第38章 天堂花園 The Garden of Paradise(第3/27 頁)

斷地把一塊又一塊木頭扔進火裡。

It was turning slowly before the fire, and an elderly woman, as large and strong as if she had been a man in disguise, sat by, throwing one piece of wood after another into the flames.

“進來吧，” 她對王子說，“坐在火邊把自己烤乾。”

“e in,” she said to the prince; “sit down by the fire and dry yourself.”

“這裡有很大的穿堂風。” 王子說著在地上坐了下來。

“there is a great draught here,” said the prince, as he seated himself on the ground.

“等我的兒子們回來會更糟。” 女人回答說，“你現在在風之洞穴裡，我的兒子們是天堂的四風：你明白嗎？”

“It will be worse when my sons e home,” replied the woman; “you are now in the cavern of the winds, and my sons are the four winds of heaven: can you understand that?”

“你的兒子們在哪裡？” 王子問道。

“where are your sons?” asked the prince.

“愚蠢的問題很難回答。” 女人說。

“It is difficult to answer stupid questions,” said the woman.

“我的兒子們有很多事情要做；他們正在那邊國王的大廳裡用雲朵玩羽毛球呢。” 她指著上方說。

“my sons have plenty of business on hand; they are playing at shuttlecock with the clouds up yonder in the king’s hall,” and she pointed upwards.

“哦，真的嗎，” 王子說，“但是你說話更粗魯、更嚴厲，不像我習慣的那些女人那麼溫柔。”

“oh, indeed,” said the prince; “but you speak more roughly and harshly and are not so gentle as the women I am used to.”

“是的，那是因為她們沒別的事情可做；但是我必須嚴厲，才能管住我的兒子們，而且我能做到，儘管他們很任性。你看到牆上掛著的那四個口袋了嗎？嗯，他們非常害怕那些口袋，就像你過去害怕鏡子後面的老鼠一樣。我可以把我的兒子們捆在一起，把他們放進口袋裡，他們一點也不敢反抗，我告訴你。他們就待在那裡，在我允許他們出來之前不敢試圖出來。現在他們中的一個來了。”

“Yes, that is because they have nothing else to do; but I am obliged to be harsh,