痛苦的根源 The Cobbler and the Banker
拉·封丹/La Fontaine
A cobbler passed his time in singing from morning till night;it was wonderful to see, wonderful to hear him;he was more contented in making shoes than was any of the seven sages. His neighbor, on the contrary, who was rolling in wealth, sung but little, and sleepless. He was a banker;when by chance he fell into a doze at day-break, the cobbler awoke him with his song. The banker complained sadly that Providence had not made sleep a saleable commodity, like edibles or drinkables. Having at length sent for the songster, he said to him,“How much a year do you earn, Master Gregory?”
“How much a year, sir?”said the merry cobbler laughing,“I 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.”
“Well then!How much a day do you earn, my friend?”
“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.”
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.”
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 the 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.”
一个皮匠以歌自娱，在歌声中度过每一天。每一个见到他，或听到他歌声的人都甚感愉快。他满足于自己的制鞋工作，甚至觉得比做希腊七圣还满足。他的邻居是一个家财万贯的银行家，与他相反，银行家很少唱歌，睡眠也不好，偶尔在天快亮时才打个盹，又被皮匠的歌声吵醒了。他痛苦地抱怨上帝没有把睡眠也变成商品，他多想睡眠也像食品和饮料那样能随意购买啊。最后，银行家把这个歌唱者请过来，对他说：“格雷戈里师傅，您一年能赚多少钱啊？”
“一年赚多少钱吗，先生？”快乐的皮匠笑道，“我可从来没有统计过，我天天如此，每天挣足三餐，总能撑到年底。”
“啊，朋友，那么，你一天挣多少呢？”
“有时候挣得多，有时又少点儿，我们的收入还可以。最难过的日子就是每年总有些时候不让我们工作，而牧师又常吸纳新的圣徒。”
银行家被皮匠的直率逗乐了，他说：“今后，我将满足你的一切需求，你把这一百枚钱币拿去存好，需要时就拿出来用。”
皮匠觉得自己好像看到了几个世纪以来，大地为人类所需创造出来的所有财富。他回家后，把这笔钱埋了起来，同时，也埋葬了他的欢乐。从此，他不再唱歌。在他得到钱这个痛苦根源的那刻起，就失去了歌喉。担心、怀疑、虚惊让他不能安稳地入睡。他的目光整天游移在藏钱的地方。晚上，就是野猫弄出点儿声响，他也会以为有人来抢他的宝贝。最后，这个可怜的人跑到他富有的邻居那里：“还我的睡眠和歌喉吧，把你的一百枚钱币拿回去。”
心灵小语
自由是一首动听的歌，飘过海洋，飘过山脉，飘入人的心中，永远无法舍弃。
词汇笔记
cobbler['kɔblə]n.补鞋匠
The cobbler is a honest man.
补鞋匠是个诚实的人。
saleable['seiləbl]adj.可供出售的
These kinds of sports wears are very saleable.
这几种运动服非常畅销。
fancy['fænsi]v.空想；虚构；设想
He fancied he have met me before.
他觉得他以前见过我。
rob[rɔb]v.抢劫
Do not rob Reter to pay pall.
不要挖肉补疮。
小试身手
他痛苦地抱怨上帝没有把睡眠也变成商品。
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我可从来没有统计过，我天天如此，每天挣足三餐，总能撑到年底。
译________________________________________
皮匠觉得自己好像看到了几个世纪以来，大地为人类所需创造出来的所有财富。
译________________________________________
短语家族
……he was more contented in making shoes than was any of the seven sages.
be contented in：满足于……
造________________________________________
……in the future I shall place you above want.
in the future：在将来
造________________________________________