第一冊第20篇：奇妙的載決

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A poor chimney-sweeper, who had not enough money to buy a meal, stopped one hot summer day at noon before an eating-house, and remained regaling his nose with the smell of the victuals. The master of the shop told him several times to go away, but the sweep(1) could not leave the savory smell, though unable to purchase the taste of the food. At last the cook came out of the shop, and taking hold of the sweep, declared that, as he had been feeding upon(2) the smell of his victuals, he should not go away without paying half the price of a dinner. The poor fellow said that he neither could nor would pay, and that he would ask the first person who should pass, whether it was not an unreasonable and un- just demand.

The case was referred to a policeman,(3) who happened to pass at that moment. He said to the sweep: "As you have been feasting one of your senses with the odor of this man’s meat(4), it is but just you should make him some recompense; therefore you shall(5), in your turn, regale one of his senses, which seems to be more insatiable than your appetite. How much money have you ?"

"I have but two pence in all the world, sir, and I must buy me some bread."

"Never mind," answered tile officer, "take your two pence between your hands; now rattle them loudly."

The sweep did so, and the officer, turning to the cook, said: "Now, sir, I think he has paid you: the smell of you victuals regaled his nostrils; the sound of his money has tick- led your ears."

This decision gave more satisfaction to the bystanders than to the cook, but it was the only payment he could obtain.

中文譯文：

有一個貧窮的掃煙囪工人，窮得連一頓飯也買不起。一個炎熱的夏天中午，他在一家餐館前停下來，站在那兒用鼻子貪婪地嗅著食物的香味。餐館老板兒次叫他走開，但他雖然沒有能力買食物來嘗嘗，卻又舍不得離開這令人饞涎欲滴的香味。最后，廚師從店堂內走了出來，一把抓住那個掃煙囪工人，說他聞飽了菜肴的捍味，硬要他付一半飯錢，不然，就不放他走。那個窮漢子說他既付不起，也不愿意付，并且提出要請第一個過路人來評一評這樣的要求是否公道合理。

這時候，一個警察碰巧從旁邊經過，這事就告到了他那里。警察對掃煙囪工人說："既然你的一個感官享受了這人烹調的食物的香味，你就應該給他一定的報酬，這是公平合理的;所以現(xiàn)在該輪到你使他的一個感官得到享受，他的這一感官看來比的胃口更難以滿足。你身上有多少錢?"

"總共只有兩個便士，我還要買面包吃呢，先生。"

"不要緊，"警察回答道，"把你的兩個便士用雙手捂著;現(xiàn)在使勁把它們咔嗒咔嗒地搖出聲音來。"

掃煙囪的工人這樣做了。于是警察轉身對廚師說："先生，我想現(xiàn)在他給了你報酬了;你那食物的香味給了他鼻子以享受;他那錢幣的響聲也飽了斧耳福。"

這一裁決使旁觀者大為滿意，廚師雖然不滿意，但他也只能得到這樣的報酬了。

英文注釋：

(1) the sweep： 掃煙囪的工人。

(2) feed upon(on)...： 以……為食物。

(3) The case was referred to a policeman： 此事提交警察處理。to refer…to：把……提交。

(4)meat： 這里作"食物"解.

(5) you shall： shall用于陳述句的第二、第三人稱時，表示說話者的意向，命令，允諾，警告等。這里作"應該" 解。在現(xiàn)代英語中，表示這種意思時，一般都用should代替shall。