英語美文:鞋匠和銀行家 The Cobbler and the Banker

閱讀，不是為了得到什么，而是在被生活打擊的無路可退時最后的安身之所。靜靜等待，閱讀，一定會給予你獎勵。下面是英語美文:鞋匠和銀行家 The Cobbler and the Banker的資料，希望你會喜歡！

　　The Cobbler and the Banker

　　鞋匠和銀行家

　　La Fontaine

　　拉·封丹

　　The cobbler passed his time in singing from morning till night; it was wonderful to see, wonderful to hear him; he was more contented in shoes, than was any of the seven sages.

　　鞋匠每天從早到晚都哼著歌，無論是看到他，還是聽到他唱歌都令人心情愉快。做鞋子于他而言，比當(dāng)上希臘七大圣賢中的任何一個都更能讓他感到心滿意足。

　　His neighbor, on the contrary, who was rolling in wealth, sung but little and slept less. He was a banker; when by chance he fell into a doze at daybreak, the cobbler awoke him with his song. The banker complained sadly that providence had not made sleep a salable commodity, like edibles or drinkable.

　　相反，他的鄰居財源滾滾，但卻很少唱歌，晚上睡眠也不好。這位鄰居是個銀行家，他好不容易在黎明時分剛迷迷糊糊地入睡，卻被鞋匠的歌聲吵醒了。銀行家唉聲嘆氣地抱怨上帝沒把睡眠也做成一種食品或飲料那樣可以買賣的商品。

　　Having at length sent for the songster, he said to him, "how much a year do you earn, master Gregory?"

　　后來，銀行家派人把這位“歌唱家”請來，問道：“格列高里師傅，你一年能掙多少錢？”

　　How much a year, Sir? said the merry cobbler laughing, "Never reckon in that way living as I do from one day to another; somehow I manage to reach the end of the year; each day brings its meal."

　　“先生，您問我一年掙多少錢嗎？”快樂的鞋匠笑道：“我從來沒那么算過，我是過一天算一天，反正總能堅持到年底，每天能掙足飯錢。”

　　Well then!How much a day do you earn,my friend?

　　“那么你一天掙多少錢呢，我的朋友？”

　　Sometimes more, sometimes less; but the worst of it is, --and, without that our earnings would be very tolerable -- a number of days occur in the year, on which we are forbidden to work; and the curate, moreover, is constantly adding some new saint to the list.

　　“有時多一點，有時少一點。不過最糟糕的是，一年中總有好些日子不讓我們做買賣，此外牧師還經(jīng)常在圣徒名單上添新名字，否則我們的收入也還算不錯的。”

　　The banker, laughing at his simplicity, said, "In the future I shall place you above want. Take this hundred crowns, preserve them carefully, and make use of them in time of need."

　　銀行家被他的簡單樸實逗笑了，說道：“我要讓你從今以后不用為錢而發(fā)愁了。你把這一百克朗拿去吧，小心收好，需要時可以拿出來用。”

　　The cobbler fancied he beheld all the wealth which the earth had produced in the past century for the use of mankind. Returning home, he buried his money and his happiness at the same time. No more singing; he lost his voice, the moment he acquired that which is the source of so much grief. Sleep quitted his dwelling; and cares, suspicions, and false alarms took its place, all day, his eye wandered in the direction of his treasure; and at night, if some stray cat made a noise, the cat was robbing him. At length the poor man ran to the house of his rich neighbor; "Give me back." said he, "sleep and my voice, and take your hundred crowns."

　　鞋匠覺得自己仿佛看到了上個世紀以來大地為人類所需而制造出來的全部財富?；氐郊液螅堰@筆錢埋藏好，同時也埋葬了他的快樂。他不再唱歌了；自從得到成為他諸多痛苦之源的那筆錢起，他就失聲了。睡眠拋他而去，擔(dān)心、懷疑和虛驚卻趁機而入。他的目光整天徘徊于那筆財富埋藏的方向；而入夜之時，要是偶爾有迷途的貓弄出一點兒聲響，他就以為是有人來搶他的錢。最后，這個可憐的鞋匠跑到他那富裕的鄰居家里，說道：“把你的一百克朗拿回去，把我的睡眠和歌聲還給我。”