Gudbrand on the Hill-Side

Once on a time there was a man whose name was Gudbrand; he had a farm which lay far, far away upon a hill-side, and so they called him Gudbrand on the Hill-side.

从前有一个人名叫古德布兰，他有一座农场，坐落在远远的山坡上，因此人们都叫他“山坡上的古德布兰”。

Now, you must know this man and his goodwife lived so happily together, and understood one another so well, that all the husband did the wife thought so well done there was nothing like it in the world, and she was always glad whatever he turned his hand to. The farm was their own land, and they had a hundred dollars lying at the bottom of their chest, and two cows tethered up in a stall in their farm-yard.

要知道，这个人和他的贤妻过得十分和睦，彼此十分知心，以至于丈夫所做的一切，妻子都觉得再好不过，世上没有比这更好的了，不管他动手做什么，她都总是欢欢喜喜的。这座农场是他们自己的地产，他们的箱底还藏着一百块钱，农场的牲口棚里还拴着两头牛。

So one day his wife said to Gudbrand:

于是有一天，他的妻子对古德布兰说：

“Do you know, dear, I think we ought to take one of our cows into town, and sell it; that’s what I think; for then we shall have some money in hand, and such well-to-do people as we ought to have ready money like the rest of the world. As for the hundred dollars at the bottom of the chest yonder, we can’t make a hole in them, and I’m sure I don’t know what we want with more than one cow. Besides, we shall gain a little in another way, for then I shall get off with only looking after one cow, instead of having, as now, to feed and litter and water two.”

“亲爱的，你知道吗，我想我们该把咱们的一头牛牵到城里去卖掉；我是这么想的；这样我们手头就能有些现钱了，像咱们这样殷实的人家，也该像别人一样手头有点现钱才是。至于箱底那一百块钱，咱们可不能去动它，我实在不知道咱们要两头牛做什么。再说了，这样我们还能省点事，因为往后我就只用照看一头牛，不用像现在这样又喂又垫又饮两头牛了。”

Well, Gudbrand thought his wife talked right good sense, so he set off at once with the cow on his way to town to sell her; but when he got to the town, there was no one who would buy his cow.

古德布兰觉得妻子说得很有道理，便立刻牵着牛动身进城去卖；可是到了城里，却没有人愿意买他的牛。

“Well! well! never mind”, said Gudbrand, “at the worst, I can only go back home again with my cow. I’ve both stable and tether for her, I should think, and the road is no farther out than in”; and with that he began to toddle home with his cow.

“好吧！好吧！没关系，”古德布兰说，“最坏也不过是牵着牛回家罢了。我想我家里马厩和拴绳都是现成的，路也是一样远近。”说完他便牵着牛慢悠悠地往家走。

But when he had gone a bit of the way, a man met him who had a horse to sell, so Gudbrand thought ’twas better to have a horse than a cow, so he swopped with the man. A little farther on he met a man walking along and driving a fat pig before him, and he thought it better to have a fat pig than a horse, so he swopped with the man.

可是走了没多远，他遇见一个人牵着一匹马要卖，古德布兰心想有匹马总比有头牛强，于是便和那人换了。又走了一段，他遇见一个人赶着一头肥猪走在路上，他心想有头肥猪总比有匹马强，于是又和那人换了。

After that he went a little farther, and a man met him with a goat; so he thought it better to have a goat than a pig, and he swopped with the man that owned the goat. Then he went on a good bit till he met a man who had a sheep, and he swopped with him too, for he thought it always better to have a sheep than a goat.

再往前走了一小段，他遇见一个人牵着一只山羊；他心想有只山羊总比有头猪强，于是就和那山羊的主人换了。接着他又走了好一段路，遇见一个人牵着一只绵羊，他也和那人换了，因为他总觉得有只绵羊总比有只山羊强。

After a while he met a man with a goose, and he swopped away the sheep for the goose; and when he had walked a long, long time, he met a man with a cock, and he swopped with him, for he thought in this wise, “’Tis surely better to have a cock than a goose.” Then he went on till the day was far spent, and he began to get very hungry, so he sold the cock for a shilling, and bought food with the money, for, thought Gudbrand on the Hill-side, “’Tis always better to save one’s life than to have a cock.”

过了一会儿，他遇见一个人牵着一只鹅，他便用绵羊换了那只鹅；又走了好长好长一段路，他遇见一个人牵着一只公鸡，他也和那人换了，因为他这样想：“有只公鸡总归比有只鹅强。”接着他继续走，一直走到天色将晚，他开始觉得饿得厉害，便把公鸡卖了一先令，用这钱买了些吃的，因为山坡上的古德布兰想：“保住性命总归比有只公鸡强。”

After that he went on home till he reached his nearest neighbour’s house, where he turned in.

