A shepherd’s dog had a master who took no care of him, but often let him suffer the greatest hunger. —
一只牧羊犬有一个不爱护他的主人，经常让他遭受极度的饥饿。最终， —

At last he could bear it no longer; —
他再也无法忍受了； —

so he took to his heels, and off he ran in a very sad and sorrowful mood. —
于是他拔腿就跑，心情非常悲伤和沮丧。 —

On the road he met a sparrow that said to him, ‘Why are you so sad, my friend? —
在路上，他遇到一只麻雀，对他说：“朋友，你为什么这么伤心？” —

’ ‘Because,’ said the dog, ‘I am very very hungry, and have nothing to eat. —
“因为，”狗说，“我非常非常饿，没有东西吃。” —

’ ‘If that be all,’ answered the sparrow, ‘come with me into the next town, and I will soon find you plenty of food. —
“如果只是这样，”麻雀回答道，“跟我一起到下一个城镇，我很快会为你找到足够的食物。” —

’ So on they went together into the town: —
于是他们一同去了城里。 —

and as they passed by a butcher’s shop, the sparrow said to the dog, ‘Stand there a little while till I peck you down a piece of meat. —
当他们经过一家肉店时，麻雀对狗说：“站在那儿等一会儿，我会抢下一块肉给你。” —

’ So the sparrow perched upon the shelf: —
于是麻雀停在架子上， —

and having first looked carefully about her to see if anyone was watching her, she pecked and scratched at a steak that lay upon the edge of the shelf, till at last down it fell. —
仔细四周观察是否有人在看她，然后她啄啄、刨刨地在架子边缘的一块牛排上，直到最后它掉落下来。 —

Then the dog snapped it up, and scrambled away with it into a corner, where he soon ate it all up. —
然后狗抓起来，一溜烟地跑进了一个角落，很快就吃个干净。 —

‘Well,’ said the sparrow, ‘you shall have some more if you will; —
‘好吧，’麻雀说，‘如果你想要更多，我可以再给你一些； —

so come with me to the next shop, and I will peck you down another steak. —
跟我去下一家商店，我会帮你叼下来另一块牛排的。 —

’ When the dog had eaten this too, the sparrow said to him, ‘Well, my good friend, have you had enough now? —
’当狗吃完了这一块牛排后，麻雀对他说，‘好了，我的朋友，现在你吃饱了吗？ —

’ ‘I have had plenty of meat,’ answered he, ‘but I should like to have a piece of bread to eat after it. —
’‘我吃了很多肉，’他回答说，‘但我想要一片面包来配一下。 —

’ ‘Come with me then,’ said the sparrow, ‘and you shall soon have that too. —
’‘那就跟我来吧，’麻雀说，‘你很快就会有面包的。 —

’ So she took him to a baker’s shop, and pecked at two rolls that lay in the window, till they fell down: —
’于是她带他去了一家面包店，啄食着窗台上的两个面包，直到它们掉下来。 —

and as the dog still wished for more, she took him to another shop and pecked down some more for him. —
因为狗还想要更多，她又带他去了另一家店，叼下了一些给他。 —

When that was eaten, the sparrow asked him whether he had had enough now. —
当那些都吃完了，麻雀问他现在已经吃够了吗。‘是的， —

‘Yes,’ said he; —
’他说； —

‘and now let us take a walk a little way out of the town. —
‘现在让我们走一小段出城吧。 —

’ So they both went out upon the high road; —
’所以他们都走出了大路上。 —

but as the weather was warm, they had not gone far before the dog said, ‘I am very much tired–I should like to take a nap. —
但天气很热，他们走得不远，狗就说：“我很累了，我想打个盹。 —

’ ‘Very well,’ answered the sparrow, ‘do so, and in the meantime I will perch upon that bush. —
‘很好，’麻雀回答道，‘你睡吧，我在那棵灌木上栖息一会儿。 —

’ So the dog stretched himself out on the road, and fell fast asleep. —
’于是狗舒展开身子躺在路上，迅速进入梦乡。 —

Whilst he slept, there came by a carter with a cart drawn by three horses, and loaded with two casks of wine. —
就在他睡着的时候，一位拉着三匹马的车夫路过，车上装满了两桶酒。 —

