来要淹死我； —

and though I have been lucky enough to get away from her, I do not know what I am to live upon. —
虽然我幸运地逃脱了，但不知道该靠什么生活了。 —

’ ‘Oh,’ said the ass, ‘by all means go with us to the great city; —
’‘哦，’驴说，‘一定要和我们一起去大城市； —

you are a good night singer, and may make your fortune as a musician. —
你是个优秀的夜莺歌手，可以作为音乐家发财。 —

’ The cat was pleased with the thought, and joined the party.
’猫对这个主意很满意，加入了这个队伍。

Soon afterwards, as they were passing by a farmyard, they saw a cock perched upon a gate, and screaming out with all his might and main. —
不久之后，当他们经过一个农场时，他们看到一只公鸡站在一道门上，用尽全力尖叫着。“太棒了！ —

‘Bravo! —
” —

’ said the ass; ‘upon my word, you make a famous noise; —
“呵呵，”驴子说，“你的噪音可真大啊！ —

pray what is all this about? —
请问这是为了什么？” —

’ ‘Why,’ said the cock, ‘I was just now saying that we should have fine weather for our washing-day, and yet my mistress and the cook don’t thank me for my pains, but threaten to cut off my head tomorrow, and make broth of me for the guests that are coming on Sunday! —
“噢，”公鸡说，“我刚才还在说我们洗衣日会有好天气，但我的主人和厨师却不感谢我，反而威胁说明天要砍掉我的头，煮成菜肴给周日来的客人吃！” —

’ ‘Heaven forbid!’ said the ass, ‘come with us Master Chanticleer; —
“天哪！”驴子说，“跟我们一起走吧，尊敬的斯坦蒂克列尔先生；这样至少比待在这里被砍头要好！而且，谁知道呢？ —

it will be better, at any rate, than staying here to have your head cut off! —
“如果我们想唱得和谐，说不定能组织一场音乐会；所以跟我们一起来吧。 —

Besides, who knows? —
” —

If we care to sing in tune, we may get up some kind of a concert; —
“我愿意！”公鸡说道，于是他们四个一起快乐地继续前行。 —

so come along with us. —
—

’ ‘With all my heart,’ said the cock: —
然而，他们第一天无法到达大城市， —

so they all four went on jollily together.
所以夜幕降临时，他们进入一片森林休息。

They could not, however, reach the great city the first day; —
然后就在那里睡了一晚。 —

so when night came on, they went into a wood to sleep. —
—

The ass and the dog laid themselves down under a great tree, and the cat climbed up into the branches; —
驴和狗躺在一棵大树下，猫爬上树枝； —

while the cock, thinking that the higher he sat the safer he should be, flew up to the very top of the tree, and then, according to his custom, before he went to sleep, looked out on all sides of him to see that everything was well. —
而公鸡站在树的最顶端，认为越高越安全，然后照他的习惯四处查看确保一切安好。 —

In doing this, he saw afar off something bright and shining and calling to his companions said, ‘There must be a house no great way off, for I see a light. —
在这样做的时候，他远远地看到了一些明亮的东西，并向他的伙伴们喊道，“肯定有一座房子不远之处，因为我看到了一束光。” —

’ ‘If that be the case,’ said the ass, ‘we had better change our quarters, for our lodging is not the best in the world! —
“如果真是这样，” 驴说道，“我们最好换个地方住宿，因为我们现在的住处并不好！” —

’ ‘Besides,’ added the dog, ‘I should not be the worse for a bone or two, or a bit of meat. —
“而且，” 狗补充道，“我多吃一两根骨头或一点肉也不会有坏处。” —

’ So they walked off together towards the spot where Chanticleer had seen the light, and as they drew near it became larger and brighter, till they at last came close to a house in which a gang of robbers lived.
于是他们一起朝着公鸡看到灯光的地方走去，随着他们的接近，灯光变得越来越明亮，最后他们离一座山贼的房子很近了。

The ass, being the tallest of the company, marched up to the window and peeped in. ‘Well, Donkey,’ said Chanticleer, ‘what do you see? —
那驴子，作为队伍中最高的，走到窗户前面偷偷看了看。“唔，笨驴，”公鸡说道，“你看到了什么？” —

’ ‘What do I see?’ replied the ass. ‘Why, I see a table spread with all kinds of good things, and robbers sitting round it making merry. —
”我看到什么？”驴子回答道。“噢，我看到一张摆满各种美食的桌子，周围坐着快活的强盗。” —