之后他继续往家走，一直走到离家最近的邻居家，便进去歇脚。

“Well”, said the owner of the house, “how did things go with you in town?”

“怎么样，”房子的主人说，“你在城里的事情办得如何？”

“Rather so so”, said Gudbrand, “I can’t praise my luck, nor do I blame it either”, and with that he told the whole story from first to last.

“还算过得去，”古德布兰说，“我这运气既不夸口，也不埋怨。”说着，他便把整件事从头到尾说了一遍。

“Ah!” said his friend, “you’ll get nicely called over the coals, that one can see, when you get home to your wife. Heaven help you, I wouldn’t stand in your shoes for something.”

“啊！”他的朋友说，“看得出来，你回家去，你老婆一定要好好地把你训一顿。老天保佑你，就算给我什么好处，我也不愿站在你的位置上。”

“Well!” said Gudbrand on the Hill-side, “I think things might have gone much worse with me; but now, whether I have done wrong or not, I have so kind a goodwife, she never has a word to say against anything that I do.”

“好吧！”山坡上的古德布兰说，“我倒觉得事情本可能糟糕得多；不过如今，不论我做得对不对，我都有这么一个好心的贤妻，她对我做的任何事都从没有一句怨言。”

“Oh!” answered his neighbour, “I hear what you say, but I don’t believe it for all that.”

“哦！”他的邻居答道，“你说的话我倒是听见了，可我怎么也不信。”

“Shall we lay a bet upon it?” asked Gudbrand on the Hill-side. “I have a hundred dollars at the bottom of my chest at home; will you lay as many against them?”

“我们要不要打个赌？”山坡上的古德布兰问道。“我家箱底有一百块钱，你愿不愿意拿同样多的钱来打这个赌？”

Yes! the friend was ready to bet; so Gudbrand stayed there till evening, when it began to get dark, and then they went together to his house, and the neighbour was to stand outside the door and listen, while the man went in to see his wife.

好！那朋友愿意打这个赌；于是古德布兰在那里待到傍晚，天色渐渐暗了下来，两人便一同前往他家，邻居要站在门外偷听，那人则进去见他的妻子。

“Good evening!” said Gudbrand on the Hill-side.

“晚上好！”山坡上的古德布兰说。

“Good evening!” said the goodwife. “Oh! is that you? now God be praised.”

“晚上好！”贤妻说道。“哦！是你回来了？谢天谢地。”

Yes! it was he. So the wife asked how things had gone with him in town?

是的！正是他。于是妻子问他在城里的事情办得怎样。

“Oh! only so so”, answered Gudbrand; “not much to brag of. When I got to the town there was no one who would buy the cow, so you must know I swopped it away for a horse.”

“哦！还算过得去，”古德布兰答道，“没什么好夸的。我到了城里，没人愿意买那头牛，所以你要知道，我把它换成了一匹马。”

“For a horse”, said his wife; “well that is good of you; thanks with all my heart. We are so well to do that we may drive to church, just as well as other people; and if we choose to keep a horse we have a right to get one, I should think. So run out, child, and put up the horse.”

“换成一匹马，”他妻子说，“唔，这可真好；我打心眼里谢谢你。咱们家境这么殷实，也该能像别人一样坐车去教堂了；要是我们想养匹马，我想我们也该有这个资格。快跑出去，孩子，把马牵进去安顿好。”

“Ah!” said Gudbrand, “but you see I’ve not got the horse after all; for when I got a bit farther on the road, I swopped it away for a pig.”

“啊！”古德布兰说，“可你要知道，我如今根本没有那匹马了；因为我又走了一段路，把它换成了一头猪。”

“Think of that, now!” said the wife; “you did just as I should have done myself; a thousand thanks! Now I can have a bit of bacon in the house to set before people when they come to see me, that I can. What do we want with a horse? People would only say we had got so proud that we couldn’t walk to church. Go out, child, and put up the pig in the sty.”

“想想看啊！”他妻子说，“你做的正跟我自己会做的一模一样；万分感谢！如今我有点腊肉可以摆出来招待来看我的人了，我能了。咱们要一匹马做什么？人们只会说我们太摆阔气，连教堂都不肯走着去了。出去吧，孩子，把猪安顿到猪圈里去。”

“But I’ve not got the pig either”, said Gudbrand; “for when I got a little farther on, I swopped it away for a milch goat.”

“可我连那头猪也没有了，”古德布兰说，“因为我又走了一小段，把它换成了一只奶山羊。”

“Bless us!” cried his wife, “how well you manage everything! Now I think it over, what should I do with a pig? People would only point at us and say, ‘Yonder they eat up all they have got.’ No! now I have got a goat, and I shall have milk and cheese, and keep the goat too. Run out, child, and put up the goat.”

