Mark the Rich

In a country, in a kingdom far away, once upon a time there lived a merchant, Mark the Rich; and, what with all his estates and revenues, you couldn’t count them. He lived, and was merry, and never suffered the poor man to come to his door, so ungracious was he.

从前在一个遥远的国度、遥远的王国里，住着一个商人，名叫马克财主；他名下的田产和收入多得数也数不清。他过着快活的日子，从不许穷人靠近他家门口，就是这么个刻薄吝啬的人。

One day he had a dream: “Make ready, Mark the Rich, and wait. God Himself will be thy Guest!” In the morning Mark got up, called his wife, and bade her make a banquet. He covered all of his courtyard with scarlet velvet and golden brocade, and at every side-path he posted journeymen and servants to keep out all the hunger-brothers and scare them outside.

有一天，他做了个梦：“马克财主，你且准备好，等着吧。上帝亲自要来做你的客人！”早上马克起了床，叫来妻子，吩咐她准备一场盛宴。他把整个院子都铺上了猩红色的天鹅绒和金线织锦，又在每条小径旁都派了帮工和仆人把守，好把那些讨饭的穷苦人都拦在外头，吓得他们不敢靠近。

Then Mark the Rich came, and sat awaiting the Lord. The hours went by, and never a guest. And then the poor heard that there was a great feast at the house of Mark the Rich. They all gathered round for the hallowed gifts; but the journeymen and servants drove them all away.

于是马克财主坐下来，等着上帝的到来。时间一小时一小时地过去，却始终不见一个客人上门。这时穷人们听说马克财主家里正在办一场盛大的宴席，都纷纷聚拢过来，指望能分得一些施舍的恩惠；可帮工和仆人们却把他们统统赶走了。

But one poor beggar, bent with age, and all in rags, went up to the door of Mark the Rich. And as Mark the Rich saw him from the window, he cried out in a fierce voice: “Hi, you sluggards and louts! Eyes and no eyes? Look at the beast that is traipsing up and down our courtyard: get rid of him.”

只有一个穷苦的乞丐，年迈体弱，衣衫褴褛，走到了马克财主家的门口。马克财主从窗口看见了他，便厉声喝道：“喂，你们这些懒骨头和蠢货！长没长眼睛？瞧瞧院子里晃来晃去的那个畜生，把他给我赶走！”

And all the servants scampered up, laid hold of the poor old fellow, and rushed him out the back way. One good old woman saw him, and said: “Come to me, you poor old beggar; I will feed and rest you.” She took him in, fed him, gave him to drink, and laid him to sleep; and thus Mark the Rich had never found the Lord for whom he was waiting.

于是仆人们一拥而上，抓住这可怜的老头儿，从后门把他撵了出去。有一位善良的老妇人看见了他，说道：“可怜的老乞丐，到我这儿来吧；我给你饭吃，让你歇歇脚。”她把他领进屋，给他吃的喝的，又让他躺下休息；就这样，马克财主苦苦等待的那位上帝，他始终没能找到。

At midnight the lady had a dream, and heard some one knock at the window and ask: “Old and righteous man, are you sleeping here to-night?” “Yes,” said the old man. “In a village near by a poor peasant has had a son; how will you reward him?” The poor man said: “He shall be lord of all the domains of Mark the Rich!” Next day the poor old man left his hostess and went forth to roam. The old peasant woman went to Mark the Rich and told him of her dream.

到了半夜，这位老妇人做了个梦，梦见有人敲窗，问道：“年迈而正直的老人啊，你今晚是不是就睡在这儿？”“是的，”老人答道。“附近村子里有个穷苦的农人刚生了个儿子；你打算怎么报答他呢？”那老人说道：“他将来会成为马克财主全部产业的主人！”第二天，这老乞丐便离开了女主人家，继续四处漂泊去了。那老妇人则去找马克财主，把自己的梦告诉了他。

Mark went to the peasant and asked for the baby. “Give him to me—I will adopt him; he shall grow up; I will teach him well; and when I die he shall have all my wealth.” This was what he said, but his thoughts were quite different. He took the little boy, went home, and threw him into a snow-drift. “Lie there and freeze; that’s the way to become master of Mark’s wealth!” But that same night hunters, passing by, hunting for hares, found the boy, took him home, and brought him up.

马克便去找那农人，要来了那个婴儿。“把他交给我吧——我要收养他；等他长大成人，我会好好教导他；等我死后，我的全部财产都归他所有。”他嘴上是这么说的，心里想的却完全是另一回事。他抱着这小男孩回到家，把他扔进了雪堆里。“躺在那儿冻死吧，这才是当上马克财主继承人的办法！”可就在当天夜里，几个路过打野兔的猎人发现了这孩子，把他带回家抚养长大。

Many years passed by, and much water flowed in the river, and one day Mark the Rich went out with those huntsmen, saw the young boy, heard his story, and spoke about him, and knew it was the same he had cast forth.

许多年过去了，河里流过了无数的水，有一天马克财主跟那些猎人一起出门，看见了这个已经长大的男孩，听了他的身世，跟他说了几句话，这才知道，原来他就是当年自己扔弃的那个孩子。

So Mark the Rich asked the youth to go home and take a letter to his wife; but in that letter he bade her poison the boy like a dog. The poor foundling set out on his road; when on his way, he met a poor man with nothing on but a shirt; but this beggar was Christ Himself. He stopped the wayfarer, took the letter, and held it for one minute, and the letter was changed in all it said. The wife of Mark the Rich was to receive the bearer with all honour, and marry him to her daughter. It was said, and it was done.

于是马克财主便打发这青年回家去，替他给妻子送一封信；可信里他却吩咐妻子像杀狗一样把这男孩毒死。这可怜的弃儿便踏上了归途；走到半路，他遇见一个衣衫单薄、只穿着一件衬衫的穷苦人；可这乞丐其实就是基督本人。他拦住了这赶路的青年，接过那封信，握在手里片刻，信里的内容便全然变了。马克财主的妻子被吩咐要以最高的礼遇迎接送信之人，并把女儿嫁给他。事情就这样说定了，也就这样办成了。

Mark the Rich returned home; and was very wroth at seeing his new son-in-law, and said: “In the evening go to my distillery and look after the work”; whilst he secretly told the men to hunt him into the burning cauldron as soon as ever he appeared. So the boy made ready to go to the distillery; but a sudden sickness befell him, and he had to go back home. Mark the Rich waited his time, and went to see what had become of his son-in-law, and tumbled into his own distillers’ clutches, into the burning cauldron!

马克财主回到家中，一看见自己这位新女婿，顿时怒火中烧，便说道：“今晚到我的蒸馏作坊去看看那边的活计。”与此同时，他却暗地里吩咐工人，一见这青年出现，就把他赶进那口滚烫的大锅里去。于是这男孩便准备动身前往蒸馏作坊；可他忽然病倒了，只好又折返回家。马克财主左等右等，最后终于亲自去查看女婿的下落，结果自己一头栽进了工人们手里，掉进了那口滚烫的大锅之中！