弗雷德和他的提琴

弗雷德和他的提琴

很久以前，有一个穷孩子叫弗雷德，他给一个富人辛辛苦苦工作了三年，富人答应管他吃，管他住，再给他三个便士。三年工作完后，弗雷德去拿他的钱。富人特别不高兴，说：“拿着你的钱滚吧。”

弗雷德把钱放进口袋里，拿着他的枪和提琴离开了小镇，他希望能买一些衣服，因为他穿得太破了。

这时，一个穷人向他走来。这个人长得如此高大，以至于弗雷德看见他时，吃惊地叫了起来。

Fred and his Fiddle

Long, long ago, there was a poor boy called Fred. For three years, he worked hard for a rich man. The rich man promised to take care of his food and living arrangements, and provide a salary of three pence. Three years later, Fred went to collect his money. The rich man was very cross. He said, "Take your money and get out of here."

Fred put the money in his pocket, and, with his rifle and violin in hand, he left the small village. He hoped to buy some clothes, because his current ones were too ragged.

At this point, a poor man approached him. This man was so tall that when Fred saw him, he cried out in astonishment.

“不要害怕，”这个穷人说，“我不会伤害你，我只想找你要一个便士。”

“噢，”弗雷德说，“我只有三个便士，我想用它们来买衣服。”

“我只不过要一个便士，”穷人说，“我比你穿得还要破。”

“的确如此。” 弗雷德说。于是，他给了这个穷人一个便士。

后来又来了两个人，把弗雷德剩下的两个便士也要走了。

最后这个人说：“你是个好孩子，弗雷德，你给了你所有的钱。因为你的三个便士，你可以许三个愿望。”

“我的第一个愿望是，每个听到我拉琴的人都将会跳舞。” 弗雷德说。

“这是一个很小的愿望，”这个人说，“它会实现的。第二个愿你可以许得更好一些。”

“我的第二个愿望是，我能拿枪射落每一件东西。” 弗雷德说。

"Don't be scared," said the poor man, "I will not harm you, I only want you to give me a pence."

"Oh," said Fred, "I only have three pence and I want to use them to buy clothes."

"I only want one pence," said the poor man, "My clothes are more tattered than yours."

"That is true," said Fred. And so, he gave the poor man one pence.

Following this, two other men arrived, and begged away Fred's remaining two pence.

The last man said, "You are a good boy, Fred. You gave away all your money. You can make three wishes for the three pence that you gave away."

"My first wish is that everyone who hears my violin playing dances," said Fred.

"That is a very small wish," said the man, "It will come true. Make your second grander."

"My second wish is that I can shoot down anything I want," said Fred.

“这也是一个微不足道的愿望，” 这个人说，“它会实现的。最后一个愿你可以许得更好一些。”

“好，我的最后一个愿望是，我请求一件事情时，不能有人对我说不。” 弗雷德说。

“好，这个愿望还不错。”这个人说着就走开了。

弗雷德重新返回小镇，没有人敢对他的请求说不。裁缝给了他一些衣服，面包师给了他一些面包。

当弗雷德沿着街道走时，他碰见了那个富人，这个富人正要去银行，他的口袋里有很多钱。“你好，弗雷德，好久不见，”富人说，“你在哪里得到这些好看的衣服的？”

“哦，我的衣服没有我的枪和提琴好看，” 弗雷德说，“我的枪法很精准，我能射掉每一件东西。”

"That is a most trivial wish," said the man, "It will come true. Be more ambitious with your last wish."

"Very well, my last wish is that when I ask something of someone, they cannot refuse." said Fred.

"Very well. That's not a bad wish." said the man as he left.

Fred returned to his small village. No one dared to refuse the favours that he asked of them. The tailor made him some clothes, the baker gave him some bread.

Fred was walking along the road when he ran into the rich man. The rich man was on the way to the bank. He had a lot of money in his pockets. "Hello Fred. It's been a while," said the rich man, "Where did you get that handsome outfit?"

"Oh. My clothes aren't as wonderful as my rifle and violin," said Fred, "My rifle is very accurate. I can shoot down anything I want."

“我倒想看看你的枪法。”富人说。

弗雷德说：“你看见那边的苹果树了吗？如果我射掉了苹果，你可以去捡。”

富人想，没有人能在这么远的距离射中苹果，于是他说：“好，我去捡这个苹果，我还会把我口袋里的钱都给你。”

弗雷德射中了这个苹果，苹果掉进了荆棘丛中。富人跑了很远去捡这个苹果，荆棘划破了他的衣服，这使得富人非常生气。

"I would like to see your marksmanship." said the rich man.

Fred said, "Can you see that apple tree? If I shoot down an apple, you go and pick it up."

The rich man thought to himself, no-one can hit those apples from such a distance. And so he said,"Very well, I will go and pick up the apple. I will also give you all the money in my pockets."

Fred shot the apple, which fell into a thorny bush. The rich man ran very far to pick up the apple. The thorns tore his clothes and made him very angry.

当他想到要把口袋里的钱全部给弗雷德时，富人就更加生气了。于是，他来到镇上的议会大厅，向法官告弗雷德偷了他的枪、提琴和钱。

法官从镇议会大厅出来抓弗雷德，镇上的每一个人都来看这个笑话。

当弗雷德看见富人和法官向他跑来时，他开始拉提琴。于是，每一个人都开始跳舞—大人们和孩子们开始跳，狗和猫也开始跳，马和牛也开始跳。

When he thought of the fact that he had to give all the money in his pockets to Fred, he became even more angry. And so, he went to the village's council hall and accused Fred of stealing his money, rifle and violin to the judge.

The judge came out from the council hall to arrest Fred. Everyone in the village came to watch this farce.

When Fred saw the rich man and the judge running towards him, he started to play his violin. At this, everyone started to dance. The grown-ups danced and the children danced, the cats danced and dogs danced. Even the horses and cows started to dance.

最后，法官和富人也跳了起来。富人穿着破衣服跳，看上去非常滑稽，逗得每个人都哈哈大笑。

后来，弗雷德停止拉琴，所有的人都非常累，不得不回家休息。弗雷德也带着他的枪和提琴走了，他去任何地方都有好运。因为没有人能对他的请求说不。

Finally, the judge and the rich man also started to dance. The sight of the rich man dancing with his clothes in tatters was most amusing, and everyone was heaving with laughter.

Fred then stopped playing his violin. Everyone was very tired. They had to go home to rest. Fred also left, with his rifle and violin in hand. Wherever he went, his luck was good, because no-one could refuse the favours he asked of them.

begged vt.请求（beg的过去时 ）

favours n.帮助（favour的复数形式）

accurate adj.精确的

farce n.闹剧

amusing adj.令人发笑的