雙語散文:神奇的豬
【英文原文】
Once upon a time there was a princess who was very beautiful, but very eccentric1. She announced publicly that she would only marry the man who could tell her father, the king, a story which he could not believe. Now, in a village there dwelt a poor young peasant, who, hearing of this proclamation, went up to the king's palace, and loudly knocking at the gates demanded an audience of His Majesty2.
The king knew very well what the young fellow wanted, as by that time many princes and knights had come on the same errand, in the hope of winning the beautiful princess, but they had all failed.3
So John, the young peasant was admitted to the royal presence.4
"Good morning, Your Majesty," he said.
"Good morning, my lad 5. Well, what do you want?" asked the king, kindly.
"So please, Your Majesty, I want a wife."
"Very good, lad; but what would you keep her on?6"
"Oh! I dare say I could manage to keep her pretty comfortable. My father has a pig."
"Indeed!"7 said the king.
"A wonderful pig, Your Majesty; he has kept my father, my mother, seven sisters,and myself, for the last twenty years."
"Indeed!" said the king.
"He gives us as good a quart of milk every morning as any cow."8
"Indeed!" said the king.
"Yes, Your Majesty, and lays most delicious eggs for our breakfast."
"Indeed!" said the king.
"And every day my mother cuts a nice bit of bacon out of his side, and every night it grows together again."9
"Indeed!" said the king.
"The other day this pig disappeared, my mother looked for him high and low10, hewas nowhere to be seen.11"
"That was very sad," said the king.
"Finally, she found him in the larder12, catching mice."
"A very useful pig!" said the king.
"My father sent him into town every day to do errands for him."
"Very wise of your father," said the king.
"He ordered all my father's clothes, and mine too, of Your Majesty's own tailor."13
"They do appear very well made!"14 said the king.
"Yes, Your Majesty, and he pays all the bills out of the gold he picks up on the road."
"A very precious pig," said the king.
"Latterly he has seemed unruly, and rather out of sorts."15
"That's very sad!" said the king.
"He has refused to go where he is told, and won't allow my mother to have any more bacon from his side."
"He should be chastised16!" said the king.
"Besides which, Your Majesty, he is growing rather blind, and can't see where heis going."
"He should be led," said the king.
"Yes, Your Majesty, that is why my father has just engaged your father to look after him.17"
"That's not true," yelled the king... Then suddenly he remembered his daughter'spromise. So he was obliged to allow the princess to marry the peasant's son, butthis he never regretted, for the peasant's son became a most clever and amiable young prince, and lived happily with his bride and his father-in-law for very many years.18 Years after, when John became the king, all his people declared they had never had so wise a ruler. Then it was that he romanced19 no longer but was always believed and respected.
【重點講解】
1. eccentric:（人、行爲、舉止等）古怪的。
2. 在一個村子裏住着一位很窮的年輕農夫，當他聽到這個消息時，就前往國王的宮殿，使勁敲門要求覲見國王。dwell:居住；proclamation: 公告，聲明；audience: 覲見，謁見。
3. 國王非常清楚這個小夥子的意圖，因爲許多王子和騎士已經爲了同樣的事情來過，希望得到美麗的公主，但是他們都沒有成功。errand: 差事，使命。
4. 於是約翰，這個年輕的農夫被召進了皇宮。the presence: 謁見，（君王的）御前。
5. lad: <口>傢伙，老弟（表示親密的稱呼）。
6. 但你拿什麼養活她呢？
7. indeed:（表示驚訝、懷疑、諷刺、輕蔑等）哦，不見得吧。
8. “它每天早上能像牛一樣供給我們一夸脫牛奶。”quart: 夸脫（液量單位，等於1/4加侖或2品脫）。
9. “每天我母親切下它的一小片肋肉，晚上這肉又會長出來。”
10. high and low: 到處。
11. 哪兒都找不到它。
12. larder: 食品室。
13. 它從國王您的裁縫那兒定製我父親和我的所有衣服。
14. 它們看起來確實做得不錯。
15. 近來他好像難以駕馭，心情也不太好。latterly: 近來，最近；unruly: 難駕馭的，難控制的；out of sorts: 心情不佳，脾氣壞的。
16. chastise: 懲戒，責罰。
17. 這就是爲什麼我父親讓你父親照看它的原因。
18. amiable: 和藹可親的；father-in-law: 配偶的父親，這裏指岳父。
19. romance: 捏造事實。
