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The Pumpkin Jug
南瓜罐
Once, there was a king who was on holiday. The king went to pick flowers with his friends.
从前，有一位国王正在度假。国王和他的朋友们去摘花了。
The king found a field of poppies, which were his favourite flower.
国王发现了一片罂粟花，这是他最喜欢的花。
He picked hundreds of poppies and forgot about his friends.
他摘了几百朵罂粟花，忘了跟朋友们会合。
Many hours later, the king couldn’t find his friends. He was lost.
好几个小时之后，国王找不到朋友了。他迷路了。
The king was far away from his home, and all he had were the poppies he had picked.
国王离家很远，他仅有的东西就是他摘的罂粟花。
The king knew he could find the way home, but it would take a long time and he was thirsty. He needed water.
国王知道他能找到回家的路，但需要很长时间，而且他口渴了。他需要水。
The king thought, Hmm, maybe there is a river somewhere.
国王想，嗯，也许哪里有河呢。
He looked for a river, but then he saw a house on a hill.
他想找条河，但后来他看到了山上的一所房子。
Ah! thought the king. I will ask for water at that house. The king walked up the hill to the house.
啊!国王想。我去那座房子里讨点水喝。国王向那座房子走去。
Outside the house, a young woman was working in the garden.
房子外面，一位年轻女人在花园里干活。
‘Hey there, young girl!’ said the king. ‘Could I ask you for some water?
“嘿，小姑娘！”国王说。“我能跟你讨点水吗？
I have been picking poppies, and now I am very thirsty, and I must drink some water before finding my way back.’
我一直在摘罂粟，现在我很渴，我必须喝点水才能找到回去的路。”
‘Of course,’ said the woman.
“当然可以，”那女人说。
‘But can I ask what a young man like you is doing picking poppies? Surely you have other work to do?
“不过我能问一下像你这样的年轻人为什么要摘罂粟花吗？你肯定还有其他工作要做吧？
Most men do not pick poppies for work.’ ‘Ah!’ said the king. ‘I suppose I should say: I am a king.’
大多数男性不会把摘罂粟花当成工作。”“啊！”国王说。“我想我应该说：我是国王。”
‘Oh!’ The woman bowed to the king.
“哦！”那女人向国王鞠躬。
‘I don’t know what country you come from, but it is wonderful to have you here. Would you like some pumpkin juice to drink?’
“我不知道您来自哪个国家，但您能来这里真是太好了。您想喝点南瓜汁吗？”
‘Pumpkin? What’s that?’ There were no pumpkins in the king’s country.
“南瓜？那是什么？”这位国王的国家是没有南瓜的。
The woman showed the king some of her vegetables. ‘I grow pumpkins here, you see,’ she said. ‘That is my job.’
女人给国王展示了一些她的蔬菜。她说，“你看，我在这里种南瓜。这是我的工作。”
‘What a strange plant,’ said the king. ‘I have never seen anything like it. No, I would just like some water.’
“好奇怪的植物，”国王说。“我从来没见过这种东西。不了，我还是喝点水吧。”
‘You must eat some pumpkin before you leave this country,’ said the woman.
“在你离开之前，一定要吃点南瓜，”这位女人说。
‘It is a very special vegetable. Ah, I will go get you some water.’
“它是种非常特别的蔬菜。啊，我去给你拿点水来。”
She bowed and went inside, and then came out looking very sad.
她鞠了一躬，走进屋去，然后又出来了，看起来很难过。
‘I’m sorry, but we only have one jug, and it is old and dirty.’
“对不起，我们只有一个罐子，而且又旧又脏。”
She showed him the jug, which was old and simple. ‘I do not think it is good enough for a king.
她给国王看了那个又旧又简易的罐子。“我觉得让国王用这种罐子不太合适。
You should have a gold jug with water from the highest mountain.’ ‘No, no,’ said the king.
您应该用金壶，里面装着来自最高峰的水。”“不，不，”国王说。
‘That jug is fine. The important thing is I am thirsty and I want to drink. I will be happy with that jug and your water.’
“那个罐子很好。重要的是我渴了，我想喝水。用那个罐子喝水我会很开心的。”
So the woman filled the jug with water and gave it to the king.
女人就把罐子装满了水，递给国王。
But when the king finished drinking, she took the jug from his hands and threw it on the ground.
但等国王喝完水后，她从他手中接过罐子，扔到了地上。
SMASH! The jug broke into many pieces. ‘Well, that was strange,’ said the king.
哐啷！罐子摔成了许多碎片。“哦，太奇怪了，”国王说。
‘Is this normal in your country? Should I break the jugs of my friends here?’
“在你们国家这么做正常吗？我应该把朋友的罐子摔碎吗？”
‘Well, well! You are a king, and so I wanted to give you a gold jug, but I could not. I could only give you an old and dirty jug.
“嗯，这个嘛！您是国王，我本想让您用个金罐子，但我不能。我只能给您一个又旧又脏的罐子。
But now a king has used it, and so the jug is special.
但现在一位国王用过这个罐子，所以它很特别。
I do not want other people using that jug now – it is a king’s jug, and only a king can use it.’
现在我不想让任何其他人再用这个罐子了--它是国王的罐子，只有国王才能用。”
The king did not say what he was thinking: the woman had broken the jug, so now nobody could use it.
国王没有说出他的心里话：女人把水壶摔碎了，已经没人能用它了。
Not a king or a normal person. But he thought it was a lovely idea.
国王和普通人都没法用。不过他觉得这个主意不错。
He had been picking poppies, and when you pick a flower, it dies. Was it not the same with the jug?
他一直在摘罂粟花，一朵花被摘下时，它就死了。罐子不也是一样的吗？
The jug was dead now, but he would remember drinking from it always.
那个罐子现在已经坏了，但他会永远记得用它喝过水。
‘Well, well,’ said the king. ‘This has been an interesting afternoon. I must go now, but I hope your pumpkins grow very big.’
“好吧，好吧，”国王说。“今天下午真有趣。现在我得走了，但我希望你的南瓜长得很大。”
‘Make sure to eat one before you leave!’ called the woman as he left.
“在你离开前，一定要吃一个！”他离开时那个女人喊道。
The king stayed in that country for a month more, and he could not stop thinking about the woman.
国王在那个国家又待了一个多月，他忍不住会想起那个女人。
One night, his friend gave him pumpkin for supper, and the king liked the pumpkin very much.
一天晚上，他的朋友晚餐给他准备了南瓜，国王非常喜欢南瓜。