The sparrow, seeing that the carter did not turn out of the way, but would go on in the track in which the dog lay, so as to drive over him, called out, ‘Stop! —
麻雀看到那个车夫并没有避让，而是要走过狗躺着的地方，直接碾压过去，于是大声喊道：“停下！停下！卡特先生，否则你会后悔的。”但车夫嘟囔着说：“你也敢威胁我，真是自不量力！你能做什么？” —

stop! Mr Carter, or it shall be the worse for you. —
车夫挥舞着鞭子， —

’ But the carter, grumbling to himself, ‘You make it the worse for me, indeed! what can you do? —
将马拉着的车子碾过可怜的狗，车轮将它压死。 —

’ cracked his whip, and drove his cart over the poor dog, so that the wheels crushed him to death. —
‘看吧，’麻雀喊道，‘你这个残忍的恶棍，你杀了我的朋友狗。现在记住我说的话。 —

‘There,’ cried the sparrow, ‘thou cruel villain, thou hast killed my friend the dog. —
’请留心。’ —

Now mind what I say. —
—

This deed of thine shall cost thee all thou art worth. —
你的所作所为将使你付出一切代价。”“随你便， —

’ ‘Do your worst, and welcome, ’ said the brute, ‘what harm can you do me? —
尽管来吧，”那个暴徒说，“你能对我造成什么伤害呢？ —

’ and passed on. But the sparrow crept under the tilt of the cart, and pecked at the bung of one of the casks till she loosened it; —
”并继续走了。但是那只麻雀从车子下爬了进去，啄开了一个木桶的塞子； —

and then all the wine ran out, without the carter seeing it. —
于是所有的酒都流了出来，车夫却没有看到。 —

At last he looked round, and saw that the cart was dripping, and the cask quite empty. —
最后他环顾四周，发现车在滴水，木桶已经空了。 —

‘What an unlucky wretch I am! —
“我真是个倒霉鬼！ —

’ cried he. ‘Not wretch enough yet! —
”他大叫。“还不够倒霉！ —

’ said the sparrow, as she alighted upon the head of one of the horses, and pecked at him till he reared up and kicked. —
”那只麻雀说着，落在一匹马的头上，用嘴啄它，直到它顶起来踢打。 —

When the carter saw this, he drew out his hatchet and aimed a blow at the sparrow, meaning to kill her; —
车夫看到这个情景，拔出斧子，瞄准那只麻雀，想要杀死她； —

but she flew away, and the blow fell upon the poor horse’s head with such force, that he fell down dead. —
但是她飞走了，斧头却砍在了可怜的马头上，以如此之大的力量，它当场死亡。 —

‘Unlucky wretch that I am! —
“我真是个倒霉鬼！ —

’ cried he. —
”他大叫。 —

‘Not wretch enough yet!’ said the sparrow. —
“还不够可怜！”麻雀说。 —

And as the carter went on with the other two horses, she again crept under the tilt of the cart, and pecked out the bung of the second cask, so that all the wine ran out. —
当车夫继续赶着另外两匹马走时，她再次爬到车篷底下，啄破了第二桶的塞子，让酒都流了出来。 —

When the carter saw this, he again cried out, ‘Miserable wretch that I am! —
车夫看到这一幕，又大声嚷嚷：“我真是个可怜的家伙！ —

’ But the sparrow answered, ‘Not wretch enough yet! —
”但麻雀回答说：“还不够可怜！” —

’ and perched on the head of the second horse, and pecked at him too. —
她又飞到第二匹马的头上，开始啄他。 —

The carter ran up and struck at her again with his hatchet; —
车夫跑上前用斧头再次击打她； —

but away she flew, and the blow fell upon the second horse and killed him on the spot. —
但她飞走了，打击落在第二匹马身上，当场将其击毙。他说： —

‘Unlucky wretch that I am!’ said he. —
“我真是个不走运的可怜虫！” —

‘Not wretch enough yet!’ said the sparrow; —
“还不够可怜！”麻雀说。 —

and perching upon the third horse, she began to peck him too. —
她又落在第三匹马身上，开始啄他。 —

The carter was mad with fury; —
车夫气得发疯； —

and without looking about him, or caring what he was about, struck again at the sparrow; —
他不看周围，也不在乎自己在做什么，再次朝麻雀砍去；结果又一次杀死了他的第三匹马， —

but killed his third horse as he done the other two. —
就像之前干掉另外两匹马一样。 —

‘Alas! miserable wretch that I am!’ cried he. —
“唉！我是多么可怜的家伙！”他哭喊道。 —

‘Not wretch enough yet! —
“还不够可怜！ —

’ answered the sparrow as she flew away; —
”麻雀飞走时回答道； —

‘now will I plague and punish thee at thy own house. —
“现在我要在你的家里折磨和惩罚你。 —

’ The carter was forced at last to leave his cart behind him, and to go home overflowing with rage and vexation. —
”车夫最终不得不撇下他的车，满怀愤怒和烦恼地回家。 —