’ ‘That would be a noble lodging for us, ’ said the cock. ‘Yes,’ said the ass, ‘if we could only get in’; —
”那对我们来说真是个好住处，”公鸡说道。“是的，”驴子说，“只要我们能进去；” —

so they consulted together how they should contrive to get the robbers out; —
于是他们商量该如何让强盗离开， —

and at last they hit upon a plan. —
最后想出了一个计划。 —

The ass placed himself upright on his hind legs, with his forefeet resting against the window; —
驴子用后腿竖直站起来，前腿靠在窗户上； —

the dog got upon his back; —
狗站在驴子的背上； —

the cat scrambled up to the dog’s shoulders, and the cock flew up and sat upon the cat’s head. —
猫爬上狗的肩膀，公鸡飞上猫头上坐了下来。 —

When all was ready a signal was given, and they began their music. The ass brayed, the dog barked, the cat mewed, and the cock screamed; —
一切都准备就绪后，发出了一个信号，他们开始演奏音乐。驴子嘶鸣，狗吠，猫喵喵叫，公鸡尖叫； —

and then they all broke through the window at once, and came tumbling into the room, amongst the broken glass, with a most hideous clatter! —
然后他们一起突破了窗户，跌进房间里，在破碎的玻璃中发出可怕的碰撞声！ —

The robbers, who had been not a little frightened by the opening concert, had now no doubt that some frightful hobgoblin had broken in upon them, and scampered away as fast as they could.
抢劫犯们被这开场音乐吓得不轻，现在毫无疑问，某个可怕的精灵闯入了他们的世界，他们惊慌失措地逃走。

The coast once clear, our travellers soon sat down and dispatched what the robbers had left, with as much eagerness as if they had not expected to eat again for a month. —
等海岸一片宁静，我们的旅行者们很快坐下来处理抢劫犯留下的东西，就像他们不指望再有一月的食物一样。 —

As soon as they had satisfied themselves, they put out the lights, and each once more sought out a resting-place to his own liking. —
他们满足了自己后，熄灭了灯，每个人又找到了自己喜欢的休息地。 —

The donkey laid himself down upon a heap of straw in the yard, the dog stretched himself upon a mat behind the door, the cat rolled herself up on the hearth before the warm ashes, and the cock perched upon a beam on the top of the house; —
驴子在院子里的一堆草上躺下，狗躺在门后的垫子上，猫在炉子前的温暖灰烬上卷成一团，公鸡则栖息在房顶上的横梁上； —

and, as they were all rather tired with their journey, they soon fell asleep.
由于他们都有些劳累了这段旅程，很快就入睡了。

But about midnight, when the robbers saw from afar that the lights were out and that all seemed quiet, they began to think that they had been in too great a hurry to run away; —
但是大约在午夜时分，当强盗们远远看到灯都熄灭了，一切似乎安静下来，他们开始觉得自己逃得太急了； —

and one of them, who was bolder than the rest, went to see what was going on. —
其中一个比其他人更胆大的人走上前去看看发生了什么事情。 —

Finding everything still, he marched into the kitchen, and groped about till he found a match in order to light a candle; —
发现一切仍然静悄悄的，他走进了厨房，摸索到一根火柴来点一支蜡烛； —

and then, espying the glittering fiery eyes of the cat, he mistook them for live coals, and held the match to them to light it. —
接着，他看到猫闪烁的火眼，错把它们当作热煤，点燃了火柴。 —

But the cat, not understanding this joke, sprang at his face, and spat, and scratched at him. —
但是猫不明白这个玩笑，向他脸上扑去，发出叫声并抓住他。 —

This frightened him dreadfully, and away he ran to the back door; —
这把他吓坏了，他逃到后门， —

but there the dog jumped up and bit him in the leg; —
但是被狗跳起咬到了腿； —

and as he was crossing over the yard the ass kicked him; —
当他穿过院子时，驴踢了他； —

and the cock, who had been awakened by the noise, crowed with all his might. —
而被吵醒的公鸡大声啼叫。 —

At this the robber ran back as fast as he could to his comrades, and told the captain how a horrid witch had got into the house, and had spat at him and scratched his face with her long bony fingers; —
此时，强盗跑得飞快，回到了他的同伴那里，告诉了首领一个可怕的巫婆进了屋子，朝他吐口水，用她长长的骨瘦如柴的手抓了他的脸； —

how a man with a knife in his hand had hidden himself behind the door, and stabbed him in the leg; —
说有个手持刀子的人躲在门后，刺了他的腿； —

how a black monster stood in the yard and struck him with a club, and how the devil had sat upon the top of the house and cried out, ‘Throw the rascal up here! —
说有个黑色的怪物站在院子里，用棍子击打了他，还说魔鬼坐在房顶上大喊：“把那个恶棍扔上来！” —

’ After this the robbers never dared to go back to the house; —
自此之后，强盗再也不敢回到那幢房子了； —

but the musicians were so pleased with their quarters that they took up their abode there; —
但是音乐家们对他们的住处非常满意，他们就在那里定居下来； —

and there they are, I dare say, at this very day.
说不定他们就在那儿呆到了现在。