“The next day he was nailing up some honeysuckle against the porch, when he heard the Miller’s voice calling to him from the road.
“第二天,小汉斯正往门廊上钉忍冬的时候,听见磨坊主在马路上喊叫他的声音。
So he jumped off the ladder, and ran down the garden, and looked over the wall.
他一下子从梯子上跳下来,跑到花园里,朝墙外望去。
“There was the Miller with a large sack of flour on his back.
“只见磨坊主扛着一大袋面粉站在外面。
“Dear little Hans,’ said the Miller, ‘would you mind carrying this sack of flour for me to market?’
“亲爱的小汉斯,’磨坊主说,‘你愿意帮我把这袋面粉背到集市去吗?’
“Oh, I am so sorry,’ said Hans, ‘but I am really very busy to-day.
“实在对不起,’汉斯说,‘我今天真的太忙了。
I have got all my creepers to nail up, and all my flowers to water, and all my grass to roll.’
我要把所有的藤子全钉好,还得把所有的花浇上水,所有的草都剪平。’
“Well, really,’ said the Miller,
“啊,不错,’磨坊主说,
‘I think that, considering that I am going to give you my wheelbarrow, it is rather unfriendly of you to refuse.’
“我想是的。可你要考虑我将把我的小推车送给你,你要是拒绝我就太不够朋友了。’
“Oh, don’t say that,’ cried little Hans, ‘I wouldn’t be unfriendly for the whole world’;
“啊,不要这么说,’小汉斯大声叫道,‘无论如何我也不会对不起朋友的。’
and he ran in for his cap, and trudged off with the big sack on his shoulders.
他跑进小屋去取帽子,然后扛上那大袋面粉,步履艰难地朝集市走去。
“It was a very hot day, and the road was terribly dusty,
“这一天天气炎热,路上尘土飞扬,
and before Hans had reached the sixth milestone he was so tired that he had to sit down and rest.
汉斯还没有走到六英里,就累得不行了,只好坐下来歇歇脚。
However, he went on bravely, and as last he reached the market.
不过,他又继续勇敢地上路了,最后终于到达了集市。
After he had waited there some time, he sold the sack of flour for a very good price,
在那儿他没有等多长时间,就把那袋面粉卖掉了,还卖了个好价钱。
and then he returned home at once, for he was afraid that if he stopped too late he might meet some robbers on the way.
他立即动身回家,因为他担心在集市上呆得太晚,回去的路上可能会遇上强盗的。
“It has certainly been a hard day,’ said little Hans to himself as he was going to bed,
“今天的确太辛苦了,’小汉斯上床睡觉时这样对自己说,
‘but I am glad I did not refuse the Miller, for he is my best friend, and, besides, he is going to give me his wheelbarrow.’
‘不过我很高兴没有拒绝磨坊主,因为他是我最好的朋友,再说,他还要把他的小推车送给我。’
“Early the next morning the Miller came down to get the money for his sack of flour,
“第二天一大早,磨坊主就下山来取他那袋面粉的钱,
but little Hans was so tired that he was still in bed.
可是小汉斯太累了,这时还躺在床上睡觉呢。