“老天保佑！”他妻子叫道，“你什么事都办得这么妥当！我这么一想，要头猪我能拿它做什么呢？人们只会指着我们说：‘瞧他们把自己有的都吃光了。’不！如今我有了一只羊，我就能有奶和奶酪，还能留着这只羊。快出去，孩子，把羊安顿好。”

“Nay, but I haven’t got the goat either”, said Gudbrand, “for a little farther on I swopped it away, and got a fine sheep instead.”

“不，我连那只羊也没有了，”古德布兰说，“因为再走一小段，我把它换掉了，换来了一只上好的绵羊。”

“You don’t say so!” cried his wife; “why, you do everything to please me, just as if I had been with you; what do we want with a goat? If I had it I should lose half my time in climbing up the hills to get it down. No! if I have a sheep, I shall have both wool and clothing, and fresh meat in the house. Run out, child, and put up the sheep.”

“真想不到！”他妻子叫道，“哎呀，你什么事都替我着想，就好像我一直和你在一起似的；咱们要山羊做什么？我要是有了它，倒得浪费大半时间爬山去把它牵下来。不！要是我有只绵羊，我就能有羊毛和衣料，家里还能有新鲜的肉吃。快出去，孩子，把绵羊安顿好。”

“But I haven’t got the sheep any more than the rest”, said Gudbrand; “for when I had gone a bit farther, I swopped it away for a goose.”

“可我连那只绵羊也没有了，跟其余的一样，”古德布兰说，“因为我又走了一段，把它换成了一只鹅。”

“Thank you! thank you! with all my heart”, cried his wife; “what should I do with a sheep? I have no spinning-wheel, nor carding-comb, nor should I care to worry myself with cutting, and shaping, and sewing clothes. We can buy clothes now, as we have always done; and now I shall have roast goose, which I have longed for so often; and, besides, down to stuff my little pillow with. Run out, child, and put up the goose.”

“谢谢你！谢谢你！打心眼里谢谢你，”他妻子叫道，“我要绵羊做什么？我又没有纺车，也没有梳毛的工具，也不想为了裁剪、缝制衣服费心劳神。咱们向来是买衣服穿的，往后照样如此；如今我就能吃上烤鹅了，我一直盼着吃呢；再说了，鹅绒还能拿来填我那小枕头。快出去，孩子，把鹅安顿好。”

“Ah!” said Gudbrand, “but I haven’t the goose either; for when I had gone a bit farther I swopped it away for a cock.”

“啊！”古德布兰说，“可我连那只鹅也没有了；因为我又走了一段，把它换成了一只公鸡。”

“Dear me!” cried his wife, “how you think of everything! just as I should have done myself. A cock! think of that! why it’s as good as an eight-day clock, for every morning the cock crows at four o’clock, and we shall be able to stir our stumps in good time. What should we do with a goose? I don’t know how to cook it; and as for my pillow, I can stuff it with cotton-grass. Run out, child, and put up the cock.”

“天哪！”他妻子叫道，“你什么事都想到了！正跟我自己会做的一样。一只公鸡！你想想看！这可跟一台能走八天的钟一样好使，因为每天早晨公鸡四点钟就打鸣，我们便能及时起身干活了。咱们要只鹅做什么？我都不知道该怎么烹调它；至于我的枕头，我拿棉花草填就是了。快出去，孩子，把公鸡安顿好。”

“But, after all, I haven’t got the cock”, said Gudbrand; “for when I had gone a bit farther, I got as hungry as a hunter, so I was forced to sell the cock for a shilling, for fear I should starve.”

“可到头来，我连那只公鸡也没有了，”古德布兰说，“因为我又走了一段，饿得像只猎狗一样，只好把公鸡卖了一先令，免得自己饿坏了。”

“Now, God be praised that you did so!” cried his wife; “whatever you do, you do it always just after my own heart. What should we do with the cock? We are our own masters, I should think, and can lie a-bed in the morning as long as we like. Heaven be thanked that I have got you safe back again; you who do everything so well that I want neither cock nor goose; neither pigs nor kine.”

“谢天谢地，你这么做了！”他妻子叫道，“不管你做什么，总是正合我的心意。咱们要公鸡做什么？我想咱们本就是自己的主人，爱在床上躺到几时都行。谢天谢地你平平安安地回来了；你什么事都办得这么妥当，教我既不需要公鸡也不需要鹅，也不需要猪或牛。”

Then Gudbrand opened the door and said; “Well, what do you say now? Have I won the hundred dollars?” and his neighbour was forced to allow that he had.

于是古德布兰打开门说：“怎么样，你现在还有什么话说？我赢得这一百块钱了吗？”他的邻居只得承认，他确实赢了。