‘Alas!’ said he to his wife, ‘what ill luck has befallen me! —
“唉！”他对妻子说，“我运气真不好！我的酒都洒了，我的马都死了。 —

–my wine is all spilt, and my horses all three dead.’ ‘Alas! —
” “唉！还不够倒霉！”麻雀飞走的时候回答道。 —

husband,’ replied she, ‘and a wicked bird has come into the house, and has brought with her all the birds in the world, I am sure, and they have fallen upon our corn in the loft, and are eating it up at such a rate! —
“丈夫，”她回答道，“一只邪恶的鸟飞进了房子，带来了世界上所有的鸟，我确定，它们都飞到了顶楼上的谷仓里，正在疯狂地吃光我们的谷物！” —

’ Away ran the husband upstairs, and saw thousands of birds sitting upon the floor eating up his corn, with the sparrow in the midst of them. —
丈夫跑上楼，看见成千上万只鸟坐在地板上，正在吃光他的谷物，而麻雀正中间。 —

‘Unlucky wretch that I am!’ cried the carter; —
“可怜的我！”车夫叫道， —

for he saw that the corn was almost all gone. —
因为他看到谷物几乎已经被吃光了。 —

‘Not wretch enough yet! —
“我还不够倒霉吗？” —

’ said the sparrow; —
麻雀说： —

‘thy cruelty shall cost thee thy life yet! —
“你的残忍行为将让你付出生命的代价！ —

’ and away she flew.
”说完便飞走了。

The carter seeing that he had thus lost all that he had, went down into his kitchen; —
车夫看到自己失去了一切之后，走下楼进了厨房。 —

and was still not sorry for what he had done, but sat himself angrily and sulkily in the chimney corner. —
他对自己的所作所为仍然不感到后悔，愤怒地坐在壁炉角落里。 —

But the sparrow sat on the outside of the window, and cried ‘Carter! —
但是麻雀停在窗外，呼喊道：“车夫！ —

thy cruelty shall cost thee thy life! —
你的残忍将让你失去生命！” —

’ With that he jumped up in a rage, seized his hatchet, and threw it at the sparrow; —
他勃然大怒地跳了起来，抓起他的斧头，向麻雀扔去； —

but it missed her, and only broke the window. —
但是他错过了，只是打破了窗户。 —

The sparrow now hopped in, perched upon the window-seat, and cried, ‘Carter! it shall cost thee thy life! —
麻雀现在跳了进来，停在窗台上，喊道：“车夫！你的命要交代在此了！” —

’ Then he became mad and blind with rage, and struck the window-seat with such force that he cleft it in two: —
然后他愤怒得发了疯，对着窗台猛击，结果将它劈成两半。 —

and as the sparrow flew from place to place, the carter and his wife were so furious, that they broke all their furniture, glasses, chairs, benches, the table, and at last the walls, without touching the bird at all. —
当麻雀在各个地方飞来飞去时，车夫和他的妻子如此愤怒，以至于将他们的家具、玻璃、椅子、长凳、桌子，最后连墙都打碎了，却一点也没有碰到鸟。 —

In the end, however, they caught her: —
最后，他们抓到了她。 —

and the wife said, ‘Shall I kill her at once? —
妻子说：“我要立刻杀了她吗？”“不， —

’ ‘No,’ cried he, ‘that is letting her off too easily: —
”他大喊道，“那样太对她轻了： —

she shall die a much more cruel death; —
她应该受到更残忍的死刑； —

I will eat her.’ But the sparrow began to flutter about, and stretch out her neck and cried, ‘Carter! —
我要吃掉她。”但是麻雀开始扑腾着，伸长脖子，喊道：“车夫！ —

it shall cost thee thy life yet! —
你的命还会交代在此！ —

’ With that he could wait no longer: —
”他再也等不及了： —

so he gave his wife the hatchet, and cried, ‘Wife, strike at the bird and kill her in my hand. —
于是他把斧头递给了妻子，大声喊道：“妻子，砍死鸟儿，把她砍在我的手上。 —

’ And the wife struck; —
”然后妻子挥舞着斧头； —

but she missed her aim, and hit her husband on the head so that he fell down dead, and the sparrow flew quietly home to her nest.
然而，她未能命中目标，反而击中了丈夫的头，使他倒地身亡，而小麻雀悄悄飞回了自己的巢。